Text。Photography：Steffi Lau（Parks and Trails）

No entry
Some sections of the harbourfront on Hong Kong Island are accessible to wheelchair users. Examples include the approximately 12-km stretch from Tam Kung Temple in Shau Kei Wan to the Western District Public Cargo Working Area, and the approximately 2.5-km route from the Aberdeen Fish Wholesale Market to the Tai Wong Ye Temple in Wong Chuk Hang. These routes are listed in the TrailWatch accessible routes directory.

However, even within these generally accessible sections, the routes are not entirely barrier-free. As described in the previous part of this article, the section from East Coast Boardwalk to East Coast Park currently features a “temporary pedestrian passage” due to ongoing construction, yet bicycles are prohibited from passing through. To block cyclists, multiple flower pots have been arranged like a grid at the passage’s entrances and exits, creating a rather comical sight. Although the width between the pots is barely sufficient for wheelchair users to pass, they must still exercise extreme caution when navigating the area. Furthermore, each p is plastered with multiple signs; some explicitly prohibit bicycles and scooters, while others deliberately designate the area as an accessible pathway. The sheer complexity and redundancy of the messaging is bewildering. To determine who is permitted and who is not, one must scrutinize the signs closely to make sense of them.

A row of flower pots on concrete posts lined with signs along a temporary pedestrian walkway.

No pets allowed
For a long time, many parks have prohibited pets from entering. However, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) manages several pet gardens where pets are allowed to roam freely without leashes, and which provide play facilities, water fountains, and other amenities. Many of these pet gardens are relatively small, limiting the space available for pets to move around. The Quarry Bay Promenade Pet Garden is one of the exceptions on Hong Kong Island, offering a 300-meter-long harbourfront space with ample room to roam and beautiful scenery. Unfortunately, the locations of its two exits are less than ideal, requiring visitors to return to the main street via a section of Hoi Yue Street between the Eastern Corridor and the temporary parking lot. The garden’s eastern exit actually offers an alternative route to Taikoo Shing via the Quarry Bay Promenade; however, since pets are not permitted in the 心romenade, pet owners are unable to take advantage of this path.

Starting in 2019, the LCSD reclassified several existing parks as “Inclusive Park for Pets”, allowing pets and their owners to enter these parks freely, with the sole restriction being that pets must be kept on a leash at all times. However, when I walked through the pet-friendly section of the Belcher Bay Promenade, I noticed that there were still areas along the way where pets were prohibited. The lawns, benches, fitness equipment, and playground facilities on both sides of the promenade are not part of the pet-friendly park. Blue lines on the ground clearly mark the boundaries of the shared park, which is limited to the straight promenade itself. The large water pipes and lawns on either side of the promenade would be ideal places for dogs to play, yet they are barred from using them. Furthermore, dogs have no shelter under a canopy to escape the blazing sun or heavy rain.

While the 2025 Policy Address introduced licenses for pet-friendly restaurants, there are many other pet-friendly measures that warrant review and improvement.

The area within the blue line is the designated inclusive park for pets.

Unlock with payment
Much of the northern coast of Hong Kong Island consists of harbourfront promenades, which are public spaces managed by the LCSD. Does this mean that anyone can freely access and enjoy the harbourfront areas along Victoria Harbour? In fact, harbourfront land is managed through various public-private partnership models. For example, the Central Harbourfront Event Space opposite the Convention and Exhibition Centre Station and the Wan Chai Harbourfront Event Space (formerly the Shatin to Central Link construction site) are leased out on a short-term basis. The Belcher Bay Promenade is primarily managed by the LCSD, while certain sections are operated by non-profit organizations as community gardens. The North Point Promenade, located opposite Harbour North, is a public space within a private development that was handed over to the government for management after the development was completed. Across the water, the Avenue of Stars is government-owned land, but its management has been taken over by a private company after paying a nominal rent.

Different management models create different possibilities for activities. For example, the event spaces in Central and Wan Chai have hosted music festivals, playgrounds, and magic shows, while the community gardens at the Belcher Bay Promenade have brought organic farming, hydroponics, and aquaponics to the harbourfront. The North Point Promenade has hosted events such as outdoor markets and open-air film screenings. In addition, the northern shore of Victoria Harbour has seen a significant increase in paid activities in recent years, many of which operate under public-private partnership models. For example, in 2022, the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter launched the “Walla-Walla” historical and cultural guided tour, operated by the ferry company Coral Sea Ferries, allowing participants to explore the typhoon shelter aboard the “Walla-Walla” vessel. Meanwhile, the Wan Chai Promenade will introduce the “Ocean Explorer Water Sports Hub” in 2024, operated by the non-profit Hong Kong Playground Association. The public can rent canoes, stand-up paddleboards, water bikes, and pedal boats, or participate in training courses offered there.

It appears that the “Walla-Walla Historical and Cultural Guided Tour” is no longer in operation. The ticket booth at the shelter pier appears to be closed; the price list that was still hanging there in mid-2025 has been removed, and the boats moored in the shelter pier are covered in standing water and moss.

Compared to traditional parks, which are plastered with signs prohibiting various activities and restricting use of the harbourfront, this new management model does indeed achieve the goal of “leveraging the creativity and efficiency of the market to make the harbourfront more diverse.” However, operating under a commercial model means that many activities will incur fees. Perhaps due to the lack of nearby competitors, the “Ocean Explorer Water Sports Hub” charges $150 and $250 per hour for single and double kayaks, respectively—equivalent to the price of a full-day rental in places like Sai Kung. Meanwhile, adult tickets for the light display exhibition at the Wan Chai Harbourfront Event Space starting in late 2025 will cost $228. Even spaces intended for free public use, such as the North Point Promenade—which falls within the private development area of Harbour North—may effectively become an extension of commercial space. The Harbour North shopping mall frequently sets up displays or hosts markets in the outdoor areas it manages. Since these spaces adjoin the harbourfront managed by the LCSD, the boundary between the two is unclear, and the public space appears to have become part of a semi-commercial zone. According to the lease agreement, waterfront land leased at affordable rates is indeed required to be open to the public free of charge on certain days; however, the proportion of free access and the pricing of paid activities are open to debate.

The outdoor spaces of Harbour North and the North Point Promenade.

The Route is now connected, but does that mean everyone can pass through smoothly?
The Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail should not merely create recreational spaces; it should also create public spaces. While providing recreational facilities, it is equally important to ensure that people from all walks of life can enjoy these spaces and facilities.

Reference

• Please refer to the Chinese version.

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