Shanghai Street

Shanghai Street
The Yau Ma Tei Tin Hau Temple at Yung Shue Tau.
Chinese	上海街
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shànghǎi Jiē Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization seung6 hoi2 gaai1

Shanghai Street (Chinese: 上海街) is a 2.3 km long street in the Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok areas of Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. Completed in 1887 under the name of Station Street (差館街), it was once the most prosperous street in Kowloon. It originates from the south at Austin Road, and terminates in the north at Lai Chi Kok Road. Parallel to Shanghai Street are Nathan Road, Temple Street, Portland Street, Reclamation Street and Canton Road. Though parallel, Shanghai Street was marked by 2- to 3-floor Chinese-style buildings while Nathan Road was marked by Western-style buildings.

Prior to 1874 the land that Shanghai Street stands on was sea, making Shanghai Street an early example of reclaimed land in Hong Kong.

The street is not so named because of a Shanghainese population. Prior to being renamed Shanghai Street it was originally called Station Street (差館街). The reason being the presence of Yau Ma Tei Police Station, a police station located at the junction of Public Square Street and Shanghai Street, until its relocation to No. 627 Canton Road in 1922. Since the police station was the landmark of the area, the street was named for it. On 12 November 1898, it was divided into two sections, Station Street South and Station Street North.

There are two reasons for the streets renaming. First, in 1909, the Government started to name streets in Kowloon after major Chinese provinces that traded with Hong Kong, to recognise Hong Kong as a commercial port. The British colonial government in Hong Kong found the area of Station Street was as prosperous as Shanghai in China at that time while Hong Kong was having trade relation with Shanghai. Therefore, they renamed Station street to Shanghai Street on 19 March 1909. The second reason was that there was a street called Upper Station Street (差館上街) in Sheung Wan, in Hong Kong Island and it caused confusion with the one in Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok.