Museum - Mei Ho House Public Housing Estate Hong Kong
A cultural revitalization project that does not quite succeed
Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong since January 2nd 1972 - I know the place.
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Museum - Mei Ho House Public Housing Estate Hong Kong
A cultural revitalization project that does not quite succeed
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Mei Ho House Public Housing | Kowloon District | Hong Kong - 2025
Foreword
The Heritage of Mei Ho House Located at Shek Kip Mei | Sham Shui Po in Kowloon Hong Kong
This I must stress is NOT current public housing in Hong Kong, it is cultural revitalization project of an old 1950’s | 1960’s | 1970’s H Style Public Housing Block common in Hong Kong in the old days.
This building is now a Youth Hostel and a pretty good one at that but it is known for it’s museum style attraction of Mei Ho Public Housing Block back in the time period 1950's - 1870's
I have been there quite a few times but not recently as it’s location is not exactly convenient and it is quite difficult to fit into a private tour where timing is everything.
I imagine things would be different if his cultural revitalization project was more realistic than it actually is.
I am all about realism and still in the main, these Government funded projects paint a rosy picture of what life was like in the old days when the harsh reality was totally different.
Mei Ho House suffers the same fate as Tai Kwun, a massive tourist attraction on Hong Kong Island (An old prison, poiice station and court house) the buildings have been overhauled on a big budget but they do not reflect as an example how life was for an inmate staying in the prison
Let me be clear, Mei Ho apartments were tiny about 120sq ft for a family with communal washing and toilet facilities.
I should point out that I have many relatives that live in public housing in Hong Kong (my mother in law lived in them for decades) and I am very familiar with the apartments and how people adjust to living in small spaces.
So when you visit Mei Ho House you do not get any concept of reality, quite simply when you have a family living in a such a tiny space, every available square inch is taken up for storage of stuff so to speak and the apartment resemble a junk yard on steroids - this is not a reflection on the people that live there, this was what they had to work with so they made the best of it - there are probably thousands of images on google that show the harsh reality of public housing in Hong Kong.
It is also not a reflection on the Hong Kong Government either - back in the 1950's and 1960's there was a tidal wave of illegal immigration from China into Hong Kong and that is how the Public Housing Policy came into being - things are a whole lot better these days but the apartments are still too small, one of my brother in laws lives in new public housing and the quality is not much different to private housing with the exception of the size and the rental is very affordable.
To this day approcimately 47% of Hong Kongs population live in public housing.
It is interesting to visit Mei House to see how Public Housing was, the size is shocking but you get no concept of the quality of life because the tiny spaces are devoid of the day to day junk which people accumulate over the years
It is interesting that the Hong Kong Government recently changed tactics on a project I have written about for many years and this is the Kowloon Walled City
Kowloon Walled City was a cess pit that made Mei House look like luxury condo’s and I made many visits there in the 1970's when I was a kid and yet when they decided that enough was enough they decided to tear everything down and keep nothing, the made a nice park on the site and basically all that remained was a few concrete beams from an old building on the site, so other than photographs and the odd video you simply could not grasp how awful in an iconic way Kowloon Walled City was.... until now
Yep, the Government actually sponsered and built a movie set (from a famous movie) which has now become a permanent exhibition at Kowloon Walled City and boy they really nailed it and this is exactly what they should have done at Tai Kwun and Mei Ho House.
I have never been a fan of sanitized history, for me realism is very important
So if you are in Hong Kong with a few hours to spare by all means make a visit to Mei Ho House, it is an eye opener in a few areas but to me it does not quite succeed.
The Heritage of Mei Ho House Located at Shek Kip Mei in Kowloon Hong Kong
Historical Timeline for the Mei Ho House Estate
Mei Ho House is part of the larger Shek Kip Mei Estate, which was Hong Kong's first public housing estate. Mei Ho House itself (originally Block H, later Block 41) is the last surviving Mark I H-shaped resettlement block from the 1950s. The timeline below focuses on key events related to Mei Ho House and the broader estate, based on historical records.
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Mei Ho House Public Housing | Kowloon District | Hong Kong - 2025
December 25, 1953 | A massive fire in the Shek Kip Mei shantytown destroys homes, leaving approximately 58,000 people (mostly refugees from Mainland China) homeless. This disaster prompts the colonial government to initiate Hong Kong's public housing program as an emergency response.
1954 | Construction of the first eight six-storey Mark I H-shaped resettlement blocks (Blocks A-H) is completed on the fire site, including Mei Ho House. These are built with United Nations aid in a utilitarian Bauhaus style to provide basic shelter. This marks the beginning of permanent public housing in Hong Kong.
1956 | During the Hong Kong riots, Mei Ho House serves as a base for rioters, highlighting its role in social unrest amid cramped living conditions.
1960s | The estate expands to 29 blocks (28 Mark I and 1 Mark II). Living conditions remain basic, with communal facilities and rooftop schools.
1970s | Mei Ho House undergoes renovations: Small units are combined into larger self-contained apartments with private kitchens and toilets; open corridors are enclosed into balconies. This reduces the number of units but improves livability.
2005 | Mei Ho House is listed as a Grade I historic building by the Antiquities Advisory Board, recognizing its significance in public housing history.
2007-2008 | Demolition of most 1950s blocks in Shek Kip Mei Estate begins for redevelopment. Mei Ho House is preserved. It is included in Batch I of the government's Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme.
2010 | Reclassified as a Grade II historic building after preservation plans are adjusted for adaptive reuse.
February 17, 2009 | The Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association (HKYHA) is awarded the revitalization project, with a budget of HK$192.3 million, to convert Mei Ho House into a youth hostel and museum.
October 24, 2013 | Mei Ho House reopens as YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel and the Heritage of Mei Ho House museum, blending accommodation, education, and cultural preservation.
2015 | The revitalization project receives an Honourable Mention in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
Exact Location
Mei Ho House is located at Block 41, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Its coordinates are 22°20 02″N 114°09 49″E. It is near the Shek Kip Mei MTR station (Exit A, about a 10-minute walk) and is surrounded by modern public housing and residential areas.
Number of Buildings
The original Shek Kip Mei Estate (of which Mei Ho House was part) consisted of 29 buildings: 28 Mark I blocks (including the initial 8 H-shaped ones like Mei Ho House) and 1 Mark II block. Mei Ho House itself is a single H-shaped building (two residential wings connected by a central section for communal facilities). All other 1950s blocks have been demolished and replaced with modern high-rises; Mei Ho House is the sole survivor.
Number of Apartments
The original Shek Kip Mei Estate housed thousands of residents across its 29 blocks (with a total capacity for around 26,400 people by later standards, though initial occupancy was higher due to overcrowding). For Mei Ho House specifically, exact original unit counts are not consistently documented, but standard Mark I H-blocks had around 64-84 units per floor, totaling approximately 384-504 units per 6-storey block. However, due to 1970s conversions combining units, the building now has 129 rooms after revitalization into a hostel (renovated from the post-1970s configuration). Overcrowding meant many units housed multiple families initially.
Size of the Apartments
Original apartments in Mei Ho House and similar Mark I blocks were tiny, typically 120 square feet (about 11 square meters) per unit, designed for 5 people (based on a standard of 24 square feet per adult and half for children under 12). These were basic rooms with no private facilities—kitchens, toilets, and laundry were communal. In the 1970s, units were enlarged by combining them into self-contained apartments (e.g., 23-54 square meters variants), reducing overall numbers but adding private amenities.
Relevant Points of Interest
Heritage Museum: Free entry; exhibits recreate 1950s-1970s life with donated artifacts, oral histories, augmented reality, and displays on housing evolution, community culture, and daily life (e.g., rooftop schools, ground-floor shops).
Youth Hostel: 129 nostalgic-themed rooms (dorms and privates); amenities include a cafe, self-serve kitchen, and laundry. Rates start from HK$300 for dorms.
Architectural Features: Six storeys, no elevators, H-shape for efficiency; represents early modernist design in public housing.
Nearby Attractions: Close to Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (artist village in a former factory), Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum (discovered during 1950s housing expansion), and colorful estates like Nam Shan Estate for photography.
Guided Tours: Available (book ahead; provide extra historical insights).
No Parking: Public transport recommended.
Reasoning Behind Choosing This as a Cultural Heritage Project
Mei Ho House was selected for revitalization because it is the last intact example of a Mark I H-shaped resettlement block, symbolizing the birth of Hong Kong's public housing system after the 1953 fire. This event shifted colonial policy from ignoring squatter issues to providing mass housing, housing nearly half of Hong Kong's population today. The project preserves tangible (architecture) and intangible (community stories, folk life) heritage, educating on social history, urban evolution, and resilience. Under the government's scheme, it promotes tourism, youth engagement, and sustainability via adaptive reuse (hostel revenue funds the museum). It avoids demolition while addressing modern needs, earning UNESCO recognition for balancing conservation with functionality.
Data on Actual Rentals When It Was First Built
Original monthly rents for units in Shek Kip Mei Estate (including Mei Ho House) in 1954 were set at HK$10 to HK$14 per unit, with no income caps initially. These low rates were subsidized to make housing accessible for low-income fire victims and refugees, covering basic costs without profit. Rents included utilities but not maintenance; overcrowding often meant families shared costs. By the 1960s, subsidized low-rent schemes adjusted to HK$600 household caps for eligibility.
Analysis of Tripadvisor Reviews: How Visitors Rate It as an Educational Attraction
As of August 2025, the Heritage of Mei Ho House (the museum component) has a strong overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 on Tripadvisor, based on 29 reviews. The distribution leans heavily positive: mostly 5-star (excellent) and 4-star (very good) ratings, with few lower scores. Visitors consistently praise it as an educational gem, often calling it a "hidden gem" or "eye-opener" for understanding Hong Kong's mid-20th-century social history.
Educational Value: Rated highly (4.5+ average implied), with reviewers noting it as a "good learning opportunity" and "integral part of Hong Kong history." Exhibits on the 1953 fire, cramped living conditions, and public housing evolution provide insights into immigrant life, rooftop schools, and community resilience. One reviewer said it's an "eye opener for foreigners" showing how Hong Kong transitioned from shantytowns to a modern city. Guided tours add depth with "lots of extra info."
Strengths as an Attraction: Small scale (30-45 minute visit) but illustrative; free entry; balances nostalgia for locals and accessibility for tourists. Praised for preserving "social history" through recreated apartments and anecdotes.
Recommended for families, history buffs, and those in Sham Shui Po.
Criticisms: Occasional mentions of limited size or event closures; some suggest checking hours. No major negatives on education—most rate it "highly recommended" for historical insights.
Overall Sentiment: Visitors view it as worthwhile (especially combined with the cafe/hostel), scoring it well for value and relevance. It's seen as more than a museum—an authentic slice of HK's past, appealing to both young and old.
So there you go
My insider tip
Please note that in general if you book a tour on Viator or Tripadvisor you generally have NO control over what guide will lead your Private Tour of Hong Kong and this is the most important component of the tour. I urge you to check the actual company website and book via their website and do not forget to read Tripadvisor reviews as well.
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