Prior to 1874 the land that Shanghai Street stands on was sea, making Shanghai Street an early example of reclaimed land in Hong Kong.

The street is not so named because of a Shanghainese population.
Prior to being renamed Shanghai Street it was originally called Station Street (差館街).
The reason being the presence of Yau Ma Tei Police Station, a police station located at the junction of Public Square Street and Shanghai Street, until its relocation to No.
627 Canton Road in 1922.
Since the police station was the landmark of the area, the street was named for it.
On 12 November 1898, it was divided into two sections, Station Street South and Station Street North.

There are two reasons for the streets renaming.
First, in 1909, the Government started to name streets in Kowloon after major Chinese provinces that traded with Hong Kong, to recognise Hong Kong as a commercial port.
The British colonial government in Hong Kong found the area of Station Street was as prosperous as Shanghai in China at that time while Hong Kong was having trade relation with Shanghai.
Therefore, they renamed Station street to Shanghai Street on 19 March 1909.
The second reason was that there was a street called Upper Station Street (差館上街) in Sheung Wan, in Hong Kong Island and it caused confusion with the one in Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok.

One of the then two Magistrate's Courts of Kowloon was located in Shanghai Street between Public Square Street and Market Street, until it was demolished in 1957.
The other one was the Kowloon Magistracy in Gascoigne Road, built in 1936 and renamed the South Kowloon District Court in 1957.
The North Kowloon Magistracy, built in 1960 in Shek Kip Mei, later shared the workload.

Before the 1970s when Nathan Road became prosperous, Shanghai Street was the leading business corridor in Hong Kong.
In the mid 19th century Station Street had already started to prosper.
In the tax record book of 1880, there were 150 taxed units, including a brothel, the most number of units at that time.
There were about 9,000 people living in Yau Ma Tei at that time and the district was already the most populated.
With the addition of over a hundred shops, the district became the most prosperous area from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century.
The shops there were originally related to traditional Chinese trades and livelihoods, including shops selling traditional wedding dresses, fung shui tools, pawnshops and books.
From the 1970s to 1990s, the Mong Kok area of Shanghai Street was characterised by a wide variety of hostess clubs and other venues related to the sex trade; these continue to trade alongside the traditional businesses and residential units.
Prior to 1874 the land that Shanghai Street stands on was sea, making Shanghai Street an early example of reclaimed land in Hong Kong.
The street is not so named because of a Shanghainese population. Prior to being renamed Shanghai Street it was originally called Station Street (差館街). The reason being the presence of Yau Ma Tei Police Station, a police station located at the junction of Public Square Street and Shanghai Street, until its relocation to No. 627 Canton Road in 1922. Since the police station was the landmark of the area, the street was named for it. On 12 November 1898, it was divided into two sections, Station Street South and Station Street North.
There are two reasons for the streets renaming. First, in 1909, the Government started to name streets in Kowloon after major Chinese provinces that traded with Hong Kong, to recognise Hong Kong as a commercial port. The British colonial government in Hong Kong found the area of Station Street was as prosperous as Shanghai in China at that time while Hong Kong was having trade relation with Shanghai. Therefore, they renamed Station street to Shanghai Street on 19 March 1909. The second reason was that there was a street called Upper Station Street (差館上街) in Sheung Wan, in Hong Kong Island and it caused confusion with the one in Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok.
One of the then two Magistrate's Courts of Kowloon was located in Shanghai Street between Public Square Street and Market Street, until it was demolished in 1957. The other one was the Kowloon Magistracy in Gascoigne Road, built in 1936 and renamed the South Kowloon District Court in 1957. The North Kowloon Magistracy, built in 1960 in Shek Kip Mei, later shared the workload.
Before the 1970s when Nathan Road became prosperous, Shanghai Street was the leading business corridor in Hong Kong. In the mid 19th century Station Street had already started to prosper. In the tax record book of 1880, there were 150 taxed units, including a brothel, the most number of units at that time. There were about 9,000 people living in Yau Ma Tei at that time and the district was already the most populated. With the addition of over a hundred shops, the district became the most prosperous area from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century. The shops there were originally related to traditional Chinese trades and livelihoods, including shops selling traditional wedding dresses, fung shui tools, pawnshops and books. From the 1970s to 1990s, the Mong Kok area of Shanghai Street was characterised by a wide variety of hostess clubs and other venues related to the sex trade; these continue to trade alongside the traditional businesses and residential units.
Shanghai Street