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52-517: Cheung Kong Center is a skyscraper in Central , Hong Kong designed by Cesar Pelli . The 70-storey structure is 283 m (928 ft) tall with a gross floor area of 1,260,000-square-foot (117,100 m). When completed in 1999, it was the fourth-tallest building in the city after the Central Plaza , Bank of China Tower and The Center. The Cheung Kong Center sits on the combined sites of

104-617: A 360-degree panoramic view over the entire city. The same panels are impregnated with an array of optical fibre which can be illuminated at night to display different messages according to the season. The black curtain wall gives the building an appearance of a silhouette in the daytime and an inky peaceful void at night, so it is noted for its sparkling illumination as the sky gets dark. Its large floor plates range from 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m) to 22,000 sq ft (2,000 m). Tenants can customise an entire office plan at very little expense, as there are no obstructing columns on

156-456: A business district. Hisaya was succeeded by his cousin Koyata in 1916, and during his time as president the group saw a significant expansion. In 1917, he funded the establishment of an optics company and became the majority shareholder, which later became Nikon . During this era, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was at the forefront of Japan's aircraft development. He reorganised the group into

208-455: 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 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

260-537: A city on the north coast of Hong Kong Island, and the present-day Central 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

312-464: A form similar to what it is now, and he spun off each department into a subsidiary. Most of them later went public, as he thought that for the sake of the expansion of business, more core capital was needed. The group was organised as follows: The firm's prime real estate holdings in the Marunouchi district of Tokyo, acquired in 1890, were spun off in 1937 to form Mitsubishi Estate , now one of

364-453: Is Government Hill , the site of the government headquarters until 2011. The area, with its proximity to Victoria Harbour, has served as 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

416-500: 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 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

468-532: Is common in Hong Kong, coloured lights on the sides of the building illuminate at night in intricate light shows . The 26-storey Hilton Hotel building and its site, Inland Lot 7702, was owned by a wholly owned subsidiary of HW, which licensed Hilton Hotels Group to operate it for 50 years. In January 1994, with about 20 years of the management contract to run, HW announced the buyout of the unexpired term for US$ 125 million. HW had originally planned to redevelop

520-757: 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 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

572-724: 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 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

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624-840: The Cold War made the Eastern Bloc more menacing than the possible revival of a strong Japan and Germany , the occupation forces’ initial aim, just like in Germany, was to weaken the Japanese economy so that the country could never wage war against them. Under this policy, Mitsubishi as a group was dissolved. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Chemical were split into three separate entities. On his deathbed, Koyata Iwasaki staunchly defended his actions, asserting that he had done his utmost for his country and had nothing to be ashamed of. Despite his resistance, he could not defy

676-1085: The Mitsubishi Group traces its origins to the Mitsubishi zaibatsu , a unified company that existed from 1870 to 1946. The company, along with other major zaibatsu, was disbanded during the occupation of Japan following World War II by the order of the Allies . Despite the dissolution, the former constituent companies continue to share the Mitsubishi brand and trademark . While the group of companies engages in limited business cooperation, most notably through monthly “Friday Conference” executive meetings, they remain formally independent and are not under common control. The three main entities ( gosanke ) are Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (the largest bank in Japan), Mitsubishi Corporation (a general trading company), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (diversified manufacturing companies). A 2020 estimate concluded that all

728-469: The Securities and Futures Commission . Goldman Sachs (Asia) is reported to have signed a 12-year lease on eight-and-a-half office floors, becoming the leading tenant. Hutchison is believed to have offered up to two-and-a-half years rent-free period. Central, Hong Kong Central (Chinese: 中環), also known as Central District , is the central business district of Hong Kong . It is located in

780-510: The 1000-space car park) could be built. The developer agreed with the planners that most of the building would actually be weighted on the Hilton site, so much of the car park and Beaconsfield house area would be given over to park and public amenities. On 28 May 1996, Director of Lands Bob Pope disclosed that the land premium for developing the combined site was HK$ 3.02bn (South China Morning Post, 29 May 1996). The 1996 annual report of HW reflects

832-733: The 18,300-square-foot (1,700 m) Beaconsfield House site from the Government. Talks were finalised in August 1995. The Executive Council approved in principle the sale of the sites in April 1995. In September 1995, the Urban Planning Committee of the Town Planning Board passed the proposals for the 9,900 m combined site. With a plot ratio of 15, 1,600,000 sq ft (150,000 m) building (including

884-591: 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 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

936-571: 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 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

988-594: The Chairman of CKH and HW, Li Ka-shing , as his office. It also contains a private swimming pool and garden. Li is often seen escorted and takes a freight elevator operated in attendant mode so that it does not stop on any other floor. Other tenants of the building include Allianz , Bank of America Merrill Lynch , Barclays Capital , BlackRock , Bloomberg , Goldman Sachs , Jefferies , KKR , McKinsey & Company , PricewaterhouseCoopers , Royal Bank of Canada , Royal Bank of Scotland , Och-Ziff Capital Management and

1040-453: The Hilton site into a high-rise office-retail complex, yielding a gross floor area of 584,970-square-foot (54,300 m). HW was keen to enlarge the redevelopment project by merging the hotel site with a neighbouring site to gain a greater efficiency, and commenced private talks with the Government in May 1993 with a view to acquiring the adjacent 33,700-square-foot (3,100 m) car park site, and

1092-504: The Mitsubishi companies combined generate 7.7% of the total revenue of all publicly traded companies in Japan, and the group's assets amount to 433 trillion yen. The Mitsubishi company was established as a shipping firm by Iwasaki Yatarō (1834–1885) in 1870 under the name "Tsukumo Shokai" ( 九十九商会 ) . In 1873, its name was changed to Mitsubishi Shokai ; Mitsubishi ( 三菱 ) consists of two parts: " mitsu " (三) meaning "three" (as in

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1144-631: The area and the business centre has continued to expand the Hong Kong shoreline into Victoria Harbour. The Hong Kong Garrison 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

1196-480: The chairpersons and presidents of major Mitsubishi companies. By 1964, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries also remerged. The Friday Club symbolised the formation of an equal group of companies, rather than the revival of the pre-war Mitsubishi zaibatsu with Mitsubishi Headquarters at the apex. In 1970, Mitsubishi companies established the Mitsubishi Foundation to commemorate the centennial anniversary of

1248-672: The company announced it was returning its head office to the United Kingdom. Central, together with Tsim Sha Tsui and Tsim Sha Tsui East , 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

1300-617: The country had decided to wage a war with the United States and the British Empire , each member of the company ought to serve the country in fulfilling its only goal, but the company should not forget what it owed to people in these countries. Arguably, one of the most tangible ways in which Mitsubishi was involved in the war was through its supply of ships, aircraft and other arms by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter, designed by Dr. Jiro Horikoshi

1352-505: The east end of the district. Between 1860 and 1880 the construction of City Hall , Theatre Royal and other financial structures made Central 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

1404-409: The floor plan. Offices are all designed with the advanced raised floor system through which air-conditioning and an advanced fibre-optic network accessible to all tenants is ducted. It boasts the region's fastest elevators, made by Mitsubishi , maxing out at 9 metres per second . Each elevator features giant plasma displays at the top of each cabin, showing Bloomberg TV . The top floor is used by

1456-650: The following government schools: Bonham Road Government Primary School and Li Sing Primary School  [ zh ] (李陞小學). The area 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 Mitsubishi Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870,

1508-609: The former Hong Kong Hilton , which was demolished in 1995/6, and Beaconsfield House , sold by the Government in 1996. It stands between the HSBC Hong Kong headquarters building and the Bank of China Tower . The building is the headquarters of Cheung Kong Holdings (CHL), and is owned and managed by its 49%-owned associated company Hutchison Whampoa (HW), which later merged in June 2015 as CK Hutchison Holdings ; while other tenants include several multinational banking firms. As

1560-471: The founding of the first Mitsubishi company. The companies also individually maintain charitable foundations. Mitsubishi pavilions have been highlights of expositions in Japan since EXPO'70 in Osaka in the 1970s to 1980s. The Mitsubishi Group is made up of about 40 individual companies without a controlling parent company. Each of the Mitsubishi companies owns substantial (but usually not controlling) portions of

1612-670: The largest real estate development companies in Japan. During the Second World War , which was often advertised in government propaganda as a total war, Mitsubishi was a key player in the nation's wartime economy. Educated in England and having many business friends and partners in the Anglosphere , Koyata was opposed to fighting a war against the Allies. However, he famously stated in his speech on 10 December 1941 that once

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1664-482: The market capitalisation of the company was significantly less than its real estate holdings. They greenmailed , and other Mitsubishi companies had to buy the shares from them at an unjustly high price. This incident accelerated Mitsubishi's reintegration. In 1954, Mitsubishi Corporation was reformed, and the Mitsubishi Friday Club was established to foster camaraderie and information exchange among

1716-496: The mid-2000s. In addition to the Friday Conference, the group companies' heads of general affairs hold a meeting on the third Monday of each month, and the group companies' legal and IP departments hold a trademark policy coordination meeting on the first Friday of each month. The company briefly dabbled in television during the early 1990s, when it inked a deal with Westinghouse Broadcasting International to become

1768-408: The new lease of Inland Lot 8887, with a site area of approximately 103,937 sq ft. The gross floor area of the building is recorded as 1,254,158 sq ft in the 2002 annual report and 1,263,363 sq ft in the 2003 and subsequent annual reports. The building was designed by architects Cesar Pelli and Leo A. Daly, and is considered as much a work of art as an efficient working environment. Cheung Kong Center

1820-497: The northeastern corner of the Central and Western District , on the north shore of Hong Kong Island , across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui , 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

1872-569: The operation of shipbuilding were used to expand the business further into the manufacture of aircraft and equipment. The experience of overseas shipping led the firm to enter into a trading business. In 1881, the company bought into coal mining by acquiring the Takashima Mine, followed by Hashima Island in 1890, using the production to fuel their extensive steamship fleet. They also diversified into shipbuilding, banking , insurance , warehousing, and trade. Later diversification carried

1924-479: The organization into such sectors as paper , steel , glass , electrical equipment, aircraft , oil , and real estate . As Mitsubishi built a broadly based conglomerate , it played a central role in the modernization of Japanese industry. In 1894, Hisaya Iwasaki succeeded his uncle Yanosuke as president. During his tenure until 1916, he modernised the Nagasaki Shipyard and developed Marunouchi as

1976-700: 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 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

2028-428: 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 , 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

2080-412: The shares of the others. Twenty-nine of the group companies participate in the Friday Conference ( 金曜会 , Kinyō-kai ) , a luncheon meeting of their most senior executives held on the second Friday of each month. The group began its tradition of monthly executive meetings in 1952, and over time the meetings became a venue for coordinating policy between the group companies. By the 1990s, this practice

2132-578: The three oak leaves from the crest of the Yamauchi or Tosa family that ruled over Yatarō's birthplace and employed him) and " hishi " (菱, which becomes " bishi " under rendaku ) meaning " water caltrop ", and hence " rhombus ", which is reflected in the company's logo . It is also translated as "three diamonds". Mitsubishi was established in 1870, two years after the Meiji Restoration , with shipping as its core business. Its diversification

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2184-632: The tide of the times. His cousin, Hisaya Iwasaki , president of Mitsubishi Partnership Company at the time, expressed his frustration with the situation, noting that the company had been stripped bare, leaving only his ancestral land in Tosa and a mausoleum in Tokyo. His main residence in Shitaya was requisitioned by the American military, and Hisaya had to temporarily rent rooms in his former house. Due to

2236-631: The war. In 2015, Mitsubishi Materials (formerly Mitsubishi Mining) compensated 3,765 Chinese labourers who were conscripted to the company during the war and apologised to ex-American prisoners of war. Mitsubishi was involved in the opium trade in China during this period. After the Second World War, under the Allied Occupation's policy to dissolve zaibatsu , the Mitsubishi conglomerate underwent significant restructuring. Until

2288-603: The zaibatsu dissolution, Mitsubishi Estate was split into two companies, Kanto Real Estate and Yowa Real Estate. Yowa Real Estate owned a significant portion of the land between the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station , including the Marunouchi Building . In 1952, an incident occurred where two men, Kuniichiro Fujiami and Shomitsu Tajima, who were closely linked to infamous yakuza , attempted to take over Yowa Real Estate by becoming majority shareholders, as

2340-642: 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 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

2392-571: Was consulted on ways to absorb the negative energy coming from the Bank of China's sharp edges or "cleaver". The Cheung Kong Center 's maximum height was determined by drawing an imaginary line from the Bank of China Tower to the HSBC Headquarters, so it falls just short of the "supertall" skyscraper distinction (300 meters or higher). The Cheung Kong Center's external walls are uniform glass panels each measuring 2.4 m x 2.1 m, giving occupants

2444-432: Was criticized (particularly by non-Japanese investors) as a possible violation of antitrust law . Since 1993, the Friday Conference has officially been held as a social function, and not for the purpose of discussing or coordinating business strategy. Despite this, the Friday Conference has been a venue for informal cooperation and coordination between the group companies, most notably in bailing out Mitsubishi Motors during

2496-476: Was largely dominated by the presence of Victoria City. The popularity of this area would also boost 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

2548-400: Was mostly into related fields. It entered into coal-mining to gain the coal needed for ships, bought a shipbuilding yard from the government to repair the ships it used, founded an iron mill to supply iron to the shipbuilding yard, started a marine insurance business to cater for its shipping business, and so forth. Later, the managerial resources and technological capabilities acquired through

2600-494: Was one of the few taller buildings in the Hong Kong Island skyline to follow a conventional design, like an American black office block, in contrast to the cacophony of architectural styles in the vicinity of Queen's Road . Instead of stealing the limelight, most notably from the Bank of China Tower , Cheung Kong Center was designed instead "to balance out its more creative neighbouring skyscrapers". A feng shui master

2652-541: Was the primary fighter of the Imperial Navy . Production of these equipments made Mistubishi factories one of the main targets for allies attack, and in one factory the death toll among its workers amounted to 494 in just a week. Mitsubishi Mining was involved in the forced labour of Allied prisoners of war and people from Japan's colonies and occupied territories such as Korea and parts of China. The company's Iizuka mine counted 19 deaths of Chinese labourers during

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2704-565: Was used as a shore base during the second opium war ). The area soon attracted both Westerners and Chinese to trade and live in 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

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