Wong Tai Sin's housing estates

With 22 public housing estates and over 85 per cent of the district’s residents living in them, Wong Tai Sin has played an overlooked, yet important part in Hong Kong’s history — its involvement in the evolution of public housing — though that wasn’t always the case. In the early 20^th century, there wasn’t enough accommodation to house Hong Kong’s booming population, leading to the rise of wooden squatter huts scattered across the city's hills. In 1953 however, disaster struck, fire raged through the squatter settlements in Shek Kip Mei, leaving over 50,000 people homeless and prompting the government to confront the city’s housing situation.

It, and subsequent housing estates, was like high-rise villages, with their own supermarkets, convenience stores, bakeries, restaurants, cafes, doctors, dentists, Chinese medical clinics, post offices, schools and playgrounds.

Blocks of the estate were completed between 1962 and 1964, with an opening ceremony attended by Hong Kong’s then-governor Sir Robert Brown Black. Famous for its rainbow-coloured facade ('choi hung' means rainbow in Cantonese), the estate received the Silver Medal at the Hong Kong Institute of Architects Awards in 1965.

Isabella Tsoi lived in Choi Hung Estate with her family for 20 years; they were assigned their flat by the Hong Kong Housing Authority in 1976. “In the old days, most of our neighbours kept their doors open and our parents would chat together — friends could be made everywhere, and our mums shared or exchanged cooked food regularly,” she remembers. “Another advantage of keeping the doors open was for wind circulation during summer — back when we didn’t have air conditioners!”

Although Tsoi moved out in 1996, she now runs a website dedicated to the neighbourhood community (choi-hung.hk) and often visits her sibling, who still lives there. She has witnessed many changes in the area. “There used to be many hawkers along the roads inside the estate, selling veggies, groceries, snacks, noodles, iced drinks and newspapers. Now all hawkers are prohibited,” she laments.

Other changes include more lifts, increased building security, safer playgrounds and regular repaints of that famous rainbow facade. “I’m proud of living in Choi Hung Estate — it has been one of the legends of public housing,” says Tsoi.

Nowadays, the estate has found fame as one of Hong Kong’s most Instagrammable destinations, with photographers visiting from around the world to snap its colourful exterior and palm tree-lined basketball courts. “The rainbow facade at Choi Hung is probably the most iconic building in Hong Kong,” says local photographer Kay Kulkarni. This influx of photographers is sometimes a source of curiosity to residents, though most simply carry on with their lives.

Kulkarni recalls: “I was sitting on the estate’s playground and an elderly gentleman came up to ask me what I was doing. I showed him my images and he told me that his family had been there since the estate was built, and explained to me the reason why the buildings were rainbow-coloured is that choi hung means rainbow in Cantonese."

Keen photographers will also find the distinctive character synonymous with Hong Kong’s public housing at the district’s other estates. Choi Hung’s neighbouring development Choi Wan Estate (meaning 'cloud' in Cantonese, to match its geographical position 'above' Choi Hung’s rainbow) is another of Kulkarni’s favourite places to shoot, with enclosed courtyards that create dizzying photos.

“It's one of these unique estates where each angle creates a different image,” Kulkarni explains. “For instance, when you're on the top floor and take an image, the light doesn't reach the bottom and it creates an illusion of an abyss. When you're on the ground floor and looking up at the building, it looks like a box which has a torch shining right down upon it.”

It’s essential however, to remember that these are people’s homes, and to be respectful when taking photos. “Take images of the architecture, but not of people’s personal space,” Kulkarni advises.

To gain perspective over the district’s sweeping range of skyscrapers, head to Lion Rock Country Park — an uphill walk along Sha Tin Pass Road from MTR Wong Tai Sin Station. The hike through the park to Lion Rock Peak takes around four hours, eventually delivering panoramic views of the cityscape below — an experience that encapsulates Hong Kong’s unique contrast between natural and urban beauty.