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Perhaps the developers figured “Central Plaza” had more cachet than “Wan Chai Plaza”, or perhaps Wan Chai is more central than Central if you’re talking about the mid-point of the waterfront. Anyway, this is Hong Kong’s second tallest building (after the new IFC Tower) at 374 m (1,227 ft), and has a viewing platform.

Immortalised in Noel Coward’s famous song aboutMad Dogs and Englishmen , the famous cannon has been fired at midday each day since 1860. Bigwigs pay for the privilege of firing it, with money going to charity. Otherwise, a gunner dressed in traditional military attire does the honours. Originally it was fired whenever the Taipan arrived or departed from Hong Kong.

The building looks a bit like the Sydney Opera House might if its roof had just been swatted by a giant hammer. The designers, however, maintain that the flowing lines are meant to evoke a bird in flight. It’s certainly a study in contrast with the upthrust towers scratching the sky all around. There was a race against time to finish stage two of the $5 billion complex in time for the 1997 Handover ceremony. Britain’s loss and China’s gain is commemorated with a big black obelisk. The venue also hosts occasional raves and pop concerts.

Made famous in Richard Mason’s novelTheWorld of Suzy Wong , Wan Chai’s sinful strip is these days an odd blend of girlie bars with dodderyMamasans who saw action during the Vietnam War and will rob you blind as soon as look at you; down-at-heel discos; mock-British pubs; and super-trendy bars and restaurants. The road is almost always being dug up, adding to the hubbub.

This might soon be labelled Hong Kong’s “Little Thailand”. Dozens of Thai mini-marts and hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurants have sprung up amid Wan Chai market in the narrow warren of lanes that run between Johnston Road and Queen’s Road East. You can find the same dishes here for a quarter of what you’ll pay in smart Thai restaurants just blocks away.

From September to June the thud of hooves on turf rings out most Wednesday nights from this famous racetrack – once a malaria-ridden swamp – where Hong Kong’s gambling-mad public wager more money per meeting than at any other track in the world. (see Happy Valley Races)

Construction mogul Gordon Wu has built roads in China and half-built a railway in Bangkok, but this remains his best-known erection. The 66-storey cylinder rears up behind Wan Chai, making diners dizzy in its revolving restaurant. The food, frankly, is not up to much, but the view makes up for it. Nighttimes are most spectacular, or perhaps a cocktail as the sun dips behind the harbour.

Hong Kong’s largest urban park opened in 1957, and features a bronze statue of the killjoy British monarch, which one “art activist” once redecorated with a can of red paint. There’s a swimming pool, tennis courts and lawn bowling greens. It’s also the venue for the Chinese New Year Flower Market, and every Sunday at noon would-be politicians can stand up and shoot their mouths off at the forum.

Barnacle-encrusted hulks and down-at-heel gin palaces rub gunwhales with multi-million dollar yachts in this packed haven from the “big winds” that regularly bear down on the South China coast. There are also quaint houseboats with homely touches like flower boxes permanently anchored behind the stone breakwater. The impressive edifice to the left as you look out to sea is the Hong Kong Yacht Club.

Not the biggest or best-known temple to the Chinese sea goddess but certainly the most accessible on Hong Kong Island. Worth a look if you’re in the area. This was once the waterfront, believe it or not. There’s usually a handful of worshippers burning incense and paying respects, although it may be packed during Chinese festivals.