Hong Kong Turned Part of Its Old Airport Into a Covid Facility. Now It’s a Hostel and Cultural Destination.

Travel is a source of creative inspiration for many. What happens when thousands of creatives from around the world gather in one place? Hong Kong is about to find out, following the September opening of the Runway 1331, a former COVID-19 containment barracks turned youth hostel and startup/creativity incubator at the site of the city’s old airport.

Runway 1331, according to the South China Morning Post, is named after the runway of the old Kai Tak airport, and consists of 3,000 rooms with private bathrooms that were built for sequestration during the pandemic but have since fallen empty. The hope is that motivated young people, both from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and beyond, will inhabit the rooms and use the space as an incubator for startups, sports, music, art, and other creative endeavors. While final details on renting the units are forthcoming, it appears travelers will be able to stay at Runway 1331 to bring, and gain, inspiration of their own.

“This is the centennial anniversary of the old Kai Tak airport. Runway 1331 will integrate arts, culture, sports and innovation to create a unique cultural hub and provide a runway to Hong Kong youth,” said entrepreneur Winnie Chiu Wing-kwan, who backed the project alongside the Hong Kong government, to the South China Morning Post.

The two financiers founded a joint venture, Glorise Tourism and Culture. Arts and sports organizations, alongside small businesses, are encouraged to host space in the venue and screen applicants who can receive free housing in exchange for collaboration. The facility is currently operating at a limited capacity during a test run, according to news site The Standard, with rooms starting at HK$200 (about $25) per night.

Hong Kong residents as well as foreigners can apply for residency once the full project opens in September, with the property expecting at least half of the units to be occupied by people between ages 19 and 40. One-, two-, and three-bedroom units will be available. The site is near both the city’s cruise terminal and will have bus access to the nearest MTR rail station.

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