Pedder Street

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pedder Street (畢打街) is a major thoroughfare in the core of Hong Kong’s Central District. It runs south-north from Queen's Road Central, continues through Des Voeux Road Central, and ends at its intersection with Connaught Road Central.

Contents 1 History 2 Buildings 3 Shopping 4 References

[edit] History

The street was named after Lieutenant William Pedder, R.N., the First Lieutenant of the HEIC Nemesis^[1] and the first Harbour Master of Hong Kong.

Pedder Street is the centre of Hong Kong's commerce since the early colonial days. The premises of Hong Kong's two most powerful trading hongs at the time, Dent & Co. and Jardine, Matheson & Co.^[2], were located on the opposite sides of Pedder Street on The Praya Central, Central District's original waterfront. Dent & Co., one of the key founding members of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited^[3] (precursor of global financial giant HSBC Holdings plc), suffered financial collapse in 1866^[4], which shook the commercial world in the Far East. Jardine, Matheson & Co. has evolved into Jardine Matheson Holdings, which remains a major conglomerate in Hong Kong and Asia to this day.

Originally, Pedder Street ran from Pedder's Hill, where the Harbour Master Office was established, south to north ending at Pedder's Wharf on the Praya. The street was extended north by 1904 when extensive reclamation works^[5] finished transforming the old Praya into the modern day Des Voeux Road, along with a stretch of land north to it up to Connaught Road on which the General Post Office and Union Building was built.

[edit] Buildings

The land where Gloucester Tower, The Landmark and Central Building stands today was the site occupied by Hong Kong's first deluxe hotel, The Hongkong Hotel^[6], from 1866 to 1926. Previous to that, the land belonged to Dent & Co., where the west wing of its "princely" headquarters was located^[7].

The Wheelock House^[8] stands today on the site which once stood two previous generations of Jardine House^[9], the headquarters for Jardine, Matheson & Co.

At the southern end of the street where it meets Queens Road stood the Pedder Street Clock Tower, which, for fifty one years since 1862, served as the most prominent landmark in Central. The 80 feet tall clock tower with a lighted dial was a gift to Hong Kong from Scotsman Douglas Lapraik, one of the most succesful Tai-Pans who founded the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company, precursor of Hutchison Whampoa, one of the largest conglomerates currently listed in Hong Kong.

The old General Post Office, a typical Edwardian municipal building constructed of granite and red brick, was also situated on the street from 1911 to 1976. To make way for the Central Station of the MTR, the General Post Office was moved to Connaught Place. The old building was demolished and the World Wide House was built in its place.

[edit] Shopping

The street hosts one of four major shops of Louis Vuitton from 8th December 2005. It also houses banks and many other well-known brands.

[edit] References

1. ^ Welsh, Frank (1997). A History of Hong Kong. Great Britain: Harper Collins Publishers, 133.
2. ^ Dent & Co. and Jardine, Matheson & Co. were portrayed by history as arch rivals at the time. Welsh, Frank (1997). A History of Hong Kong. Great Britain: Harper Collins Publishers, 55-56.
3. ^ Collis, Maurice (1965). Wayfoong. Great Britain: Faber and Faber Limited, 21-25.
4. ^ Welsh, Frank (1997). A History of Hong Kong. Great Britain: Harper Collins Publishers, 235.
5. ^ Reclamation work was initiated by Sir C.P. Chater in 1890.Ting, Joseph S.P., Wong Nai-kwan (September 1994). City of Victoria. Hong Kong: Urban Council of Hong Kong, 31. ISBN 962-7039-31-4.
6. ^ Established by The Hongkong Hotel Company, precursor of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, owner of The Peninsula Hotels chain.
7. ^ Moss, Peter (2002). Hong Kong - Another City Another Age. Hong Kong: FormAsia Books Limited, 63. ISBN 962-7283-46-0.
8. ^ The current headquarters of Wheelock and Company Limited, controlling shareholder of The Wharf (Holdings) Limited, a major conglomerate in Hong Kong.
9. ^ First Jardine House was probably built around 1941 after Jardine's successful bid for its lots on The Praya Central. The second Jardine House was built in 1908. Ting, Joseph S.P., Wong Nai-kwan (September 1994). City of Victoria. Hong Kong: Urban Council of Hong Kong, 13, 29. ISBN 962-7039-31-4.