As the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Harbourfront Commission (HC) have continued their efforts to connect and enhance the harbourfront, several new harbourfront sites were opened successively last year. Extending to a total length of over 32 kilometres, the Victoria Harbour promenade has provided locals and tourists with more public spaces for enjoyment.

The recent opening of the East Coast Boardwalk (Eastern Section) has not only marked the official connection of the approximately 13 kilometre harbourfront on Hong Kong Island stretching from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan, but also laid an important milestone for harbourfront development. This time, I have invited the Under Secretary for Development, Mr LAM Chi-man, David, the Director of Civil Engineering and Development, Mr FONG Hok-shing, Michael, colleagues from the Harbour Office, and a local architect to share with us the facilities of the Eastern Section and the overall development of the harbourfront on Hong Kong Island.

Realising a seamless Victoria Harbourfront under the “incremental approach”

The Under Secretary for Development, Mr David LAM, says that the Government and the HC have been actively adopting the incremental approach to connect and enhance the harbourfront development on both sides of the harbour, with a view to providing the public with a more accessible, connected and diversified harbourfront. Marking the “last kilometre” in connecting the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, the newly-opened Eastern Section of the Boardwalk completes the approximately 13-kilometre harbourfront, further improving the accessibility of waterfront spaces.

As a result of ongoing efforts, numerous harbourfront sites on Hong Kong Island have now become vibrant gathering points for locals and tourists, offering diverse and inclusive public spaces for walking, jogging, dog-walking and other activities along the harbour.

As a frequent jogger along the Victoria Harbourfront, Mr David LAM takes this opportunity to share some route tips for the three access points located at Sai Wan Ho, near the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in Causeway Bay and near the Western District Public Cargo Working Area as follows:

(1) Starting from the Eastern District, visitors may set off from harbourfront sites such as the Eastern District Cultural Square and Aldrich Bay Promenade along the Shau Kei Wan harbourfront, and then either pass through the Sai Wan Ho (Grand Promenade) Public Transport Terminus directly or walk along Tai On Street to Tai Hong Street, passing the Marine Police Regional Headquarters, to easily connect to the Sai Wan Ho Promenade and continue towards the Quarry Bay harbourfront area;

(2) After going past the East Coast Boardwalk and the East Coast Park, visitors may turn via Hing Fat Street into Victoria Park Road, pass by the Tung Lo Wan Fire Station and walk straight to the Revitalised Typhoon Shelter Precinct in Causeway Bay. Continuing the walk along Victoria Park Road to the footpath beside the Police Officers’ Club, they may then turn into Hung Hing Road and pass by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club before proceeding towards the Water Sports and Recreation Precinct, as well as other harbourfront sections in Wan Chai, Admiralty, Central and Sheung Wan; and

(3) Upon arrival at the western end of the Central and Western District Promenade, visitors may continue their walk along Shing Sai Road and head straight to the Belcher Bay Promenade, where the sunset over the Victoria Harbour brings their journey to a fitting close along the entire 13-kilometre harbourfront on Hong Kong Island.

East Coast Boardwalk breaking through challenges to link Island East and West

During the construction of the Boardwalk, a range of engineering challenges had to be overcome. The Director of Civil Engineering and Development, Mr Michael FONG, says that these challenges include the restricted headroom beneath the Island Eastern Corridor (IEC), implementation of works in narrow waterways and a lack of land access for transportation. To tackle these challenges, the project team adopted a multi-pronged strategy, as mentioned earlier in My Blog introducing the works of the Western Section. On one hand, the project team utilised the existing foundations of the IEC to reduce the number of marine piles to be constructed; on the other hand, we transported prefabricated deck segments to the construction site by barge and flexibly used different methods such as self-propelled modular transporters on barges and land-based sliding tracks to install each component weighing an average of 350 tonnes (equivalent to the weight of seven C919 passenger aircrafts) accurately and in position one by one within the narrow waterway according to tidal levels.

As for the Eastern Section, its construction also came with its own distinct challenges, with the team collaborating closely with multiple stakeholders regarding coastal facilities. For instance, during the construction of the link bridge at Healthy Street East which is adjacent to the North Point Fire Station, the team coordinated the lifting operations and construction schedule with the Fire Services Department to avoid disrupting the normal operations of the fire station and the adjoining fireboat pier; while maintaining close liaison with the pier operator when altering the superstructure of the North Point Vehicular Ferry Pier to ensure continued service at the pier’s lower level, thereby minimising the impact of works on the facilities.

Divided into four themed areas, namely “Sky Wave”, “Pet Wave”, “Art Wave” and “Wave Hub”, the Eastern Section offers a number of special features, including (1) an experiential glass observatory deck, which provides visitors with direct views of the Victoria Harbour beneath the Boardwalk; (2) a pet friendly area near Tin Chiu Street, which allows visitors and their leashed pets to relax, as well as refreshment kiosks and multi-purpose space with food and beverage services to be provided in the area in the first quarter of next year; (3) a number of multi-functional open spaces for hosting exhibitions, art and community activities upon application, with local artists adding vibrancy to the area through art installations, as well as graphics of marine life and the Eastern District mascot “Dong Dong” visiting popular attractions in the District on the bridge piers; and (4) a small plaza at the eastern end of the Boardwalk near Quarry Bay, along with a widened footpath at Hoi Yu Street to improve accessibility.

Art-adorned Victoria Harbourfront offering diverse and surprising experiences at every turn

To celebrate the important milestone of connecting the 13-kilometre harbourfront on Hong Kong Island, the DEVB and the HC have jointly curated a series of characteristic outdoor art installations. Assistant Secretary (Harbour) of the DEVB, Miss NG Yiu-ching, Carman, introduces that the art installations themed “Connect@Harbourfront” have been on display since last month at six “Harbourfront Shared Spaces” (HSS), including the Belcher Bay Promenade in Kennedy Town, the HarbourChill in Wan Chai, the Water Sports and Recreation Precinct in Wan Chai, the Revitalised Typhoon Shelter Precinct in Causeway Bay, and the East Coast Park and East Coast Boardwalk in North Point. Furthermore, for the convenience of visitors, feature wayfinding signage has been installed every half a kilometre along the entire harbourfront on Hong Kong Island, facilitating members of the public to explore the unique character of each stretch of Victoria Harbourfront.

Mr Arnold WONG, the local architect who created the “Connect@Harbourfront” art installations, says that the series comprises a total of six site-specific art installations designed to weave the 13-kilometre harbourfront into a seamless and enjoyable journey through graceful lines, with a view to enhancing public understanding of harbourfront connectivity. Each installation set resonates with the unique characteristics of its respective HSS. For example, the installation themed “SailWay CONNECT” at the Revitalised Typhoon Shelter Precinct in Causeway Bay demonstrates the forms of waves and showcases local maritime culture. He hopes that these art installations can enrich the harbourfront experiences of locals and tourists with interactive elements and photo-taking designs, thereby deepening their appreciation of the Victoria Harbour and its harbourfront.

From a seamless harbourfront on Hong Kong Island to visionary new chapters in Kowloon

As introduced by Senior Engineer (Harbour) of the DEVB, Ms WU Wing-yue, Phoebe, the next phase of harbourfront development would extend to Kowloon. At present, more than 14 kilometres (or nearly 70%) of the approximately 21-kilometre developable harbourfront in Kowloon has been opened for public enjoyment. Besides, work continues on the approximately 13-kilometre GreenWay for shared use by pedestrians and cyclists within the Kai Tak Development Area, with around 4.3 kilometres already opened, including the two new sections each approximately 400 metres in length which opened on 30 December 2025. These new sections connect Shing Kai Road Garden and the Kai Tak Promenade on the western side of the runway via Kai Tak Sports Park Dining Cove, thereby enhancing harbourfront connectivity and accessibility.

In addition, we will continue our efforts to take forward harbourfront development in Kowloon. Projects expected to be completed this year include the pedestrian walkway connecting the West Kowloon Cultural District to Tai Kok Tsui, the waterfront promenade next to the Kai Tak New Acute Hospital, and as well as the event space and public open space at the former Hung Hom Railway Freight Yard Pier site, with the aim of enhancing harbourfront connectivity while continuously improving and enriching the overall harbourfront experience. Our target is to extend the total length of the promenades on both sides of the Victoria Harbour to 34 kilometres by 2028, thereby creating an attractive, vibrant, accessible and sustainable Victoria Harbourfront.