1.
Tsim Sha Tsui
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Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui, the area is bounded north by Austin Road and in the east by Hong Chong Road and Cheong Wan Road. Geographically, Tsim Sha Tsui is a cape on the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula pointing towards Victoria Harbour, several villages had been established in this location before Kowloon was ceded to the British Empire in 1860. Tsim Sha Tsui in Chinese means sharp sand mouth and it was also known as Heung Po Tau, i. e. a port for exporting incense tree. Tsim Sha Tsui is a major tourist hub in metropolitan Hong Kong, with many high-end shops, many of Hong Kongs museums are located in the area. Before any land reclamation, Tsim Sha Tsui consisted of two parallel capes with a bay in between in the south, the bay between the capes extended as far north as the present-day Mody Road. Today, Canton Road marks the edge of Tsim Sha Tsui. The area is hilly, although many hills were levelled for reclamation, before Kowloon was ceded to Britain in 1860, many villages were present in the area. Incense trees from New Territories were gathered at some quays in Tsim Sha Tsui and it was thus known as Heung Po Tau, the fragrant quay. In 1888, the Star Ferry offered regular transport between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, and the area has flourished ever since, the place has an international reputation for the large number of tiger sharks resident in the waters close by. Tsim Sha Tsui was a city exclusive for westerners in that era. In the early 20th century, Chinese people were allowed to live in the area to more people to trade in the colony. Garden houses were replaced with crowded residential blocks, wharves and godowns were built along the west shore. Major developers like Hormusjee Naorojee Mody and Catchick Paul Chater actively participated in the development of Tsim Sha Tsui, the Kowloon–Canton Railway commenced service on 1 October 1910. Kowloon Station in Tsim Sha Tsui was built on the new southern reclamation from 1913 to 1915, the rails extended along the western reclamation parallel to Chatham Road, with old Hung Hom Station near the Gun Club Hill Barracks at the junction of Chatham Road and Austin Road. Another major road, Salisbury Road, was completed in approximately the same period, the landmark Peninsula Hotel was built on the reclamation in 1928, opposite to the station. The Kowloon Station was relocated to a new Hung Hom Station in 1978, the whole station and rails were demolished except the landmark Clock Tower
2.
Victoria Harbour
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Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon in Hong Kong. The harbours deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kongs establishment as a British colony, throughout its history, the harbour has seen numerous reclamation projects undertaken on both shores, many of which have caused controversy in recent years. Environmental concerns have been expressed about the effects of these expansions, in terms of water quality and it has also been proposed that benefits of land reclamation may be less than the effects of decreased harbour width, affecting the number of vessels passing through the harbour. Nonetheless Victoria Harbour still retains its role as a port for thousands of international vessels each year. Long famous for its views, the harbour is a major tourist attraction of Hong Kong. Lying in the middle of the dense urban region, the harbour is the site of annual fireworks displays. During the Taiping Rebellion, armed rebels paraded the streets of Hong Kong, on 21 December 1854, the Hong Kong police arrested several armed rebels who were about to attack Kowloon City. On 23 January 1855, a fleet of Taiping war boats was on the verge of a battle against Chinese imperial war boats defending the harbour. The Chinese defenders were ordered away by the British colonial authorities and these incidents caused rising tension that would eventually lead to the Arrow War. The harbour was originally called Hong Kong Harbour, but was renamed as Victoria Harbour. The subject of pollution came to the fore in the 1970s with the growth of the manufacturing sector. The water club races were stopped in 1973 due to pollution in the harbour, studies also showed excessive nitrogen input from discharges of the Pearl River Delta into the harbour for decades. After completion of the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation Feasibility Study in 1989 and it consists of three district development cells separated by parks, namely, Central, Tamar and Exhibition. The latest proposed reclamation, extending along the waterfront from Sheung Wan to Causeway Bay, faced public opposition, I believe an insightful and visionary chief executive would support our stance and work with us to protect the harbour. Reclamation work also led to the demolition of Queens Pier and Edinburgh Place Ferry Pier, structures of historic significance, Victoria Harbour covers an area of about 41.88 km2 as of 2004. The eastern boundary is considered to be the line formed between the westernmost extremity of Siu Chau Wan and A Kung Ngam. Among the best places to view the harbour are the Peak Tower atop Victoria Peak, rides on the Star Ferry, particularly the route between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, are another popular way to view the harbour and cityscape. As the natural centre of the territory, the harbour has played host to major public shows
3.
Central business district
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A central business district is the commercial and business centre of a city. In larger cities, it is synonymous with the citys financial district. Both the CBD and the city centre or downtown may also coincide with the central activities district, a citys CBD is usually typified by a concentration of retail and office buildings. The CBD usually has a density higher than the surrounding districts of the city. The CBD is often also the city centre or downtown, Mexico City also has a historic city centre, the colonial-era Centro Histórico, along with two CBDs, the mid-late 20th century Paseo de la Reforma - Polanco, and the new Santa Fe. The shape and type of a CBD almost always reflect the citys history. Cities with maximum building height restrictions often have a historic section quite apart from the financial. It has been said that downtowns are therefore distinct from both CBDs and city centres. CBDs usually have very small resident populations, for example, the population of the City of London declined from over 200,000 in the year 1700 to less than 10,000 today. In some instances, however, CBD populations are increasing as younger professional, the Buenos Aires Central Business District, is the main commercial centre of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. The actual area was the point of first European settlement and its north-south axis runs from Monserrat in the south to Retiro railway station in the north. Its east-west axis runs from Buenos Aires Ecological Reserve and Puerto Madero, the district is the financial, commercial, and cultural hub of Argentina. Its port is one of the busiest in South America, navigable rivers by way of the Río de la Plata connect the port to northeast Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay. As a result, it serves as the hub for a vast area of the southeastern region of the South American continent. Tax collection related to the port has caused political problems in the past. The Buenos Aires Human Development Index is likewise high by international standards, the term is used to refer to the business and financial area of a state capital city such as the Sydney CBD, Melbourne CBD, Brisbane CBD, Perth CBD and Adelaide CBD. The city centres of some cities, such as Townsville, Bendigo. More recently, in cities the city centre, which may or may not be distinct from the CBD, is increasingly separately identified
4.
Central and Western District
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The Central and Western District located on northern part of Hong Kong Island is one of the 18 administrative districts of Hong Kong. It had a population of 251,519 in 2011, the district has the most educated residents with the second highest income and the third lowest population due to its relatively small size. Central is the business district and the core urban area of Hong Kong. Western District covers Shek Tong Tsui, Kennedy Town and Sai Ying Pun, and was part of the City of Victoria, Central District, as Victoria City, was the first area of planned urban development in Hong Kong during the colonial era. The British held a sale in June 1841, six months after the flag was raised at Possession Point. A total of 51 lots of land were sold to 23 merchant houses to build offices and warehouses, the property buyers included Dents, Jardines, Russells and Olyphants. At the time, the two roads Albany Nullah and Glenealy Nullah were mainly used by the British, the streets later became known as Government Hill. In 1857, the British government expanded Victoria City and divided it into seven districts and those located in present-day Central and Western are, Sai Ying Pun, Sheung Wan, Tai Ping Shan, Central. The area was essentially a European area until 1860 when Chinese merchants begin buying up European properties around Cochrane, Wellington, the Central district was the principal European business district, hence the arrival of the first major bank HSBC. The Western district was the centre for Chinese businesses. When property values in the rose, a meeting was held in February 1866 to establish a District Watch Force to police. In 1880, Shek Tong Tsui was established, followed by Kennedy Town in the 20th century, by the 1890s the majority of Hong Kongs population was concentrated in the district with about 200,000 residents, mostly in Victoria City. The corresponding body for the district is Central and Western District Council, District council elections are held every four years, the last one was held on November 7,2011, for terms beginning January 1,2012. 15 constituency members are elected while 4 are appointed by the government, the constituency areas are smaller than the commonly used geographic areas, which are in turn based on the old 1857 and 1880 divisions. In Hong Kongs 2011 Census the district population was 251,519, down four percent from 261,884 in the 2001 census, among the 18 districts, Central and Western has the second highest median household income in the territory. In terms of size of households, it is third smallest at 2.8 persons, behind only Wan Chai and Yau Tsim Mong District. Central and Western District has an ethnically diverse population. 83% of the residents are Chinese, and the largest ethnic groups are Filipinos
5.
Hong Kong Island
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Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its density is 16, 390/km². The island had a population of about 3,000 inhabitants scattered in a dozen fishing villages when it was occupied by the United Kingdom in the First Opium War, the Central area on the island is the historical, political and economic centre of Hong Kong. The northern coast of the forms the southern shore of the Victoria Harbour. The island is home to many of the most famous sights in Hong Kong, such as The Peak, Ocean Park, many historical sites, the mountain ranges across the island are also famous for hiking. The northern part of Hong Kong Island, together with Kowloon and Tsuen Wan New Town and their combined area is approximately 88.3 square kilometres and their combined population is approximately 3,156,500, reflecting a population density of 35, 700/km². The island is referred to locally as Hong Kong side or Island side. This style was applied to many locations but is now only heard in this form and Kowloon side. Hong Kong Island comprises the following suburbs/localities of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island is not part of the Islands District, Hong Kong island became a colony of the British Empire when their forces defeated the Chinese in the First Opium War. The island was populated by only a few thousand people when British empire colonized it, the Second World War was a dark period for Hong Kong. In the 1930s, the British anticipated a Japanese attack on Hong Kong, as Wong Nai Chung Gap was a strategic important place of defence, large-scale defensive works were constructed there, including anti-aircraft batteries, howitzers, and machine gun nests. The Battle of Hong Kong began on 8 December 1941, British, Canadian, Indian armies and the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Forces resisted the Japanese invasion commanded by Sakai Takashi, which began eight hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, the Japanese were able to control of the Hong Kong skies on the first day of attack. The defenders retreated from the Gin Drinkers Line and consequently from Kowloon under heavy aerial bombardment, on 18 December, the Japanese had conquered North Point, reaching Wong Nai Chung Gap on the next day. However, Allied forces there were defeated by the Japanese on 23 December. As Wan Chai Gap had also fallen that day, the British had no choice. Hong Kong was surrendered on 25 December 1941, thereafter often called Black Christmas by locals. The Governor of Hong Kong, Mark Young, surrendered in person at the temporary Japanese headquarters, on the floor of the Peninsula Hotel
6.
Kowloon Peninsula
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The Kowloon Peninsula is a peninsula that forms the southern part of the main landmass in the territory of Hong Kong. The Kowloon Peninsula and the area of New Kowloon are collectively known as Kowloon, geographically, the term Kowloon Peninsula may also refer to the area south of the mountain ranges of Beacon Hill, Lion Rock, Tates Cairn, Kowloon Peak, etc. The peninsula covers five of the eighteen districts of Hong Kong, Kowloon Bay is located at the northeast of the peninsula. The main rock type of the consists of a medium grained monzogranite with some fine granite outcrops. Early maps and photographs show flat, low-lying land behind the beach of Tsim Sha Tsui Bay with an area, Kowloon Hill. The peninsula has been expanded through land reclamation from the sea. In the south and west most of the reclamation was carried out before 1904, Reclamation in several other small areas along the main Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront was completed by 1982. The West Kowloon Reclamation was formed as part of the Airport Core Programme, before the actual Kowloon boundaries were established, the Kowloon Peninsula served as one of the first destinations for escape during Chinas dynastic times. In 1287, the last emperor of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Bing was fleeing from the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, taking refuge in a cave in the Kowloon peninsula, the inscription wrote Sung Wong Toi or Song Emperors Pavilion. In the 17th century, after the fall of the Ming Dynasty, Kowloon Peninsula had a population of 800 when it was ceded to the British empire in 1860. In 1898 a resolution was passed by the Colonial Hong Kong Legislative Council to preserve the land where some of the caves stand, boundary Street Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong Kowloon List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong New Kowloon
7.
Victoria Peak
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Victoria Peak is a mountain in the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak, with an elevation of 552 m, it is the highest mountain on Hong Kong island, ranked 31 in terms of elevation in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The summit is occupied by a radio telecommunications facility and is closed to the public, however, the surrounding area of public parks and high-value residential land is the area that is normally meant by the name The Peak. It is a major tourist attraction that offers views over Central, Victoria Harbour, Lamma Island, the sixth Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Richard MacDonnell had a summer residence built on the Peak circa 1868. Those that built houses named them whimsically, such as The Eyrie, and these original residents reached their homes by sedan chairs, which were carried up and down the steep slope of Victoria Peak. This limited development of the Peak until the opening of the Peak Tram funicular in 1888, the boost to accessibility caused by the opening of the Peak Tram created demand for residences on the Peak. Between 1904 and 1930, the Peak Reservation Ordinance designated the Peak as a residential area reserved for non-Chinese. They also reserved the Peak Tram for the use of passengers during peak periods. The Peak remains a residential area, although residency today is based on wealth. The Peak is home to species of birds, most prominently the black kite. With some seven million every year, the Peak is a major tourist attraction of Hong Kong. It offers spectacular views of the city and its waterfront, the viewing deck also has coin-operated telescopes that the visitors can use to enjoy the cityscape. The number of visitors led to the construction of two major leisure and shopping centres, the Peak Tower and the Peak Galleria, situated adjacent to each other. The Peak is also accessible by taxi and private car via the circuitous Peak Road, the nearest MTR station is Central. Victoria Peak Garden is located on the site of Mountain Lodge, the Governors old summer residence and it can be reached from Victoria Gap by walking up Mount Austin Road, a climb of about 150 metres. There are several restaurants on Victoria Peak, most of which are located in the two shopping centres, however, the Peak Lookout Restaurant, is housed in an older and more traditional building which was originally a spacious house for engineers working on the Peak Tramway. It was rebuilt in 1901 as an area for sedan chairs. In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Hong Kong, at the peak of The Peak, properties are more expensive than anywhere else in the world
8.
Central and Wan Chai Reclamation
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Central and Wan Chai Reclamation is a project launched by the government of Hong Kong since the 1990s to reclaim land for different purposes. The project was first mentioned in the 1985 planning strategy by the Government, the Government then completed a feasibility study in 1989, followed by endorsement of the then Land Development Policy Committee on the project. The proposed reclamation extends along the waterfront from Sheung Wan to Causeway Bay, the project is divided into five phases. It also provided land for new piers, replacements of other facilities affected by reclamation, works started in 1993 and were completed in June 1998. This phase of reclamation is part of the Airport Core Programme, upon completion of the project, the coastline of Central was extended up to 350 metres beyond the original coastline. The Central Reclamation Phase 2 reclaimed 5.3 hectares of land at the former Tamar naval base, the reclamation formed land for the Tamar Site, and also five commercial development sites. Works started in December 1994 and were completed in September 1997 and it has been proposed that a new complex housing the headquarters of the Government and the Legislative Council be built on the reclaimed land. It was originally planned to reclaim 32 hectares of land, but has reduced to 18 due to public opposition. Above-ground construction is scheduled to be completed in 2011, the underground Central-Wan Chai Bypass is scheduled for completion in 2017. The island configuration is to ensure water quality in the vicinity remained at satisfactory levels after reclamation was completed. Works commenced in March 1994 and were completed in July 1997, Wan Chai Development Phase II extends along the waters edge from the Central Reclamation Phase III to Causeway Bay. Construction work commenced in 2009 and is planned to be completed in 2017, the works involve the temporary reclamation – for a period of several years – of Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter and the former public cargo working area. It undertook to keep the temporary reclamation to the minimum and to reinstate the seabed after completion of the construction works, not everyone welcomed with the reclamation plan warmly. Some Hong Kong residents thought the action was totally unnecessary, it did nothing good, instead of building a bypass, the opponents urge the government to start an electronic road toll scheme in the community. On 5 October 2003, over 1,000 protesters dressed in blue marched on the Central Government Offices calling for a halt to work in the harbour. They also promised to follow up with a three-pronged protest next month using land, sea, the government had lost the first round of a court battle, but then appealed against the decision. The government resumed work to reclaim 230,000 m² of the harbour after the society failed in its bid to get hold of an order to provisionally halt work ahead of Decembers judicial review. Both have become potent symbols for environmentalists, who have staged protests, the SPH requested judicial reviews on the Reclamation, on 27 February 2003 and 25 September 2003 respectively
9.
General Post Office, Hong Kong
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The General Post Office is the headquarters of Hongkong Post. Built in 1976, it is located at Connaught Place, Central, the office was adjacent to the former Star Ferry Pier, and it is adjacent to Jardine House and the International Finance Centre. The current building occupied a seafront location until 2007, since when reclamation works have led to it becoming inland, the GPO has been moved three times after several reclamations as it was essential to locate the office near the shore for receiving letters from ocean liners. Past locations of the GPO were, 1841–1846, Above St. were transformed into Government Treasury, Supreme Court and this land was auctioned in 1921, when it achieved a price of HK$50 per square foot. The resulting China Building was completed in 1924, reclamations had taken place in the meantime in the late 1890s, and the first General Post Office was relocated in 1911 into new premises on the newly reclaimed section of Pedder Street. It was a typical Edwardian municipal construction of granite and red brick and this old General Post Office building was demolished in 1976, and was functionally relocated to Connaught Place to make way for the construction of the Central station of the MTR below ground. Below the building is the interchange of Hong Kong Station and Central Station of MTR, world-Wide House, an office block, was constructed above ground. Joseph Ting, former curator of the Hong Kong Museum of History. The building was constructed on reclaimed land, in 1967, the Government had planned for a 30 storey block, with 5 floors for the GPO, and 25 for government offices. The site directly to its south was secured by Hongkong Land at a record price, the GPO was designed by architect K. M. Tseng, as a 5 storey building, and the foundation to support another 2, up to the maximum permitted height of 120 feet. The building houses the first central vacuum-cleaning system in Hong Kong, without the need to change bags
10.
Hong Kong City Hall
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Hong Kong City Hall is a building located at Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Instead, it is a complex providing municipal services, including performing venues and libraries, the City Hall is managed by the Governments Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The Urban Council managed the City Hall and held its meetings there prior to its dissolution in December 1999, prior to its dissolution the UrbCo served as the municipal council for Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The UrbCo had its meeting chamber in the Low Block of the City Hall, Hong Kongs first City Hall, which existed from 1869 to 1933, occupied the current sites of the HSBC Hong Kong headquarters building and the Bank of China Building. The current site of the HSBC Hong Kong headquarters building was occupied in part by the old City Hall, the City Hall was built on Government land, and funds were raised for its construction, which started in 1866, from public subscriptions. The two-storey hall was designed by Me A. Hermite, a French architect, in a Renaissance style, with cupolae, the facilities available for use by the local community included a theatre, library, museum and assembly rooms. A fountain, sponsored by Dent & Co. was located at the front of the Hall, the building was inaugurated by HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh on 28 June 1869 on his visit to the colony. The land was acquired by the Hong Kong Bank in 1933 for its third generation headquarters, the remaining part was demolished in 1947 to make way for the Bank of China Building. The second and current City Hall complex was built in the late 1950s on a 10,000 square metres plot of land on the newly reclaimed seafront, about 200 metres from the first generation building. The foundation stone laying took place on February 25,1960 with then Governor Robert Brown Black. The City Hall was placed under the responsibility of the Urban Council and it has been listed as a Grade I historic building since 2009. It was designed between 1956 and 1958 by British architects Ron Phillips and Alan Fitch, with its clean lines and stark geometric forms, the new Hall is an example of the International style fashionable at the time. The structure was constructed using steel and concrete, and much of the equipment was of steel, glass, the two separate blocks and gardens were laid out as a cohesive whole, along a central axis. The entrance to the block of the City Hall formed an axis with Queens Pier to lend a sense of occasion to visiting dignitaries. One major consideration was juxtaposing the city bustle whilst maximising public access to the surrounding area, thus, the out-sized public areas of the Memorial Gardens and the piazza in front were conceived as a natural extension to promote the freedom of movement and a sense of unlimited space. City Halls Concert hall and theatre have been an important home to the arts in Hong Kong since its inauguration. The conference room of the former Urban Council was also at the building of the City Hall. The High block once housed Hong Kongs principal public library, until a new Central library was opened in 2001, the Hong Kong Museum of History relocated in 1975, and the Hong Kong Museum of Art also moved out of City Hall in 1991
11.
MTR
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The Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system of Hong Kong. Opened in 1979, the system now includes 218.2 km of rail with 161 stations, operated by the MTR Corporation Limited, the MTR is one of the most profitable metro systems in the world, with a high farebox recovery ratio of 186%. Under the governments rail-led transport policy, the MTR system is a mode of public transport in Hong Kong. It consistently achieves a 99. 9% on-time rate on its train journeys, as of 2014, the MTR has a 48. 1% market share of the franchised public transport market, making it the most popular transport option in Hong Kong. The integration of the Octopus smart card fare-payment technology into the MTR system in September 1997 has further enhanced the ease of commuting on the MTR, construction started soon after the release of the study, and the first line opened in 1979. The MTR was immediately popular with residents of Hong Kong, as a result, there are continual debates regarding how and where to expand the MTR network. As a successful operation, the MTR has served as a model for other newly built systems in the world. During the 1960s, the government of Hong Kong saw a need to accommodate increasing traffic as Hong Kongs economy continued to grow strongly. In 1966, British transportation consultants Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith & Associates were appointed to study the system of Hong Kong. The study was based on the projection of the population of Hong Kong for 1986, on 1 September 1967, the consultants submitted the Hong Kong Mass Transport Study to the government, which recommended the construction of a 40-mile rapid transit rail system in Hong Kong. The study suggested that four rail lines be developed in six stages, detailed positions of lines and stations were presented in the study. These four lines were the Kwun Tong Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Island Line, the study was submitted to the Legislative Council on 14 February 1968. The consultants received new data from the 1966 by-census on 6 March 1968, a short supplementary report was submitted on 22 March 1968 and amended in June 1968. The by-census indicated that the projected 1986 population was reduced by more than one million from the estimate to 5,647,000. The dramatic reduction affected town planning, the population distribution was largely different from the original study. The projected 1986 populations of Castle Peak New Town, Sha Tin New Town, and, to an extent, Tsuen Wan New Town, were revised downward. In this updated scenario, the reduced the scale of the recommended system. The other lines would be placed in the list of extensions and this report led to the final study in 1970
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Hong Kong/Central travel guide from Wikivoyage
Media related to Central, Hong Kong at Wikimedia Commons
