Hong Kong Central is a buzzling commercial area with iconic skycrapers like the Bank of China and IFC Towers. It also where some of the heritage and world class buildings are located such as the Legislative Building and the HSBC Headquarters. When you visit Hong Kong, head to Central and sit in Statue Square and appreciate life and the buildings mentioned above.
The Hong Kong Observation Wheel has 42 luxurious gondolas with a high-speed WiFi. Its location allows us to see both the Victoria Harbor and the towering buildings of Hong Kong Central.
International Financial Center Tower 2
Elevated Pedestrian from Cetral Ferry Station to Central District
HSBC Headquarters We intentionally went to Cental specifically because of this Building. HSBC Headquarters strucks me mainly becuase of its history and functionality. Its not as towering as the other buildings in Hong Kong such as the Bank of China but surely its iconic. This building is one of the most high-tech buildings in the world. During its contruction, HSBC Building is the most expensive building of its time.
Another notabe feature of this building is the two lions facing the Statue Square. If you will look closer, the nose and paws of the Stephen and Stitt, the name of the two lions, are shiny because it is a popular belief among locals and tourist that stroking it will bring good luck. Be sure to have a good height when you plan to touch Stephen and Stitt because they are very tall 😉
The 52 storey, 178.8 metres HSBC Building is made entirely of steel. You won’t find any conrete reinforement in this building. Its also very economical because it uses sunlight to light the building.
According to a documentary I’ve seen prior to our visit in Hong Kong, I forgot if thats in Discovery Channel or National Geographic Channel, the British built the building in steel because they were afraid that the economy would collapse. Smart enough they build it with steel so it can be easily dismantelled when that happens. Of course it never did. As of writting I cannot see any materials online that would verify that claim.
I went inside the building just to observe, yeah no guards stoped me and they were actually smiling at me with a big camera on me 😉 Its interesting to see that, upon climbing using the escalator, you will see locals working in their office cubicles on the lower floors of the building. Later on I was stopped by a guard because I was taking photos. I know that its still a bank and its not allowed inside for confidenciality. I worked in the bank for four years but I choose to forget that because I was tourist that time. Wahaha…
Statue Square Its just so nice to sit on a park right after your busy day. Grab some Coke and fancy bread and sit in the Statue Square. Watch people and appreciate the iconic buildings in Hong Kong Central. Surely we did the latter and we had a relaxing afternoon like no other.
Sir Thomas Jackson Bart The guys above was the third Chief Manager of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. He is commemorated in Hong Kong because he was responsible in developing Hong Kong’s financial system
Bank of China Building as seen from Statue Square
Locals and tourist in Central Hong Kong
Bank of China Former Legislative Council Building Amids the tall building in Central Hong Kong, there lies a heritage building that reminds us all of the past and where we came from. The charming Former Legislative Council Building of Hong Kong sits in Central Hong Kong along with the territories’ financial institutions.
I tried to enter the building but ufortunately, I did not saw any signs that tourist can enter the building. Instead, I was left in awe of the massive pillars around the building.
Walking around the city is one of the cheapest way to explore the city – in fact its free. Take advantage of the beautiful things around the city to have that life changing experience. Sometimes talking to a local is the attraction itself. So wear your most comfortable shoes, bring your camera with extra battery, a bottle of water and that nice smile in you and let’s have some walk 😉 How to go to Central Just take the MTR and find your way to Central. In Central Station, there are signs which cn lead you to the Statue Square.
