Des Voeux Road

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Des Voeux Road Central near Wing On Department Store in Sheung Wan

Des Voeux Road West near Water Street in Sai Ying Pun (the blue tower in the background is the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region)

Des Voeux Road Central and Des Voeux Road West are two roads on the north shore of the Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. They were named after the 10th Governor of Hong Kong, Sir George William Des Vœux. The name was predominantly spelt with the ligature œ in pre-war documents but is nowadays spelt officially as Des Voeux Road.

[edit] History

Beginning in 1857, the northern shore of Hong Kong Island (also known as Victoria City) underwent a series of reclamations under then-Governor Sir John Bowring. The first phase of the Praya Reclamation Scheme had a direct affect on this current street, which used to be known as Praya Central during the Colonial Hong Kong era.^[1] Bowring's plans were opposed by British merchants who held lands in the Central area, and in response, the government instead commenced work in land reclamation in the Chinese-populated Western District. By the time the reclamation was extended to Central, the newly reclaimed land in Western had already been settled, and there was a discontinuity between the two roads running along the western and middle portions of the reclaimed shoreline. Upon completion, the roads were named Bowring Praya West and Bowring Praya Central respectively.

Another series of extensive reclamation projects began in 1887 under then-Governor Des Voeux. Upon completion in 1904, Bowring Praya West and Bowring Praya Central (which by then were situated inland from the shoreline) were respectively renamed Des Voeux Road West and Des Voeux Road Central per the orders of then-Colonial Secretary and acting Governor Francis Fleming during the Duke of Connaught's visit to Hong Kong in 1890.

[edit] Des Voeux Road Central

Des Voeux Road Central runs from Western to Central. It begins at the intersection with On Tai Street in Western and merges with Queen's Road Central where it becomes Queensway (and, later, Hennessy Road).

[edit] Des Voeux Road West

Des Voeux Road West runs from Western Shek Tong Tsui. It reaches an alignment several blocks down at the junction with Connaught Road West and becomes Kennedy Town Praya in Shek Tong Tsui.

[edit] Public transportation

Des Voeux Road Central is shared between motor traffic and the tram line, with tracks and reserved lanes for the trams laid in the middle of the road. A bus lane runs along the road for most of its length. Part of the MTR Island Line also runs underneath the Des Voeux Road, currently terminating at Sheung Wan Station near the Western Market.

Due to the discontinuity between Des Voeux Roads Central and West, the tram line takes a detour along Connaught Road West and then continues along Des Voeux Road West towards Kennedy Town.

The Central-Mid-Levels escalators link Des Voeux Road Central with Conduit Road in the Mid-levels, passing through narrow streets.

[edit] See also

• List of streets and roads in Hong Kong

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Leung, To (1992). Origins of Hong Kong Street Names. Urban Council.

[edit] External links

• Hong Kong Place: Hong Kong streets named after colonial governors (Traditional Chinese)
• Google Maps of Des Voeux Road (Central and West)