It is one of the most colourful landmarks in Hong Kong. Featured in countless photographs, travel blogs, Instagram posts, and even some K-pop music videos, this humble public housing estate named "Choi Hung (Chinese for Rainbow)" in East Kowloon has made a name for itself.

Built-in the early 1960s, Choi Hung Estate was one of the first waves of large public housing projects, targeting at providing stable shelter for migrants from Mainland China after WWII and those living in squatter areas which are often dangerous (the disastrous Shek Kip Mei fire in the ’50s leftover 50,000 homeless). Back in the day, Choi Hung Estate gained considerable attention in Hong Kong, winning local architectural awards and even attracting visits from Princess Margaret and Richard Nixon.

You would not miss the unique visual features of the housing estate. The walls of all the residence buildings are painted in gradient rainbow colours. If you can read Chinese characters, the street names and building names are all in colourful terms, such as Green Sea Building (碧海樓) and Purple Blossom Avenue (紫葳路). The most Instagrammed place is the rooftop playground. It is a 2-storey car park and a playground on its rooftop floor. Climb up the stairs and you shall see colourful walls surrounding a huge open colourfully painted basketball court. 

And if you are not satisfied with just likes and followers, Choi Hung Estate is actually a great place to glimpse at the very local way of living. Within this well-maintained community, you can still hear school bells ringing and witness old-school handy shops with goods hanging from the ceiling to maximize space. There are local-style grocery stores where you can still purchase your own mix of different types and origins of rice and all those traditional fermented and dried foods. There are wet markets and butcher shops where you can pretty much guess what makes up a daily Hong Kong home meal. 

Try the buns at the Well Bakery. You can still taste and smell the yeastiness that only comes from decades-old yeast and craft. It will make you forgive the shop’s poor taste in the renovation. Oi Kwan Fastfood Restaurant is another shop that has been running for decades and it still remains one of the hidden gems in Hong Kong. The deep-fried chicken leg is deliciously juicy and savoury. Its distinctive taste from anywhere in the world comes from its special marinating spices and sauces. 

For a full meal, be sure to visit Kam Pik Restaurant. Over 50 years since its opening, it still keeps its tiles, walls, menu, and taste just the way they were. 

Choi Hung Estate is what it would look like when Hong Kong Colonialism meets Le Corbusier-square Modernism. It provides safe housing and community functions (so that they would stay in line and go to work).

Reaching Choi Hung is easy, with numerous buses and a dedicated MTR station featuring uniquely colored mosaic walls and columns. The estate is also just a 15-minute walk from HKBU's visual art campus and gallery, which once served as the Royal Air Force (RAF) Officers' Mess in the early 20th century.