Sadly replaced by the boring Chater Garden in Central

**Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong for 53 years - I know the place.**

**I have personally completed 2,340+ Private Tours and Experiences (over 6,500+ guests) since April 2011 and I am considered one of the finest Private Tour Guides in Asia.**

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Then and Now in Hong Kong - The Hong Kong Cricket Club

Sadly replaced by the unimaginative Chater Garden in Central

The Hong Kong Cricket Club in all of it’s glory - early 1960’s

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This image is seared in my memory, this is how Hong Kong pretty much looked in the business district when we arrived in 1972, although this image is from the 1960’s (I reckon 1964) it had not changed much a decade later with the exception of Statue Square which was torn up and revamped and reopened in 1966

I am a Yorkshireman and therefore a cricket nut and I will never forget the day we visited Central District on January 4th 1972 after taking the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour and we ended up at the Hong Kong Cricket Club, this magnificent patch of green in the middle of the business district and for a few years at least I was able to go there and watch matches, to be honest it was a little surreal but oh so English.

…. and after a hard day of watching cricket I would scoot over to the Hong Kong Hilton Hotel which was literally a minutes walk from the club and have a drink and hang out in the lobby, a dream come true for an 11 year old back in 1972.

I seriously cannot put into words just how amazing it was to be in Hong Kong - Pearl of the Orient and watching a game of cricket in the middle of the dynamic business district, next to the Court of Final Appeal and my (still) stomping grounds of Statue Square, Princes Building, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Jardine House (all shown in the image below) and City Hall which i frequented as it was the best library in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Cricket Club as I remember it - early 1970’s

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Sadly it was not to last, plans had been made by the Hong Kong Government to relocate the Hong Kong Cricket Club despite it being located in Central for over 100 years.

The History of Hong Kong Cricket Club

The Hong Kong Cricket Club (HKCC), established in June 1851, is the oldest cricket club in East Asia, founded to promote cricket, tennis, croquet, and other athletic activities. Initially located at the military parade ground south of the waterfront in Central Hong Kong, the site—later known as Chater Garden—was turfed to create a sports and recreation area. The club operated there for 124 years, hosting its first pavilion (a matshed) in the northeast corner, later replaced by more permanent structures, with the final clubhouse built in 1923 opposite the Hong Kong Club on Chater Road.

Cricket in Hong Kong began at least by 1841, during early British colonial rule following the First Opium War (1839–42). The HKCC played a central role, hosting its first Interport match against Shanghai in 1866, followed by matches against The Straits and Ceylon from 1890. A tragic event occurred in 1892 when the SS Bokhara, carrying the Hong Kong cricket team back from Shanghai, sank in a typhoon, killing all but two of the 13 team members. The club was a hub for sports, including a documented 1883 baseball match between U.S. Navy officers and HKCC members. It won the First Division League ten times before the Japanese occupation and twelve times from post-war to the 1997 handover, reflecting a strong competitive record.

The totally underwhelming Chater Garden that replaced the Hong Kong Cricket Club and the iconic Cricket Pitch, most of it is just a huge patch of concrete - 2025

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The relocation of the Hong Kong Cricket Club and the opening of Chater Garden

By the 1970s, urban development pressures led to the HKCC’s relocation. In 1973, the Urban Council approved transforming the Chater Road ground into a public garden. The HKCC moved to a new, picturesque facility at Wong Nai Chung Gap, 6 km away, in 1975. The new ground’s opening was attended by cricket legends Harold Larwood and Bert Oldfield. The old site, where cricket had been played for nearly 125 years, was redeveloped into Chater Garden, named after Sir Paul Chater, a prominent British-Indian businessman. Construction began in 1978, and the garden was formally opened on October 20, 1978.Chater Garden, located in the Central District east of the Legislative Council building, features a three-level design with an underground seating area, a landscape garden, a lily pond, a glass fountain, and a promenade with a viewing platform. Despite the loss of the historic clubhouse, which was demolished as it was not included in the garden’s plans, Chater Garden became a valued public space in Central’s concrete jungle. Its proximity to government buildings has made it a frequent venue for political rallies and demonstrations, such as those by Falun Gong.

The HKCC continues to thrive at Wong Nai Chung Gap, offering extensive facilities like outdoor cricket nets, a three-lane indoor Cricket Centre of Excellence, and teams across various leagues, including men’s, women’s, and junior programs. It has reciprocal arrangements with 49 sports clubs globally and hosts international tours, maintaining its legacy while Chater Garden serves as a public amenity on its former site.

Why I dislike Chater Garden in Hong Kong so much

As a long time resident I have earned the right to have an opinion on Chater Garden.

I completely understand the need for public spaces but I could never quite understand the decision to create Chater Garden when Statue Square is literally 200 yards away next to the Court of Final Appeal Building, I appreciate Statue Square is smaller but to me Chater Garden is simply a means for workers to get to the Bank of China Tower, Cheung Kong Centre and all the other buildings on Garden Road, oh and not to mention the Peak Tram Central Terminus, I have walked through Chater Garden many, many thousands of times and to be honest you hardly see anyone sat there (particularly in the Garden part) all you see is a constant stream of people using it as a shortcut., quite simply there are a lot more people sat in Statue Square which is half the size.

… and do not get me started on the mass of concrete, what the hell where they thinking and since 2019, well, there will be no more protests using that patch of concrete even the the Tai Chi Groups no longer exercise on the concrete patch.

I like trees, bushes, plants, flowers and water features as much as the next person, I like to sit and people watch but I can do that in Statue Square which just has an iconic vibe that Chater Garden lacks.

I can also tell you that Chater Garden is probably the most expensive piece of land in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Government could easily auction it off for many billions of US$ - the amazing and very new Henderson Building (see image below) borders Chater Garden and is currently the most expensive piece of land sold in Hong Kong.

Personally I have no problem at all with another iconic skyscraper being built on Chater Garden!

The spiral staircase which leads up to Garden Road from Chater Garden is a good place for a selfie, I stand at the top of the staircase and photograph cars on Garden Road (since 2011) and point people in the right direction to the Peak Tram! - 2025

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The only saving grace for me when it comes to Chater Garden is it is a pretty good spot to take a picture of the iconic and amazing Henderson Building! - 2025

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The quality of your Hong Kong Tour | Experience is absolutely dependent on the quality of the guide you choose to book, please choose wisely.

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.