Hong Kong's expat party hub reshaped by Chinese influx

Struggling businesses in Lan Kwai Fong make way for Chinese restaurants and KTV

HONG KONG - For years, Mr Anthony Yiu had an English-only menu for his two small bars in Hong Kong's nightlife hub Lan Kwai Fong, because most of his customers were expats, local professionals and foreign tourists. It was not until 2024 that he decided to add a Chinese version.

"In the past, Lan Kwai Fong was full of expats and locals who were upper-middle class and had strong spending power," said Mr Yiu, 32, who has been struggling to make a profit for months from his bars, Shots and Chord. "A lot of them left Hong Kong over the past few years during the social unrest and Covid-19. And those were our target customers. Now, the visitors here are mainly from mainland China."

Mr Yiu's experience shows the transformation that is taking place in Lan Kwai Fong, an area encompassing the eponymous sloping street and surrounding blocks in the central business district.

Once synonymous with Hong Kong nightlife and in particular the city's expat community, the area's business mix is now changing to reflect what is becoming an increasingly Chinese city.

As Covid-19 ravaged nightlife economies around the world, Lan Kwai Fong was no exception, and many legacy establishments shut down.