Wandering in Hong Kong | Old Wan Chai Market and Ovo Home

Across the street from the Blue House, at Queen’s Road East and Wan Chai Road crossing, is where you can find the old Wan Chai Market. For some reason, I’m still having this faint memory of Wan Chai market from my visit to Hong Kong back in 2007, maybe due to the distinctive Art Deco architectural style of the building. Now, a façade is all that remain. The wet market was closed down in 2008 and relocated to a few blocks down the street in a new, air-conditioned complex. A luxurious high-rise condominium was built on top of the original market complex.

However, to my pleasant surprise, the market complex now houses a furniture and lifestyle store – Ovo Home and its café. Well, you know me, I am excited by any chance to visit a good looking furniture store.. :)

Some pictures taken from the store –

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Almost tempted to buy this lamp!

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Wandering in Hong Kong | The Blue House

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I was in Hong Kong for a business trip last week, and have taken advantage of the Raya long weekend to spend a few more days in this city that is so dear to me (that’s where my husband and I got to know each other through a summer school program held by Chinese University of Hong Kong :))

Having been to Hong Kong for a few times already, I have decided to be less “tourist-like” this time and go without any planned itinerary/to-do list. Since we stayed at Wan Chai area, we started our “aimless wandering” around this area, trying to discover more than just the Golden Bauhinia Square.

Walking along Queen Road’s East and turned into Stone Nullah Lane, we’ve reached the Blue House (蓝屋). This “tong lao” (tenement house) is a preserved Grade-1 heritage site that is home to a community museum and a handful of long-time residents.

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The Blue House is a four-storey Lingnan-style house built in the 1920’s with a mixture of Chinese and Western architectural features. The distinctive blue colour was not a deliberate aesthetic decision – the decorators only had blue paint, so a blue house it became.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s, kung fu master Wong Fei-hung’s student Lam Sai-wing and his nephew launched their kung fu studio here. There are still residents occupying the structure, despite a lack of modern conveniences such as flush toilets.

from Discoverhongkong

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A Serene Hong Kong Apartment by Hoo

Time just passes so quickly and it is July now!

Work has been quite crazy lately and I’m barely coping.

To get through that mid-week feeling, I would just like to go with something simple and soothing, just like this apartment in Hong Kong.

A project by Hoo, this apartment is not overly decorated with knick-knacks nor shouting for attention. Lots of breathing space was left for the full height cabinet painted in beautiful french grey and the chinoiserie armoire. The apartment just feel so tasteful and calming.

Not a bad idea at all to come home to a place like this after a long hectic day in the city.

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