RTHK says Kai Tak Hospital opens on October 5. That's next Monday.

Nobody I know has asked what's inside yet. They've asked where it is. That's a very Hong Kong first question.

Here's the answer. Kai Tak is the old airport. Planes used to come in so low over Kowloon City you could read the washing on the roofs. Now the runway is parks, flats and a stadium. And soon, a hospital.

I like that. The city keeps turning old runways into things you actually need.

Now the honest part. I only have the opening date from the report, so I won't pretend to tell you which wards open first or how long the waiting list is. Check with the hospital before you turn up with a flask and a folding stool.

What I can tell you is the mood. Anyone who has sat in an A&E waiting room at 2am knows what a new hospital means. More beds, somewhere new to be sick. It's the only building where "grand opening" gets a nervous laugh.

So, October 5. Plan your route before you go, and please don't go just to look around. It's a hospital, not a shopping mall.