The Wai

The Wai (simplified Chinese: 围方; traditional Chinese: 圍方; pinyin: Wéifāng; Jyutping: wai4fong1) is a shopping mall in Tai Wai, Hong Kong which was opened on 22 July 2023.[1] The mall is managed by the MTR Corporation, and is the third largest shopping mall in eastern New Territories.[3]

Not to be confused with Tai Wai.
圍方
The Wai
The Wai on its opening day
Location18 Che Kung Temple Road, Tai Wai, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
Opening dateJuly 22, 2023 (2023-07-22)[1]
DeveloperMTR Corporation[2]
ManagementMTR Corporation
OwnerMTR Corporation
ArchitectStructure: Ronald Lu and Partners
Internal design: P&T Group
No. of stores and services150[2]
Total retail floor area650,000 square feet[2]
No. of floors4[2]
Public transit accessTai Wai station[2]
WebsiteThe Wai

The mall is located directly under private estate the Pavilia Farm, also a property managed by the MTR Corporation. It is connected to Tai Wai station.[2]

Design

The structure of the mall was designed by Ronald Lu and Partners, while the P&T Group was responsible for internal design. The Wai has four floors with a total floor area of 650,000 square feet, including a 50,000-square feet outdoor green area, an indoor carpark with 390 parking spaces, and the largest bicycle parking lot in Hong Kong, being able to store 330 bicycles. Among the 150 shops in the mall, notable tenants include the largest of the 43 Market Place supermarkets in Hong Kong at the time of its opening, covering an area over 20,000sq ft.[4] and the Emperor Cinemas Plus+ cinema, the only cinema in Tai Wai, with six theatres and a total of 912 seats.[5] There are eighteen electric vehicle charging stations and solar power facilities.[6]

  • Bicycle parking lot
    Bicycle parking lot
  • Outdoor green area
    Outdoor green area
  • Artwork exhibition
    Artwork exhibition
  • Fourth and fifth floor
    Fourth and fifth floor
  • Exhibition area on the second floor
    Exhibition area on the second floor

Connections
Entrance from the Sun Chui Estate footbridge

The shopping mall is connected to three footbridges: one to northern Tai Wai near Che Kung Temple and Sun Chui Estate,[7] one to a complex footbridge,[8][9] and one directly connected to Festival City, a private estate also owned by the MTR Corporation.[7]

Transport
Public Transport Interchange
Tai Wai station exit B connected to the mall

Directly below the shopping mall is a public transport interchange with numerous bus and minibus routes in addition to a taxi station.[8] The mall is also connected to Tai Wai MTR station's exit B, while exit H, is directly connecting the second floor of the mall to platforms 3 and 4, on a new level of the station.[2]

Controversy on the demolition of a footbridge branch

There is a complex footbridge located above a roundabout joining Mei Tin Road, Che Kung Temple Road and Hung Mui Kuk Road, connecting four sides of the junction.[8] The government announced a plan to demolish one of the branches of the footbridge due to the construction of the mall, redirecting citizens into the mall in order to cross the footbridge.[10] When the demolition began in 2022, councilors of the Sha Tin District Council criticized the MTR Corporation and the government for the demolition, as the time to get on the footbridge from the ground was increased from 20 seconds to more than one minute.[11] However the demolition continued and was eventually completed in August 2023.[12]

  • Footbridge users are redirected into the mall
    Footbridge users are redirected into the mall
  • Preparing for demolition
    Preparing for demolition
  • After the demolition
    After the demolition

Incident

On 24 July 2023, the third day of the mall's opening, a 64 year old woman was attacked by two people, who later escaped and have not been arrested. The woman sustained an injury near her eye and had a painful chest.[13]

References
  1. Soriano, Jianne (21 July 2023). "MTR's new mall, The Wai opens in July: Here's what you need to know". Lifestyle Asia. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  2. Jiaxing, Li (22 July 2023). "Hong Kong's MTR Corp opens new shopping centre in Tai Wai station as post-Covid retail activity picks up". SCMP. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  3. "港鐵大圍站商場命名為「The Wai圍方」 新界東第三大商場" [Shopping mall near MTR Tai Wai station is named as "Tai Wai Wai Fong" (Chinese name) Becoming the third largest shopping mall in east New Territories]. Hong Kong Economic Times. 2021-05-20. Archived from the original on 2021-05-20. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  4. Dong, Irene (25 July 2023). "The largest Market Place opens in The Wai". Inside Retail.
  5. Hung, Cara (25 July 2023). "The Wai: A guide to Hong Kong's newest shopping mall". TimeOut. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  6. "圍方開幕｜記者直擊圍方The Wai正式營業 一文睇清食玩買特色商店". am730. 2023-07-22. Archived from the original on July 24, 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  7. "大圍站商場「圍方」懶人包：位置交通＋餐廳商戶+開幕時間全面睇". Hong Kong Economic Times. 20 May 2021. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  8. "Tai Wai Station street map" (PDF). MTR Corporation. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  9. "大圍八爪魚天橋駁商場拆舊路 街坊：要兜個大圈真係激死人" (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Hong Kong Independent Press. 2023-01-14. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  10. "大圍站道路工程刊憲". 香港政府新聞網. 2011-11-11. Archived from the original on 2019-06-10. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
  11. "沙田區議會再傾大圍「八爪魚天橋」拆出入口 運輸署：交通運輸角度可接受". 獨立媒體. 2023-03-15. Archived from the original on 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  12. Wai Nam, Choi (2023-02-15). "大圍八爪魚天橋「斷兩腳」　運輸局：發展商9月限期前需完成改建". HK01. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  13. "大圍圍方商場爆打鬥 中年婦混戰兩男女 眼角受傷流血". Sing Tao. 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
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