Architecture of Hong Kong. Must see and must visit landmarks

Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» It’s an informal skyscraper resembling either a bamboo stalk or Rubik’s Snake. It was built in 1989 and was the tallest building in Asia at that time.
»  The giant tower occupies an ideal square of land with a side of 52 m.
» Its shape changing at different levels creates an unusual visual effect: both the city and the sky are reflected in its glass surfaces. And it is definitely one of Hong Kong’s landmarks.
» The unusual design of the Tower attracts not only tourists but also filmmakers: it made an appearance in films Star Trek: Voyager and Battleship.

Clock Tower, Hong Kong

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» The Clock Tower was built a hundred years ago together with a railway station meeting and seeing off a huge number of Chinese immigrants seeking a better life in Hong Kong.
» Over the years of its existence, the clock stopped only during the years of Japanese occupation.
» Today the old tower is surrounded by modern buildings, but it continues to be a popular tourist attraction.
» Since 1990, the Clock Tower has been declared an architectural monument.

Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre was built on an artificial peninsula.
» Several well-known companies led by architect Larry Oltmanns worked on the design of the huge complex. All the buildings in the centre, which include hotels, meeting rooms, theatres, exhibition halls, restaurants, parking, etc., are interconnected through covered passages.
» The glass-covered facade of the complex is the largest in the world.
» In 1997, the historic ceremony of the handover of Hong Kong – from Britain to China – took place here. In 2005, the centre hosted the WTO Ministerial Conference, which delegates from 148 countries participated in.

Hong Kong Coliseum, Hong Kong

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» The Hong Kong Coliseum consists of a large arena and several conference halls. The arena is rectangular in shape.
»  The Hong Kong Coliseum is a multi-purpose arena which means its covering can be changed quickly depending on the event. Thanks to the unique structure, the area can withstand strong pressure, which makes the installation of concert platforms and sound equipment much easier. It’s very useful because the building often serves as a concert venue for popular performers.
»  Huge colour screens are installed on each of the four sides of the Hong Kong Coliseum. They are designed to show matches to spectators sitting on the other side of the stadium.
»  The Hong Kong Coliseum rents out conference rooms for congresses, conferences, and public gatherings.
»  The official name of the arena can be translated from Chinese as ‘Sports Arena’.
»  The Hong Kong Coliseum was built thanks to the city council. It was opened on 27 April 1983.
»  The Coliseum has 12,500 seats. The construction is the second largest indoor arena in Hong Kong in terms of capacity.

Hong Kong Space Museum, Hong Kong

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» The Space Museum together with a planetarium is situated in the area housing a whole complex of museums and centres. The museum is attractive to visitors because they are offered and allowed not only to view the exhibits but also take part in what’s going on by activating visual aids.
» Visitors can even experience what it’s like to be on the Moon’s surface or fly a hang glider in the Grand Canyon.
» An exhibit demonstrating an example of a closed ecosystem looks very impressive. A small fish lives in a sealed aquarium with floating algae that provide it with nutrition and oxygen.
» Furthermore, popular science films about space are shown in small cinema halls.

International Finance Centre, Hong Kong

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» The International Finance Centre in Hong Kong was built for offices of the largest finance companies. It is a building complex that consists of a small tower, a big tower, a shopping center, the Four Seasons Hotel, and the Four Seasons Place.
» The first tower was built in 1998. It has 38 floors and is 210 m high.
» The second tower was constructed a little later due to the financial crisis in 2003. The building has 88 floors (including 22 floors of the shopping center) and is 420 m high.
» During the period of the active construction, 3 500 people worked at the same time. There are 62 two-level lifts. Under the tower, there is the Airport Express metro station.
» On the 54th floor, there are offices of the Hong Kong Finance Centre. There is also the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Hong Kong Central Library.
» When the construction was almost completed, the skyscraper appeared in such famous Hollywood films, as “The Dark Knight” where Batman “flies” from the high tower to the lower one. It also appeared in “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life”. The International Finance Centre is surrounded by pedestrian bridges. The square in front of the building is always crowded.

Kowloon Mosque, Hong Kong

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » The majestic snow-white building of the Kowloon Mosque is impressive in its size. The total area of the building is 1,500 square metres.
» It can accommodate 3,000 people. In addition to prayer halls, the mosque has a clinic, a huge library with the largest collection of the Quran books, a kindergarten, and a school.
» Only Muslims can enter the mosque.
» However, since recently, there have been days when the centre is open to the public. In 2017, 1,000 people visited the mosque on that day.
» The following note was left in the visitors’ book: “We get distorted information about Islam. My attitude to Islam has changed now.”

Legislative Council Building, Hong Kong

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» The Legislative Council Building is located in Hong Kong and surrounded by skyscrapers of finance companies.
»  It was decided to build this old government building on reclaimed land. Due to this, there were no problems with building rights.
»  The foundation and poles of the Legislative Council Building were built of Chinese fir.
»  The popular building was formally opened by governor Lugar in 1912.
»  The old government building had been a court house until 1985. Later, it was rebuilt, so its purpose has changed. Nowadays, this old construction is an architectural monument.
»  The Legislative Council Building is supported by Ionic columns and has a protruding domed tower. All interior and exterior elements are designed in the neoclassical style.
»  The Legislative Council Building is distinguished by a central pediment. On it, there is the statue of the Greek goddess of justice, Themis, with her eyes closed and with scales in her hand.
»  The construction project was presented by British architect Sir Aston Webb.

The Center, Hong Kong

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» The Center is a 73-storey skyscraper located in Hong Kong.
»  As of 2015, The Center is the fifth tallest building in the city, 14th in China, and 32nd in Asia. It is the 43d tallest building in the world.
»  The skyscraper is located in the popular shopping quarter in Central and Western District on Hong Kong Island.
»  The skyscraper has three underground levels, a shopping mall on the ground floor, 41 lifts, 400 parking spaces.
»  The famous postmodern Hong Kong skyscraper was built in 1998. The construction cost 384.6 million dollars.
»  The average floor height in the structure is 2.51 metres.
»  There are neon lights on the facade creating a light show when it’s dark.
»  The Center made an appearance in film The Dark Knight.
»  The Hong Kong skyscraper is popular among roofers from around the world. Some of the most popular YouTube videos were shot on the roof of the skyscraper.
»  Cheung Kong Holdings and Land Development Corporation were the developers of the skyscraper.
»  In early November 2017, Li Ka-shing’s company sold The Center for HK$40.2 billion, which is equivalent to $5.15 billion USD. It was bought by a consortium of Hong Kong and Chinese investors. The deal set a record on Hong Kong’s real estate market.

Tian Tan Buddha, Hong Kong

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» It’s a modern memorial built in 1993 in the form of a large seated statue of Buddha that is 34 metres high and weighs 250 tons. To get to the statue, you need to climb 268 steps.
» There’s a temple inside. The first floor decorated with paintings of the Buddha’s earthly life houses the Hall of Benevolent Merit. The second floor has a wooden panel depicting 160 pairs of eyes conveying different human emotions. The third floor houses the Hall of Remembrance where a holy relic of Buddha is stored.
»  An intriguing feature of Hong Kong’s statue of the Buddha is that it is the only one in the world that faces north, while others traditionally face south.
» On the Buddha’s birthdays, an interesting event takes place: you can see how monks are washing the feet of the statue.

Tsing Ma Bridge, Hong Kong

Location on the map:     Interesting facts:
» Tsing Ma Bridge was named after the two islands it connects, sing Yi and Ma Wan.
» The project of this construction was presented 120 years ago. However, the bridge started to be built in 1992 when there was a need for transport communication between the city and a new airport at Chek Lap Kok.
» In 1997, the bridge was commissioned. The opening ceremony was visited by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher.
» The bridge is one of the longest suspension two-level bridges for car and trail traffic. It is 2.2 km long. The main span is 1 377 m long. The supports of the bridge are 206 m high.
» Besides railway lines, at the lower level, there is also a spare motor road for car traffic during typhoons. There is no pedestrian walkways on the bridge.
» Tsing Ma Bridge is very picturesque and attractive, especially at nights when it is illuminated.
Hong Kong guide chapters 1 2 3
More to see in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is often called the New York of Asia, although, the number of skyscrapers in Hong Kong is even more than in American cities. Hong Kong consists of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, New Territories and a number of small islands. In 1997, the city was returned to China from the UK. After this, Hong Kong was awarded with a special status in China. Hong Kong skyscrapers simply amaze visitors with their magnificence and gorgeousness, especially in the evening, when they are lit beautifully. However, besides them the city has much to see and many interesting places to visit. Victoria Peak. Victoria Peak is the highest point in Hong Kong. From here tourists will be able to enjoy the panoramic view of the entire city. This landmark attracts millions of tourists every year. The best way to get to the very top of the peak is to take a special tram that leaves from the city center every 10-15 minutes. The trip lasts approximately 7 minutes. The last part of the journey is particularly exciting - the tram overcomes the steepest ascent. The top of the peak is the location of the recently completely renovated Peak Tower . The tower has the shape of a Chinese pan. The observation deck of the tower features simply beautiful views of Hong Kong, but the tower itself deserves no less …

What to see in top cities of Hong Kong

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