Central, Hong Kong

Central (Central District) is the central political and business district of Hong Kong city. The city is divided into four major parts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, New Territories and Outlying Islands. Central is located on Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon Peninsula. There are several arterial streets in the district, including Queen's Road, Des Voeux Road, Chater Road and Connaught Road. Many multinational financial services corporations have set up their headquarters in the area. There are also all kinds of restaurants and fashion stores in this district so that local people and visitors prefer to go shopping here. In addition, there are many points of interest and Hong Kong landmarks in Central.

Central

Map of Central

From the fantastic viewpoint of Victoria Peak which overlooks the Central, you can see many new and old architectural buildings regarded as landmarks on Hong Kong Island.
 

As the most famous area for night life in Hong Kong, Lan Kwai Fong provides lots of restaurants and bars. It’s quite popular among the young and visitors to have a little drink when nights come.
 

Taking the star ferry to enjoy Victoria Harbor is a great experience, which was said to be one of the 50 must-do journeys in a man’s life!
 

About 60 meters (66 yards) high, the Hong Kong Observation Wheel is also a must for a Hong Kong tour!
 

Near the Victoria Harbour is the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, which was converted from the Lei Yue Emplacement. If you are interested in the ancient Chinese military defence, you can’t miss it!
 

In the southeast corner of Central lays the Cheung Kong Center, designed by world-renowned architects Cesar Pelli and Leo A. Daly, considered as much a work of art as an efficient working environment. The Bank of China Tower, designed by I. M. Pei, is one of the most recognizable skyscrapers in Central. The Legislative Council Building is located to the east of Statue Square. Along Connaught Road, you can see the Hong Kong City Hall to the northeast of Statue Square, and Jardines House to the northwest of Statue Square. The HKCH no longer holds city government offices but now provides a venue for performing arts and libraries. Formerly known as Connaught Centre, Jardines House was once the highest and best-known office tower in the city. Opposite Jardines House is Exchange Square, the building that houses the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The Airport Express Hong Kong Station is just on the north side of the Stock Exchange. Going along to the north, the Two International Finance Centre will come into sight. It is a prominent landmark and the highest building at present on Hong Kong Island.
 

Central is one of the most famous shopping centers in the city. There are several big shopping malls and flourishing shopping streets at this area. The Prince's Building is an office tower and centre, famous for smaller market boutique style shops. There are all kinds of renowned shops here, such as Hugo Boss, Bally, Chanel, Cartier, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Piaget. The Landmark is commonly known as the home of numerous prestigious international brands and a gathering place of well-heeled shoppers. Alexandra House is another top rank shopping mall with all kinds of world fashion brands on Chater Road. Apart from these big shopping malls, you can also go to Li Yuen Street and Hollywood Road for shopping. Li Yuen Street is a small fairground with where ordinary daily goods, such as clothes, beauty aids and watches are sold. Hollywood is a famous street filled with trinket and antique shops of all sorts, including Chinese furniture, porcelain ware, Buddha sculptures, Tibetan rugs, Japanese netsukes, Coromandel screens, Ming Dynasty ceramic horsemen and kitsch Maoist memorabilia.

There are many wonderful bars, café or tea houses and restaurants in this area. You can not only enjoy regional Chinese food, such as Cantonese and Sichuan dishes, but also sample all kinds of Asian cuisines and Western fare. Lan Kwai Fong is a popular expatriate haunt for drinking and dining. It provides delicious food from France, Vietnam, America, Middle East, Italy and other countries. A lot of people come here for fun after work, especially on Friday and Saturday. Wellington Street is located at the intersection of Lan Kwai Fong and Wellington Streets. There are several famous noodle restaurants and tea houses of local style, and you will surely have the luck to eat delicious food here. SoHo is a rising place for eating, drinking and entertainment within many different countries' restaurants and pubs, such as New Orleans, Nepal, Mexico, Malaysia, Provence and Portugal.

Local snacks in Central area are spoken highly of. There are several highly recommended restaurants providing the local snacks and visitors should not miss them. These include Lan Fong Yuen at 2 Gage Street, Yung Kee Restaurant 32-40 Wellington Street, Kau Kee Restaurant at G/F 21 Gough Street, Sing Heung Yuen at 2 Mei Lun Street, Tai Cheong Bakery at 35 Lyndhurst Terrace and Lan Fong Yuen at 2 Gage Street.
 

Central is a major transport hub for the city. Ferries, trams, metro, and buses are available in this area. The Star Ferry Pier is a main inner harbor ferry service. Its principal routes carry passengers across Victoria Harbour between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. You can find the MTR Island Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Tung Chung Line and Airport Express at Central. It is easy to take the MTR Island Line from Central to Sheung Wan and take a ferry from the HK-Macau Ferry Terminal at Sheung Wan to Macau. It is also very convenient to take the MTR to get to Admiralty, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island. At the Exchange Square bus terminal, you can find bus 15 to the famous Victoria Peak, bus 629 to the Ocean Park and bus 6 to the Repulse Bay.

 Further Reading:
Top 10 Things to Do in Hong Kong

12 Best Places to Visit in Hong Kong for First-Time Visitors