The Development Bureau announced that the Pierside Precinct near Wan Chai Ferry Pier further opened today, providing a nostalgic harbourfront leisure space with a panoramic view of Victoria Harbour for the public.

Being the 12th harbourfront leisure space that opened since October last year, the newly opened area is located to the east of the ferry pier on a harbour site reclaimed for the construction of the Central-Wan Chai Bypass.

The bureau said under the incremental approach, a 180-metre-long promenade of the precinct opened earlier in March, followed by the opening of a further 80m in October.

With an area of about 4,600 sq m, the newly opened part has almost doubled the precinct's original space.

In contrast to the colourful cartoon style adopted at other harbourfront sites opened earlier in Western District and Wan Chai, the precinct mainly comprises simple fair-faced concrete and wooden structures.

It features a stylish touch with its clear and rectilinear layout and earth-tone colours, representing the overall direction of making every section special in harbourfront development.

Echoing the design concept with photo frames and neon lights, the new space promotes installations that are reminiscent of Hong Kong’s past. They include a decoration of traditional and Hong Kong-style metal gates with brightly coloured mailboxes hanging on them, which showcases the lifestyles of Hong Kong in the past.

Moreover, a pet garden is opened at the new area where visitors are welcome to bring along their pets on leashes.

The HarbourChill, a themed harbourfront space located next to the precinct, also opened an extended portion today.

The about 250 sq m extended part has an artificial turf, a luminous word installation of "HarbourChill" and a curved outdoor deck with tables and chairs, providing more leisure and dining space for the public.

The bureau noted that it will continue to open more harbourfront spaces in phases while the infrastructure works at the Wan Chai harbourfront are in progress.

It is anticipated that about 45,000 sq m of new open space at the harbourfront will be completed by the end of this year or early next year.

"We greatly look forward to the opening of the Water Sports & Recreation Precinct (Phase II) in Wan Chai and the Revitalised Typhoon Shelter Precinct at the end of this year, so as to introduce fence-free harbour steps to Victoria Harbour for the first time and let visitors get even closer to the water," the bureau added.