The Hari Hong Kong has launched an audio walking guide that explores beneath the surface of one of Hong Kong’s oldest and most diverse districts, Wan Chai.
Part of The Hari’s ‘Live Like a Local’ experience, the user-friendly app ‘The Hari Neighbourhood Guide Audio Tour’ features an interactive map and narrations of seven of the district’s hidden gems, all located a short walk from the urban hotel on Wan Chai’s Lockhart Road.
Highlights include a 1960s tenement block turned creative hub, an appointment-only gallery in a renovated space that used to be a private rooftop clubhouse in the 1970s, and an small family-run eatery on the Michelin food guide since 2016.
Also among the app’s recommendations are “Villain Hitting”, a.k.a Da Siu Yan, a type of Chinese folk sorcery performance, a typhoon shelter built in 1883, an iconic cannon fired daily, and a unique dining experience on a sampan.
Originally a small fishing village, Wan Chai transformed into a busy urban area following British colonisation in 1841. Now a hub of cultural and commercial activity, Wan Chai is renowned for its historical landmarks, street markets, skyscrapers and blend of Eastern and Western influences.
The guide includes a personal touch from the hotel’s founder Dr Aron Harilela, the chairman and CEO of Harilela Hotels. The Harilela family has a long legacy in Hong Kong,
His narration discusses his memories of Wan Chai as he grew up, the district’s eccentricities and how his love affair with art leaves its mark at The Hari Hong Kong with rotating artwork adorning its spaces.
“By diving beneath Wan Chai’s surface, our audio walking guide provides a layered, cultured and singular viewpoint of our neighbourhood and its peculiarities,” Dr Harilela said.
“We warmly welcome our guests to join our table and live like a local by engaging with Wan Chai’s diverse characters, and fascinating traditions and ways of life.”