View source for Portland Street

{{Short description|Street in Kowloon, Hong Kong}}
{{distinguish|text=[[Great Portland Street]] in London, [[Portland Street, Manchester|Portland Street]] in Manchester, or [[Portland Street (Yarmouth, Maine)]]}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox Chinese
|pic=HK Portland Street Night.jpg
|piccap=[[Neon sign]]s in Hong Kong's Portland Street c. 2007
|t=砵蘭街
|s=砵兰街
|p=Bō lán Jiē
|w={{Tone superscript|Po1-lan2 Chieh1}}
|j=But<sup>1</sup><!--colloquial pronunciation of 'but3'--> laan<sup>4</sup> gaai<sup>1</sup>
|y=Būt làahn gāai
|showflag=y}}
'''Portland Street''' ({{zh|t=砵蘭街}}) is a popular street in [[Kowloon]], [[Hong Kong]]. The street is the location of the business and retailing skyscraper complex, [[Langham Place (Hong Kong)|Langham Place]], numerous restaurants and its [[red-light district]].

==Geography==
Running north–south and parallel to (and west of) [[Nathan Road]], a main thoroughfare up the Kowloon peninsula, Portland Street extends through the districts of [[Yau Ma Tei]] and [[Mong Kok]] in [[Kowloon]]. Approximately three-quarters of a mile (one and a fifth kilometres) in length, it spans between [[Boundary Street]] in the north and Man Ming Lane, at one block past [[Waterloo Road, Hong Kong|Waterloo Road]] in the south. The street is directly accessible by the [[Prince Edward station|Prince Edward]], [[Mong Kok station|Mong Kok]] and [[Yau Ma Tei station]]s of the [[MTR]], Hong Kong's subway system.

Except for a few small parks, the entire two-lane street is highly urbanised with dense pedestrian and motor traffic throughout most of the day. Like most north–south streets on the peninsula it is numbered south to north.

==Character==
[[Image:MKportlandstreetdaytime.jpg|thumb|Daytime on Portland Street c. 2006.]]
[[Image:HKratlangham.jpg|thumb|Hotel tower of [[Langham Place (Hong Kong)|Langham Place]] viewed from about 1.6&nbsp;km (one mile) away. The structure is one of Kowloon's tallest.]]
A section of Portland Street, particularly between [[Argyle Street, Hong Kong|Argyle Street]] and [[Dundas Street, Hong Kong|Dundas Street]], hosts arguably Hong Kong's most famous red light district (serving mostly local Chinese clientele) and a popular scene in [[Hong Kong films]].<ref name="signs">{{cite book |title= Signs of a Colonial Era|last1= Yanne|first1=Andrew|last2= Heller|first2= Gillis|year= 2009|publisher=[[Hong Kong University Press]]|page=27 |location= |isbn= 9789622099449}}</ref> There, underneath a dizzying and chaotic array of [[neon sign]]s, one can find prostitutes from around the world (although mostly from [[mainland China]]) serving in hundreds of massage parlours, night clubs, [[karaoke]]/hostess bars and [[brothels]]. Although [[prostitution in Hong Kong|prostitution is legal in Hong Kong]], law enforcement is often active in this area conducting raids for prostitutes who entered Hong Kong illegally or have overstayed their visas or to search for under-aged prostitutes, pimps, [[Human trafficking|human traffickers]] and [[Triad society|triad]] activities.

[[Langham Place (Hong Kong)|Langham Place]], a 167,000-square metre (1.8 million-square foot) shopping centre, theatre, hotel and office tower complex opened on Portland Street near the Nelson Street intersection in July 2004. The complex has its own MTR station access (Mong Kok station exit C3). Outside one of the complex's east entrances is a large 'jumbotron' broadcasting news and entertainment shows for pedestrians below. Since its opening, Langham Place and surrounding areas has become a popular night-time destination for both locals and tourists. Some had predicted the massive upscale development would [[gentrification|gentrify]] the area and drive away the Portland Street sex trade. However, after several years of operation, Langham Place's impact on the nearby sex industry remains minimal.

The Portland Street segment between [[Argyle Street, Hong Kong|Argyle Street]] and [[Bute Street, Hong Kong|Bute Street]] is home to over 50 retailers selling home renovation materials and supplies such as toilet utensils, tiles, and wallpapers.

Other establishments along Portland Street includes fast-food restaurants, [[congee]]/noodle shops, convenience stores and working class residential highrises. Near the [[Soy Street]] intersection during the evenings, there are often unlicensed food stands and professional [[Chinese Chess]] players plying their trades. Further south, there is a small public playground at the Changsha Street intersection.

==History==
Portland Street was named after [[William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland]], [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] in 1783 and between 1807 and 1809.<ref name="signs"/> It is unclear why the street was bestowed in his honour although, as a former [[British colony]], many of Hong Kong's streets and institutions were named in memory of prominent English historic and political figures. Surrounding streets with similarly naming scheme include [[Pitt Street, Hong Kong|Pitt Street]], [[Mong Kok#Streets and markets|Bute Street]], [[Arran Street]], [[Hamilton Street, Hong Kong|Hamilton Street]], [[Dundas Street, Hong Kong|Dundas Street]] and [[Waterloo Road, Hong Kong|Waterloo Road]].

There is a street in London named [[Great Portland Street]]. There is also a street in Edinburgh named Portland Street which is not far from Pitt Street and Dundas Street (as mentioned above, Hong Kong's Portland Street is also nearby Pitt Street and Dundas Street). In both cases it is not clear if there is any relation or relevance to the Hong Kong Portland Street.

==Photo gallery==
<gallery>
Image:MK Portland Street 01.jpg
Image:MK Portland Street 02.jpg 
Image:MK Portland Street cheap motel.jpg 
Image:MK Portland Street name.jpg
Image:MK Portland Street SHMC.jpg
Image:MK Portland Street spa.jpg 
</gallery>

==Transport==
[[Mong Kok station]] Exit C2, C4, E1

==See also==
* [[List of streets and roads in Hong Kong]]
* ''[[Portland Street Blues]]'', a 1998 Hong Kong film
* [[Prostitution in Hong Kong]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Portland Street, Hong Kong}}
*[http://www.td.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/UTIL_UTRAFFIC_WF/tta%20langham%20(bld%20filled).jpg Map of Portland Street]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071224163439/http://www.hk-place.com/view.php?id=330 About name (in Chinese)]

{{HKkowloonroads}}

{{Coord|22.31815|114.16898|display=title}}

[[Category:Mong Kok]]
[[Category:Yau Ma Tei]]
[[Category:Roads in Kowloon]]
[[Category:William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland]]