Wah Fu is one of Hong Kong's oldest and largest housing estates.

Wah Fu housing estate



Homes for squatters

Wah Fu is one of Hong Kong's oldest and largest housing estates. It was built in 1967 as part of the colonial government's attempt to alleviate the appalling living conditions for Hong Kong's many squatters and tenement dwellers

By the early 1980s it approached the size of a small town, housing 54,000 people.

Hong Kong's property prices are among the world's highest, but over one third of its population live cheek-by-jowl in modest public housing, paying a nominal rent.

There is estimated to be around 1 sq m of open space per resident so it is hardly surprising that nobody has private space outside. But, as Mr Wong points out, the concept simply doesn’t exist here.

“Why do we need our own outside space Space is shared by the public. We can walk to the nearby beach park for exercise.”

Community gardening

A new community garden is part of an initiative to encourage residents to make the most of what outside space there is.

He moved here in 1978 from an estate where six were confined to a space of 100 sq ft. “In those days, you needed at least six people to qualify for an apartment in Wah Fu

Self-contained

Wah Fu has its own market, shopping centre, restaurants, public library and primary and secondary schools. It was planned as a self-contained community similar to a small town rather than isolated slabs of housing.

Opened in 1969, this café was one of the first additions to the estate. It is a typical traditional restaurant serving up western food such as omelettes, sandwiches, teas and coffees.

One customer says, “Like other countries have Chinese takeaways, we have cheap, fast and delicious western cafés.

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Words and pictures: Samanthi Dissanayake