Central, Hong Kong

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Template:Short description Template:Use Hong Kong English Template:Use dmy dates

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Central (Template:Zh), also known as Central District, is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in the northeastern corner of the Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula. The area was the heart of Victoria City, although that name is rarely used anymore.[1]

As the central business district of Hong Kong, it is the area where many multinational financial services corporations have their headquarters. Consulates of many countries are also located in this area, as is Government Hill, the site of the government headquarters until 2011. The area, with its proximity to Victoria Harbour, has served as the centre of trade and financial activities from the earliest days of the British colonial era in 1841, and continues to flourish and serve as the place of administration since the handover to China in 1997.

Naming

Template:Multiple image The area of Chung Wan (previously spelled "Choong Wan")[2][3][4] is a direct translation of "central" in English and was one of the districts (Script error: No such module "Lang".) in Victoria City. The English name, Central became prevalent Template:Citation needed span and the connected stations of Pedder and Chater (named after major streets in the area) were renamed as Central. On some older maps, Central and the area to its west are named Kwan Tai Lo (Script error: No such module "Lang".) below Victoria Peak. It formed a channel, Chung Mun (Script error: No such module "Lang".), with Tsim Sha Tsui, on the sea route along the coast of southern China. The eastern part of Central District has been known as Admiralty Template:Citation needed span

Despite the name Central being synonymous with the Central and Western District, and Central station, there are significant differences. Central and Western is a administrative district with strict boundaries, legislative representation, and elections for its legislators. Central station (more commonly referred to as Central) is a stop along the MTR Island Line, but is not the only station within the Central and Western District. Other stops include Hong Kong, Admiralty, Sheung Wan and more. The Central area is a loosely defined area within the Central and Western district defined by the presence of major banks, sky scrapers, and multi-modal transportation nodes.

Location

Central is located on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula. It is bordered in the west by Sheung Wan, with the border being along Aberdeen Street (also called Wing Kut Street). It is bordered in the east by Admiralty, an eastern extension of the Central and Western District. As such, Admiralty is sometimes considered a part of Central. Central is bordered in the south by Mid-Levels, an affluent residential area halfway up Victoria Peak. The boundary between Central and Mid-Levels is not clearly defined.

For district council elections purposes, the area, together with Admiralty, correspond roughly to the "Chung Wan" constituency.[5] The boundaries of such constituencies may be subject to modification.[6]

History

File:Hong Kongfromtheharbour c1920.JPG
Central waterfront in the 1920s.
File:Hong Kong Legislative Council Building.jpg
The Court of Final Appeal Building, completed in 1912, once used as the building of Legislative Council of Hong Kong from 1985 to 2011.

The British landed on Possession Point of Sheung Wan in 1841. They soon decided to build a city on the north coast of Hong Kong Island, and the present-day Central was chosen to house major military facilities and an administrative centre. Part of these military facilities include the Royal Navy port known as Naval Dockyard, and then later Admiralty. Another area to the north of Admiralty would be named Tamar for the HMS Tamar shore station (named for HMS Tamar, a Royal Navy troopship that arrived and was used as a shore base during the second opium war). The area soon attracted both Westerners and Chinese to trade and live in the area, and a Canton Bazaar (the precursor of the Central Market) was built between Cochrane Street and Graham Street in 1842. The area was soon zoned for Westerners only, and Chinese residents were restricted to Sheung Wan. It was zoned for "Western-style buildings," meaning buildings with space requirements and hygiene standards similar to European. The area was largely dominated by the presence of Victoria City. The popularity of this area would also boost the population of Hong Kong from 5,000 in 1841 to 24,000 in 1848.[7] Government House and other Hong Kong Government buildings were completed during this period on Government Hill. Various barracks, naval bases and the residence of the Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong, Flagstaff House were built on the east end of the district. Between 1860 and 1880 the construction of City Hall, Theatre Royal and other financial structures made Central the heart of Hong Kong.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

In 1904, the Praya Reclamation Scheme added Template:Convert of land to Central's waterfront. Many of the proposals came from Sir Paul Chater and James Johnstone Keswick, the founders of Hongkong Land, a modern property development group.[8] During the 1920s, Hong Kong was able to push far ahead economically, because of the cohesive collaboration between Central and all waterfront commerce.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

The military structures survived until the 1980s. Only Flagstaff House remains as Museum of Tea Ware in Hong Kong Park. City Hall sat on the present premises of the HSBC Hong Kong headquarters. Hong Kong's first road, Queen's Road (subdivided into Queen's Road East, Central, and West), passes through the area and the business centre has continued to expand the Hong Kong shoreline into Victoria Harbour.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". The Hong Kong Garrison was home to the British Forces in Hong Kong, until the handover in 1997, since then it has been occupied by the People's Liberation Army of China.

Central has been the site of a number of major political protests. From October 2011 to September 2012, the Occupy Central movement against global economic inequality was based in front of the HSBC Main Building.[9] Two years later, in September 2014, democratic activists initiated Occupy Central with Love and Peace, demanding universal suffrage for the election of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, eventually contributing to the Umbrella Revolution.[10]

Economy

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There are many Grade-A commercial buildings in Central,[11] a prime commercial district in Hong Kong.

Bank of China (Hong Kong) has its head office in the Bank of China Tower.[12] The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, a subsidiary of HSBC, has its head office in the HSBC Main Building.[13] Bank of East Asia and Hang Seng Bank have their head offices in Central.[14][15] Standard Chartered Bank is also located in Central. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is based in IFC 2. Chu Kong Passenger Transport is headquartered in the Chu Kong Shipping Tower (珠江船務大廈) in Central.[16] The head office of New World Development is in the Template:Ill in Central.[17] HKR International has its head office in Shun Tak Centre.[18]

Before 1999, Cathay Pacific had its head office in the Swire House in Central.[19] In 1999, the airline relocated its head office to the Hong Kong International Airport.[20]

Nord Anglia Education, which operates international schools in various countries, formerly had its head office in Central.[21] The head office moved to Hong Kong in 2012.[22] In 2018 the company announced it was returning its head office to the United Kingdom.[23]

Notable places, streets and buildings

Office buildings

File:Hong Kong Central District Night View 201305.jpg
Night view of Statue Square. From left to right: Bank of China Tower, HSBC Main Building, Standard Chartered Bank Building and Prince's Building
File:IFC, Hong Kong Island (2796343561).jpg
Two International Finance Centre.

Streets and squares

File:Pedder Street 2015.jpg
Pedder Street
File:D'aguilar Street 2016.jpg
Intersection of the lower end of D'Aguilar Street with Queen's Road in 2016

Government buildings

File:New Govn Headquarters Site 201103.jpg
Central Government Complex, Tamar under construction in March 2011.
File:Court of Final Appeal (HK).jpg
Former French Mission Building
File:Hong Kong Cenotaph.jpg
The Cenotaph
File:St. John's Cathedral, HK bell tower.JPG
St. John's Cathedral
File:HK Chater Garden.jpg
Chater Garden

Other historical buildings

Hotels

Central, together with Tsim Sha Tsui and Tsim Sha Tsui East, is home to many hotels.

Entertainment areas

Places of worship

Parks

File:190728 HK Protest Incendo 01.jpg
Protesters in Chater Garden on 28 July 2019

Education

Central is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 11. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and the following government schools: Bonham Road Government Primary School and Template:Ill (李陞小學).[27]

Hong Kong Public Libraries operates City Hall Library in Central.[28]

Former buildings

File:Clock Tower, Star Ferry Pier in Central.jpg
Edinburgh Place Ferry Pier was demolished in 2007.

Transport

File:20091005 Hong Kong 7204.jpg
Tram in Central.
File:Central Piers Overview 2010.jpg
View of the Central Piers.
File:HK Central Cochrane Street Central-Mid-Levels escalators Upsidedown.JPG
Central–Mid-Levels escalators at Cochrane Street.
File:Connaught Road C - Central (7318769180).jpg
The night view of Connaught Road Central

Public transport

The area is a major transport hub for Hong Kong (see also Transport in Hong Kong).

Expressways and routes

Climate

Template:Weather box

References

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External links

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Template:Portal bar Template:Central, Hong Kong Template:Central and Western District Template:Authority control Template:Hong Kong Urban Areas Template:Reclaimed land in Hong Kong

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Map of circa 1880
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ District Council electoral boundaries – Central and Western District
  6. ↑ Press release: "Public consultation on proposed constituency boundaries for 2011 District Council Election", 3 December 2010
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Wordie, Jason. [2002] (2002) Streets: Exploring Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. Template:ISBN
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  11. ↑ Office For Rent at Central Treasure Land. Retrieved 3 Oct 2018
  12. ↑ "Contact Us Template:Webarchive." Bank of China. Retrieved on 11 September 2011. "Registered Office BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) Limited 52/F Bank of China Tower 1 Garden Road Hong Kong"
  13. ↑ "Contact Us." HSBC. Retrieved on 12 September 2011. "The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation – Hong Kong Address: GPO Box 64, Hong Kong, 1 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong SAR, China"
  14. ↑ "Investor Enquiries." Bank of East Asia. Retrieved on 11 September 2011. "Registered Office: 10 Des Voeux Road Central, Central, Hong Kong"
  15. ↑ "Business Banking Centres." Hang Seng Bank. Retrieved on 11 September 2011. "Level 1 & 6, Hang Seng Headquarters, 83 Des Voeux Road, Central" (Map Template:Webarchive)
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". – Traditional Chinese Template:Webarchive: "香港干諾道中一四三號珠江船務大廈22字樓" , Simplified Chinese Template:Webarchive: "香港干诺道中一四三号珠江船务大厦22字楼"
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". – Traditional Chinese address: "香港中環皇后大道中18號新世界大廈30樓", Simplified Chinese address: "香港中环皇后大道中18号新世界大厦30楼"
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". - Traditional Chinese: "香港干諾道中168號 信德中心招商局大廈23樓", Simplified Chinese: "香港干诺道中168号 信德中心招商局大厦23楼"
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". "Head Office: Swire House, 9 Connaught Road, C, Hong Kong"
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ "Contact Us." Nord Anglia Education. Retrieved on 5 March 2016. "Central Office Address: Nord Anglia Education St George's Building Level 12 2 Ice House Street Central Hong Kong"
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ [1] The Henderson
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Lim, Patricia. [2002] (2002). Discovering Hong Hong's Cultural Heritage. Central, Hong Kong: Oxford University Press. ISBN Volume One 0-19-592723-0
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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