Praya, Kennedy Town


Kennedy Town Praya is a road of Kennedy Town on Hong Kong Island. The road is a two-way three-lane road with Hong Kong tram tracks, connecting Des Voeux Road West in the east and the junction of Catchick Street and Sands Street in the west.

History

Before the Belcher Bay Land reclamation in [Hong Kong|reclamation project] was carried out, it was a seaside street in Kennedy Town. Since most of the roads along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island were named "Praya" in the early days, a road along the coast of Kennedy Town was called Kennedy Town Praya.  "Praya" is not English, but Portuguese, referring to a piece of land by the sea.
Belcher Bay at the western end of Hong Kong Island was named after Captain Edward Belcher, who sailed there in 1841 aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Sulphur. Sulphur Channel, between Green [Island, Hong Kong|Green Island] and Hong Kong Island, was named after his ship, HMS Sulphur. The Chinese name of Belcher Bay was also known as 擸?灣. Reclamation at Belcher Bay pushed the coastline forward by about 80 metres. The work was completed in 1903, and much of the newly reclaimed land was used as warehouses and Praya, Kennedy Town. In 1904, Hong Kong Tramways was put into service and tracks were laid on the Praya, Kennedy Town.

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