Possession Street

Possession Street

Possession Street (formerly known as Possession Street), located in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, is the oldest street in Hong Kong. Running from the higher terrain of Hollywood Road to the south, it borders Bonham Strand East directly to the north, connects to Queen's Road West to the northwest, and adjoins Queen's Road Central to the southeast.

In the early days of Hong Kong’s colonization, the street was translated as Possession Street. On January 25, 1841, when British superintendent Charles Elliot and Qing official Qi Shan signed the Convention of Chuenpi, British naval officer Edward Belcher led troops to land in Hong Kong by warship. British naval surveyors had already identified a prominent elevated area to the west of Hong Kong that was flat and close to the sea, suitable for military encampment. They then ordered engineers to construct a road from the waterfront up to this high ground, calling it Possession Point (i.e., Possession Point), which is today’s Possession Street.

Possession Street is an uphill, one-way, single-lane road for vehicles, stretching 150 metres from north to south. The street is also close to the Sheung Wan MTR station and the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal. No minibuses or buses run along this street, but taxis and delivery trucks do pass through. Shops on Possession Street include Cantonese-style roast meat shops, HSBC, greengrocers, dry cleaners, Hong Kong Station, antique stores, Wellcome supermarket, as well as the Lan Kwai Fong Hotel in Central – featured in Hong Kong media tabloids – and the nearby Green Island Café. These often attract many tourists eager to experience authentic local Hong Kong culture.

Possession Street

Must-visit reason: Hong Kong’s oldest street