Bonham Strand was built when the stone beach along the waterfront in Sheung Wan was redeveloped in 1851. Merchants from Guangzhou, Chaozhou, Fujian, Shandong and Shanghai opened shops on this street to trade native products from different Chinese provinces and Southeast Asia and other sundry goods. As the merchandise came from the south (nam) and the north (pak), the shops were collectively known as ‘Nam Pak Hong’, while Bonham Strand West was also known as Nam Pak Hong Street.