Hong Kong Photo Gallery

HONG KONG PHOTO GALLERY

Welcome to the new Hong Kong section. If you have problems viewing the page, please let me know by clicking here .
All photos taken in December 2000 unless otherwise noted.

HONG KONG PHOTO GALLERY SECTIONS

Visit Centamap for the most comprehensive Hong Kong map and building information.

Central District Wan Chai District Aberdeen & Ap Lei Chau

Kowloon North Point Stanley & Repulse Bay

HONG KONG PHOTO GALLERY SECTIONS Visit Centamap for the most comprehensive Hong Kong map and building information.
Central District	Wan Chai District	Aberdeen & Ap Lei Chau

Kowloon	North Point	Stanley & Repulse Bay

Hong Kong Location

Satellite imagery from Living Earth

HONG KONG TRANSPORT

Hong Kong has one of the world's most efficient and extensive public transportation systems. One of the catalysts to this is a universal, integrated, and high-tech fare collection system that is usable for many modes of transport.
Download a recent Octopus card commercial from Kowloon Motor Bus : Click Here [mpeg format].

Photo Description

This is an old electronic fare card, accepted on subways, railways, and some buses. Riders insert the card into the fare reading machine and it comes out on the other end when entering a station. When exiting a station, the fare reading machine will keep the card and it can be reprogrammed for another passenger's ride. These types of cards have been in use since the subway opened in 1979.

Hong Kong boasts the world's largest contact-less smart card system. The Octopus card is accepted on subways, railways, almost all buses, ferries, and even 7-Eleven stores. Rolled out in 1997, it is now commonly used among HK's 7 million residents. Since the card was designed with contact-less technology, passengers do not need to take out the card when they board. If it's in their wallet, they can swipe the entire wallet across the sensor and it will deduct the fare automatically.

Passengers of the Airport Express service who don't have an Octopus card can purchase a fare ticket, which is similar to the electronic fare cards of the old days.

Photo	Description
	This is an old electronic fare card, accepted on subways, railways, and some buses. Riders insert the card into the fare reading machine and it comes out on the other end when entering a station. When exiting a station, the fare reading machine will keep the card and it can be reprogrammed for another passenger's ride. These types of cards have been in use since the subway opened in 1979.
	Hong Kong boasts the world's largest contact-less smart card system. The Octopus card is accepted on subways, railways, almost all buses, ferries, and even 7-Eleven stores. Rolled out in 1997, it is now commonly used among HK's 7 million residents. Since the card was designed with contact-less technology, passengers do not need to take out the card when they board. If it's in their wallet, they can swipe the entire wallet across the sensor and it will deduct the fare automatically.
	Passengers of the Airport Express service who don't have an Octopus card can purchase a fare ticket, which is similar to the electronic fare cards of the old days.

This section outlines Hong Kong's development in the late 90's. In the past 3 years, 3 large skyscrapers (The Centre, Cheung Kong Center, and One IFC) have appeared in the downtown skyline. Meanwhile, construction for the 400-plus-metre Two IFC is now underway. The foundation work has been complete and a few steel columns have appeared on the construction site. On the other side of the harbour in Kowloon, new skyscrapers are also appearing. With the closing of Kai Tak Airport, height restrictions on area buildings have been lifted, and redevelopment is under way. The newly-reclaimed lands for the new airport project has been a focus for large buildings, notably the Kowloon Station MTR site, which has a 100-plus-storey building planned. Further east, construction is nearing completion for the 72-storey Harbourfront Landmark, Hong Kong's tallest residential building.

Photo	Description	Photo	Description
	Buildings in downtown towards the east Photo With Building Labels		The same view in the summer of 1998. The Peak Galleria was recently renovated and rebuilt. It houses Asia's only Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and a Marche restraurant. (Summer 1998) This Photo With Building Labels
	Looking north across downtown towards Kowloon. Photo With Building Labels		Close-up of the Cheung Kong Centre (1999) and the Bank of China Tower (1989). Photo With Building Labels Cheung Kong Center
	Many apartment buildings are clustered along the hills rising to Victoria Peak in the high-class MidLevels district.		The same view from the summer of 1998 with the Cheung Kong Centre on the right (still under construction) and the Bank of China on the far right. (Summer 1998) This Photo With Building Labels
	The Peak has been a major attraction for locals and tourists for many years. Living in this area is a symbol of wealth and prestige.		Buildings in Hong Kong - Photo Gallery
	Photo		Photo
	Photo		Photo
	Photo		Photo

Photo	Description	Photo	Description
	The Center and One IFC The Center One International Financial Centre		The Center
	The western districts of Hong Kong Island. Photo With Building Labels		Skyscrapers and apartment buildings.
	In the background across the harbour is the West Kowloon Reclamation, which was reclaimed from the sea in the 90's as a part of the new Hong Kong International Airport project. Plans for a cultural centre and a 100-storey skyscraper are being extensively studied.		Photo 6
	The British first landed in Hong Kong near today's Possession Street, in the western districts seen here. Today, the government is planning to redevelop this entire area, with The Centre being the largest project so far. Photo With Building Labels		The twin red-and-blue towers form the Shun Tak Centre, headquarters of Hong Kong billionnaire Stanley Ho. Here lies the Macau Ferry Terminal, where hydrofoil ferries depart for Macau, a former Portuguese colony west of Hong Kong. Stanley Ho currently owns all the casinos in Macau, dubbed the Las Vegas of the Orient. Photo With Building Labels
	Photo 9		Photo 10
	A view from just off the coast : Bank of China, the still under construction One International Finance Centre, and The Centre. (Summer 1998) This Photo With Building Labels		The Shun Tak Centre (1984), where hydrofoil ferries leave for the former Portuguese colony of Macau. Hong Kong has the world's largest fleet of hydrofoils. The Centre is in the background. (Summer 1998) This Photo With Building Labels
	Redevelopments along the western sections of Hong Kong Island include new residential and commercial buildings. (Summer 1998)		Under the afternoon sun. (Summer 1998)

Route	Operator	Full Fare	Description	More Information
15	NWFB	9.2	Central (Exchange Square) - The Peak	Route 15 Details - Click
15B	NWFB	9.1	Tin Hau MTR Station - The Peak [Sundays & Holidays]	Route 15B Details - Click
515	Citybus	8.4	Shau Kei Wan - The Peak [Night Time Service]	Route 515 Details - Click

HONG KONG FROM VICTORIA PEAK

Photo Description Photo Description

Buildings in downtown towards the east
Photo With Building Labels The same view in the summer of 1998. The Peak Galleria was recently renovated and rebuilt. It houses Asia's only Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and a Marche restraurant. (Summer 1998)
This Photo With Building Labels
Looking north across downtown towards Kowloon.
Photo With Building Labels Close-up of the Cheung Kong Centre (1999) and the Bank of China Tower (1989).
Photo With Building Labels
Cheung Kong Center

Many apartment buildings are clustered along the hills rising to Victoria Peak in the high-class MidLevels district. The same view from the summer of 1998 with the Cheung Kong Centre on the right (still under construction) and the Bank of China on the far right. (Summer 1998)
This Photo With Building Labels

The Peak has been a major attraction for locals and tourists for many years. Living in this area is a symbol of wealth and prestige. Buildings in Hong Kong - Photo Gallery

Photo Photo

Photo Photo

Photo Photo

HONG KONG ISLAND - WESTERN AREAS
This part of Hong Kong Island is currently being redeveloped in stages. The Centre is an example of such redevelopment. The government is planning for more land reclamation along the harbourfront and run a subway extension through this area to the Cyberport, a high-tech industrial park under construction further west.

Photo Description Photo Description

The Center and One IFC
The Center
One International Financial Centre The Center

The western districts of Hong Kong Island.
Photo With Building Labels Skyscrapers and apartment buildings.

In the background across the harbour is the West Kowloon Reclamation, which was reclaimed from the sea in the 90's as a part of the new Hong Kong International Airport project. Plans for a cultural centre and a 100-storey skyscraper are being extensively studied. Photo 6

The British first landed in Hong Kong near today's Possession Street, in the western districts seen here. Today, the government is planning to redevelop this entire area, with The Centre being the largest project so far.
Photo With Building Labels The twin red-and-blue towers form the Shun Tak Centre, headquarters of Hong Kong billionnaire Stanley Ho. Here lies the Macau Ferry Terminal, where hydrofoil ferries depart for Macau, a former Portuguese colony west of Hong Kong. Stanley Ho currently owns all the casinos in Macau, dubbed the Las Vegas of the Orient.
Photo With Building Labels

Photo 9 Photo 10

A view from just off the coast : Bank of China, the still under construction One International Finance Centre, and The Centre. (Summer 1998)
This Photo With Building Labels The Shun Tak Centre (1984), where hydrofoil ferries leave for the former Portuguese colony of Macau. Hong Kong has the world's largest fleet of hydrofoils. The Centre is in the background. (Summer 1998)
This Photo With Building Labels

Redevelopments along the western sections of Hong Kong Island include new residential and commercial buildings. (Summer 1998) Under the afternoon sun. (Summer 1998)

WHERE TO BEST SEE IT ALL
The best place to view Hong Kong is at Victoria Peak, which rises right behind downtown. Many of this site's photos were taken on trails around the Peak, offering spectacular views of the skyline and Kowloon on the other side of Victoria Harbour. The newly-rebuilt Peak Galleria and tram station has a large shopping mall, a Movenpick Marche restaurant, and the recently-opened Madame Tussauds' Wax Museum, the only such museum in Asia.

HOW TO GET TO THE PEAK
The most popular way to reach the Peak is by Peak Tram, which has been running for over a century. The fare is $20 one-way or $30 round-trip and trams run from the Garden Road Terminus in Central. NWFB runs a bus between the Star Ferry terminal in Central to the Peak Tram terminus : Click Here For Route 15C Information . There is also a minibus (Route 1) that runs from Central (near Prince of Wales Building) and 3 bus routes running from various parts of Hong Kong Island to the Peak bus station (ground level of the Peak Galleria). These routes are listed below :

Route Operator Full Fare Description More Information

15 NWFB 9.2 Central (Exchange Square) - The Peak Route 15 Details - Click

15B NWFB 9.1 Tin Hau MTR Station - The Peak [Sundays & Holidays] Route 15B Details - Click

515 Citybus 8.4 Shau Kei Wan - The Peak [Night Time Service] Route 515 Details - Click

Visitors' Note
Routes 15 and 15B offer spectacular views of Hong Kong's skyline and hillside mansions as the bus heads downhill along the narrow, 2-lane Peak Road and Stubbs Road. Carved out of the hillside and reinforced by protective concrete walls to prevent landslides, the bus gets so close to the hill that often tree branches hit the bus' side. A journey on one of these bus routes is definitely recommended.
Below is a series of photos of the Hong Kong skyline taken on Lugard Road, a walking trailbeginning just outside the Peak tram station and the Peak Galleria. The road winds its wayaround the hills westwards, and offers spectacular views of the city.