Once home to the famous Queen’s movie theatre
- Theatre Lane, Central
Entertainment hot spot
The street gets its name from the famous Queen’s Theatre, which stood at the junction of Theatre Lane and Queen’s Road Central until 2007, when it was replaced by a luxurious new shopping and office complex. When it opened in 1924, Queen’s Theatre had 1,200 seats and screened foreign films. Ms Chung has fond memories, “there used to be a lot of Taiwanese films and later Sam Hui movies. We loved the cinema, it was so much better than the black & white tiny TV screens at home.”
Get your shoes shined
The shoe shiners in this narrow pedestrian-only street are hugely popular among the nearby office workers. Several years ago, the Government tried to clear them away, but the public outcry was so intense, that officials relented and issued special new permits that allow the shoe-shiners to continue their work. In the alley beside Theatre Lane, there are also stalls for shoe repair, card-printing and key cutting.