Champagne Court is a building located in Tsim Tsa Tsui's Kimberly Road. Built in 1957 by a renowned architect, it was once a beaming piece of architecture, the tallest in Kowloon for some time. It was associated with vice dens in recent times, and now it is largely abandoned and forgotten in the midst of taller, newer and fancier buildings that surround it in greater numbers year by year.
Back in 2020, Archie and I visited this place to observe a rare snapshot in time, before it was faded into the history books. But what we found was something even rarer - The story of Andrew Chan, a store owner and once resident of champagne court.
As the 'old' and timed things of the world fade rapidly before us, replaced by things of efficient and monotone creation, this story shares insight into the deep connection between people and their surroundings - and the profound marination of time.