Stanley 赤柱

About Stanley

Browse the market for crafts and clothing, then leave the stalls for a view across Stanley Bay. Murray House’s broad verandahs and columns provide an architectural contrast to the market lanes. It was reassembled here after removal from Central, so the present seaside setting is part of the building’s later life.

The name Chek Chue is said to come from kapok trees (木棉树) whose bright red flowers once looked like red pillars in the sunrise; the English name Stanley honours Edward Smith-Stanley (爱德华·史密斯-士丹利), 14th Earl of Derby, colonial secretary when Hong Kong Island was ceded to Britain. Stanley was a long-established settlement recorded in the Ming-dynasty gazetteer Yue Da Ji (粤大记). Tanka boat people (水上人) gathered there for generations, and Britain's first census of the island in May 1841 found more than 2,000 of its 4,280 indigenous residents living around Stanley, which briefly served as the island's capital after 1842, before Victoria City was built.

Stanley was also a military site: Qing-dynasty forces maintained a garrison there, and in the 1930s the British built Stanley Fort at Wong Ma Kok (黄麻角), resettling local farmers into eight bungalows on Stanley Main Street. The fort's Stanley Battery saw fighting during the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941, and the site is now used by the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison.

What to look for

• Stanley Market fills small lanes with clothing, crafts and souvenir stalls.
• Murray House’s columns and broad verandahs overlook the waterfront.

Location & getting there

Getting to Stanley

For the market, go to Stanley New Street and Stanley Market Road; Stanley has bus connections with Central and other parts of Hong Kong Island rather than an MTR station. Murray House is at 96 Stanley Main Street.