Praya

Praya Central, around 1873
Praya
Chinese海旁
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHǎibàng
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpinghoi2 pong4

Praya (Chinese: 海旁; lit. 'next to the sea') was a term used in 19th-century Hong Kong to refer to a promenade by the waterfront. The name comes from the Portuguese word praia, which means "beach," but in China it came to mean a stone-faced waterfront road.[1] In Hong Kong, it was a broad road running parallel along the harbour in front of the city.[2] HSBC and Dent & Co. were just some of the major companies based in the area.[2]

  1. ^ Wordie, Jason (January 20, 2008). "FYI: Why do some Hong Kong street names seem to have no connection to the area they are in?". South China Morning Post. p. 10. Retrieved January 8, 2014. (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b The Praya, Hong Kong Illustrations of China and Its People, John Thomson 1837-1921, (London,1873-1874)