Queen's Road East forks to the south from Queensway near Justice Drive, where Queensway turns into Hennessy Road. It runs along the old northern shoreline of Hong Kong Island.[1] It ends in the east at Wong Nai Chung Road in Happy Valley.[2]
The settlement of Wan Chai began in pre-British times as a small Chinese community around the present Hung Shing Temple on Queen's Road East.[3] The temple was probably built in 1847 and may have existed previously as a shrine.[4] Originally built next to the shoreline, facing the sea,[4] it is now surrounded by clusters of residential and commercial buildings, as the consequence of successive land reclamation.[5]
Queen's Road East was first developed into a European commercial and residential centre after the arrival of the British in 1841. It had become a mainly Chinese residential, labouring and shop-keeping community by the 1860s.[1]
The eastern part of the road was cut through Morrison Hill, which formerly separated Wanchai from Happy Valley. This section was known as 'Gap Road'. That name was still in use around 1930, even though the high land to the north of the 'gap' was levelled in the 1920s and the materials used to reclaim land from the harbour, under the Praya East Reclamation Scheme.[6]
Although associated with Queen's Road Central and Queen's Road West, the name 'Queen's Road East' has been in use since at least the 1870s.[7]
(S) Dorsett Wanchai Hong Kong Hotel (formerly Cosmopolitan Hotel) (Nos. 387–397). Located at the eastern end of the street. The building was formerly the location of the Hong Kong Branch of the Xinhua News Agency.
Most streets and lanes having a northern junction with Queen's Road East connect with Johnston Road, located northward. The exceptions are Anton Street, McGregor Street and Wood Road. Since Queen's Road East runs mostly along the original shoreline of Hong Kong Island, these streets have been built on early land reclamation. The streets and lanes connecting with the north side of Queen's Road East are from west to east:
Tai Wong Street West (大王西街). Connects with Queen's Road East across the street from Hung Shing Temple.[12] It derives its name from the temple, as "Tai Wong" is an alternate name for Hung Shing.[13]
Tai Wong Street East (大王東街). Connects with Queen's Road East across the street from Hung Shing Temple.[12]
McGregor Street (麥加力歌街). Connects Queen's Road East with Cross Street.
Tai Yuen Street (太原街) aka. "Toy Street", after the toy shops of the street. The Open Market in Tai Yuen Street and Cross Street is part of the Wan Chai Heritage Trail.[11]
The only street crossing with Queen's Road East, i.e. having both north and south junctions with the Road, is Ship Street. The streets and lanes connecting with the south side of Queen's Road East are from west to east:
The 1991 song, also titled "Queen's Road East" (皇后大道東), by Taiwanese singer Lo Ta-yu and Hong Kong singer-composer Ram Chiang makes references to the handover of Hong Kong to China.
