Hong Kong Photo Gallery - Historic Central
Despite a frantic pace of redevelopment, there are still pockets of history in Central. The Antiquities and Monuments Office even has a heritage trail for the area.The General Post Office opened in 1976 but given its prime location along the former waterfront, and now beside IFC, it is slated for redevelopment with the headquarters moving across the harbour to Kowloon Bay. The entire plot of land, dubbed Site 3, includes surrounding areas on reclaimed land as well as the Star Ferry Car Park.
The old Bank of China Building was built in 1951 and was the bank's key office until 1990, when a much taller and glassy tower was completed nearby. It now serves as the headquarters of the private bank division. The grand China Club occupies the 13-15th floors.
This colonial building opened as the Supreme Court in 1912, and was used by the Legislative Council from 1985 to 2011. After they moved to the new government headquarters, the building has been converted back to the judiciary.
The 4 gas lamps along the Duddell Street granite staircase are believed to date from the 1870s or 1880s. They were the only working gas street lamps in the city since 1967, but were badly damaged by Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018. It took 15 months of restoration for the lamps to return to action from 6pm to 6am everyday.
The Foreign Correspondents' Club moved into its current premises in 1982, with the British governor having been granted the #1 membership slot. As the club had to negotiate the rent terms every 7 years, their place here shows the foreign press' relationship with the government, which has turned frosty recently as its lineup of speakers has irked pro-Beijing forces as they clamp down on press freedom.
The Murray was originally a government office building completed in 1969. It reopened as a 336-room luxury hotel in 2018 following a renovation led by Foster + Partners. While it doesn't have spectacular harbour views like its nearby 5-star competitors, the architectural features are worth a visit, such as the recessed windows to reduce sunlight excessively heating up the room in Hong Kong's hot and humid climate.
The former parking lot ramp has been revitalized into a stylish walkway.
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The Helena May is a ladies' club established in 1916 by the Governor's wife. The heritage building where the club is located was built in the Edwardian Classical Revival style.
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Also visit dedicated pages on a few key historic buildings in Central :
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