Public Square Street (; formerly) is a street in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
The street runs in an east-west alignment from Cliff Road to Ching Ping Street, meeting Nathan Road, Temple Street, Shanghai Street, Reclamation Street and Canton Road in its course.
The street was built in 1887. Its original name in Chinese was (Kung Chong Sze Fong Kai in Cantonese), a mistranslation that resulted from the word square being misinterpreted as a geometric shape. The more accurate translation of (Chung Fong Kai in Cantonese language) was adopted in 1976.[1]
A large-scale reclamation was carried out in Yau Ma Tei between 1900 and 1904, between today's Reclamation Street and Ferry Street.[2] Public Square Street was extended to Ferry Street accordingly.
The end of the street, near present-day Ferry Street, the Yau Ma Tei Ferry Pier was one of main pier for ferry transport across Victoria Harbour between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The ferry pier was completed in 1923.[2] The pier was later relocated to Ferry Point near Kwun Chung.
The Tin Hau Temple Complex, a school and a community office were built in Public Square Street at the end of the 19th century by the leaders of the Yau Ma Ti Kaifong. In 1966, they all were still standing in a form similar to their original one.[3]
The public square in the street's name refers to Yung Shue Tau, a gathering place in front of the Tin Hau Temple in Yau Ma Tei. Apart from the landmarks of Yung Shue Tau and Tin Hau Temple, there are also the night market of Temple Street, historical Yau Ma Tei Police Station, and Broadway Cinematheque. Jade Market is just a few walks away. On the other side of Nathan Road, the end near Cliff Road has steps leading to the hill of King's Park.
Landmarks and adjoining roads, from East to West: