Blue House, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Blue House, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

The Blue House is a row of tong lau located at even-numbered addresses 72 to 74A Stone Nullah Lane on Hong Kong Island in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. It has been designated as a Grade I historic building in Hong Kong. The exteriors of buildings 72, 72A, and 74 were painted blue, hence earning the name “Blue House”; Building 74A remained privately owned until 2010, maintaining its original grey exterior.

History

The original site of the Blue House was once a hospital. The two-storey building appeared in the 1872 government rate assessment records as the “Huato Hospital” (also known as the “Wan Chai Neighbourhood Hospital”). After closing in 1886, it was converted into a temple dedicated to the “Divine Doctor Huato.”

It was demolished in the 1920s and replaced by the current four-storey structure, completed in 1922. The stairwell walls and windows inside the units are made of wood, while the balcony sections are constructed with reinforced concrete, making it one of the few remaining tong lau in Hong Kong with balconies. The ground floor of 72 was home to the “Huato Temple,” which was replaced in the 1950s by a martial arts school run by Lam Cho, the nephew of Wong Fei-hung’s disciple Lam Sai-wing. By the 1960s, Lam Cho’s martial arts school was transformed into a medical clinic run by his son, Lam Zan-hin. The first floor of 72 once housed the “Ching Ham Free School,” providing free education for local children, while the second and third floors were the sites of the pre-war “Yat Ching College,” the only English-language school in Wan Chai. The ground floor of 72A was a grocery store called “Kwong Wo,” and the ground floor of 74 was a liquor shop called “Luen Hing Wine Company,” both of which closed around the 1980s. The second floor of 74 was once the office of the “Fresh Fish Merchants Association,” while the third floor served as the association’s meeting room. The ground floor of 74A was originally a grocery store, but was converted into a residence after the war.

In the 1990s, when the Hong Kong government painted the exterior of the Blue House, only blue paint—commonly used by the Water Supplies Department—was available in the supply depot, so the entire building was painted blue.

Current Status

In 2006, the Hong Kong Housing Society announced a collaboration with the Urban Renewal Authority to redevelop Stone Nullah Lane in Wan Chai and surrounding buildings, including the Blue House and the nearby Yellow House and Orange House, transforming them into a tourist attraction themed around tea and healthcare. On July 21, they submitted an application to the Town Planning Board to change the land use of the redevelopment area to “recreation areas and the preservation of historic buildings for cultural, community, and commercial purposes,” with completion expected as early as 2010. However, the public expressed concerns that the most distinctive features of the Blue House—its wooden stairs, ceilings, and internal structures—might be altered or removed, that original residents would not be allowed to remain, and that nearby garages and small businesses would be forced out, completely disrupting the community network. The end result would be little more than an empty historic shell.

On April 30, 2009, the Lands Department announced the resumption of private land at Stone Nullah Lane, Hing Wan Street, and King Sing Street under the Lands Resumption Ordinance to facilitate an urban renewal project to be carried out jointly by the Urban Renewal Authority, the Hong Kong Housing Society, and the government. In September 2009, the Blue House complex was included in the second batch of government historic buildings selected for revitalization by the Development Bureau. The Hong Kong government offered substantial funding to attract non-profit organizations to participate in the revitalization efforts, with no restrictions on the future color schemes of the buildings, but requiring the preservation of the cantilevered concrete balconies, geometric-pattern wrought-iron railings, and concrete brackets. On September 15, 2010, the revitalization proposal submitted by St. James’ Settlement was approved. The Blue House would be transformed into a community life museum, featuring the pioneering “retain the building and the residents” approach. Fourteen households living in the Blue House, Yellow House, and Orange House would remain, with added private bathrooms and elevators, as well as upgraded fire safety facilities. The existing Hong Kong Story Gallery and guided tours would be preserved, along with the addition of a snack shop and a dessert shop.