57-509: 22°17′14″N 114°09′33″E / 22.28722°N 114.15917°E / 22.28722; 114.15917 The Central Ferry Piers (Chinese: 中環碼頭) are situated on the northeast part of Central , Hong Kong Island . The ferries mostly depart to Outlying Islands in the New Territories , with the exception of Pier 1 serving as a government pier, and ferries from piers 7 and 8 going to Kowloon . The current piers were all built in
114-534: A dozen fishing villages. The northern-east part of the island, being known as the Central area is the historical, political, and economic centre of Hong Kong, with many government buildings being in the area, namely the Government House , Central Government Complex , Legislative Council Complex , Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal and High Court of Hong Kong . Many financial institutes and banks such as
171-594: A link from Sheung Wan to Wan Chai North and the Eastern Corridor beyond Causeway Bay . It was built as part of the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation and is part of Route 4 . The bypass is toll-free. There are no bridges between the island and Kowloon, although two bridges – the Ap Lei Chau Bridge , a road bridge, and Aberdeen Channel Bridge , part of the South Island line – connect
228-554: A loop linking Causeway Bay and Happy Valley ; the latter is a funicular linking Central District to Victoria Peak . Hong Kong Island has four ferry terminals, them being the Central Ferry Piers , North Point Ferry Pier , Sai Wan Ho Ferry Pier and Wan Chai Ferry Pier . Frequently ferry services are provided from these piers to the Kowloon Peninsula and the outlying islands. A departure terminal,
285-470: Is a "movable name", which now refers to the "fourth generation" Star Ferry pier, aka Pier 7 in Central. Central, Hong Kong Central (Chinese: 中環), also known as Central District , is the central business district of Hong Kong . It is located in the northeastern corner of the Central and Western District , on the north shore of Hong Kong Island , across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui ,
342-653: Is a major transport hub for Hong Kong (see also Transport in Hong Kong ). The film The Dark Knight takes place in part in Central, Hong Kong, specifically at the Mid-Levels escalator , on the top of IFC (International Finance Centre) 2 , and crashing into IFC 1 . 22°16′55″N 114°09′29″E / 22.28194°N 114.15806°E / 22.28194; 114.15806 Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island ( Chinese : 香港島 ; Jyutping : Hoeng1 gong2 dou2 ; Cantonese Yale : Hēunggóng dóu )
399-660: Is also located in Central. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is based in IFC 2 . Chu Kong Passenger Transport is headquartered in the Chu Kong Shipping Tower (珠江船務大廈) in Central. The head office of New World Development is in the New World Tower [ zh ] in Central. HKR International has its head office in Shun Tak Centre . Before 1999, Cathay Pacific had its head office in
456-427: Is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong . The island, known originally and on road signs simply as "Hong Kong", had a population of 1,289,500 and a population density of 16,390 per square kilometre (42,400/sq mi), as of 2023 . It is the second largest island in Hong Kong, with the largest being Lantau Island . Hong Kong Island forms one of the three areas of Hong Kong , with the other two being Kowloon and
513-423: Is heavily concentrated along the northern shore. The combined population of Central and Western, Wan Chai, and Eastern is 925,200, giving this urbanised part of the island a density of around 22,500 per km , or 58,000 per mi , in its approximately 41.3 km (15.9 sq mi). The residents living in the Central and Western District and Wan Chai District have the highest median household income compared with
570-607: Is home to many hotels. It provides alternative options for those who do not want to stay in Hotels, but looking for flexible lease terms, below are some examples: Central is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 11. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and the following government schools: Bonham Road Government Primary School and Li Sing Primary School [ zh ] (李陞小學). The area
627-399: Is not clearly defined. For district council elections purposes, the area, together with Admiralty, correspond roughly to the " Chung Wan " constituency. The boundaries of such constituencies may be subject to modification. The British landed on Possession Point of Sheung Wan in 1841. They soon decided to build a city on the north coast of Hong Kong Island, and the present-day Central
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#1732772398367684-569: Is often referred to locally as "Hong Kong side" or "Island side". The suffix "-side" is also applied to other locations in Hong Kong (e.g. China-side and Kowloon Walled City -side), the sole remnant of which being the "Kowloon side" when referring to the two sides of the Victoria Harbour. Human settlement of the area dates back 6,000 years ago, as evidenced by Neolithic artifacts discovered in Stanley , Hong Kong Island. In 214 BC,
741-402: Is the second-largest island of the territory, the largest being Lantau Island . Its area is 78.59 km (30.34 sq mi), including 6.98 km (2.69 sq mi) 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 of the territory ( Kowloon Peninsula and New Territories ) by
798-569: The Cape D'Aguilar Marine Reserve , is located on the southern tip of the island in Cape D'Aguilar . It was opened in July 1996 and has a sea area of approximately 20 hectares. The reserve was set up for the purpose of the conservation of marine resources, scientific studies and education for the appreciation of precious marine resources. Visits to the marine reserve by the public is discouraged, with water sports and costal recreational activities prohibited in
855-736: The Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal is located in Sheung Wan to provide turbojet ferry services to Macau . A tourist sightseeing ferry service, branded as the "Water Taxi" is also offered. The ferry service travels in the Victoria Harbour to sightseeing attractions of Hong Kong, such as the Hong Kong Observation Wheel , International Financial Centre , Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, West Kowloon Cultural District and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal . It has 4 drop off points. Public piers are also alongside
912-703: The Hong Kong Stock Exchange , Hong Kong Monetary Authority , HSBC and Bank of China are also based in the area. 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 favoured by large trade ships. The island is home to many famous tourists sights, such as " The Peak ", Ocean Park , Former Central Police Station Compound , Murray House , and many other historical sites and various large shopping centres. The mountain ranges across
969-639: The Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Forces resisted the Japanese invasion commanded by Sakai Takashi , which began eight hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor . However, the Japanese took control of the Hong Kong skies on the first day of attack and outnumbered the defenders, which retreated from the Gin Drinkers Line and consequently from Kowloon under heavy aerial bombardment and artillery barrage. On 18 December,
1026-595: The Island line of the MTR metro system was built in the early 1980s, and the connected stations of Pedder and Chater (named after major streets in the area) were renamed as Central . On some older maps, Central and the area to its west are named Kwan Tai Lo ( 羣帶路 ) below Victoria Peak . It formed a channel, Chung Mun ( 中門 ), with Tsim Sha Tsui , on the sea route along the coast of southern China . The eastern part of Central District has been known as Admiralty since
1083-517: The Leisure and Cultural Services Department . Due to the early development of Hong Kong Island, many historical buildings can be found on Hong Kong Island. As of 2023, the population of Hong Kong Island is approximately 1,188,500, making up approximately 15.8% of the 7,536,100 in Hong Kong . Its population density is higher than the whole of Hong Kong , c. 18,000 per km . However, the population
1140-632: The New Territories . In 1842, following the Qing dynasty 's defeat at the First Opium War (1839–1842), Hong Kong Island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom under the Treaty of Nanking . The City of Victoria was then established on the island by British forces in honour of Queen Victoria . At the time, the island had a population of about 3,000 inhabitants scattered in
1197-651: The Qin dynasty defeated the Baiyue , and absorbed areas of what is now Guangdong , Guangxi , and northern Vietnam . Hong Kong Island was part of the annexed land and was listed under the jurisdiction of Panyu County ( 番禺縣 ) of the Nanhai Commandery ( 南海郡 ). On the sixth year of the Eastern Jin dynasty (AD 331), Hong Kong Island was listed under the jurisdiction of Baoan County ( 寶安縣) . Copper coins from
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#17327723983671254-559: The Sui , Tang and Song dynasty were unearthed in where the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club is presently located at, on where Kellett Island would have been prior to the land reclamation connecting the island to Causeway Bay in 1969. This suggests that during these periods of times, the island already had its own commercial activity. Song dynasty copper coins served as universal currency in transregional trade. During
1311-658: The Swire House in Central. In 1999, the airline relocated its head office to the Hong Kong International Airport . Nord Anglia Education , which operates international schools in various countries, formerly had its head office in Central. The head office moved to Hong Kong in 2012. In 2018 the company announced it was returning its head office to the United Kingdom. Central, together with Tsim Sha Tsui and Tsim Sha Tsui East ,
1368-604: The Treaty of Nanking and the territory became a Crown colony . At the time, the island's population was only 7,450. The Second World War was a dark period for Hong Kong. In the 1930s, the British anticipated a Japanese attack on Hong Kong. As Wong Nai Chung Gap was a strategically important location of defence, large-scale defensive works were constructed there, including anti-aircraft batteries , howitzers and machine gun nests. The Battle of Hong Kong began on 8 December 1941. British , Canadian and Indian armies and
1425-632: The Tseung Kwan O line and road traffic in separate parallel conduits). Besides these harbour crossing tunnels, Hong Kong Island also has two tunnels travelling across the island itself, the Aberdeen Tunnel and Central–Wan Chai Bypass , which were opened in March 1982 and January 2019 respectively. The Aberdeen Tunnel provides a link from Happy Valley and Wong Chuk Hang , with the toll fee being HK$ 5. The Central–Wan Chai Bypass provides
1482-832: The Victoria Harbour . Most hills across the middle of the island are included within the country parks . The main hiking trail on Hong Kong Island is the Hong Kong Trail , which is 50 kilometers long and is divided into 8 sections. The trail starts in Victoria Gap on the peak and ends in Big Wave Bay . Sections 1 and 2 of the Wilson Trail across the New Territories of Hong Kong and Kowloon also passes through Tai Tam Country Park and its Quarry Bay Extension . The only marine reserve in Hong Kong,
1539-638: The Wanli period of the Ming dynasty (1573), Hong Kong Island belonged to the territory of Xin'an County , and remained so until 1661, when the great clearance was issued by the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing dynasty , forcing residents in coastal areas of Guangdong , Fujian , Zhejiang , Jiangnan , and Shandong to move in-land, to prevent the loyalists of the Ming dynasty in Formosa from approaching
1596-518: The population of Hong Kong from 5,000 in 1841 to 24,000 in 1848. Government House and other Hong Kong Government buildings were completed during this period on Government Hill . Various barracks , naval bases and the residence of the Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong , Flagstaff House were built on the east end of the district. Between 1860 and 1880 the construction of City Hall , Theatre Royal and other financial structures made Central
1653-533: The 1980s. Only Flagstaff House remains as Museum of Tea Ware in Hong Kong Park . City Hall sat on the present premises of the HSBC Hong Kong headquarters . Hong Kong's first road, Queen's Road (subdivided into Queen's Road East , Central , and West ), passes through the area and the business centre has continued to expand the Hong Kong shoreline into Victoria Harbour. The Hong Kong Garrison
1710-550: The 1990s and early 2000s due to the Airport Core Programme , under which the Central Reclamation was built to provide land for Hong Kong station , the terminus of the new airport railway. The previous piers had to be demolished to make way for the newly reclaimed land. The first set of new piers opened on 9 May 1995. The destinations or uses of the piers are as follows: Star Ferry Pier, Central
1767-1135: The Allies. As a result, the unemployed were deported to the Mainland , and the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945. The population of Hong Kong Island grew exponentially after the Second World War and the Communist revolution in China . It became apparent that the lands in the old Central District were insufficient to accommodate the population. Many undeveloped or underdeveloped areas Hong Kong Island such as North Point , Shau Kei Wan , Aberdeen and Wong Chuk Hang began its development and urbanisation. These areas initially started off as industrialised areas, with some areas such as Quarry Bay , Wan Chai and Causeway Bay later becoming new commercial centres when Hong Kong moved away from its period of industrialisation , as these areas provided relatively cheaper rent than
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1824-465: The Hong Kong island to Ap Lei Chau . The Ap Lei Chau Bridge is a combination of two bridges, built separately in 1980 and 1994. It was built to accommodate the growing population in Ap Lei Chau, which the residents could only access the island by boats prior to the construction of the bridge. The Central-Mid Levels escalator and walkway system is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in
1881-577: The Japanese had conquered North Point , reaching the Wong Nai Chung Gap on the following day. English, Scottish forces and the Canadian Winnipeg Grenadiers vigorously defended the crucial point of Wong Nai Chung Gap, and for a while successfully secured the passage between Central and the secluded southern parts of the island. Japanese casualties were about 600. However, Allied forces there were ultimately defeated by
1938-420: The Japanese on 23 December, and Wong Nai Chung Reservoir was lost. As Wan Chai Gap had also fallen that same day, the British had no choice but to surrender. Hong Kong surrendered to the Japanese on 25 December 1941, thereafter often called " Black Christmas " by locals as the surrender was on Christmas. The Governor of Hong Kong , Mark Young , surrendered in-person at the temporary Japanese headquarters, on
1995-505: The MTR Island Line , but is not the only station within the Central and Western District. Other stops include Hong Kong, Admiralty, Sheung Wan and more. The Central area is a loosely defined area within the Central and Western district defined by the presence of major banks, sky scrapers, and multi-modal transportation nodes. Central is located on the north shore of Hong Kong Island , across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui ,
2052-781: The South Island line connecting four stations on Ap Lei Chau and in Wong Chuk Hang to the north shore at Admiralty station . Five MTR lines – the Tsuen Wan line , the Tseung Kwan O line , the Tung Chung line , the Airport Express – connect the north shore with Kowloon and provide onward service to the New Territories , and the East Rail line which provides another cross-harbour connection upon its extension from Hung Hom station to Admiralty station. In future,
2109-771: The Southern District. Major roads on Hong Kong Island include Connaught Road , Des Voeux Road , King's Road , Queen's Road . 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 Crossing ), three MTR railway tunnels ( East Rail line , Tsuen Wan line and Tung Chung line / Airport Express ) and one combined road and MTR rail link tunnel ( Eastern Harbour Crossing , containing
2166-579: The Victoria Harbour, such as the famous now-demolished Queen's Pier in Central and now-relocated Blake Pier in Stanley, which mainly provides passenger pick-up and drop-off services for small barges, yachts and sightseeing boats. Public piers are located mainly along the Victoria Harbour mainly in Causeway Bay, Central, Shau Kei Wan, Wan Chai, and also in Aberdeen, Ap Lei Chau and Stanley, places in
2223-534: The area, and a Canton Bazaar (the precursor of the Central Market ) was built between Cochrane Street and Graham Street in 1842. The area was soon zoned for Westerners only, and Chinese residents were restricted to Sheung Wan. It was zoned for "Western-style buildings," meaning buildings with space requirements and hygiene standards similar to European. The area was largely dominated by the presence of Victoria City. The popularity of this area would also boost
2280-653: The area. It is managed by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department . Many public beaches are also located in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island, which being the Deep Water Bay , Repulse Bay , Middle Bay , South Bay , Chung Hom Kok Beach , St. Stephen's Beach , Stanley Main Beach , Hair Pin Beach , Turtle Cove Beach , Shek O , and Big Wave Bay . These are all popular locations for water sports and activities. Public beaches are managed by
2337-600: The centre of trade and financial activities from the earliest days of the British colonial era in 1841, and continues to flourish and serve as the place of administration since the handover to China in 1997. The area of Chung Wan (aka Choong Wan in the past; 中環 ), a direct translation of Central in English, was one of the districts ( 四環九約 ) in Victoria City. The English name Central became prevalent after
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2394-405: The completion of Admiralty station in the early 1980s. Despite the name Central being synonymous with the Central and Western District, and Central station, there are significant differences. Central and Western is a administrative district with strict boundaries, legislative representation, and elections for its legislators. Central station (more commonly referred to as Central) is a stop along
2451-769: The election of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong , eventually contributing to the Umbrella Revolution . There are many Grade-A commercial buildings in Central , a prime commercial district in Hong Kong. Bank of China (Hong Kong) has its head office in the Bank of China Tower . The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation , a subsidiary of HSBC , has its head office in the HSBC Main Building . Bank of East Asia and Hang Seng Bank have their head offices in Central. Standard Chartered Bank
2508-549: The heart of Hong Kong. In 1904, the Praya Reclamation Scheme added 59 acres (24 ha) of land to Central's waterfront. Many of the proposals came from Sir Paul Chater and James Johnstone Keswick , the founders of Hongkong Land , a modern property development group. During the 1920s, Hong Kong was able to push far ahead economically, because of the cohesive collaboration between Central and all waterfront commerce. The military structures survived until
2565-404: The island are also famous for hiking . The northern part of Hong Kong Island, together with Kowloon and Tsuen Wan New Town , forms the core urban area of Hong Kong. Their combined area is approximately 88.3 square kilometres (34.1 square miles) and their combined population is approximately 3,156,500, reflecting a population density of 35,700 people/km (92,000 people/sq mi). The island
2622-634: The other districts in Hong Kong. Affluent districts on Hong Kong Island are The Peak , Western Mid-Levels ( Conduit Road / Robinson Road / Magazine Gap Road / Kotewall Road etc.), Eastern Mid-Levels ( Happy Valley / Tai Hang / Jardine's Lookout ), Tai Tam , Deep Water Bay and Repulse Bay . As of 2021, 85% of Hong Kong Island's residents are of Chinese descent. The largest ethnic minority groups are Filipinos (5.6%), Indonesians (2.6%), and White people (2.5%) As of 2021, 80.4% of Hong Kong Island's residents use Cantonese as their usual language, while 10.6% use English and 3.3% use Mandarin . 2.8% of
2679-654: The planned North Island line infrastructure project would extend both the Tung Chung line and the Tseung Kwan O line to connect them to each other, forming a route parallel to the middle section of the Island line. Two other rail systems, Hong Kong Tramways and the Peak Tram , also run exclusively on Hong Kong Island. The former runs mostly parallel to the Island line between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan , with
2736-410: The residents use Chinese dialects other than Cantonese and Mandarin as their usual language and 2.9% use languages not listed above as their usual language. Seven of the MTR rapid transit system's ten lines service Hong Kong Island. The Island line and South Island line run exclusively on the four districts of Hong Kong Island, with the Island line serving the north shore at 17 stations, and
2793-439: The shores of the Mainland and seek help from residents of the coastal areas. The ban was lifted when the remnants of the Ming dynasty were exterminated in 1669, though not many original residents of Hong Kong Island returned to the area. Piracy was rampant in the area until the island was ceded to the United Kingdom in 1842. Following the First Opium War (1839–1842), Hong Kong Island was ceded to Great Britain in 1842 under
2850-483: The southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula . It is bordered in the west by Sheung Wan , with the border being along Aberdeen Street (also called Wing Kut Street ). It is bordered in the east by Admiralty , an eastern extension of the Central and Western District. As such, Admiralty is sometimes considered a part of Central. Central is bordered in the south by Mid-Levels , an affluent residential area halfway up Victoria Peak . The boundary between Central and Mid-Levels
2907-484: The southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula . The area was the heart of Victoria City , although that name is rarely used today. As the central business district of Hong Kong, it is the area where many multinational financial services corporations have their headquarters. Consulates of many countries are also located in this area, as is Government Hill , the site of the government headquarters until 2011. The area, with its proximity to Victoria Harbour, has served as
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#17327723983672964-411: The third floor of the Peninsula Hotel , thus beginning the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong . Isogai Rensuke became the first Japanese governor of Hong Kong. Hyper-inflation and food rationing followed; and the Japanese declared Hong Kong Dollars illegal. The Japanese enforced a repatriation policy throughout the period of occupation due to the scarcity of food and the possible counter-attack of
3021-485: The traditional commercial district of Central. On 1 July 1997, the sovereignty of Hong Kong Island was transferred to the People's Republic of China alongside Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories , ending 156 years of British rule on Hong Kong Island. Despite Hong Kong Island being an island, it is not part of the Islands District . Four districts of Hong Kong are located on the island: Since 2021, Hong Kong Island West and Hong Kong Island East have been
3078-602: The two Legislative Council geographical constituencies in Hong Kong Island. Between 1997 and 2021, Hong Kong Island was one geographical constituency of itself . Between 1995 and 1997 however, Hong Kong Island consisted of four geographical constituencies, with them being Hong Kong Island Central , Hong Kong Island East , Hong Kong Island South and Hong Kong Island West . In the previous council from 1991 to 1995 , Hong Kong Island consisted of two geographical constituencies, Hong Kong Island West and Hong Kong Island East , similar to current arrangements. Hong Kong Island
3135-455: The world. It was opened in 1993 with the initiative of providing relief to traffic in the Mid-Levels . It travels from Queen's Road Central to Conduit Road , with the total horizontal distance being over 800 m (2,600 ft) and total vertical distance being over 135 m (443 ft). It consists of covered walkways, 16 reversible one-way escalators and 3 reversible one-way travelators. Restaurants, bars and shops can be found alongside
3192-480: Was chosen to house major military facilities and an administrative centre. Part of these military facilities include the Royal Navy port known as Naval Dockyard, and then later Admiralty. Another area to the north of Admiralty would be named Tamar for the HMS Tamar shore station (named for HMS Tamar, a Royal Navy troopship that arrived and was used as a shore base during the second opium war ). The area soon attracted both Westerners and Chinese to trade and live in
3249-512: Was home to the British Forces in Hong Kong , until the handover in 1997 , since then it has been occupied by the People's Liberation Army of China . Central has been the site of a number of major political protests. From October 2011 to September 2012, the Occupy Central movement against global economic inequality was based in front of the HSBC Main Building . Two years later, in September 2014, democratic activists initiated Occupy Central with Love and Peace , demanding universal suffrage for
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