Start: Star Ferry terminus, Central District.
Finish: Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Central.
Time: About 3 hours; add 1 to 2 hours if you include Victoria Peak.
Best Times: Weekdays, when shops and restaurants are in full swing.
Worst Times: Tuesday, when the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware is closed; Saturday afternoon, Sunday, and public holidays, when some stores and restaurants in the Central District are closed.
The birthplace of modern Hong Kong, the Central District used to be called “Victoria,” after Queen Victoria; it boasted elegant colonial-style buildings with sweeping verandas and narrow streets filled with pigtailed men pulling rickshaws. That’s hard to imagine nowadays. With Central’s gleaming glass-and-steel skyscrapers, there’s little left of its colonial beginnings. Still, this is the logical starting place for a tour of Hong Kong. The handful of historic buildings scattered among towering monoliths symbolize both the past and the future of this ever-changing city. Yet, surprisingly, Central has several city parks, good for relaxation and sightseeing. If you have time, you can also take a trip to Victoria Peak from the tram terminus in Central.
If you’re starting this tour from Tsim Sha Tsui, board the Star Ferry for an exhilarating ride across the world-famous harbor. You’ll disembark in the heart of Central. Ahead of you — just outside the terminus — are all that remain of Hong Kong’s once mighty fleet of:
1. Rickshaw Drivers
First appearing in Japan (the name is derived from the Japanese jinriksha, which translates as “people-powered vehicle”) and brought to Hong Kong in the 1870s, rickshaws are now tourist attractions rather than providers of transportation. In all my days in Hong Kong, I’ve never once seen a driver plying the streets of Central, and since no new licenses have been issued for years, the tradition will soon end when the last of the remaining ancient-looking men give up their trade. Most tourists prefer to have their photos taken sitting in a rickshaw rather than riding in one, but even that is likely to cost HK$50 (US$6.50). The drivers will also demand money if you take a picture of them. Negotiate the price beforehand.
2. Statue Square
To your left after emerging from the underground passage is a cenotaph commemorating “The Glorious Dead” of both world wars. Across Chater Road is the larger part of the square. On the weekend, Statue Square and surrounding Central become the domain of Filipino housemaids, nannies, and waitresses, thousands of whom work in the SAR and send most of what they earn back home to their families. On their day off, they meet friends here, sitting on blankets spread on the concrete and sharing food, photographs, letters from home, and laughter, infusing the staid business district with a certain vitality and festivity. At any rate, a statue of Queen Victoria used to stand here, but it has been moved to Victoria Park. Perhaps appropriately for a town that was established to make money, the only statue remaining in the square is of a banker, Sir Thomas Jackson, former manager of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank. It’s interesting to note that he stands facing the:
3. Legislative Council Building
Formerly the Supreme Court and looking curiously out of place in modern Central, the Legislative Council Building was built in the early 1900s by architect Aston Webb, who later redesigned Buckingham Palace, and now houses Hong Kong’s lawmaking body, popularly known as “Legco.” With its local pink-and-gray granite, Ionic columns, and Chinese roof, this neoclassical structure is typical of late-Victorian colonial architecture and boasts a carved-stone figure above the main portico of the Goddess of Justice holding scales. The building has two flags, one with the red star emblem of China and the other with the bauhinia flower of Hong Kong.
4. Chater Garden
This was the site of the Hong Kong Cricket Club until the 1960s. Today, this is the only spot of green in the very heart of Central and is popular with those who practice tai chi (shadow boxing) in the early morning and among office workers on lunch break.
Running alongside the south edge of the garden is:
5. Des Voeux Road Central
This road is easily recognizable by the tramlines snaking along it. Des Voeux Road itself was constructed as part of an early-1800s land reclamation project; before that the waterfront was situated farther inland — at Queen’s Road. Land reclamation has proceeded continuously throughout Hong Kong’s history, slowly encroaching on the harbor itself.
Take A Break — The most convenient place for a meal in this area is Dot Cod Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar, in the Prince’s Building with an entrance right on Statue Square (tel. 852/2810 6988). It’s owned by the Hong Kong Cricket Club but is open to anyone.
Across the street, The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, just west of Statue Square at 5 Connaught Rd., Central, offers several convenient meal possibilities. Foremost is Vong on the 30th floor (tel. 852/2522 0111, ext. 4028), a chic restaurant with stunning views and great Franco-Asian creations. After lunch, the Mandarin’s Clipper Lounge (tel. 852/2522 0111) is a cozy place for afternoon tea, finger sandwiches, scones, and other goodies.
Across from Chater Garden, on the other side of Des Voeux Road Central, is the:
6. Bank of China Tower
This tower rises like a glass finger pointing into the sky. Designed by I. M. Pei, this 70-story futuristic building, with its crisscross pattern reminiscent of bamboo, also observes the principles of feng shui (Chinese geomancy), as do all modern structures in Hong Kong in an effort to maintain harmony with their natural environment.
7. Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
This company, at 1 Queen’s Rd. Central, which generally shortens its name to HSBC, maintains offices in more than 20 countries around the world and employs more than 21,000 people. Hong Kong’s first city hall once stood on this site. The Hongkong Bank, located here since 1865, issued the colony’s first bank notes in 1881. The present building, designed in the mid-1980s by renowned British architect Sir Norman Foster and reputedly one of the most expensive buildings in the world (almost US$1 billion), attracts visiting architects the world over for its innovative external structure, rather than a central core.
8. Court of Final Appeal
This building, which houses Hong Kong’s highest court, was formerly the French Mission Building. Just beyond it is the cream-and-white-colored, Gothic-style:
9. St. John’s Cathedral
Inaugurated in 1849 and thought to be the oldest Anglican church in the Far East, this church was used for Japanese social functions during the Japanese occupation. You can enter the small church and take a look inside. It underwent extensive renovations following World War II but still retains quaint tropical characteristics like the ceiling fans.
Take a left out of the church and walk around it to busy Garden Road, where you should turn right and walk uphill. After passing the U.S. Consulate, you’ll come to Upper Albert Road, where you should turn right. You’ll soon see, on your right, the:
10. Government House
Completed in 1855, this building served as the official residence of 25 British governors until 1997. During the World War II Japanese occupation, it also served as the headquarters of Lieutenant General Isogai, who ordered some extensive building renovations, a curious mix of Asian and Western architecture, including ceramic tile roofs and a tower reminiscent of Shinto shrines. Since the 1997 handover, the grand, whitewashed edifice has been used for official functions.
Across the street, on the corner of Upper Albert Road and Garden Road, is a staircase leading up to the main entrance of the:
11. Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens
This is a wonderful oasis of plants and animals that was established in 1864. It still imparts a Victorian atmosphere with its wrought-iron bandstand and greenhouse. Entrance is free, and the grounds are not too extensive, so it’s worth taking the time to wander through to see its tropical botanical gardens, trees and plants, aviaries and birds, reptiles, and mammals such as apes. It opens daily at 6am, with the eastern half closing at 7pm and the western part at 10pm.
Exiting the same way you came in, cross to the other side of Garden Road and walk downhill, taking a right after passing the modern St. John’s Building. Here, to your right, is the:
12. Peak Tram Station
When this station opened in 1888, the travel time to the top of Victoria Peak was reduced from 3 hours (by sedan chair) to 8 minutes. Today the tram is the steepest funicular railway in the world, and the view from the peak is the best in Hong Kong. I suggest you visit the peak twice during your stay: during the day for the great panoramic view of the city, and again at night for its romantic atmosphere. There’s also a great, 1-hour circular walk around the peak, as well as attractions for children. In all, you’ll probably want to spend at least an hour or two on the Peak, so if time is limited or it’s foggy, save it for another day.
On the other side of the tram station, on Cotton Tree Drive, is:
13. Hong Kong Park
After visit Hongkong Park , Signs will direct you to the park’s most important building and Hong Kong’s oldest surviving colonial-style structure, the:
14. Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware
Built in 1846, this museum (tel. 852/2869 0690) houses a small collection of tea utensils, with descriptions of tea making through the various Chinese dynasties. It’s open Wednesday through Monday from 10am to 5pm. Like everything else in the park, it’s free. From here, walk past the fountain (a favorite backdrop for picture taking) to the escalators that will take you downhill to:
15. Pacific Place
This is a large complex filled with department stores, clothing boutiques, restaurants, and hotels. The nearest subway station from here is Admiralty Station, just a couple minutes’ walk north, though you don’t need to go outside to reach it; follow the signs via the air-conditioned walkway.
Winding Down — There are many eating and drinking establishments in Pacific Place. Dan Ryan’s Chicago Grill (tel. 852/2845 4600) is a casual bar and grill that remains open throughout the day for drinks, burgers, and other American favorites. Zen Chinese (tel. 852/2845 4555) is the ultimate in Chinese hip dining, with a Zen-like decor and specialties that border on Cantonese nouvelle. Grappa’s (tel. 852/2868 0086) is a moderately priced trattoria with an open kitchen and good food. But for all-you-can eat dining, café TOO, in the Island Shangri-La Hotel at Pacific Place (tel. 852/2820-8571, ext. 8571), is an upscale buffet restaurant offering views of Hong Kong Park’s greenery and beautifully presented international lunches and dinners.
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