Queensway, Hong Kong
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| Queensway | |||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese: | 金鐘道 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese: | 金钟道 | ||||||||||||||
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Queensway is a major road in the Admiralty of Central, Hong Kong. It was originally a section of Queen's Road East to its westmost before the Hong Kong Government separated and renamed it as its present name in 1967. Its Chinese name can be transliterated as Golden Bell Road, a reference to a golden bell in the Admiralty Dockyard situated there at that time, and have nothing to do with the Queen. It merges with Queen's Road Central and Des Voeux Road Central at its west end and connects with Hennessy Road and Queen's Road East to the east.
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[edit] Important buildings
Despite being only about 600 metres long, it houses numerous famous and important sites. At the Garden Road junction sits the Bank of China Tower. Sites located along the road include the High Court, the Hong Kong Park (where Flagstaff House is located at), the Lippo Centre and the Pacific Place shopping centre, hotels and office towers complex. At the Central end of the road, Cheung Kong Centre is the headquarters of Cheung Kong Holdings founded by Li Ka Shing with Chater Garden, a popular place for protesting gathering, on the opposite. At the Wan Chai end stands the headquarters of Hong Kong Police Force.
[edit] Military history
Before 1980s the two sides of the road is full for British military structures. The north of the road is Wellington Barracks, Murray Barracks and Victoria Barracks while the south the Admiralty Dock. The Flagstaff House was the residence of the Commander of Hong Kong between 1842 to 1978. They were gradually removed and replaced with a new business extension of the Central.
[edit] Layout
The road was not as straight as its present form. Two close bends in the mid-section formed an S-shape. It was also known as death bend of Queensway (金鐘道死亡彎角) that it frequently resulted in traffic accidents of mobile vehicles and trams. A straightening project was carried out in 1974 and officially completed on 12 January 1975.
The present-day Queensway is much wider than before. Two directions of the Queensway is separated by the century one public transport, Hong Kong Tramways. Pedestrians must use footbridges when crossing the road or going to the tramway stop island.
[edit] Events
Although Queensway is the major and busy road in Hong Kong, the road hosted various major marches and protests including July 1 marches since 2003.
[edit] Trivia
The road is sometimes mistaken written as Queensway Road by local people. [1] It might be affected by the suffix 道 (to, lit. road) of its Chinese name as only few roads like Glenealy and Smithfield is in single word in the territory.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ The Consulate General of India and Consulate General of Greece list their street as Queensway Road, as listed here [1]
[edit] External links
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