Russell Street, Hong Kong

Russell Street (Chinese: 羅素街) in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island, is a commercial shopping street in Hong Kong. In 2014, it was noted as the most expensive luxury street in the world.

Russell Street is an east-west running street with two sections. It starts from Lee Garden Road, split by Matheson Street and Percival Street, and ends in Canal Road East. Russell Street is one of the most crowded streets in Hong Kong. The eastern section from (Lee Garden Road to Percival Street) was renovated and reopened as a full-time pedestrian street on April 7, 2000. It was the first pedestrian street in Hong Kong. The remaining section, from Matheson Street to Canal Road East, was also added to the scheme as a traffic-calming street later.

Russell Street is named after James Russell a colonial official and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong from 1888 to 1892. Russell died at an early age of 50 in 1893. Following his death, the Hong Kong Daily News described Russell as: "one of the most hard working officials that the Hong Kong Civil Service has ever possessed, and with his industry were united great natural shrewdness and common sense."

Russell Street used to be a traditional Chinese wet market where hawkers sold vegetables, fruits, meats and groceries. Dai pai dong (cooked-food stores) could also be found along the street. Due to the lack of hygiene and sanitation knowledge at that time, mice infestation was very serious in there—people even called Russell Street the "Mouse Street". The Jian family, in 1905, founded The Nanyang Brothers' Tobacco Co., based in Russell Street. Due to the intense rivalry with the monopoly, British American Tobacco company, the Jian family declared bankruptcy and closed the factory in 1908. In the 1920s, Hong Kong Tramways built a tram depot by Russell Street, mainly for tram repair and parking. As the demand for tram service grew, the old Russell Street tram depot could no longer park all the trams Hong Kong Tramways owned. The company decided to expand the Russell Street depot, and at the same time built a temporary tram depot in North Point to ease tram parking problem. In 1951, Hong Kong Tramways finished the renovation of Russell Street depot, renamed it as Sharp Street depot. The North Point temporary tram depot was then closed. Not long after the expansion of the Russell Street tram depot, the Tramway workers resented Hong Kong Tramways for unjustifiable dismissal and break of employment contract, which eventually caused a labor dispute in 1952. In 1989, Lockhart Road market reconstruction completed. Hawkers and Dai Pai Dong on Russell Street all moved into the new Lockhart Road market. The Sharp Street depot (formerly Russell Street depot) was shut down and demolished. All trams were moved to Sai Wan Ho and Whitty Street depot. The site of Russell Street was then reconstructed into Times Square.

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