Chungking Mansions

Chungking Mansions is a building located at 36-44 Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. The building is well known as nearly the cheapest accommodation in Hong Kong with a single bed of US $8 one night. Though the building is supposedly residential, it is made up of many independent low-budget hotels, shops, and other services. The strange atmosphere of this building is sometimes called by some "the scent of Kowloon's Walled City".

Chungking Mansions features a labyrinth of guesthouses, curry restaurants, African bistros, clothing shops, sari stores, and foreign exchange offices. It often acts as a large gathering place for some of the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, particularly Indians, Middle Eastern people, Nepalese, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, Nigerians, Europeans, Americans, Pakistanis, and many other peoples of the world.

The building was completed in 1961, at which time Chinese residents predominated. Now, after more than four decades of use, there are an estimated 4,000 people living in the Mansions.

Chungking Mansions is 17 stories tall and consists of 5 blocks, A, B, C, D, and E.

There are two elevators in each block, one of which serves even-numbered floors, the other one odd-numbered floors; there is often a queue for this lift.

The price of a flat in the Chungking Mansions ranged from HK$1,000,000 to HK$2,000,000 as of August 2006.

While the Chungking Mansions are nominally intended for residential use, there is a large variety of commercial establishments in the building.

Chungking Mansions contains the largest number of guesthouses in Hong Kong in one building, with 1980 rooms in total. The rent ranges from HK$60 to HK$380 per day (as of 2006). Since it offers some of the cheapest rates in town, it has become a legendary haunt for backpackers and budget travellers.

The age of the building, the diverse ownership, and management structure are the cause of the building's reputation for being a fire trap. The unsanitary conditions, security, ancient electrical wiring, block staircases contribute to the hazards.

On February 21, 1988, a fire broke out in the building. A Danish tourist who was trapped inside was killed. The fire in this building, as well as a blaze in a similar building provoked a review of rules and regulations concerning public safety.

CUHK anthropologist Prof. Gordon Mathews revealed that there are people from at least 120 different nationalities who have passed through Chungking Mansions in the past year.

With this lively mix of guest workers, mainlanders, local Chinese, tourists and backpackers, the Chungking neighbourhood is one of the most culturally diverse locations in Hong Kong. Chungking Mansions was elected as the "Best Example of Globalization in Action" by TIME Magazine in its annual feature The Best of Asia, although racial tensions are known to boil over occasionally.

It is also known to be a centre of drugs, and a refuge for petty criminals, scammers, and illegal immigrants. For example, in a Police swoop in June 1995, about 1,750 people were questioned, 45 men and seven women from various Asian and African countries were arrested on suspicion of offences including failing to produce proof of identity, overstaying, using forged travel documents, possessing equipment for forging documents, and possessing dangerous drugs. In "Operation Sahara" in 1996, 52 men and seven women from 14 countries were arrested for violating immigration regulations.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Chungking
• Mansions
• Hongkong
• Hong
• Kong
• Nathan
• Road
• guesthouses
• Kowloon
• adventure
• cityscape
• culture
• destination
• landmark
• travel
• log

[Opossumzogga]

I am sitting right now in one of these guesthouses and using the free wifi :) It's a great place here and a must see. Everybody who visits HonKong should stay here for a few nights. Greetings from HongKong.

[monkeetime]

@Opossumzogga It was a great day today, I went to Lantau and climbed Lantau Peak. Hope you made the most of it! Dont buy a fake Rolex.

[fjollornaz]

two questions, do you guys smoke weed? kinda get that stoner vibe. and second would you recommend spending a few nights in the building if you were to go to hong kong? looks like a great place :)

nice vid too btw, great job!

[monkeetime]

@fjollornaz I dont smoke weed, Derek can answer that question if you send him a message... And yes, I definitely recommend staying at the Mansions if you are in HK. It's part of the adventure. Aaaaand it's cheap, which doesn't hurt.

[9810blacksheep]

Very nice video ! btw you live in the building? i always walk pass the building and I just think that it's a bit scary cause there are all these indians around ( not being a racist tho ). you enjoy it?

[monkeetime]

@9810blacksheep I live in New Territories, but visit the Chungking Mansions very often. LOOOOOVE the Indian restaurants there, best deal in town. Don't be afraid, pop in for a treat!

[nbryant33]

Thanks for this, loved it! I spent 5 nights in Chungking in May. At first it was awful, but the place really grows on you. Lots of great bargains and the best Indian food almost anywhere. Real cultural melting pot, a building that's a living, breathing thing.

[homerbear46]

you will be offered "hashish" here...I'd avoid it as I believe it has some opium...and god knows whatever else ...in it.

it also comes in quarter-ounce cling-film-wrapped "bullets" which are inserted into the Nepalese/Pakistani's anus before their flight from Katmandu.

[chillingonthestars]

a lot of people in hong kong tends to stay away from the chung king mansions. a few cases of rape and murder and bound to put people off.

[DeadlyDreamerX]

6:20 Shwarmaa!

[lcheesmanl]

It was even more exciting in the 1990s :)

[czeester]

Great video!! But I have quite standard question that many youtubers may ask, what song is at 5:40 ?? :)