Rather than tear it down, Hong Kong took the old Victorian prison at Tai Kwun and repurposed it as an upscale arts and dining destination.
- It took a hike up a massive industrial escalator to get there, but Clyde arrived at Tai Kwun in pretty good shape.
- We stumbled on a performance by the dance troupe “No Limits,” which pairs abled dancers with differently-abled dancers. It’s astounding to watch the pivots, spins, lifts, and leaps. The crowd was mesmerized …
- … and they even got me on local television saying what I thought about the performance.
- Most of the prison is now packed with boutique shops, high-end merchandise, and brewery/restaurants … but some parts have been left intact as a way to give visitors insight into life in a Victorian prison. Spoiler alert: you don’t want to go to a Victorian prison as a prisoner.
- Even the old prison yard looks inviting, surrounded by Kowloon’s skyscrapers and shaded by massive tress.
What could New Albany have done with our old jail, I wonder? Meantime: looking forward to seeing what cool things the new owners will do with our historic Shirt Factory.
