Understanding Hong Kong Address Structure

Hong Kong’s address system combines British traditions with local characteristics, creating a unique and efficient system. Whether it’s a unit in a skyscraper or a village house in the countryside, addresses follow a clear logical structure. Understanding this structure helps with accurate location finding and mail delivery.

Hong Kong addresses typically follow a hierarchical order from specific to general, starting from the most precise unit and expanding to the broader area.

Basic Components of an Address

A standard Hong Kong address usually contains the following parts, arranged in order:

1. Flat/Room, Floor, Block/Tower

This is the most precise part of the address, indicating the specific location within a building.

• Flat/Room: Usually represented by letters or numbers, such as Room A, Room 12 (A室、12室)
• Floor: Represented by numbers, such as 8/F (8楼). In Hong Kong, the ground level is usually called “G/F” (Ground Floor), with the floor above being “1/F”
• Block/Tower: If an estate or building complex has multiple buildings, blocks are used to distinguish them, such as Block 2, Tower A (第2座、A座)

Example: Room 12, 8/F, Tower A

2. Building or Estate Name

Indicates the specific building or residential area where the unit is located.

• Single Building: Usually has its own name, such as XX Commercial Centre, YY Building (XX商业中心、YY大厦)
• Housing Estate: Composed of multiple buildings with a unified estate name, such as Taikoo Shing, City One Shatin (太古城、沙田第一城)
• Village House/Village: In rural areas, addresses may include village names and house numbers, such as XX, Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island (南丫岛榕树湾XX号)

Example: Harbour View Gardens, Taikoo Shing

3. Street Name and Number

Indicates the street location of the building or estate.

• Street Number: Usually the building’s number on the street, such as 1065 King’s Road (英皇道1065号)
• Street Name: The name of the street, such as Nathan Road, Queen’s Road Central (弥敦道、皇后大道中)

Example: 1 Queen’s Road Central

4. District and Territory

This is the final part of the address, indicating the broader geographical area.

Hong Kong is mainly divided into three major regions:

• Hong Kong Island: Examples include Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay (中环、湾仔、铜锣湾)
• Kowloon: Examples include Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kwun Tong (旺角、尖沙咀、观塘)
• New Territories: Including Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan, Yuen Long, and over 200 outlying islands including Lantau Island (沙田、荃湾、元朗，以及大屿山等200多个离岛)

In practice, “Hong Kong Island” or “Kowloon” are sometimes omitted because well-known districts (such as “Central” or “Mong Kok”) already imply their location. However, “New Territories” is usually retained.

Address Examples

1. Hong Kong Island Residential Address

Chinese: 香港鲗鱼涌太古城海景花园望海阁15楼F室

English:

Flat F, 15/F, Harbour View Gardens
Hoi Huen Mansion, Taikoo Shing
Quarry Bay
Hong Kong

2. Kowloon Commercial Address

Chinese: 九龙旺角弥敦道610号荷李活商业中心10楼

English:

10/F, Hollywood Plaza
610 Nathan Road, Mong Kok
Kowloon

3. New Territories Village House Address

Chinese: 新界西贡大网仔村123号

English:

123 Tai Mong Tsai Village
Sai Kung
New Territories

Important Notes

Bilingual Usage

Hong Kong addresses can usually be written in either Chinese or English, both having legal validity. Government and utility correspondence typically includes both Chinese and English addresses.

Writing Order

• Chinese addresses: From general to specific (Territory → Street → Building → Unit)
• English addresses: From specific to general (Unit → Building → Street → Territory)

This distinction requires special attention when writing addresses. However, in practical applications, many people prefer to write Chinese addresses in the specific-to-general order for easier location finding.