Swatow Street

History

Swatow Street and Amoy Street (a street situated on the western side of Swatow Street) in Wan Chai, Hong Kong island are both part of the historical development of the Victoria Harbour coastline. The Victoria Harbour reclamation project moved the original dock area inland, forming many new streets such as Swatow Street and Amoy Street.

Before it caught the eyes of Lancelot Dent, tai-pan of Dent & Co., Wan Chai had only dozens of inhabitants who lived out of quarrying. Dent saw the potential of Wan Chai and developed it into a commercial base. Having won the bid over the coastal lots of Wan Chai, Dent started to move the coastline from Queen's Road East to Johnston Road through reclamation in early 1850s. As the original dock area moved inland due to land reclamation, Swatow Street and Amoy Street came into being, their names taken from the Teochew and Minnan dialects used locally at the time. In the 19th century, Wan Chai was developed into a bustling and significant commercial centre for maritime trade, with companies such as Dent & Co. setting up offices and warehouses along the coast.

References

References

1. (2015-05-25). "Swatow: a City Born Out of Defiance".
2. "Watch Town, Country & Seaside Life Round about Swatow Chaochowfu online - BFI Player".
3. Silvia. (2021-05-08). "Snaps from Shantou Old Town".
4. Pang, Diana. (2023-08-27). "Around the world in a day with Hong Kong's street names".
5. "Please Excuse Us! — 170 Years of Reclamation".
6. Antiquities Advisory Board (n.d.) Steps in Amoy Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. p.7. Available at: https://www.aab.gov.hk/filemanager/aab/common/132meeting/AAB_Paper132_amoy_st_e.pdf