Mid-levels
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Mid-levels (半山區) is a residential area in Hong Kong. Located halfway up the mountain, between the Peak and Central, it is one of the most popular and high-class residential areas for both local people and expatriates. In the olden days, mainly the expatriates lived there, but not many locals.
Location
Precisely, Mid-levels includes the area between Queen's Road Central and the Peak, from Caine Road and Robinson Road in the west to Conduit Road in the east. It is mainly divided into East Mid-levels, Central Mid-levels and West Mid-levels.
Special characteristics of the Mid-levels
One of the reasons for its attraction is that it provides a lot of choices for housing from the very luxurious to small and compact apartments and the cost of these apartments varies considerably according to their sizes and locations. The cost ranges from a few million dollars to about two hundred million dollars. Mid-levels is located at a superior region, apart from having a bird's eye view of the mesmerizing view of the Victoria Harbor from Mid-Levels, it is close to Central and Admiralty, which are both significant intense business areas providing easy and convenient access for the businessmen living in Mid-levels.
The Mid-levels is surrounded by nature and thus have the fresh air that has almost entirely dissipated in Hong Kong. These account for the extremely high price of all the residential buildings in Mid-levels. As some people believe that health is equivalent to wealth, many famous people are convinced that it is worthwhile to pay such a high price for a house or apartment in this area. Therefore, it is easy to spot many well known people in this district.
Also, the Mid Levels West provides both traditional and historical features. For example, the old buildings in Sheung Wan fall into one of the many traditional and historical features. Moreover, many prestigious colleges and schools can be found in Mid-Levels, with the most historical and famous ones being probably The University of Hong Kong and St. Joseph's College.
One other characteristic one can find in Mid-Levels is the naming of roads after a myriad of former Governors of Hong Kong, such as Bonham Road (after George Bonham, 1848-1854) and Kennedy Road (after Arthur E. Kennedy, 1872-1877). Many of the roads in this area are within walking distance of the Central Business District, which is accessible by a long escalator from Central (see below).
Famous streets
Most of the streets in Mid-levels have their own characteristics that mark them different from each other. Each street has a particular theme and shops in a particular street sell similar items related to that theme. It is convenient for people to compare the quality and prices of those products and thus makes bargaining easier. Let us look at some intriguing details of the well known streets found in Mid-levels.
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Hollywood Road
- see Hollywood Road for details.
Lying in the center of the Mid-levels area is a very special road - Hollywood Road. While walking along the road, you would seemingly find yourself entering an art museum, because of the vast open-air curio market in which more than 70 antique and artifact shops and galleries are located. These quaint locales are ideal places for picking up eclectic souvenirs and gifts. They mainly sell artworks and antique like: paintings, Chinese and European artworks, India carpets in addition to some small artifacts that are rather rare and hard to find. Besides, loads of outlandish items from Ming Dynasty furniture and lotus lamps to Mao badges and ancient snuff bottles are on sale here.
Lascar Row
Lascar Row is situated between the west of Queen's Road and Hollywood Road. The word Lascar is indeed caustically interesting, as it comes from the word Moorman, which means "ugly Indian"! Lascar Row is also dubbed Cat Street since in the past, thieves used to sell their stolen stuff in this street and so the English called these thieves cat. The entrance is marked by twin stone lions of the Tang Dynasty. Similar to Hollywood Road, many handicrafts and antiquities are also available there. You can find a variety of cranky products there, such as some vases and coins from different dynasties, and this special feature of Lascar Row attracts many collectors in hopes of finding their targeted priceless and timeless treasure.
The Central-Mid-levels Escalator
The Central-Mid-levels escalator is 800 m long, the longest in the world. It was opened to the public on October 15, 1994. It plays a very important role in transport linkage in Hong Kong since it links Central with Conduit Road in the Mid-Levels, and people travelling between these two places can thus save a lot of time. 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 spot.
Others
- Wing Lok Street - It is commonly called Ginseng and Bird's Nest Street. A majority of fascinating ginseng and bird's shops can be found here.
- Des Voeux Road West - You can find exotic dried seafood from all around the world, including such rare and expensive items as abalone, in the Des Voeux Road West area. That's why it is also known as a Dried Seafood Street.
- Ko Shing Street - This street has another name called "Herbal Medicine Street", which is the wholesale centre of Hong Kong's thriving herbal medicine business.
- Bonham Strand West - It was built on a newly reclaimed land in Sheung Wan in 1849. The merchants at that time came from different provinces in China such as Fujian and Shandong, or from cities including Guangzhou and Shanghai. They opened many stores selling specialty goods and groceries from all over Southeast Asia and Mainland China. Another common name of this street is Nam Pak Hong Street.
- Gage Street - If you like tasting different kinds of food, it is a good idea for you to take a stroll here. In this street, the best local style cuisines, namely fragrant soups, noodles, herbal teas and pastries, are served outdoors so that you can enjoy your meal in the most relaxing and refreshed environment.
- Stanley Street - Stanley Street is saturated with modern technology. It is regarded as the "photographer's paradise" since cameras, films and accessories are available here at very reasonable prices.
- Pottinger Street - The only things that you can find here is a series of small stalls selling small items such as ribbons, bows, buttons and other things related to needlework.
- Li Yuen Streets East and West - These alleys are narrow, compact and packed with stalls and shops selling casual wear, leatherwear and knick-knacks, serving mainly local housewives and visitors.
- Lyndhurst Terrace - In this street, you can find shops selling ancient maps, paintings, crafts and antiques. Artifacts from early Chinese dynasties are available here. Apart from the shops featuring historic heritage, salons and spas can also be found there. In the past, the governor Chris Patten often visited a particular shop there to have the freshly baked egg tart.
Food and drinks
Hong Kong is often regarded as the paradise of food, and different cuisines from all over the world can be found in Mid-levels. No matter where you come from or what kind of food you desire or favor, Mid-levels may be a place for you to eat out with friends. Not only does it provide you with a quiet and comfortable environment to chat with your friends, but it also allows you to experience other cultures from all over the world.
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Lan Kwai Fong
Lan Kwai Fong is a good place for the brilliance nightlife, because you can find a lot of bars, discos and coffee shops around this area, in addition to many large functions held during public holidays and festive occasions. So it is a nice place for gatherings with friends, having a drink at leisure after work. It also attracts a lot of foreigners to have a drink there. During the daytime, bars in Lan Kwai Fong are nearly all closed as people inside are probably preparing for nighttime to dawn. In stark contrast, at night, Lan Kwai Fong is so full of life that you can see a multitude of cultures that exists in Hong Kong. In some special occasions such as Halloween and New Year's Eve, it becomes the ideal area for celebrations.
However, a tragedy happened there on New Year's Eve in 1992 when 21 people were tramped to death by a huge crowd of people celebrating. Circumstances that contributed to the disaster were the narrow streets, a steep gradient, poor police planning and bad weather. However, the situation in Lan Kwai Fong has been improved a lot nowadays. No matter how tragic and grieving that incident was, Lan Kwai Fong still remains a very famous spot of tourist attraction in Hong Kong up till today.
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Soho
Soho (named after its location "South of Hollywood Road"), is another hot spot in Hong Kong. It is further west from Lan Kwai Fong, around Staunton Street and Elgin Street. Soho offers a compact, fashionable area of bars and restaurants with food from the Himalayas to the Louisiana Bayou, and from Malaysia to the Mediterranean. It becomes well-known due to the fact that this tiny area serves a very wide range of international cuisine, for example: Chinese, Japanese, Nepalese, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, etc.
Recreation
Midlevels is a place with a lot of recreational facilities, as famous parks such as Hong Kong Park and well-known buildings can be found here. They provide you with a relaxing environment that you can enjoy with your family and friends at leisure. On the other hand, the Peak is also a famous place for recreation and sightseeing. These places have become the destinations that a myriad of tourists and visitors crave to see most when they come to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Park
to be merged with Hong Kong Park
Hong Kong Park is located next to Cotton Tree Drive in Central and can be easily reached by walking through the Pacific Place and its nearby escalator. Hong Kong Park was open to public in May 1991. It covers an area of 80,000 m² and is an outstanding example of modern design and facilities blending with natural landscape.
Hong Kong Park captures the natural landscape in the busy and crowded business centres and provides a relaxing environment, with its main feature being Hong Kong's largest aviary. In addition, Vantage Point is another great place to see a variety of birds. Inside Hong Kong Park, there is a greenhouse which holds various species of plants and the orchid exhibition running from February till March. There are also many modern gardens, including Garden Plaza and Tai Chi Garden. In order to suit sport-lovers, a sport centre and a squash centre have also been built in Hong Kong Park. For people who are interested in art or teaware, it is a good idea to visit the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre and the Flagstaff House Museum, since they are situated near Hong Kong Park.
Furthermore, apart from the Hong Kong Park, if you want to stroll in some more conservational areas in Mid-levels, country parks such as Tai Tam Country Park and Aberdeen Country Park are some perfect choices for both Hong Kong people and visitors to savor the unpolluted realms far away from the "concrete forest".
The Peak
to be merged with Victoria Peak
The Peak is one of the attractive tourist destinations in Hong Kong. The Peak is conveniently reachable by several means of public transportation, though it is highly recommended to take the Peak Tram. It only takes 7 minutes to travel from the bottom of the hill (Admiralty) to the upper terminal at the Peak Tower. Travelling in the Peak tramway is a wonderful experience when you look back at its historical importance. In 1888, it carried its first flock of passengers and has served as one of the city's most vital transport links over the last century. It remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hong Kong. The Peak Tram runs every day, even on Sundays and public holidays, between 7:00 am and 12:00 midnight. The tram departs every 15 minutes.
In addition to tourists, the Peak is popular among the locals. From the Peak, the whole picture-perfect scenario of Hong Kong comes into view. When fireworks are being set off in Victoria Harbour, for instance during the Lunar New Year, the Peak is usually a good place to view them. A special building, Peak Tower, which is shaped like a Chinese wok, is also situated on the Peak.
Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens
The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is one of the oldest Zoological and Botanical centres in the world. It is located on the northern slope of Victoria Peak and has been opened to the public since 1862. In 1871, the name was officially changed to Botanical Gardens, and in 1975, the name was changed again to Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens. This venerable park was previously named Ping Tao Garden, as it was linked to the garden to the Government House in those days, meaning the Chief Commander's Garden. In 1958, a bronze statue of King Geoge VI was erected in the garden to mark the centenary year in which Hong Kong became a British Colony.
The history of keeping wild animals in the Garden can traced as early as 1876. But at that time, animals were kept for entertainment purpose only. From 1970s to now on, emphasis have changed to techniques in captive breeding and conservation breeding programmes for zoological collection. Today, the Garden have collection of over 600 birds, 70 mammals and 40 reptiles which are housed in about 40 enclosures. Collections such as American Flamingo, Jaguar and Burmese Python can be found. For botanical collection, the Garden keep for more than 1000 species of inland plant. Example of collections are Conifer, Fig, Palm, Gum Trees and Magnolia. Besides, a Greenhouse standing at the eastern boundary of the Garden houses over 150 native and exotic species including orchids, ferns, bromeliads, climbers and house plants etc. The opening hours of the Garden varies differently according to the area. For fountain terrace garden :6am - 10 pm; for green house 9am - 4:30 pm; for other areas: 6am - 7pm. All parts of the Garden are free to the public.
Lung Fu Shan Country Park
Lung Fu Shan Country Park covers the densely vegetated slopes of Lung Fu Shan, including the disused Pinewood Battery as well as the Pinewood Garden picnic area, providing a scenic backdrop to the residential and commercial districts of Hong Kong Island. It is situated at the north of Pok Fu Lam Country Park. Towards the east of Lung Fu Shan Country Park is Hatton Road, to the south is Harlech Road whereas to the north and west is a covered conduit constructed by the Water Supplies Department. This country park covers an area of about 470,000 m² and also commands an excellent vistas of the western part of the territory and the Victoria Harbour.
Wan Tsai Nature Trail
Wan Tsai Nature Trail is a short footpath and it only takes about 2 hours to follow the trail thoroughly. It introduces knowledge about nature, mainly concerning with biological, geological and geographical aspects.
Jockey Club Mt. Davis Youth Hostel
Jockey Club Mt. Davis Youth Hostel has a 270° Victoria Harbor sea view and an unique outdoor scenic corner with marvelous panoramic view of the Victoria Harbor. It is good for both couples and families.
Art and culture
In Mid-levels, you are able to feel the culture trait, ranging from the traditional to the modern cultures. Different sorts of cultural buildings such as museums, temples and churches can be found here. They offer you an opportunity to enrich your knowledge and broaden your horizons. Through walking along these museums and famous old buildings, you will have the feeling of going back to the past and experience the multiplicity of culture in Hong Kong.
The Flagstaff House Museum
Inside the Hong Kong Park, there is the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware (茶具文物館), which is a branch museum of the Hong Kong Museum of Art. It was built in the 1840s and originally served as the office and residence of the Commander of the British Forces in Hong Kong. However, it was converted to the Museum of Tea Ware in 1984, with a new wing (the K.S. Lo Gallery) added in 1995. Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware specializes in the collection, study and display of tea ware. In order to promote Chinese tea drinking culture, a lot of exhibitions are held in the museum. For example, special Exhibition of Pottery and Porcelain: A Journey of Discovery will be displayed from 10 Mar 2004 to 13 Dec 2004. Moreover, there are also permanent exhibitions such as Chinese Tea Drinking and Chinese Ceramics and Seals Donated by the K.S. Lo Foundation. Besides, video programmes in Cantonese and Japanese version, regular presentations and lecture programmes, services like free guided tours and giftshops can also be found. The most special and interesting service provided in the museum is the Chinese Teahouse. It is located on the ground floor of the K.S. Lo Gallery, its main purpose not only serves Chinese tea, but also holds tea demonstrations regularly. After you tour the galleries, you may feel tired and thirsty, then you can go there to enjoy a nice cup of tea, which can make you feel relaxed and refreshed.
Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre
The Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre is located at Kennedy Road in Central, with the main aim of the centre supporting local art creation. The centre was restructured from an early 20th century building (Cassels Block, former barracks for married British officers) in order to provide an arena and facilities for local artists to enhance their creativity. You can enjoy a lot of modern artifacts and sculptures in this centre.
The Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences
The building of Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences was established in 1906. It was previously called Pathological Institute. Being the first laboratory of bacteriology in Hong Kong, it was constructed of red bricks and was comprised of three blocks. The main block is a two-storey building with a basement. The second one was used as a dormitory and the third for keeping animals. In 1972, the institute was relocated to Victoria Road and building was then used as a storeroom for Pathology Service for the Health Department. In 1995, it was handed over to the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences Society and converted to a museum for the public. The museum is still located at the same place, 2 Caine Lane at Mid-levels. It is a three-tier building occupying 10,000 square feet (930 m²) and it consists of 11 exhibition galleries including 1 gallery for Tai Ping Shan View, 1 library and 1 lecture room. A herbal garden can also be found. There, a collection of different types of herbs are shown and the studies of their medical properties are carried out. The aim of the museum is to exhibit and educate the public about Hong Kong's medical history as well as to preserve historical medical materials relating to the local development of medicine. Occasionally, special activities are held by the museum to inform the public about medical information and news. Publications and leaflets are also distributed to the public occasionally so as to help arouse the interest of the public in the medical history of Hong Kong and increase their knowledge and understanding of health and diseases. This museum is special and meaningful since it is the first of its kind among all the medical museums in the world!
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Central Police Station
The Central Police Station is located at Hollywood Road. It was built in 1864, and the other blocks were added between 1910 and 1925. Many police stations were built during this period because a huge amount of people moved to Hong Kong from mainland China and thus peace and order had to be maintained. This four-story grey building has a classical style, as it is built with Doric-style columns. With its long history and antiquated architectural style, the Central Police Station stands as a mute testimony symbolizing Hong Kong's colonial heritage . In the past, the police station was used as the headquarters of the police; however, its importance declined when the new police headquarters was built in Wan Chai after World War II. Today it still functions as a police station, dormitory as well as prison, and is used as both the Hong Kong Island Regional Police Headquarters and the Central District Police Headquarters.
However, the Central Police Station has to face a reconstruction in the near future since the Government intends to convert the Police Station and the magistracy into modern food plazas, a museum and an art gallery. Besides, the Victoria prison is also designated to be converted into either a theatre or a museum. They will then become tourist spots using their historical backgrounds to attract visitors.
The University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong (UMAG)
The UMAG is located inside the University of Hong Kong, with an aim to promote Chinese art and culture to college students and the entire community. The UMAG usually holds some high standard exhibitions and art educational activities in order to promote the art education in Hong Kong. For example, the exhibition--Brilliant Tranquility: Paintings by Szeto Lap is held from 7 February to 14 March in 2004. The museum is located in the Fung Ping Shan Building, which is situated next to the main entrance of the university. In addition, the Art Gallery is located in the three lower storeys of the T T Tsui Building, which is located next to the Fung Ping Shan Building. Also, there is a bridge linking the two building together.
Education
Education is greatly emphasized by the Hong Kong government. Therefore it is not surprising to find a lot of schools and colleges in the Mid-levels. The most famous one, of course, is the University of Hong Kong which is believed to be the top educational center in Hong Kong for many decades. Other famous secondary schools such as King's College are also located here.
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The Main Building of the University of Hong Kong
The Main Building of the University of Hong Kong is the oldest of all the university's structures. Donated by Sir H N Mody, this building's construction began in 1910 and was completed in 1912 at Pok Fu Lam Road. It is made of red bricks and granite and a four turrets with a central clock tower. The clock tower was donated by Sir Paul Chater. The central Great Hall of Main Building is named after the wealthy businessman Lok Yew. In the Second World War, the entire building was damaged but was later repaired. In 1952, two more courtyards were built south to the building and an additional one was completed in 1958. At present, the building houses various departments of the Arts Faculty.
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Hung Hing Ying Building, The University of Hong Kong
In 1919, Sir Paul Chater and Professor G P Jordan donated money for the construction of the building, Hung Hing Ying Building, near the Main Building of the University of Hong Kong. This building was designed to house the student union. After the Second World War, it became the Administrative Building. In 1960, the east wing was added and it was made to the Senior Common Room for Staff in 1974. The name of the building remains unchanged until today and it houses the Department of Music at the present.
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Old Hall, The University of Hong Kong
Old Hall used to be a residence hall for students. It was divided into three blocks: Lugard Hall, Eliot Hall and May Hall, which were built in 1913,1914 and 1915 respectively. All buildings were made of red-bricks, three-storey high, with interconnecting stairs and corridors. The University combined the three halls and renamed it Old Halls in 1969. The Lugard Hall was demolished in 1991, the Eliot Hall became the Administrative Building and the May Hall is used as Office for General Education Unit.
St. Paul's Co-educational College
pictures: Entrance (http://www.spcc.edu.hk/sec/Photos/actual/4/entrance.jpg), Primary School (http://www.hk-place.com/bpic/b234011.jpg), Inside the Campus (http://www.spcc.edu.hk/sec/SchoolLife/School1.jpg)
St. Paul's Co-ed. had its first premises at Caine Road in 1915, and moved to the current site at Macdonnell Road in 1925. It was founded as St. Paul's Girls' College, and was converted into co-educational after the World War 2, and was the first co-educational secondary school in Hong Kong. Dr Catherine Woo Building of the campus was the only portion built in 1925, before subsequent expansions took place.
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King's College
King's College was built as Sai Ying Pun School in 1879 at the corner of Bonham Road and Western Street. The British used the school as the quarters and hospital for the British Shanghai Defence Force soon after it opened. In 1928, it was reverted to a school but was turned into a stable in 1941 by the Japanese. It became a school again in 1950 and it remains a Government School since then. The building is constructed of red bricks and has three wings: east, south and north.
Religion
Hong Kong is a free place and every resident can have belief in their own gods. This is the freedom of religion. A large amount of churches are available to spread the messages of Jesus Christ since Christianity is the most popular religion in Hong Kong. Now, we not only give you the examples of famous church, but also a temple called Man Mo Temple, which is specialized by its special cultural characteristics.
Roman Catholic Cathedral
Man Mo Temple
Man Mo Temple, as one of the traditional temples in Hong Kong, is another popular tourist spot. Inside Man Mo Temple the Taoist Gods of Literature (Man)with his calligraphy brush and War (Mo) with his sword are enshrined. Tourists can shake fortune sticks out of a bamboo cylinder, which is available in the temple and get the predictions inscribed on the sticks in the book "Man Mo Temple". If you run into ill luck or if you intend to look for your better half, it is a good idea to go there to have a prediction from the Gods. They may give you guidelines and help you by different means. Moreover, the income of the temple will all be contributed to charitable organizations to help others in need.
Union Church Hong Kong
Union Church Hong Kong is located at Kennedy Road in Mid-Levels, up the hill from Central and Admiralty, and next to where the Peak Tram bridge intersects with Kennedy Road. It is an international, interdenominational church which was established in Hong Kong in 1844. The first Union Church was built in 1845 on Hollywood Road. And then, in 1866, the Church relocated to a new site on Staunton Street. Until 1888, due to the church on the Staunton Street had become very crowded and it was moved to the current site on Kennedy Road. Union Church has a long history and during World War II, it was forced to be closed owing to the invasion of the Japanese.
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Hop Yat Church
The church was founded in 1862 and located at No.2 Bonham Road. Hop Yat Church was formerly the Daoji Mission House. The union of all Christians in Mainland China made them established the Chinese Church in 1920. A new church was completed and named Hop Yat Church in 1926. The exterior wall has a memorial stone with an inscription of the year 1924.
Health Care
Hospital can be found in Mid-levels, namely the Hong Kong Central Hospital. It plays a very important role in maintaining the healthy and meaningful life of Hong Kong people from all walks of life.
The Hong Kong Central Hospital
The Hong Kong Central Hospital (Website (http://www.hkch.org/)) is conveniently located in the town center. It provides an elegant and comfortable setting while delivering medical services of the highest standard. All wards are air-conditioned and designed for the optimal round-the-clock patient care. It provides the following health services: 24 hours telemetry system in the Special Care Unit, new laser in Cosmetic Treatment, Endoscopy, Extracorporeal Lithotripsy, Mammorgraphy and Bone Densitometry units.
See also
External links
- Country Parks of Hong Kong (http://parks.afcd.gov.hk/newparks/chi/country/profile_02.htm) (in Chinese)
- Hong Kong Central Hospital (http://www.ha.org.hk)
- Hong Kong Tourism Board site (http://www.discoverhongkong.com)
- Mid-Levels Photo Gallery (http://www.mid-levels.com/ngallery)
- Hong Kong Travel (http://www.hktvl.com) (in Chinese)
- Leisure and Cultural Services Department (http://www.lcsd.gov.hk) (Official Government site)
- Madame Tussauds Hong Kong (http://www.madame-tussauds.com.hk/html)
- Mid-levels pictures (http://digital-love.ifrance.com/digital-love/welcome3dc680ad96.htm)
- The Peak (http://www.thepeak.com.hk/)
- Union Church (http://www.unionchurchhk.org/)zh:半山區