Central and Western District

The Central and Western district (中西區) is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. Population (2001 census): 261,884.

Central is the central business area, or financial district, of Hong Kong. Western is one of the areas of early development in Hong Kong. Both are located in the northern part of Hong Kong Island.

History

Central was the site of Victoria City, the first British urban settlement in Hong Kong. In 1857, the British government expanded Victoria City and divided it into seven districts. The ones located in present-day Central and Western are: Sai Ying Pun, Sheung Wan, Tai Ping Shan, Central.

In 1880, Shek Tong Tsui was established, followed by Kennedy Town in the 20th century.

Politics

District councils in Hong Kong are primarily consultative bodies of the HKSAR government with very limited powers, primarily restricted to building and maintaining parks, open areas, recreational and cultural activities and tourist promotion.

District council elections are held every four years; the last one was held on November 23 2003 for terms beginning January 1, 2004. 15 constituency members are elected while 4 are appointed by the government. The constituency areas are smaller than the commonly used geographic areas, which are in turn based on the old 1857 and 1880 divisions.

• Chung Wan
• Mid-Levels East
• Castle Road
• Peak
• University
• Kennedy Town (堅尼地城) and Mount Davis (摩星嶺)
• Kwun Lung (觀龍)
• Sai Wan
• Belcher
• Shek Tong Tsui (石塘咀)
• Sai Ying Pun (西營盤)
• Tung Wah
• Centre Street (正街)
• Water Street (水街)

Current members are:

• CHAN Tak-chor (chairman) (Liberal)
• WU Chor-nam (vice-chaiman)
• CHAN Chit-kwai, Stephen
• LAM Kin-lai (Hong Kong Progressive Alliance)
• CHAN Choi-hi, Dominic
• LEUNG Yiu-cho, Henry (Democratic Party)
• CHENG Lai-king (Democratic Party)
• LIN Mark (Liberal)
• CHUNG Yam-cheung (DAB)
• TAI Cheuk-yin, Leslie Spencer
• HO Chun-ki (Democratic Party)
• Victor YEUNG (Democratic Party)
• Cyd HO Sau-lan (former legislator) (The Frontier)
• YEUNG Wai-foon (DAB)
• KAM Nai-wai (Democratic Party)
• YOUNG Siu-chuen, Albert
• KWOK Ka-ki
• YUEN Bun-keung (Democratic Party)
• LAI Kwok-hung

Demographics

Hong Kong's 2001 census put the total population of the district at 261,884, with 89,545 households. Among the 18 districts, Central and Western has the second highest median household income in the territory (HK$25,350 per month, behind only Wan Chai District, and is at a par with Wan Chai in median monthly per capita income, at HK$13,000 per month. In terms of average size of households, it is third smallest at 2.8 persons, behind only Wan Chai and Yau Tsim Mong District, at 2.7 each.

Geography and political subdivisions

The district is located at Template:Coor dms, based on the location of the General Post Office). With an area of 12.4 km², the district occupies the northwestern portion of Hong Kong Island. It is surrounded by Wan Chai district on the east, Southern District on the south, and Victoria harbour in the north. The district also encompasses Green Island and Little Green Island, two uninhabited islands to the west of Hong Kong Island.

Areas from west to east along Victoria Harbour are: Kennedy Town, Sai Ying Pun, Sheung Wan, Central, Admiralty.

Neighbourhoods within the district are listed from east to west.

Admiralty

• Queensway

Central

Main article: Central, Hong Kong

Central is the business centre of Hong Kong, and many multinational financial services corporations have their headquarters there. The Government Hill, the site of the government headquarters, is also in Central.

Central mid-levels escalator

Central-Mid-Levels escalator, passing through Soho at Elgin Street

Main article: Central-Mid-Levels escalator

The Central-Mid-levels escalator in Hong Kong is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world. The system is 800 meters long, connecting Des Voeux Road Central, in Central with Conduit Road in the Mid-levels, passing through narrow streets in Soho, Hong Kong.

The escalator runs downhill from 6 am to 10 am and uphill from 10:30 am to midnight everyday. Apart from its significance in transport linkage, it is also a tourist attraction, with many restaurants, bars, and shops lining its route.

Bank of China Tower

Main article: Bank of China Tower

The Bank of China Tower in Central houses the headquarters of BOCHK. Designed by I. M. Pei, the 70 storey building's height is 315 meters with two masts reaching 369 meters. Construction began in 1985 and the building was completed in 1989. It was the first building outside the United States to exceed 1,000 feet and to exceed 300 metres. It was the tallest building in Hong Kong and Asia from 1989 to 1992.

City Hall

Main article: City Hall, Hong Kong

Built in 1962, the City Hall complex housed the old central library of Hong Kong, as well as concert halls, restaurants and a marriage registry. The conference room of the former Urban Council was also at the lower building of the City Hall.

The garden at the north-western side of the complex includes a memorial to those killed in Hong Kong during World War II.

Prince of Wales Building

Main article: Prince of Wales Building

The funnel-shaped Prince of Wales Building housed the headquarters of the British garrison in Hong Kong until the territory's handover to the People's Republic of China on June 30, 1997. It now houses the local garrison of the People's Liberation Army and is formally known as Central Barracks, in line with PLA convention for naming barracks after the name of the locality.

Other landmarks

• Cenotaph, Hong Kong
• Chater Garden, Hong Kong
• Edinburgh Place, Hong Kong – including Queen's Pier and the Star Ferry pier
• Exchange Square
• Former Supreme Court Building
• Harcourt Park
• Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens
• Hong Kong Club
• Hong Kong Park

• HSBC Hong Kong headquarters building
• International Finance Centre
• Jardine house
• Lan Kwai Fong
• Legislative Council building
• Lippo Center
• Old Bank of China Building
• Peak Tram terminus
• Prince of Wales building
• St. John's Cathedral, Hong Kong
• St. Joseph Church, Hong Kong
• St. Paul's Church, Hong Kong
• St. Paul's Co-educational College
• Soho
• Statue Square
• The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Hong Kong
• Union Church, Hong Kong

Mid-levels

• Government House

Sheung Wan

• The Center

Secondary schools

Arranged by alphabetical order of their full names in each category.

Government-administered schools

• King's College [1] (http://kings.school.net.hk/)

Aided schools

• Caritas St. Francis Secondary School [2] (http://www.fps.edu.hk/)
• Lok Sin Tong Leung Kau Kui College [3] (http://lstlkkc.school.net.hk/)
• Raimondi College [4] (http://raimondi.school.net.hk/)
• St. Clare's Girls' School [5] (http://stclare.school.net.hk/index.html)
• St. Joseph's College [6] (http://sjc.school.net.hk/)
• St. Louis School [7] (http://www.stlouis.edu.hk/)
• St. Stephen's Church College [8] (http://home.netteens.net/~sscc/)
• St. Stephen's Girls' College [9] (http://www.ssgc.edu.hk/)
• Ying Wa Girls' School [10] (http://www.ywgs.edu.hk/)

Schools under Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS)

• Hon Wah Middle School [11] (http://www.honwah.edu.hk/),[12] (http://honwah.school.net.hk/)
• St. Margaret's Girls' College, Hong Kong [13] (http://www.smgchk.edu.hk/)
• St. Paul's Co-educational College [14] (http://spcc.school.net.hk/)
• St. Paul's College [15] (http://spc.hkcampus.net/)

International schools

• Carmel School [16] (http://www.carmel.edu.hk)
• German Swiss International School [17] (http://www.gsis.edu.hk/)
• Island School [18] (http://www.island.edu.hk/) (under funding of English Schools Foundation, subsidized by government)
• Sear Rogers International School, Hong Kong Island [19] (http://www.sear-rogers.com/sris/)

Vocational and night schools (privately-funded)

• Sacred Heart Canossian College of Commerce [20] (http://www.shccc.edu.hk)
• St. Paul's Secondary Evening School

Tertiary institutions

• The University of Hong Kong
• Caritas Francis Hsu College

See also

• List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong
• Tourism in Hong Kong

External links

• Central and Western District Council (http://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/central/english/welcome.htm)
• Electoral Boundary Map (http://www.info.gov.hk/eac/pdf/distco/maps/dc2003a.pdf)
• GO HK - Central and Western District (http://www.gohk.gov.hk/eng/cw/cw_01.html)

References

• Coordinates are courtesy of the GNS system of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (External link (http://www.nima.mil/gns/html/index.html)).

Template:Hong Kong de:Central and Western zh:中西區 (香港)