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To be honest, my impression of Choi Hung Estate in Ngau Chi Wan used to be rather shallow and ordinary. In recent years, when people talk about Choi Hung Estate, many immediately think of it as a “photo hotspot.” Its vibrantly coloured façades have become its signature—an iconic backdrop captured by countless visitors, from tourists and photographers to celebrities. With such global fame, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to call it world-renowned.

It wasn’t until my third visit that I finally took a photo at the famous spot.

Because this “Instagram image” is so deeply ingrained in the public’s mind, I was actually hesitant to feature Choi Hung Estate in my early housing estate explorations. It felt like too many had already covered it—searching online, you’d find an abundance of historical details, personal stories, and oral histories from residents. With so much material already out there, I wasn’t sure where to begin, and I even felt a little pressure not to pale in comparison.

Across from the iconic photo spot lies this lesser-known view.

Still, I thought—why not? I’d give it a go. I decided to write something from my own perspective, combining my visits with what I’d learned, and just let the words flow.

I tried to find other interesting photo spots beyond the usual angles—though I didn’t come across that many.

The Story Behind My Three Visits to Choi Hung Estate

Unexpectedly, I ended up visiting the estate three times in total, just to get a more in-depth experience (one of those visits was indeed to take the classic photo—guilty as charged!). But I must admit, there’s more to Choi Hung Estate than its famous Instagram backdrop. It has its own unique appeal that made me want to understand it better.

The site of Choi Hung Estate was formerly Sha Tei Wai, one of the original “Thirteen Villages of Kowloon.” According to the Overseas Chinese Daily News, the area was once home to squatter huts and farmland. “In fact, much of it was used as a dumping ground for waste.” It wasn’t until 1960 that the land was cleared and redeveloped.

As for the estate’s development, it was built in phases between 1962 and 1964, making it one of the oldest surviving public housing estates in Hong Kong today—following only Model Housing Estate and Sai Wan Estate. (Fuk Loi Estate and Ma Tau Wai Estate were also completed in the same year.)

On 18 December 1963, Sir Robert Brown Black, then Governor of Hong Kong, officiated at the estate’s opening ceremony. The commemorative plaque from that event is still displayed at the entrance of the estate.

Historical reports make it clear that Choi Hung Estate was a major undertaking. According to Overseas Chinese Daily News and The Kung Sheung Daily News, it was the seventh estate built by the Housing Authority and, at the time, their largest housing project, costing HKD 50 million. In recognition of its significance, Sir Robert Brown Black was invited to unveil the estate himself.

The estate comprises 11 blocks, ranging from 7 to 20 storeys high, creating a visually dynamic skyline. Fittingly, the names of the buildings are also colour-themed, reflecting the name “Choi Hung” (Rainbow).

From History to Experience: Walking Through the Estate

Walking through Choi Hung Estate, I realised it was far larger than I had imagined. The layout is spacious rather than cramped, and its quiet surroundings provide a stark contrast to the noisy, crowded streets outside. It’s a surprisingly calming and comfortable space to explore.

While today the estate may seem fairly standard—featuring a market, shops, post office, playgrounds, schools, and a community centre—such comprehensive planning was considered cutting-edge at the time. The estate incorporated elements of Modernist design, with a focus on functionality, openness, and simplicity. Each flat was equipped with a living and dining room, balcony, kitchen, and a combined toilet and bathroom—considered a high standard of living in the 1960s.

It’s no wonder Choi Hung Estate won the prestigious Silver Medal from the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) in 1965. Over the years, it has also attracted high-profile visitors, including then US Vice President Richard Nixon, Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra and her husband, and Governor MacLehose.

A Treasure Trove of Old Shops and Local Charm

One of the estate’s most delightful features is the absence of a shopping mall. Instead, the ground floors of several blocks are lined with old-style arcades filled with long-standing local shops—some of which look as though time has stood still since the 1960s. These include the rare “Kee Cheung Flag Shop,” the old-school “Kam Pik Restaurant” and “Lee Ying Kee Watch Shop,” the nostalgic “Oi Kwan Fast Food,” and the traditional “Wah Lai Barber Shop,” which even appeared in the music video for MIRROR’s first English single, Rumours, as well as in local films.

Ironically, despite multiple visits, I still haven’t eaten at Oi Kwan Fast Food.

And stumbled upon a truly retro sportswear shop.

There’s even a classic old-fashioned provisions store still operating.

Other hidden gems include the almost extinct “Comic World” manga rental shop and the traditional butcher “Choi Hung Meat Company”—both underappreciated treasures.

If you pay attention to the menu, you’ll realise how affordably priced the food is. A true throwback.

And I nearly forgot—on my first visit, I stopped by a snack shop where the prices felt like something out of my school days. HKD 5 for three deep-fried scallops—what a bargain!

The butcher’s name, “Choi Hung,” echoes that of the estate.

Thoughtful Design and Rainbow Identity

As mentioned earlier, Choi Hung Estate’s most distinctive feature is its rainbow-painted exterior. Even the names of the seven streets within the estate reflect the colours of the rainbow—Red Plum Road, Orange Blossom Road, Yellow Chrysanthemum Road, Green Willow Road, and so on—showcasing the Housing Authority’s creative thoughtfulness during planning. Though the estate is now over 60 years old, a major renovation in recent years has helped it retain its charm.

To capture the famous rainbow façade, you’ll need to head up to the rooftop of the car park. I didn’t expect it to be so lively—it doubles as a garden, basketball court, and badminton court. People gather there to relax or play, creating a vibrant everyday scene full of life.

The basketball court is still buzzing with activity at sunset.

Search online and you’ll find countless stories of residents sharing what it’s like to live in Choi Hung Estate. (For example, actor Tse Kwan-ho once appeared on the public housing series Show You Where I Lived, linked here.) Many residents express a strong sense of belonging and consider the estate a place to truly settle down. For them, Choi Hung Estate is full of fond memories and continues to be a warm and liveable home.

Here’s a rare photo of my camera-shy travel companion at the estate.

PS:Somehow this turned into quite a lengthy article—and I spent over an hour writing it (oops!). If you’ve read this far, thank you so much for your support.

Estate Information

Location: 5–19 Tsz Wan Road; 2 Wong Kuk Road; 2–8 Luk Lau Road; 2 & 11 Tsing Yeung Road; 1–5 Hung Mui Road, Ngau Chi Wan
Year of Occupation: 1962–1964
Number of Blocks: 11
Building Type: Old Slab Blocks
Building Names: Tsui King House, Chi Mei House, Hung Ngok House, Kam Hon House, Kam Wan House, Kam Pik House, Kam Wah House, Luk Ching House, Pik Hoi House, Pak Suet House, Tan Fung House

Sources: Hong Kong Housing Authority, Wikipedia

Located in East Kowloon, Choi Wan Estate may not be the largest public housing estate in Hong Kong or have the tallest buildings, but when it comes to the names of its buildings, I have an inexplicable fascination with them.

Their names are poetic, such as Sunrise Court(觀日樓), Moonbeam Tower(伴月樓), Jade Palace(瓊宮樓), Ivory Court(玉宇樓), Dragon Court(遊龍樓), Phoenix Court(飛鳳樓), Scenic View(景新樓), White Rainbow(白虹樓), Starlight Garden(星辰樓), and Drizzling Court(時雨樓), all of which evoke images of constellations and astronomical terms.

Despite this, residents like Levi, who has lived in Phoenix Court in Choi Wan Estate since first grade, do not have a special attachment to the names of their buildings and do not feel proud or happy about them.

The Dramatic Changes of Choi Wan Estate

Levi sees everything that changes and remains the same in Choi Wan Estate. The estate’s shopping mall has undergone the most significant change. Walking from the Bai Hong House bus stop to the Choi Wan Estate shopping mall is a typical pattern of public housing shopping malls, with air conditioning, elevators, and escalators fully equipped, appearing to have no distinctive features. It conforms to the standard of Link REIT malls, which are clean and tidy but cold and impersonal. At best, the mall’s second floor has a central outdoor garden with many green trees and some benches for residents to rest. The Hong Kong Jockey Club betting station happens to be located next to the central garden. On race days, uncles and grandpas holding newspapers, smoking, and listening to the radio for race updates fill the area, and the air becomes lively.

After Link REIT took over the mall, it transformed from a dilapidated and sparsely occupied mall into a new appearance with tiled floors and renovated walls, and newly painted walls. The number of chain stores increased from a dozen to multiple, offering more restaurant choices for residents, including noodles, dumplings, and pizza, in addition to McDonald’s and local tea restaurants. As for the more historical restaurants in the mall, you have to count Cheng Fat Restaurant. The restaurant opened in the 1990s, and over the years, the decoration remained the same, and the taste of the food remained consistent. The dim yellow light, combined with many tables, is a typical Hong Kong-style tea restaurant pattern. The food’s taste is considered average, but it boasts some traditional Hong Kong-style dishes, such as beef and egg rice, tofu with preserved meat rice, and clay pot rice, which are recognized as a romantic dish for men.

The Unchanging Features of Choi Wan Estate

However the interior of the housing estate’s shopping mall may change, there are always some views that remain unchanged, as if time has frozen in these scenes and they have not aged. For example, the huge banyan tree at the entrance of the mall and the bus terminal, it appears very dense and the banyan tree’s many aerial roots extend very long and are interwoven in various forms. It has long been recognized by the community as a landmark of Choi Wan Estate, and it is believed to have silently guarded the community.

an over hundred years old Banyan Tree in Choi Wan Estate.

It is said that the banyan tree existed before the construction of Choi Wan Estate and was already listed in the register of ancient trees. There is a couplet written by a resident of Yau Oi Estate that says, “Choi Wan gives rise to auspiciousness, and the flourishing ancient tree adds luster to the shopping mall,” which is quite literary. Levi recalled that he had a deep impression of the tree since he first saw it in primary school, feeling full of life.

Another unchanging view of the housing estate is the elderly people who have been queuing for some reason for a long time.

Levi explained that the garbage station near Pak Hong House in Choi Wan Estate used to be so lively. There were people specializing in recycling aluminum cans and plastic bottles, and many elderly people would line up, dragging heavy bags filled with aluminum cans or plastic bottles collected from the estate, and then sell them next to the garbage station to earn some pocket money. “My mother used to remind me to bring aluminum cans to the garbage station to recycle when I was young, to earn some pocket money. But later, I saw that the profit was not much, so I stopped doing it.”

In the past, the elderly would queue at the garbage station, but today they queue in front of the plastic bottle recycling machine in the mall for the same reason, to earn some pocket money. Everything seems so ordinary, but it is also heart-wrenching.

The people, not the public housing estate, have changed

The changes in Choi Wan Estate over the years could be considered significant or insignificant. Levi admits that it’s the people who have changed. When he was in primary school and spent more time in the estate, he had a closer connection to it. However, everything changed as he joined the workforce, spent less time at home and the place transformed.

“In fact, it’s a microcosm of Hong Kong. You only see mostly elderly people participating in estate activities. As the number of elderly people and building age increase, the estate becomes increasingly aged.”

“The peach blossoms remain the same, but the faces of people are different.” It seems to refer to the situation mentioned above.

Choi Hung Estate: Beyond the Iconic Instagram Spot

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