Private housing estates in Hong Kong

Private housing estate is a term used in Hong Kong for private mass housing—a housing estate built by a private developer, as opposed to a public housing estate built by the Hong Kong Housing Authority or the Hong Kong Housing Society. It is usually characterised by a cluster of high-rise buildings, with its own market or shopping mall. Mei Foo Sun Chuen, built by Mobil, is the earliest (1965) and largest by number of blocks (99).

Early real estate development in Hong Kong followed the urban street pattern: single blocks packed along streets, most managed independently, with quality varying from block to block. Private housing estates, on the other hand, provide integrated management throughout the whole estate, attracting more affluent residents.

Mei Foo Sun Chuen, Taikoo Shing, Whampoa Garden, and City One Shatin are early notable examples. More projects followed, and the idea became widely accepted as the middle class of Hong Kong emerged.