RUNWAY 1331 wasn’t built to be photographed, but it photographs well. An old runway, brightly painted modular blocks, water on three sides and an aircraft parked on the lawn: you won’t find that combination anywhere else in Hong Kong.
These are the seven places residents photograph most, and the ones friends most often ask about.
1. The aircraft and the RUNWAY 1331 letters
This is the best-known landmark at RUNWAY 1331. A retired Government Flying Service aircraft sits on the lawn, red and white, with B-HRS painted near the tail. Next to it is a set of rainbow-coloured RUNWAY 1331 letters, with the glass front of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal behind.
How to shoot it: On a clear day the blue sky, the red-and-white fuselage and the coloured letters contrast most strongly. To get the aircraft and the letters in one frame, step back and lower the camera a little. The aircraft’s story is in 13/31: the runway you live on.
2. The walkways with the runway centreline
Between the blocks, the walkways have long dashes painted down the middle at regular intervals, exactly like a real runway centreline. Blue or yellow external steel stairs stack up on either side.
How to shoot it: Stand on the centreline facing the far end, so the stairs on both sides narrow into the distance. Around midday the stairs cast shadows across the ground, which adds depth.
3. The 680-metre street
The culture and sport street runs through the whole village, lined with yellow steel stairs and shopfronts. It’s busier than the walkways, so it’s good for street scenes and people.
How to shoot it: The yellow stairs stay bright even on a grey day, so this is the best spot when the weather isn’t cooperating.
4. The coloured courts
The basketball and pickleball courts are painted in blocks of blue, orange and yellow, beside blocks with stripes of colour on their facades.
How to shoot it: Shoot from higher up to get the full pattern. The best light is at dusk, when the court lights come on and the sky turns blue. If people are playing, stay off the court.
5. The skate park and the HONG KONG mural
Behind the skate park is a painted wall reading “HONG KONG 香港”. It’s the most street-style corner of the village.
How to shoot it: Use burst mode when someone’s skating; it beats an empty park. Say hello before you photograph anyone.
6. The blocks at night
After dark, the edges of each floor light up in strips of blue and purple, and rows of coloured decorations hang along the corridor railings. Looking out between two rows of blocks, you can see towers in the distance.
How to shoot it: Go just after sunset, while the sky is still deep blue rather than black. Use your phone’s night mode and steady yourself against a railing or wall.
7. The promenade and the harbour
Step out of the village and you’re on the promenade, with water on three sides. Walk along it and Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong skyline are across the water.
How to shoot it: The half hour either side of sunset is best. The view is wide open with no towers in front, which makes it one of the most comfortable places in Kai Tak to watch the sun go down.
A few things to keep in mind
People live at RUNWAY 1331, so:
- Don’t point your camera into residents’ windows. The outside of the blocks is fine; people’s rooms are not
- Stay off the courts and the skate park when they’re in use
- Check the Civil Aviation Department’s rules before flying a drone. Restrictions around Kai Tak are as the department publishes them
- Stay away from the waterfront in typhoons and rainstorms. The reasons are in Typhoons and rainstorms
For residents, it’s just the way home
For visitors, these seven places are photo spots. For people who live at RUNWAY 1331, they’re what you pass on the way out and on the way home. For what a day here is actually like, read A day without leaving the village.
To see it for yourself, bring a camera when you book a viewing. After the room, we’ll walk you down the centreline to the aircraft on the lawn.