Hong Kong Island is the heart of the city. Most of the action is on the north coast of the island, a thin strip of land between sea and mountain, albeit one that has grown considerably through land reclamation. Especially when seen at night from the Kowloon side, the tightly packed skyscrapers offer a heart-stopping panorama.
Understand
The great majority of Hong Kong Island's development is packed on the northern shore. In order from west to east, the major centers of what has fused into a solid mass of buildings are Kennedy Town, Sheung Wan, Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and North Point. As you might guess from the name, Central is the focal point with the highest skyscrapers and tallest buildings, while the scenery becomes more low-rise and residential the further away you travel.
Leading up from Central is the Escalator and the Peak Tram (see Get around), which pass through the hip district of Soho and the residential Mid-Levels. Up top is the The Peak, the tallest point on the island and traditional residence of the governors, and thus still the most expensive place on the island to live (monthly rents can easily top $100,000).
Developments on the south of the island, exposed to typhoons and historically on the wrong side of the hills, are more limited but growing thanks to better connections including a cross-island tunnel, although the MTR is still notably lacking. Larger centers include Aberdeen and Stanley.
Districts
Hong Kong Island consists of many small districts, however for administration purposes the Island is broken down as follows:
Get in
There are numerous ways to get to Hong Kong Island.
By boat
Star Ferry is the classic way to get to Hong Kong Island from Kowloon. There are 4 routes operated by Star Ferry.
New World First Ferry operates some other routes between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Fortune Ferry operates one route.
Coral Sea Ferry operates two routes between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
The Transport Department also provides an online directory on Hong Kong's ferry service.
Note that, due to an ongoing reclamation and redevelopment project in Central/Admiralty that includes a new ferry terminal, much of the shoreline is presently a mess and access to the ferries can be a little confusing — take heed of signs warning about the ever-shifting arrangements.
By bus
For bus numbering of cross-harbor busses, see the Hong Kong section.
Bus fare is ranging from $8.9 to $9.4 for routes linking the urban areas in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Some routes heading for more remote places are charged at a higher fare.
By metro
From more distant points the three lines of the MTR crossing the harbour may offer a faster alternative.
By train
If coming from the airport, the Airport Express's Hong Kong station is the heart of Central.
Get around
By escalator
The world's longest outdoor escalator travels from Central through Soho to the residential developments of the Mid-levels. The escalator moves down in the morning rush hour but up the rest of the time, and using it is free — in fact, you can even get Octopus credits from machines along the way for being willing to use your feet!
By tram
Operated by Hong Kong Tramways, the narrow double-decker city trams trundling on the north coast of Hong Kong Island are a Hong Kong icon. Trams are slow and the route, follows the coastline of a century ago which has been long since pushed inland by reclamation, is tortuous, but with a flat fare of only $2 even if you travel the full 1.5 hours from end to end, they're the cheapest sightseeing tour around.
In a league of its own is the Peak Tram, Hong Kong's first mechanised mode of transport, opened back in 1888. The remarkably steep 1.7-km track up from Central to Victoria Peak is worth at least one trip despite the comparatively steep price ($20 one-way, $30 return).
On foot
Your own feet remain one of the best ways to get around the crowded northern shore of the Island. Note that there are often no level crossings of major roads, so keep an eye out for walkways and underpasses.
See
Do
Buy
Central's shopping malls are packed with expensive branded goods. For department stores, head to Causeway Bay.
Shopping malls
Causeway Bay is probably the best place for shopping in Hong Kong in terms of variety and price. There are several large department stores like Sogo which are popular meeting places for locals. The area around World Trade Centre is also full of shops.
Markets
Eat
Prices on the Island tend to be higher than elsewhere in Hong Kong, but the selection of food (especially non-Chinese fare) is also larger. Soho, halfway up the Central Escalator, has a wide array of trendy and/or atmospheric restaurants serving international food.
Mid-range
Splurge
Drink
The best nightlife locations are Lan Kwai Fong and Wan Chai.
One special feature of Hong Kong is the drinking places high-up on commercial buildings. For example there are some funky drinking places in Hennessy Building on Yan Pan Road, which is at the juncture between Happy Valley and Causeway Bay, and it is always nice to sip your drinks while having an overview of Hong Kong Island – especially as the drinks are cheap.
Sleep
There is a plethora of high-end accommodation available on the Island, but less at the cheaper ends of the scale. You can save money if you are prepared to book at one of the last minute websites (usually within 20 days) .
Mid-range
Luxury
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong, China. It had a population of 1,268,112 and its population density was 15,915/km² in 2006. The island was captured by the United Kingdom in the early 1840s, and the City of Victoria was then established on the island. The Central area on the island is the historical, political and economic centre of Hong Kong. The northern coast of the island forms the southern shore of the Victoria Harbour, which is largely responsible for the development of Hong Kong due to its deep waters favored by large trade ships.
The island is home to many of the most famous sights in Hong Kong, such as "The Peak", Ocean Park, many historical sites and various large shopping centres. The mountain ranges across the island are also famous for hiking.
The northern part of Hong Kong Island together with Kowloon forms the core urban area of Hong Kong. Their combined area is approximately 88.3 km2 (34.5 sq. mi.) and their combined population (that of the northern part of the island and of Kowloon) is approximately 3,156,500, reflecting a population density of 35,700/km² (91,500/sq. mi.).
The island is also sometimes locally referred to as "the Island side" (in specific reference to the south side of the Victoria Harbour).
Administration
Districts located on the island:
Note: Hong Kong Island is not part of the Islands District.
History
Hong Kong Island was first occupied militarily by Captain Charles Elliot, British Royal Navy, on 20 January 1841. It was known as the "barren rock". The Royal Navy landed at Possession Point.
The Treaty of Nanking officially ceded the Island to Great Britain in 1842.
The Second World War was a dark period for Hong Kong. Britons, Canadians, Indians and the Hong Kong Volunteer Defense Forces resisted the Japanese invasion commanded by Sakai Takashi which started on December 8, 1941, eight hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. However the Japanese were able to take control of the Hong Kong skies on the first day of attack, outnumbering the defensive forces. The Britons and the Indians retreated from the Gin Drinker's Line and consequently from Kowloon under heavy aerial bombardment and artillery barrage. Fierce fighting continued on Hong Kong Island between the Japanese and Canadians, the result of which was the loss of the only reservoir in Hong Kong. The Canadian Winnipeg Grenadiers fought at the crucial point of Wong Nai Chong Gap and successfully secured the passage between downtown and the secluded southern parts of the island. However, their victory did not last long.
Hong Kong fell on December 25, 1941, also known as black Christmas to the local Hong Kong people. The Governor of Hong Kong, Mark Young, surrendered in person at the temporary Japanese headquarters, on the third floor of the Peninsula Hotel. Isogai Rensuke became the first Japanese governor of Hong Kong. Hyper-inflation and food rationing followed; and the Japanese declared Hong Kong Dollars illegal. Furthermore, 10,000 women were raped in the first few days after Hong Kong's capture and a large number of suspected dissidents were executed. The Japanese cut rations for civilians to conserve food for soldiers, usually to starvation levels. Many people were forcibly moved to famine- and disease-ridden areas of the mainland. When the Japanese surrendered to the United States on August 14, 1945, the population of Hong Kong had shrunk to 600,000, less than half of the pre-war population of 1.6 million.
Geography
Hong Kong Island is the second-largest island of the territory, the largest being Lantau Island. Its area is 80.4 km², including 6.98 km² of land reclaimed since 1887 and some smaller scale ones since 1851. It makes up approximately 7% of the total territory. It is separated from the mainland (Kowloon Peninsula and New Territories) by Victoria Harbour.
Demographics
Its population as of 2000 is 1,367,900, which makes up approximately 19% of that of Hong Kong. Its population density is higher than for the whole of Hong Kong, ca. 18,000 per km². However, the population density of the island as a whole is a misleading figure as the northern portion of the island, the portion that excludes the Southern District, is much higher than that of the southern portion. The combined population of the more densely populated districts of Central and Western, Wan Chai, and Eastern is 1,085,500, which puts the density of the urbanised part of the island closer to 26,000 per km², or 67,000 per mi². The area of this part of the island is approximately 41.3 km², or 16.1 mi². Together with Kowloon, these urban areas contain 47% of the total population.
Transport
The Island Line of the MTR underground railway network runs exclusively on Hong Kong Island, from West to East, along the northern coastline of the island. However, the western part of the island is not yet served by the railway. The government and MTR have planned to extend the Island Line to Kennedy Town, the western tip of the island. The extension is expected to start construction in 2008 and open in 2012.
Hong Kong Tramways and the Peak Tram run exclusively on Hong Kong Island, from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan, with a branch links from Causeway Bay to Happy Valley.
Hong Kong Island is connected to the Kowloon Peninsula on the mainland by two road-only tunnels (the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and the Western Harbour Tunnel), two MTR railway tunnels (Tsuen Wan Line and Tung Chung Line) and one combined road and MTR rail link tunnel (Eastern Harbour Tunnel, containing the Tseung Kwan O Line and road traffic in separate conduits running side by side). A fourth rail link (Shatin to Central Link from Causeway Bay to Hung Hom) and a fourth harbour-crossing tunnel are being planned in order to solve the congested traffic of the current tunnels in peak hours. There is no bridge between the island and the mainland. A bridge connects Ap Lei Chau and Wong Chuk Hang of Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island. It was opened in 1983 with two lanes and was expanded to four in 1994.
See also
External links
