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The butterfly effect of Hong Kong's chaotic naming of real estate projects
The art of naming properties in Hong Kong's real estate market has long surpassed simple architectural positioning and evolved into an arena of word games. While Shatin’s “Festival City” and Tuen Mun’s “Festival City Place” differ by only one letter, these carefully designed naming strategies are creating ripples in the Hong Kong property market. This naming maze not only causes cognitive confusion among citizens, but also reflects deep-seated market distortions, just like the "meme stock" craze in the financial market, posing hidden risks in the fog of information asymmetry.
1. The Commercial Transformation of Language Symbols
Hong Kong real estate developers are well aware of the magic of Cantonese phonetics. The "Longmen", "Longxi" and "Longshan" series form a brand matrix. This homologous naming strategy is like a related transaction in the financial market, establishing an invisible connection through psychological suggestion. According to statistics from the Estate Agents Authority, the number of complaints involving name confusion in 2022 surged 73% compared to five years ago. The most typical case is the dispute between "Oceanfront Wings" in Tseung Kwan O and "Oceanfront Residences" in Ma On Shan. The two projects are 15 kilometers apart in a straight line, but they have caused legal disputes due to similar names.
The "phonetic proximity effect" in linguistics is used to the extreme here, and the developers deliberately choose auspicious words to build cognitive shortcuts. A study by the Department of Marketing at the Chinese University of Hong Kong shows that properties with names such as “帝”, “豪” and “御” saw an average increase of 18% in first-month sales. This kind of symbolic consumption has formed a special market grammar: all the projects above Kowloon Station are named with the word "sky" (Sorrento, The Emperor, The Cullinan), forming a naming hierarchy of the vertical city; the Kai Tak Development Area collectively embraces the "sea" element (Oasis Kai Tak, Monaco), and fabricates waterfront images on reclaimed land.
2. Systemic Risks of Naming Mazes
When buyers mistakenly identify the "Kun Lun" in Tuen Mun as the "Kwan Yi Peak" in Kowloon, and when "Sea Star" and "Sea Love" are irrationally linked in the minds of consumers, this cognitive confusion has resulted in substantial economic losses. In the 2019 Shatin "Famous City" Phase 3 delivery delay incident, a buyer of 12% mistakenly signed a consent form for viewing another property with the same name in the same district. Even more serious is the loophole in the strata title registration system, which means that different phases of properties have independent names but share common facilities, resulting in a four-fold increase in legal disputes over ownership rights compared to a decade ago.
Market transparency continues to be eroded in the naming game, just like the "greenwashing" phenomenon in the financial market. A developer launched the "Richwood", "Richwood Park" and "Richwood Bank" trilogy in Yuen Long, but they actually belong to different plots of land and developers. This brand extension strategy makes property ratings lose their reference value. A study by international property consultancy DTZ pointed out that the volatility of price differences between properties with similar names is 41% higher than that of normal projects, resulting in a special pricing distortion phenomenon.
3. Possible Paths to Solving the Symbol Puzzle
The naming convention of Singapore’s Housing and Development Board is worth learning from. It adopts a scientific system of "number + community characteristics" (such as Punggol Cove and Punggol Point) to make the positioning of real estate projects clearly identifiable. If the Hong Kong Lands Department introduces a "naming overlap index" review mechanism and combines it with the Geographic Information System (GIS) to establish a spatial naming database, confusion can be reduced at the source. The Consumer Council should also establish a warning system for similarity in property names, emulating the “similar stock names” risk warnings in the securities market.
The market's self-regulating mechanism is awakening, and some buyers have begun to use natural language processing technology to analyze the names of real estate projects. A technology company has developed an App called "Building Name Pass", which uses a voice similarity algorithm and cross-matches geographic locations to successfully reduce building viewing errors caused by name confusion by 68%. The legal community has advocated amending the Trade Descriptions Ordinance to include property names in the scope of regulation of "misleading trade practices". A law firm has already filed a class action lawsuit against the "The Pavillion" and "The Pavillion Bay" cases.
When the glass curtain wall of "Ode to the Harbour" reflects the lights of "The Avenue", these carefully arranged naming symbols have been woven into an invisible network of the capital market. Cracking this naming code requires not only regulatory wisdom, but also tests the entire society's collective awareness of the authenticity of information.
"PAI" Series
- The Pavillion Hill：Hong Kong Island East (North Point)
- The Parkview Tower: Shatin District (Tai Wai) New Territories
- The Pavillion：Tsuen Wan District, New Territories
- Bai Weishan：Hong Kong Island East (North Point)
- Bo Weisen: Kai Tak (Kowloon City)
"Zhen/Qin" Series
- Zhenhuan: Hong Kong Island South (Repulse Bay)
- Zhenyu：Hong Kong Island South (Stanley)
- Zhenhua: Kai Tak, Kowloon
- Perfect：Tuen Mun District, New Territories
- Zhenyi：Tuen Mun District, New Territories
- Qinlin：Tsuen Wan District, New Territories
- Cypress: Yuen Long District (Hung Shui Kiu), New Territories
"Hui" Series
- Shape: Hong Kong Island East (Shau Kei Wan)
- Xihui：Sham Shui Po District, Kowloon
- Qinghui：Tuen Mun District, New Territories
- Yihui: Central and Western District, Hong Kong Island (Sai Ying Pun)
- Xiaohui: Kowloon City District (Ho Man Tin) Kowloon
- Junhui: Wan Chai District, Hong Kong Island
- The Vision: Islands District (Tung Chung)
- Jade Club: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Spring Club: Yuen Long District, New Territories
AVA Series
- AVA Series (128/55/228/61/62): Kowloon City District (Hung Hom/To Kwa Wan)
Shore Series
- South District Left Bank：Hong Kong Island South (Ap Lei Chau)
- Nanjin Ying'an: Hong Kong Island South (Aberdeen)
- String Bank：Tuen Mun District, New Territories
- South Shore: Hong Kong Island South (Aberdeen)
- The shore: Kowloon City District (Hung Hom), Kowloon
- East Coast: Kowloon City District (Hung Hom), Kowloon
- Victoria Harbour Star Coast: Kowloon City District (Hung Hom), Kowloon
- Ying'an: Sham Shui Po District, Kowloon (Cheung Sha Wan)
- Kai'an: Kowloon City District (To Kwa Wan) Kowloon
- Xiaoan：Tai Po District, New Territories
- Xi'an：Tuen Mun District, New Territories
- Azure East Coast: Sai Kung District (Tseung Kwan O) in the New Territories
- Xingkai Embankment: Shatin District (Fo Tan) New Territories
- Qinan: Shatin District (Tai Wai) New Territories
- South Bank：Hong Kong Island South
- Shangan：Tuen Mun District, New Territories
- Ti'an: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Star Coast: Kowloon City District (Hung Hom), Kowloon
"Shang" Series
- Shangling: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Shang Jing：Central and Western District (West Mid-Levels) Hong Kong Island
- Shangyu：Hong Kong Island East (North Point)
- Shanglong: Kai Tak, Kowloon
- Shang Yi: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Shangyu: Kowloon City District (Ho Man Tin) Kowloon
- Shangdu: Yau Tsim Mong District (Mong Kok), Kowloon
- Shang Xi: Kai Tak, Kowloon
- Shang Cheng: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Shangyi: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Shang Heng：Hong Kong Island South (Ap Lei Chau)
- Shangan：Tuen Mun District, New Territories
- Shangcheng：Shatin District, New Territories
- Shangyue: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Shangbai: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Shangzhu: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Shanglin: Yuen Long District, New Territories
"Meet" Series
- The Summit：Central and Western District (West Mid-Levels) Hong Kong Island
- Parkview: Hong Kong Island East (Shau Kei Wan)
- The Avenue: Wan Chai District, Hong Kong Island
- Jiahui: Kai Tak, Kowloon
- Kaihui：Kwun Tong District, New Territories
- Metro: Yau Tsim Mong District (Mong Kok), Kowloon
- Fenghui: Sham Shui Po District, Kowloon (Cheung Sha Wan)
- Jinhui: Kowloon City District (To Kwa Wan) Kowloon
- Cloud Exchange: Tai Po District (Pak Shek Kok), New Territories
- Bayshore Residences：Tsuen Wan District, New Territories
- Famous House: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Mingqiao Club：Kwai Tsing District (Tsing Yi) in the New Territories
- Nanpinghui: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- The City：Tsuen Wan District, New Territories
- City Center: Sham Shui Po District, Kowloon (Cheung Sha Wan)
- Hi-Pian Club: Sai Kung District (Tseung Kwan O) in the New Territories
- Acer Club: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Langchenghui: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Harbourfront: Sham Shui Po District, Kowloon (Cheung Sha Wan)
- Kingsford Plaza: Sai Kung District (Tseung Kwan O) in the New Territories
Peak Series
- Junfeng: Hong Kong Island East (Sai Wan Ho)
- Baofeng：Hong Kong Island South
- Yifeng：Central and Western District (West Mid-Levels) Hong Kong Island
- Weifeng：Hong Kong Island East (North Point)
- Ruifeng: Sham Shui Po District, Kowloon (Cheung Sha Wan)
- An Feng: Shatin District (Fo Tan) New Territories
- Taifeng: Sai Kung District (Tseung Kwan O) in the New Territories
- Haifeng：Hong Kong Island South (Wah Fu)
- Yifeng: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Yifeng：New Territories North (Sheung Shui)
- Leading Peak: Sai Kung District (Tseung Kwan O) in the New Territories
- Chengfeng: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Green Peak：Shatin District, New Territories
Bay Series
- Hairi Bay：Tai Po District, New Territories
- Yingri Bay：Tsuen Wan District, New Territories
- High Bay: Sai Kung District (Tseung Kwan O) in the New Territories
- Haitao Bay: Yau Tsim Mong District (Tai Kok Tsui), Kowloon
- Porto Bay: Kowloon City District (To Kwa Wan) Kowloon
- Harbourview: Kai Tak, Kowloon
- Royal Bay：Tuen Mun District, New Territories
- Lee Harbour: Kowloon City District (Hung Hom), Kowloon
- Liqing Bay: Kowloon City District (Hung Hom), Kowloon
- Long Cheng Bay: Yau Tsim Mong District, Kowloon (Olympic Station)
- Mayfair by the Bay：Tai Po District, New Territories
Ran Series
- Yin Ran：Central and Western District (West Mid-Levels) Hong Kong Island
- Han Ran：Central and Western District (West Mid-Levels) Hong Kong Island
- Ranran: Kowloon City District (To Kwa Wan) Kowloon
- Wei Ran：Central and Western District (West Mid-Levels) Hong Kong Island
- Junran: Sham Shui Po District, Kowloon (Cheung Sha Wan)
- Bright: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Ju Ran: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- Shang Ran: Kai Tak, Kowloon
"New" Series (Shopping Mall)
- New Town Plaza：Shatin District, New Territories
- New Metro Plaza：Tsuen Wan District, New Territories
- New Century Plaza: Yau Tsim Mong District (Mong Kok), Kowloon
- New Era Plaza: Yuen Long District, New Territories
- New Sun Plaza: Yau Tsim Mong District (Tsim Sha Tsui), Kowloon
Peninsula Series
- Island Resort: Hong Kong Island East (Siu Sai Wan)
- The Redhill Peninsula：Hong Kong Island South
- South Horizons：Hong Kong Island South
- Bay Peninsula：Tuen Mun District, New Territories
- Sorrento Peninsula: Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon
- Peninsula Residences: Hung Hom, Kowloon
- Clearwater Bay Peninsula：Sai Kung District, New Territories
- Bellagio: Kwai Tsing District (Sham Tseng), New Territories
- Tierra Verde：Tsing Yi, New Territories
- Jiayue Peninsula：Tuen Mun District, New Territories
other
- Laguna Garden/Laguna Vista: Kowloon City District (Hung Hom), Kowloon
- Nan Fung Centre / Nan Fung Garden / Nan Fung Plaza：Tsuen Wan District, New Territories
- New Metro City / New Metropolis / New Harbour City: New Territories Sai Kung District (Tseung Kwan O) / Tsuen Wan / Sha Tin District (Ma On Shan)
- Royce Garden/Royce Peak: Yuen Long District (Tin Shui Wai) in the New Territories
- Kornhill/Kornhill: Hong Kong Island East (Quarry Bay)
- Charming Garden / Harmony Garden / Cheerful Garden / Cheerful Garden: Kowloon Yau Tsim Mong District (Mong Kok) / Shatin / Ma On Shan
- Tianyao/Tianrui/Tianci series: Yuen Long District (Tin Shui Wai) in the New Territories
- Heming/Guangming/Caiming series: Sai Kung District (Tseung Kwan O) in the New Territories
- Oceanview Bay／Oceanview Residence／Artview Residence／Athens Residence: New Territories Shatin District (Ma On Shan) / Tuen Mun
- Bayview Tower／Bayview Centre／Bayview Garden／Bayview Plaza／Bayview Garden：Tsuen Wan District, New Territories
