In a busy neighbourhood of old buildings and sleek bars, this head-turning flash of cobalt is a four-storey shophouse built in the 1920s in typical Lingnan style. Before WWII, the Grade I historic structure and its associated outbuildings were successively home to the area’s only English school, a martial arts temple and an osteopathy clinic, along with working-class tenant families. The cluster acquired its stunning blue appearance during a renovation in the 1990s and received an Award of Excellence from UNESCO for cultural heritage conservation. Today, what is known as Viva Blue House retains a vibrant community, with the Hong Kong House of Stories mini-museum within serving as a connecting point, outlining the complex’s history and significance, and offering workshops and guided tours to interest all ages.