Pitt Street is a street in one of the busiest sections in Yau Ma Tei of Hong Kong. The street is named after William Pitt the Younger, prime minister of the United Kingdom, and before Acts of Union 1800, of Great Britain. It hosts several prominent sites including Kwong Wah Hospital and the headquarters of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong. Pitt Street spans across three thoroughfares, namely Ferry Street in the west, Waterloo Road in the east and Nathan Road in the middle, which connect the north and south of Kowloon Peninsula. While said to be in Yau Ma Tei, it could be in Mong Kok or Mong Kok Tsui, depending on context. Its name in Chinese character is 碧街, which the character 碧 /pik/, literally greenish jade, is a phonetic approximation of Pitt in Cantonese and 街 a literal translation of street.
The street features with multi-storey buildings mixing use of commercial and residential, officially known as composite buildings, typical in urban area of Hong Kong.
Yau Ma Tei station, joint station of Kwun Tong line and Tsuen Wan line of MTR, laying under Nathan Road, spans to the underground here with two exits, A1 and A2 on the street. The ventilation shaft of the station behind Exit A1, with its practical appearance, was the landmark of the street facing Nathan Road. While no bus stop for franchised bus services stands on the street, there are several bus stops bearing its name Pitt Street near its junctions on other streets and roads, including nine platforms of Kowloon Motor Bus on Nathan Road, serving tens of bus routes to major destinations all over Hong Kong.
The street forms junctions with multiple streets, from west to east, Ferry Street, Tak Cheong Street, Tung On Street, Canton Road, Reclamation Street, Shanghai Street, Portland Street, Nathan Road, Yau Mong Lane, Tung Fong Street, and Waterloo Road. Historically, Shanghai Street was formerly known as Station Street (North/South) and Nathan Road as Coronation Road. There used to be a junction with Kwong Wah Street, which was removed during the reconstruction of Kwong Wah Hospital around 1958. The street, at the east end, extends beyond Waterloo Road to Chun Yi Lane, but the dual carriageway of Waterloo Road blocks the direct traffic between the street and the lane.
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Lo Yu Chik Primary School, formerly the site of old Kwong Wah Hospital, is located west side of current hospital. The high-rise of Chinese YWCA is also the location of YMCA College of Careers and a hotel The Cityview.
The latest reconstruction of Kwong Wah Hospital relocated Emergency Department, together with its entrance, from Waterloo Road to Pitt Street in 2023. All emergency traffic was re-routed through the street.
History
Great Britain took Kowloon Peninsula from China in 1860 under Convention of Peking. The development started from Tsim Sha Tsui, nearest location to the City of Victoria of Hong Kong Island and extended northward, Kwun Chung, Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok Tsui, Mong Kok, and Tai Kok Tsui. Before the urban planning of Kowloon, Mong Kok Tsui became a rural settlement outside the urban Kowloon, increasingly populated, as illustrated in the map of Water Supply Kowloon Peninsula Central Plan. British secured New Territories from China with Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory in 1898. With vast new land north of the peninsula, this fuelled the development of Kowloon.
Reclamation and development of Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok Tsui and Mong Kok In 19th century, the reclamation and development north of Yaumati Police Station was centred with the extension of Station Street, which later renamed to Shanghai Street.
By 1901, Kowloon map illustrated the street, as yet unnamed, branched east and west from Station Street. This location was considered situating in Mong Kok Tsui for exact and Yau Ma Tei, formerly written as Yaumati, for large area in this period.
By 1910, another Kowloon map showed cluster of streets with name related to Britain, including Pitt Street, along with Waterloo Road, Hamilton Street, Dundas Street, Portland Street, Nelson Street, Argyle Street and Fife Street.
In 1913 report, a gas lamp was erected near a steam laundry. In 1927 report, a sugar factory was built on Kowloon Marine Lot 48 and a knitting factory on 50.
Yaumati Disinfecting Station Following the 1894 Hong Kong plague, there were several outbreak of bubonic plague. Disinfecting stations were constructed to fight against the disease by disinfecting houses and clothes, with inspectors stationed.
The Public Works began to build Yaumati Disinfecting Station with quarters for inspector on Pitt Street, which remained unnamed, in 1904 and completed it in 1905, handing over to Sanitary Board in April.
In 1912 report, the Public Works laid a 9" earthenware pipe sewer in Pitt Street and Waterloo Road from opposite the Yaumati Disinfecting Station to take the drainage from the new Sanitary Department Stables.
Kwong Wah Hospital, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Lo Yu Chik Primary School and Tung Wah Museum
By the time of extension to the New Territories in 1898, there was no hospital for Chinese. Kai Ho proposed a hospital in Kowloon. In response to the proposal, the government offered the location of Yaumati Disinfecting Station and provided initial funds for five years in 1907. The Governor Sir Frederick Lugard, opened the hospital on 9 October 1911, reported in The China Mail.
In 1915, there was budget to improve Pitt Street opposite to Kwong Wah Hospital. In 1925 report, the street extended west to the Kwong Wah Hospital on Kowloon Inland Lot 1213. In 1926, New block of Kwong Wah Hospital was built on Kowloon Inland Lot 1213 on the street. In 1958, there was a reconstruction of the hospital and a nurse school, moving the hospital eastward by the side of Waterloo Road, demolishing a section of Kwong Wah Street, and rebuilding the hospital with a high rise building. This resulted in a free land, on the west boundary, of 99 000 square feet of land, returned to the government. The government in return gave it to Tung Wah Group of Hospital to build a school, namely Lo Yu Chik Primary School. The lane beside the school, namely Yau Mong Lane, is a busy shortcut from Pitt Street to Dundas Street.
Another reconstruction of Kwong Wah Hospital relocated Emergency Department, together with its entrance, from Waterloo Road to Pitt Street in 2023.
Tung Wah Museum is the original hall of Tung Wah Hospital in 1911. It serves as a museum with records of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals.
Pitt Street Dust/Refuse Boat Station and pier The street used to be leading to praya wall, namely sea wall. In 1923, the Public Works Department issued a tender to construct a pier for dust shoot at the end of the street. It was later mentioned as Pitt Street Refuse Boat Station in 1933 report and Pitt Street Dust Boat Station in 1947-48 report. The old refuse pier was finally demolished, mentioned in 1961-62 report.
Wah Yah College, Kowloon In 1924, Peter Tsui Yan Sau initially set up Wah Yan College, Kowloon, a Catholic secondary school, on 70 Portland Street at the junction with Pitt Street. The school was later moved Nelson Street and finally settled at current premises on 56 Waterloo Road.
Chinese YMCA, YMCA International House, The Cityview and YMCA College of Careers
Chinese YMCA, formerly written as Chinese Y.M.C.A., initially serving mainly the Island side of Hong Kong. In 1928 the association began to build a hostel and hall on Kowloon Inland Lot 1483, on Waterloo Road and Pitt Street, and the construction was completed in 1929. The Kowloon Branch began services in Kowloon side. In 1966, the headquarters moved into here and new building was erected, with a programme centre, a gymnasium and YMCA International House. The building was expanded in 1993. The international house was a hostel, which rebranded to The Cityview, a 4-star hotel. A continuous education centre was established and later became YMCA College of Careers, a registered school.
Kowloon Telephone Exchange, Bell House, London Restaurant, Mk1 Super Digital Mall and MediLink Square
In 1929, a telephone exchange and staff quarters was completed on Kowloon Inland Lot 754 on Nathan Road, spanning between Waterloo Road and Pitt Street. It was known as the Kowloon Telephone Exchange of the Hong Kong Telephone. This building was demolished on or before 1963, replaced by a commercial and residential building, Bell House, which named after Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of telephone. The building is 200 feet high, with twenty-storey in six block.
London Restaurant, a large Chinese restaurant, occupying a few floors, opened in 1960s. It soon became a major restaurant in Yau Ma Tei/Mong Kok, having branches in Mong Kok and Hung Hom. The restaurant closed after 27 years in 2005, with 200 workers losing their jobs, and only the Mong Kok one remains open. The Mong Kok restaurant became a tourist hotspot.
The floors of the restaurant once was converted to a shopping centre, first Mk1 Super Digital Mall, selling digital products, then MediLink Square, selling medical products, and later MediLink Square was occupied by a spa and sauna, Windsor Spa.
Tak Yu Restaurant and Tak Yue Mansion
In 1920s, Tak Yu Restaurant, one of oldest restaurants in Hong Kong, was built at 372-378A Shanghai Street, at the southeast corner of the junction with Pitt Street. In 1967, the restaurant was rebuilt as a high-rise Tak Yue Mansion, with the restaurant continuing its operation on lower floors. In 2012, the restaurant ceased to operate and the whole building was sold in 2019 and later the premises of the restaurant turning into a care home.
Tung Nam Seafood Restaurant, Tung Nam Commercial Centre and Tung Nam Lou Art Hotel In 1950, Tung Nam Seafood Restaurant was established, providing traditional Cantonese cuisine. In 1994, the restaurant was rebuilt as Tung Nam Commercial Centre, a twenty-three storey office building. In 2019, the buildings become Tung Nam Lou Art Hotel, featuring with art and culture.
Kam Wah Theatre and Kam Wah Building
In 1954, Kam Wah Theatre, a theatre-cinema with 2180 seats, commenced at southwest corner of the junction with Canton Road on 21 December, which operated till 21 September 1970. The theatre, of modern appearance with green and buff in colour, was designed by Iu Tak Lam. The area around theatre used to be very crowd with stalls of Dai pai dong next to it. The building was demolished and replaced with Kam Wah Building.
Street market
The street used to be a street market and stalls occupied sides of the street. Only a few remains because the government discourage it. The market had a lot of Dai pai dong around Kam Wa Theatre.
1967 Riots and bombs 1967 Riots of Hong Kong was territory-wide and prolonged. Chinese communists in Hong Kong, encouraged by Cultural Revolution and 12-3 incident, fought against British colonial rule with homemade bombs, real or fake. On 6 September 1967, a pretentious couple intended to install a bomb on the street. Although they acted intimately, walked arm in arm, carried a paper bag, their nervous betrayed them, inviting a Chinese police inspector's suspicion. A squad of policemen followed the couple secretly, caught them and seized the bomb at the junction with Shanghai Street. Despite detonated by a bomb disposal officer, the bomb was powerful enough to break six panes of glass of a herbal tea shop. The story was reported by Wah Kiu Yat Po, and communist newspaper Ta Kung Pao, and pro-nationalist newspaper Kung Sheung Daily News.
Fire of Po Cheung Building