Top Five Things to Do in Cheung Sha Wan
Cheung Sha Wan is an area situated between Lai Chi Kok and Sham Shui Po. Its literal Chinese translation is “long sandy bay”, and it used to be exactly such a bay with a beach, where Tanka fishermen settled. The bay was slowly reclaimed over several phases, extending the shoreline close to Stonecutters Island. The area is serviced by two MTR stations along the Tsuen Wan line, Cheung Sha Wan station and Lai Chi Kok station; the latter sits within the Cheung Sha Wan district instead of Lai Chi Kok.
Find a slice of history
Cheung Sha Wan is home to a derelict abattoir—the stuff of dreams for an urban explorer. It opened in 1969 and functioned for 30 years as a slaughterhouse dealing with beef, pork and mutton. Legend has it that in the 80s, a water buffalo due to be killed cried and begged for its life; the stunned workers refused to harm the animal and instead released it into the wild where it lived for a good decade longer than its dictated date of death. The abattoir was closed and abandoned in 1999, and later efforts to turn it into an arts hub failed, supposedly because potential artists in residence disliked its creepy atmosphere. Another old slaughterhouse, the Cattle Depot in To Kwa Wan, was eventually used for the artist's village instead. We definitely wouldn't recommend venturing in—the site is surrounded by barbed wire and guarded anyway—but simply knowing its history is still pretty cool.
Do some interesting shopping
With 100,000 square feet of retail and a cinema and rooftop garden, D2 Place is a mall with a twist, styled as a cultural and creativity hub as well as a shopping and dining destination. Fulfilling its aim of promoting local art and culture, most of the shops are by up-and-coming Hong Kong designers, so this is the perfect place to hit up for artsy handmade goods and quirky fashion. They also hold regular weekend markets featuring small stalls run by local entrepreneurs, while floors one and three have pillars and walls on which artists can showcase their work.
Enjoy a good cuppa or three
You wouldn't expect a mostly industrial district like Cheung Sha Wan to have much in way of artisanal cafés, but that's where you would be wrong. Healing, Go Yard is a cosy little café that is perfect for enjoying a quiet cuppa with a good read—grab a seat on a swing chair or browse through their small selection of clothing and accessories. They've thoughtfully frozen matcha into ice cubes for an undiluted taste to their matcha milk drink; their multi-layered rose cake, reminiscent of Lady M's, is also a popular dish. Vegans need to stop by Lucy coffee and food, which serves food free of gluten, eggs, cream and processed sugar, and also makes their own yeast, bread and sauces. Lastly, Coffee Question will surely be a hit with Instagrammers; their front door is fashioned after a coffee vending machine, giving off particularly Japanese alley vibes.
Next level partying
Jazz up your next gathering with friends or family and venture into the neonlit playground of Crossfire Arena. This venue offers various games for all ages including laser tag, combat archery, nerf wars and bubble soccer. Shooting Workshop SWS offers something similar in a setting less like a night club and more like something out of an apocalyptic first-person shooter game. Run around this 30,000-square-foot site grouped into five different themes and take part in war games while the atmosphere is enhanced with flash and smoke effects and background music.
Hunt down some good eats
With a history starting from 1979, one of Hong Kong's last niche Chinese cake shops, Mei Ki Heung Bakery, is still in operation today, churning out traditional baked goods. Check out classics that are now hard to find, including the doughnut-shaped ‘lifebuoy' biscuits and ‘pig's ears' cookies. Another local institution is Sun Wah Café which has been around since 1966 and is famous for their egg tarts, milk tea and satay beef. Lastly, Katoya is similar to the Yoshinoya chain restaurants with beef rice bowls and curry rice at affordable prices. We're told their take on Pepper Lunch's sizzling hot plate beef rice is a must-try.