Mid-levels
Encyclopedia
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It is located halfway up Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. The mountain is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island...
, directly above Central
Central, Hong Kong
Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula...
. Residents are mostly local and expat professionals.
The Mid-levels is bound by Bonham Road
Bonham Road
Bonham Road is a road in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The road is a main road connecting Pokfulam Road in the west, near the University of Hong Kong, and Caine Road in the east, at the junction with Hospital Road and Seymour Road...
, Caine Road
Caine Road
Caine Road is a main road in Hong Kong connecting Bonham Road in the west and Arbuthnot Road and Upper Albert Road in the east ....
, Upper Albert Road, Kennedy Road to the north, and Conduit Road to the south. In the west it extends as far as Hong Kong University, and in the east to the south of Wan Chai
Wan Chai
Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often called...
. It is mainly divided into East Mid-levels above Admiralty
Admiralty, Hong Kong
Admiralty is the eastern extension of central business district of the Central on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. It is located on the eastern end of the Central and Western District, bordered by Wan Chai to the east and Victoria Harbour to the north. The name of Admiralty refers to the former...
, Central Mid-levels above Central and Sheung Wan
Sheung Wan
Sheung Wan is an area in Hong Kong, located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island, between Central and Sai Ying Pun. Administratively, it is part of the Central and Western District...
, and West Mid-levels above Sai Ying Pun
Sai Ying Pun
Sai Ying Pun is an area in Western District on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is part of Central and Western District in district administration....
. Many streets are named after former Governors of Hong Kong
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...
. Examples include Bonham Road (after George Bonham, 1848-1854) and Kennedy Road (after Arthur Edward Kennedy
Arthur Edward Kennedy
Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy GCMG CB was a British colonial administrator who served as governor of a number of British colonies, namely Sierra Leone, Western Australia, Vancouver Island, Hong Kong and Queensland....
, 1872-1877). Many of the roads in this area are within walking distance of the Central Business District, which is accessible by the mid levels escalator from Central.
Aside from the panoramic view of Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...
from Mid-levels, it is also close to Central and Admiralty
Admiralty, Hong Kong
Admiralty is the eastern extension of central business district of the Central on the Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong. It is located on the eastern end of the Central and Western District, bordered by Wan Chai to the east and Victoria Harbour to the north. The name of Admiralty refers to the former...
, which are both significant business areas, thus providing easy and convenient access for the business people living in Mid-levels.
An added attraction of the Mid-levels is its close proximity to nature and a comparatively better air quality than many parts of Hong Kong Island. Many wealthy people in Hong Kong are willing to pay top market price for a residency that is away from pollution and yet so close to the centre of the city.
Many choices for housing are available, from luxurious to small and compact apartments. The costs of these apartments vary considerably according to the size, location and age of the building. The cost ranges from a few million dollars to about two hundred million Hong Kong dollar
Hong Kong dollar
The Hong Kong dollar is the currency of the jurisdiction. It is the eighth most traded currency in the world. In English, it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively HK$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
s.
Many prestigious colleges and schools can be found in Mid-Levels, the most historical and famous schools being probably The University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. Its motto is "Sapientia et Virtus" in Latin, meaning "wisdom and virtue", and "" in Chinese...
, King's College and St. Joseph's College
St. Joseph's College, Hong Kong
Established in 1875, St. Joseph's College is the oldest Catholic boys' secondary school in Hong Kong. It is located at 7 Kennedy Road, Mid-levels, in the Central and Western District...
.
The Central-Mid-levels Escalator
The Central-Mid-levels escalator cuts through the Mid-levels, from Central to Conduit Road
Conduit Road
Conduit Road is a road in the Mid-Levels on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong.-The road and buildings:Conduit Road was constructed in 1910. It is located in Western Mid-Levels. It is named after the aqueduct passing underneath which carries water from the Pok Fu Lam Reservoir to the Central area. It is...
. It allows people to travel quickly between these two places, compared with travelling by the winding roads up the mountain.
At 800 m, it is the longest outdoor escalator in the world. It was opened on 15 October 1994. The escalator runs downhill from 6 am to 10 am and uphill from 10:30 am to midnight everyday. Pedestrians travelling in the opposite direction make use of the adjacent stairs and footpaths. Apart from its transportation function, it is a tourist attraction.
Hong Kong Park
Hong Kong Park, which is 80,000 m2 in area, is located next to Cotton Tree Drive in Central. There are modern facilities surrounded by a natural landscapeNatural landscape
A natural landscape is a landscape that is unaffected by human activity. A natural landscape is intact when all living and nonliving elements are free to move and change. The nonliving elements distinguish a natural landscape from a wilderness. A wilderness includes areas within which natural...
.
Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens
The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is one of the oldest Zoological and Botanical centres in the world. It is located on the northern slope of Victoria Peak and has been opened to the public since 1862. In 1871, itwas officially renamed to Botanical Gardens, and in 1975, the name was changed again to Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens. This venerable park was previously named Bing Tao Garden, meaning the Chief Commander's Garden. It was then linked to the garden of the Government House. In 1958, a bronze statue of King George VI was erected in the garden to mark the centenary year in which Hong Kong became a British Colony.Keeping wild animals in the Garden can be traced as early as 1876. At that time, animals were kept merely for entertainment. From 1970s, the emphasis changed to techniques in captive breeding and conservation breeding programmes for zoological collection. Today, the Garden has a collection of over 600 birds, 70 mammals and 40 reptiles which are housed in about 40 enclosures. The collection includes orangutan
Orangutan
Orangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...
s, gibbon
Gibbon
Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae . The family is divided into four genera based on their diploid chromosome number: Hylobates , Hoolock , Nomascus , and Symphalangus . The extinct Bunopithecus sericus is a gibbon or gibbon-like ape which, until recently, was thought to be closely related...
s and other primates; the American Flamingo, jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
and Burmese Python
Burmese Python
The Burmese Python is the largest subspecies of the Indian Python and one of the 6 largest snakes in the world, native to a large variation of tropic and subtropic areas of Southern- and Southeast Asia. They are often found near water and are sometimes semi-aquatic, but can also be found in trees...
can be found here as well. There is an active breeding programme for many of these species, notably the orangutans, gibbons, and lemurs which rarely breed in captivity.
The Garden keeps for more than 1000 species of inland plant such as Conifer, Fig, Palm, Gum Trees and Magnolia. Besides, a Greenhouse at the eastern boundary of the Garden houses over 150 native and exotic species including orchids, ferns, bromeliads, climbers and house plants etc.
Lung Fu Shan Country Park
Lung Fu Shan Country Park covers the densely vegetated slopes of Lung Fu Shan, including the disused Pinewood BatteryPinewood Battery
Pinewood Battery is a historic military site in Hong Kong, located at 307m above sea level, within Lung Fu Shan Country Park, in the northwestern part of Hong Kong Island.-History:...
and the Pinewood Garden picnic area, providing a scenic backdrop to the residential and commercial districts of Hong Kong Island. It is situated at the north of Pok Fu Lam Country Park
Pok Fu Lam Country Park
Pok Fu Lam Country Park is located on Pok Fu Lam, the western end of the Southern District of Hong Kong Island. The 2.7 square kilometre hectare park was designated in 1979.The park includes:*Sylvan sanctuary*Pok Fu Lam Reservoir *Hong Kong Trail...
. Towards the east of Lung Fu Shan Country Park is Hatton Road, to the south is Harlech Road whereas to the north and west is a covered conduit constructed by the Water Supplies Department. This country park covers an area of about 470,000 m² and also commands an excellent vista of the western part of the territory and the Victoria Harbour.
Wan Chai Nature Trail
Wan Chai Nature Trail is a short footpath and it only takes about 2 hours to complete. Along the way, one can gain knowledge about nature, mainly concerning biological, geological and geographical aspects.The Flagstaff House Museum
Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware (茶具文物館), a branch museum of the Hong Kong Museum of ArtHong Kong Museum of Art
The Hong Kong Museum of Art is the main art museum of Hong Kong. The museum was established as the City Hall Museum and Art Gallery in the City Hall in Central by the Urban Council in 1962. In 1991, it was moved to the present premises at 10 Salisbury Road, near the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and...
, is located at the Hong Kong Park. The building was built in the 1840s, and originally served as the office and residence of the Commander of the British Forces in Hong Kong. It was converted to the Museum of Tea Ware in 1984, with a new wing, the K.S. Lo Gallery), constructed in 1995.
Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware specializes in the collection, study and display of tea ware. The museum promotes Chinese tea drinking culture
Chinese tea culture
Chinese tea culture refers to the methods of preparation of tea, the equipment used to make tea and the occasions in which tea is consumed in China. The terms chayi "Art of Tea 茶藝" and "Tea Ceremony" have been used, but the term "Tea Culture茶文化" includes more than just the ceremony...
through many exhibitions. There are video programmes and audio guides conducted in Cantonese and Japanese, regular presentations and lecture programmes, and free guided tours for the visiting tourists.
The Chinese Teahouse, which is a part of the museum, holds serving tea demonstrations regularly.
Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre
The Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre is located at Kennedy Road in Central, with the main aim of supporting local art creation. The centre was restructured from an early 20th century building (Cassels Block, former barracks for married British officers) in order to provide an arena and facilities for local artists.The University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong (UMAG)
The UMAG is located inside the University of Hong Kong, with an aim to promote Chinese art and culture to college students and the entire community. The UMAG usually holds some exhibitions and art educational activities in order to promote the art education in Hong Kong. The museum is located in the Fung Ping Shan Building, which is situated next to the main entrance of the university. In addition, the Art Gallery is located in the three lower stories of the T T Tsui Building.Kom Tong Hall
The Dr. Sun Yat-sen MuseumDr. Sun Yat-sen Museum
Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum is a museum in Hong Kong. It is located in Kom Tong Hall , at 7 Castle Road, Central. After the preparation work undertaken by the Hong Kong Museum of History, the museum was opened on December 12, 2006, so as to commemorate the 140th birthday of the influential Chinese...
is located in the Kom Tong Hall, an old mansion in Castle Road. It contains exhibitions on the life of Dr. Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
and history of the building.
Previously the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints owned the Kom Tong Hall. The building was converted to a church building on the lower floors and served as an office for the Asia Area on the upper floors. It was then donated back to the government of Hong Kong.http://www.lds.org.hk/english/features/kom_tong_hall_headlines.htm The building was replaced by the church in June 2005 with the newly constructed Wan Chi Church Building on Gloucester Road
Gloucester Road, Hong Kong
Gloucester Road is a major road in Hong Kong. It is in the north of Wan Chai and East Point on Hong Kong Island. It connects to Harcourt Road at its western end and it ends east along west side of Victoria Park. It forms part of Hong Kong's Route 4 and connects to the Island Eastern Corridor via...
in Wan Chai
Wan Chai
Wan Chai is a metropolitan area situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area north of Gloucester Road is often called...
.http://www.lds.org.hk/english/features/wan_chai_church_building.htm
During World War II this building was supposedly used as the Japanese Headquarters in Hong Kong.
Education
Many schools and colleges can be found in the Mid-levels. The most famous is the University of Hong Kong. Other famous secondary schools such as King's College are also located here.St. Margaret's Girls' College H.K.
St. Margaret's Girls' College H.K. is a girls college in Hong Kong. It was founded in 1964.St. Paul's College
St. Paul's CollegeSt. Paul's College, Hong Kong
St. Paul's College is an Anglican day school for boys in Mid Levels, Hong Kong and is located adjacent to University of Hong Kong. Established in 1851, it is the oldest secondary school in Hong Kong that is still in operation...
is the oldest school in Hong Kong. It was established in 1851 and celebrated its 155th anniversary in 2006. It was located on Government hill until the end of World War II. It was then relocated to Pok Fu Lam
Pok Fu Lam
Pok Fu Lam or Pokfulam is a residential area on Hong Kong Island, at the western end of the Southern District.Pok Fu Lam is a valley between Victoria Peak and Mount Kellet, around Telegraph Bay....
for a few years and moved to Bonham Road
Bonham Road
Bonham Road is a road in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The road is a main road connecting Pokfulam Road in the west, near the University of Hong Kong, and Caine Road in the east, at the junction with Hospital Road and Seymour Road...
in 1950. During those periods, St. Paul's College was merged with St. Paul's Girl's School and formed St. Paul's Co-educational College.
Island School
The flagship ESF school is located on Borrett Road and schools many of the expatriate children living in Mid-Levels. In recent years more and more locals have begun to fill up the school. Island SchoolIsland School
Island School is a co-educational non-profit international school in Hong Kong. The campus is situated in the Mid-Levels district of Hong Kong on 20 Borrett Road...
consistently sends its students to some of the top universities in both the US and UK including Oxford University, LSE, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Michigan.
The Main Building of the University of Hong Kong
The Main Building of the University of Hong Kong is the oldest of all the university's structures. Donated by Sir H.N. ModyHormusjee Naorojee Mody
Sir Hormusjee Naorojee Mody was a successful Parsi businessman in Hong Kong.-Biography:He was born in Bombay and moved to Hong Kong around 1860...
, this building's construction began in 1910 and was completed in 1912 at Pok Fu Lam Road. It is made of red bricks and granite and a four turrets with a central clock tower. The clock tower was donated by Sir Paul Chater.
The central Great Hall of Main Building is named after the wealthy businessman Lok Yew. During the Second World War, the entire building was damaged but was later repaired. In 1952, two more courtyards were built south to the building and an additional one was completed in 1958. At present, the building houses various departments of the Arts Faculty.
Hung Hing Ying Building, The University of Hong Kong
Old Hall, The University of Hong Kong
St. Paul's Co-educational College
St. Paul's Co-ed. had its first premises at Caine Road in 1915, and moved to the current site at Macdonnell RoadMacDonnell Road
MacDonnell Road, is a road in the affluent and ultra-expensive Mid-Levels district on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. MacDonnell Road is named after former Hong Kong Governor Richard Graves MacDonnell. Starting from Garden Road, the road runs westward in the Mid-Levels and ends in Kennedy Road.The...
in 1925. It was founded as St. Paul's Girls' College, and was converted into co-educational after the Second World War, and was the first co-educational secondary school in Hong Kong. Dr Catherine Woo Building of the campus was the only portion built in 1925, before subsequent expansions took place.
King's College
King's College was built as Sai Ying Pun School in 1879 at the corner of Bonham Road and Western Street. The British used the school as the quarters and hospital for the British Shanghai Defence ForceShanghai Defence Force
The Shanghai Defence Force was a tri-service military formation established by the British Government to protect European nationals and their property in Shanghai from Chinese communist forces.-History:...
soon after it opened. In 1928, it was reverted to a school but was turned into a stable in 1941 by the Japanese. It became a school again in 1950 and it remains a Government School since then. The building is constructed of red bricks and has three wings: east, south and north.
St. Joseph's College
Established in 1875, St. Joseph's College (SJC, 聖若瑟書院) is the first Catholic boys' secondary school in Hong Kong. It is located at 7 Kennedy Road, Mid-levels, in the Central and Western District.The College is a Lasallian institution. Together with a kindergarten and a primary school, St. Joseph's Primary School, both situated at 48 Wood Road, Wan Chai, the St. Joseph's (the "Schools") population now exceeds 4200.
The Schools provide education which focuses not only on academic but also extracurricular activities. The Schools also emphasise students' social development, with a number of graduates becoming important social figures, for example Charles K. Kao
Charles K. Kao
The Honorable Sir Charles Kuen Kao, GBM, KBE, FRS, FREng is a pioneer in the development and use of fiber optics in telecommunications...
, the winner of 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics.
The north and west blocks of the College are declared monuments of Hong Kong since August 2000.
Temples
Man Mo TempleMan Mo Temple
A Man Mo Temple or Man Mo Miu is a temple for the worship of the civil or literature god Man Tai / Man Cheong （文昌） and the martial god Mo Tai / Kwan Tai . The two gods were popularly patronized by scholars and students seeking progress in their study or ranking in the civil examinations in the...
is a popular site of worship that is important to Hong Kong culture. The Man Mo Temple was founded in the 1850s at the start of British Occupation of Hong Kong and contains a copper bell made during the reign of the Chinese Emperor Daoguang (1820 - 1850). Man Mo Temple is located at the intersection of Hollywood Road and Ladder Street which is in the area known as Tai Ping Shan
Tai Ping Shan Street
Tai Ping Shan Street is a street marking the early colonial history in Hong Kong. Located at the north slope of Victoria Peak in Sheung Wan, the street starts east from a ladder street at the junction with Bridges Street and end west in Po Yan Street near Tung Wah Hospital...
rather than the Mid-levels. In addition, there are many small traditional shrines, often adjacent to old large strangler Fig trees.
St John's Cathedral
St John's Cathedral, an Anglican / Episcopalian church located on Garden Road, is one of the oldest and most active places of worship in Hong Kong. It hosts a counselling service, an HIV centre and two advisory centres for migrant workers who form about 5% of Hong Kong's population. St John's operates an "open altar" policy of welcoming to Holy Communion all Christians in good standing. It is also interesting to note that Hong Kong's lands have a set period of grant on them, St John's Cathedral's land is the only exception.Roman Catholic Cathedral
The Immaculate Conception CathedralImmaculate Conception Cathedral of Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong. It is the seat of the Diocesan bishop, currently John Tong. The Cathedral is one of the two cathedrals in the territory of Hong Kong, the other being the Anglican...
is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Hong Kong located at 16 Caine Road. The first Roman Catholic cathedral of Hong Kong was built in 1843 and destroyed in a fire in 1859. The Cathedral was designed by Crawlwey and Company of London. Construction of the new one started in 1883 and the first Mass was celebrated on 7 December 1888.
Union Church Hong Kong
Union Church Hong Kong is located at Kennedy Road in Mid-Levels, up the hill from Central and Admiralty, and next to where the Peak Tram bridge intersects with Kennedy Road. It is an international, interdenominational church which was established in 1844. The first Union Church was built in 1845 on Hollywood Road. And then, in 1866, the Church relocated to a new site on Staunton Street. Until 1888, due to the church on the Staunton Street had become very crowded, it was moved to the current site on Kennedy Road. Union Church has a long history and during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it was forced to be closed owing to the invasion of the Japanese.
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) has a long connection with China and Hong Kong.
Hop Yat Church
The church was founded in 1862 and located at No.2 Bonham Road. Hop Yat Church was formerly the Daoji Mission House. The union of all Christians in Mainland China made them established the Chinese Church in 1920. A new church was completed and named Hop Yat Church in 1926. The exterior wall has a memorial stone with an inscription of the year 1924.Jamiah Masjid Mosque
An elegant old Mosque dating from the early days of Hong Kong's history is located on the corner of Mosque Street and Shelley Street. It is easily accessible by the mid-levels escalator.Ohel Leah Synagogue and Jewish Cultural Centre, Robinson Road
The Ohel Leah Synagogue is a beautiful Synagogue dating from 1901 located on Robinson Road.Private housing
39 Conduit Road39 Conduit Road
39 Conduit Road is a residential property situated in Conduit Road in western mid-Levels of Hong Kong. It is a prestige development by Henderson Land Development....
is a residential property developed by Henderson Land Development
Henderson Land Development
Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd. is a listed property company and a constituent of the Hang Seng Index. The company's principal activities are property development and investment, project management, construction, hotel operation, department store operation, finance, investment holding and...
. Soon after the development was launched in October 2009, the developer claimed to have sold a five bedroom duplex flat, on the "68th floor" of the 46-storey the building for HK$
Hong Kong dollar
The Hong Kong dollar is the currency of the jurisdiction. It is the eighth most traded currency in the world. In English, it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively HK$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
439 million (US$57m). The price, equating to US$9,200 per square foot, set the new world record for the most expensive apartment.