Stair Of Old Classic Building Tong Lau In Hong Kong Editorial Image

The term tong lau or ke lau Chinese: 唐樓/騎樓; pinyin: tánglóu/qílóu is used to describe tenement buildings built in late 19th century to the 1960s in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southern China, and Southeast Asia. Designed for both residential and commercial uses, they are similar in style and function to the shophouses with five foot way of Southeast Asia. Over the years, tong lau construction has seen influences of Edwardian style architecture and later the Bauhaus movement.