Southorn Playground

I’ve always been to Southorn Playground at night, and most times to meet up with friends or to eat my take away dinner or snack over there. I’ve gone up the stands and chilled out. It’s great to have an opened space like this in the middle of congested Wan Chai. The stands overlook the facilities (one football and four basketball courts plus a children playground) and this is its main use nowadays. However it’s served as various uses throughout its history: a naval base, a night market… until the 80s when the Government decided to turn it into the sports facilities it is today. Fairs and sports competitions are held here and it has even been the venue for Adidas Streetball Challenge, a 6 days length basketball tournament. The crowd here is a mix of… all types: children and young guys playing sports, mums waiting for them, elderly playing games or doing some stretching, office workers having their lunch, loners observing the grounds from the stands. So you can actually say it’s more than a sports center, it’s a social space in the heart of Wan Chai that makes the district even more lively. It’s opened daily from 6am to 11.30pm.
And finally a little bit of general knowledge, so that you know what Southorn means and don’t think it’s misspelled: Southorn was a British officer serving as Colonial Secretary from 1925 to 1936 and the Playground was named after him in 1934.
Though sports facilities are good, for me it serves as an alternative place to hang out with friends while staying away from the bustle around.