The Wai

Not to be confused with Tai Wai.

圍方
The Wai
The Wai on its opening day
Map
Location18 Che Kung Temple Road, Tai Wai, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
Coordinates22°22′20″N 114°10′47″E / 22.37222°N 114.17972°E / 22.37222; 114.17972
Opening date22 July 2023; 15 months ago (2023-07-22)[1]
DeveloperMTR Corporation[2]
ManagementMTR Corporation
OwnerMTR Corporation
ArchitectStructure: Ronald Lu and Partners
Internal design: P&T Group
No. of stores and services150[2]
Total retail floor area650,000 square feet[2]
No. of floors4[2]
Public transit accessTai Wai station[2][3]
WebsiteThe Wai
The Wai
Traditional Chinese圍方
Simplified Chinese围方
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinWéi Fāng
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingwai4fong1

The Wai (Chinese: 圍方; Jyutping: wai4fong1) is a shopping centre in Tai Wai, Hong Kong, which opened on 22 July 2023.[1] The mall is managed by the MTR Corporation, and is the third largest shopping mall in eastern New Territories.[4]

The mall is located directly under private estate the Pavilia Farm [zh], a property also managed by the MTR Corporation. It is connected to Tai Wai station.[2][3]

Design

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The shopping centre structure was designed by Ronald Lu and Partners, while P&T Group was responsible for interior design. The Wai has four storeys with a total floor area of 650,000 square feet (60,000 m2), including a 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) outdoor green area, an indoor car park with 390 parking spaces, and the largest bicycle parking lot in Hong Kong, with 330 bicycle parking spaces.[5] Among the 150 shops in the mall, notable tenants include the largest of the 43 Market Place supermarkets in Hong Kong at the time of its opening, covering an area over 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2)[6] and the Emperor Cinemas Plus+ cinema, the only cinema in Tai Wai, with six theatres and a total of 912 seats.[5] There are eighteen electric vehicle charging stations and solar power facilities.[7]

  • Bicycle parking lot
    Bicycle parking lot
  • Outdoor green area
    Outdoor green area
  • Artwork exhibition
    Artwork exhibition
  • Fourth and fifth floors
    Fourth and fifth floors
  • Exhibition area on the second floor
    Exhibition area on the second floor

Connections

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The shopping mall is connected to three footbridges: one to northern Tai Wai near Che Kung Temple and Sun Chui Estate,[8] one to a complex footbridge,[9][10] and one directly connected to Festival City, a private estate also owned by the MTR Corporation.[8]

Transport

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Directly below the shopping mall is a public transport interchange with numerous bus and minibus routes in addition to a taxi station.[9] The mall is also connected to Tai Wai MTR station's exit B,[2] while exit H directly connects the third floor of the mall to the elevated platform 3.[3]

  • Public Transport Interchange
    Public Transport Interchange
  • Tai Wai station exit B connected to the mall
    Tai Wai station exit B connected to the mall

Controversial demolition of footbridge branch

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Prior to the mall's construction, a complex footbridge located above a roundabout joining Mei Tin Road, Che Kung Temple Road and Hung Mui Kuk Road connected four sides of the junction.[9] However, one of its branches was called for demolition by the government's construction plan for the mall, which would have redirected pedestrians into the mall for accessing the footbridge.[11] This increased the time to reach the footbridge from the ground, from 20 seconds to more than a minute. The plan was subsequently protested by councilors of the Sha Tin District Council.[12] However, demolition works continued, beginning in 2022 and eventually completing in August 2023.[12][13]

  • Entrance from the Sun Chui Estate footbridge
    Entrance from the Sun Chui Estate footbridge
  • Footbridge users are redirected into the mall
    Footbridge users are redirected into the mall
  • Preparing for demolition
    Preparing for demolition
  • After the demolition
    After the demolition

Incident

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On 24 July 2023, the third day of the mall's opening, a 64-year-old woman was attacked by two people, who later escaped and have not been arrested.[when?][needs update] The woman sustained an injury near her eye and sustained injuries to her chest.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b Soriano, Jianne (21 July 2023). "MTR's new mall, The Wai opens in July: Here's what you need to know". Lifestyle Asia. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Jiaxing, Li (22 July 2023). "Hong Kong's MTR Corp opens new shopping centre in Tai Wai station as post-Covid retail activity picks up". SCMP. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "New Entrance/Exit H at MTR Tai Wai Station Opens Today; Seamless Connection with The Wai and the Adjoining Community" (PDF) (Press release). MTR. 26 October 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  4. ^ "港鐵大圍站商場命名為「The Wai圍方」 新界東第三大商場" [Shopping mall near MTR Tai Wai station is named as "Tai Wai Wai Fong" (Chinese name) Becoming the third largest shopping mall in east New Territories]. Hong Kong Economic Times. 20 May 2021. Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b Hung, Cara (25 July 2023). "The Wai: A guide to Hong Kong's newest shopping mall". TimeOut. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  6. ^ Dong, Irene (25 July 2023). "The largest Market Place opens in The Wai". Inside Retail. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023.
  7. ^ "圍方開幕｜記者直擊圍方The Wai正式營業 一文睇清食玩買特色商店". am730. 22 July 2023. Archived from the original on 24 July 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  8. ^ a b "大圍站商場「圍方」懶人包：位置交通＋餐廳商戶+開幕時間全面睇". Hong Kong Economic Times. 20 May 2021. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  9. ^ a b c "Tai Wai Station street map" (PDF). MTR Corporation. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  10. ^ "大圍八爪魚天橋駁商場拆舊路 街坊：要兜個大圈真係激死人" (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Hong Kong Independent Press. 14 January 2023. Archived from the original on 12 March 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Proposed road works for future property development at Ma On Shan Line Tai Wai Station gazetted". Government of Hong Kong. 11 November 2011. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  12. ^ a b 沙田區議會再傾大圍「八爪魚天橋」拆出入口 運輸署：交通運輸角度可接受 (in Chinese). Hong Kong Inmedia. 15 March 2023. Archived from the original on 15 May 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  13. ^ Wai Nam, Choi (15 February 2023). 大圍八爪魚天橋「斷兩腳」 運輸局：發展商9月限期前需完成改建 (in Chinese). HK01. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  14. ^ "大圍圍方商場爆打鬥 中年婦混戰兩男女 眼角受傷流血". Sing Tao. 24 July 2023. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
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