Route 1 - Hong Kong City Hall－Gloucester Road－Fleming Road－Expo Drive East Flashcards
What points to mention at departure of bus?
1. Self-introduction:
Hello everyone and welcome to Hong Kong. I am your tour guide Alexandra Martin. I am pleased to have the opportunity to show you around this vibrant city today.
2. Itinerary introduction:
* Today’s itinerary inclueds Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Tin Hau, The Peak, Deep Waterbay, Repulse Bay, Stanley, Aberdeen, Pok Fu Lam, and the Western District.
* Should you have any questions during this trip, please feel free to ask.
3. Notification of driver to start the tour:
This is our driver …., and together we will start the tour now.
Route 1 - Points to mention
(Hong Kong City Hall - Gloucester Road - Fleming Road - Expo Drive East)
8 (+1 optional) sites - 8-9 minutes
- City Hall (left)
- Chinese People’s Liberation Army Forces HK Building (left)
- Admirality (front)
- Central Government Complex (left)
- HK Academy for the Performing Arts (Left)
- HK Convention and Exhibition Centre (left)
- Golden Bauhinia Square (front)
- Wan Chai Ferry Pier (left)
- Star Ferry (optional)
First City Hall Building (5):
1. Name,
2. Year of Opening,
3. Year of Demolishment,
4. Location,
5. Function.
- Old City Hall
- (June) 1869
- 1933
- Located on Queen’s Road Central, near the present-day HSBC headquarters and Statue Square,
- It was the first multi-functional civic building in the young crown colony, with a theatre, library, and assembly rooms.
Key features of the present Hong Kong City Hall:
1. Location (1)
2. Historical Significance (3)
3. City Hall Complex (3)
4. Building’s Architecture (4)
5. Building’s Function(2 =3 + 4)
6. Memorial Garden (2)
1. Location: Occupying an area of 11 000 square metres on the reclaimed seafront of Edinburgh Place, Central.
2. Historical Significance: (2)
* Opened in 1962, the Hong Kong City Hall is also serves as a multi-purpose cultural complex.
* Serves as a key venue for arts and public life, hosting concerts, plays, exhibitions, and community events for decades.
* City Hall was declared a monument in 2022 and is since protected under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance.
3. The City Hall complex: (3)
* Two buildings (low block and high block),
* Memorial garden,
* Three-storey car park.
4. Building’s Architecture (4):
* The modernist style
* with clean lines
* emphasizing functionality and spaciousness
* is a bold deviation from the magnificent Renaissance style of the old City Hall.
5. Building’s Function (2):
* Low Block (2): City Hall Concert Hall with 1,434 seats , an exhibition hall, and a small-stage theater with 463 seats.
* High Block (4): Recital hall (small performance place - 111 seats), exhibition gallery, marriage registry, and the City Hall public library.
6. Memorial Garden (2):
* Covers 4,950 square meters,
* Commemorates soldiers and civilians who defended Hong Kong during WWII.
China People’s Liberation Army Forces HK Building(left):
1. Location (2)
2. Structure (4)
3. History (4)
4. Current Function (2)
1. Location:
* In Admiralty, Hong Kong,
* next to City Hall Complex
2. Structure: (4)
* 113 meters tall with 28 floors,
* Resembling a microphone or wine glass,
* The wine glass-shaped design serves security purposes, allowing the entire building to be sealed off quickly in emergencies.
* It is also informally known as ‘the upside-down Gin bottle’ due to its shape resembling a bottle of Gordon’s Gin.
3. History:(4)
* Built for the British navy in 1979,
* Part of the former HMS Tamar naval base,
* Previously named the Prince of Wales Building.
* It housed the head office of the Royal Navy stationed in Hong Kong until the territory’s handover to the People’s Republic of China on 1 July 1997 when it was made the head office of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison.
4. Current Function (2):
* Military Headquarters for the PLA Hong Kong Garrison (which is supported by a Shenzhen base).
* Houses administrative offices, staff quarters, and operational facilities for Chinese military personnel stationed in Hong Kong under the “One Country, Two Systems” principle
Admiralty
1. Location (2)
2. History (2)
3. Name (2)
4. Current Function (4)
1. Location: (2)
* District between Central and Wan Chai
* Eastern extension of the central business district
2. History: (2)
* The area was developed as a military area by the British military in the 19th century.
* They built the Wellington Barracks, Murray Barracks, Victoria Barracks and Admiralty Dock at the site.
3. Name: (2)
* The English name of Admiralty refers to the former Admiralty Dock.
* The Cantonese name, Gāmjūng (金鐘), lit. “Golden Bell”, refers to a golden bronze bell that was used for timekeeping at Wellington Barracks.
4. Current Function: (4)
* Extension of CBD
* Important commercial and administrative center,
* Office buildings, government buildings, shopping malls and hotels.
* Several parks in the area, i. e. Hong Kong Park
Central Government Complex
1. Location (1)
2. Reason for new complex (3)
3. Design Concept (3)
4. Main Components (4)
5. Public Access (2)
6. Civic Importance (1)
1. Location: (1)
At the Tamar site, Admiralty, between Central and Wan Chai
2. Reason for new Government Complex: (3)
* The Central Government Complex was built to centralize government offices, improve administrative efficiency, and symbolize a more open and accessible government for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
* Also, the existing government offices at Murray Building and the former Central Government Offices were considered to be too small. Maintenance of the buildings was also increasingly costly, and the age of the buildings limited the technology used in them.
* Opened: August 2011
3. Design Concept: (3)
* Designed under the “Door Always Open” concept – symbolizes transparency, openness, and accessibility in governance
* Contemporary design emphasizing openness.
* Green roofs, energy-efficient systems, and landscaped areas
4. Main Components: (4)
* Office of the Chief Executive
* Central Government Offices (CGO)
* Legislative Council Complex (LegCo)
* Tamar Park (a public space linking the buildings)
5. Public Access: (2)
* Tamar Park is fully open to the public
* Some government buildings allow access for guided tours or official business
6. Civic Importance: (1)
* Serves as the administrative and legislative heart of the Hong Kong SAR government
What makes the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts unique?
1. Design (1)
2. Establishment (2)
3. Funding (3)
4. Significance (5)
5. Campuses (2)
1. Design: (1)
Exterior resembles a steel-framed grand piano, with an avant-garde appearance.
2. Establishment: (2)
* Founded in 1984 by the Hong Kong government as the
* City’s only public institution dedicated to performing arts training.
3. Funding: (3)
* Total cost: 380 million HKD.
* Land and 80 million HKD provided by the Hong Kong government.
* Largest investor: Jockey Club (300 million HKD).
4. Significance: (5)
* Hong Kong’s only public institution specifically dedicated to training performing arts talents.
* Also, Hong Kong’s highest academic institution in the arts field:
* The academy provides practice-based and professional diploma, advanced diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Chinese opera, dance, drama, film and television, music, and theatre and entertainment arts.
* Honorary doctorate holders include Lisa Wang Ming-Chuen and Jacky Cheung.
* Recognized as Asia’s leading higher education institution for performing arts.
5. Campuses: (2)
* Main campus: Wan Chai.
* Béthanie Heritage Campus (Pok Fu Lam): Houses the School of Film and Television training facility.
What are the key features and historical significance of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC)?
1. Overview (3)
2. Architects (1)
3. Expansion (2)
4. Major Events (2)
5. Historical Significance (2)
6. Cultural Significance (2)
1. Overview: (3)
* One of Hong Kong’s two major exhibition venues (alongside AsiaWorld–Expo).
* Original building completed in 1988 on reclaimed land off Gloucester Road with the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and Harbour View Apartments on top of it
* Second phase (1994–1997) constructed on an artificial island, featuring a roof of five curved panels resembling a bird’s wings.
2. Architects: (1)
Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the firm behind the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest structure.
3. Expansion: (2)
* Originally, Phase Two was connected to Phase One with a sky bridge), but now the two phases are connected by an expanded exhibition hall.
* 2006–2009: Added 19,400 square meters, totaling nearly 83,000 square meters of exhibition space and over 92,000 square meters of rentable function space.
4. Major Events: (2)
* Hosts over 45 international trade fairs annually*, including the world’s largest leather fair and watch and clock fair.
* Art Basel and other major events like
book fairs, wedding expos
pet shows are held here.
5. Historical Significance: (2)
* Venue of the 1997 Hong Kong handover ceremony, marking the end of over 150 years of British colonial rule.
* The event was watched by millions around the world and is remembered as a defining moment in Hong Kong’s modern history.
6. Cultural Significance: (3)
Beyond its historical significance, locals often fondly
* recall personal experiences at HKCEC, like attending their first book fair as a child, where they eagerly bought exercise books and stationery, or later attending expos like wedding fairs or Art Basel exhibitions.
What is the Golden Bauhinia Square, and why is it significant?
1. Location (2)
2. Name (3)
3. Daily Events (2)
4. Special Events (2)
5. Tourist Attraction
1. Location: (2)
* Near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, part of the Expo Promenade in Wan Chai.
* Facing Kowloon across Victoria Harbour.
2. Name: (3)
* Named after a giant, six metres high gilded Bauhinia flower sculpture at the centre of the area, a gift from Mainland China commemorating the 1997 handover.
* The Bauhinia blakeana, commonly known as the Hong Kong orchid tree, holds significant symbolic value as it is featured on Hong Kong’s flag and serves as the region’s official emblem.
* The Golden Bauhinia has also been nicknamed the “Golden Pak Choi” by locals.
3. Daily Events: Flag-Raising Ceremonies: (2)
* Daily at 8 AM, conducted by five police officers, accompanied by the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China.
* Flag-lowering ceremonies held at 6 PM without the anthem.
4. Special Events: (2)
* Key location for ceremonies on Hong Kong SAR Establishment Day (July 1) and National Day of the People’s Republic of China (October 1), attended by government officials, foreign consuls, and community leaders.
* Fireworks: (3) On New Year’s Eve, on the second day of Chinese New Year, and on the National Day of the People’s Republic of China, the square is lit up by a firework show.
5. Tourist Attraction: (3)
* Popular spot for photos and visits.
* Mainland Chinese tourists often make visiting Golden Bauhinia Square a ritual, especially for early morning flag-raising ceremonies.
* Some visitors even treat it as a lucky spot, believing that visiting the square will bring prosperity and good fortune.
What is the Wan Chai Ferry Pier, and what service does it provide?
1. Location (1)
2. History (1)
3. Service (1)
1. Location: (1)
* Situated at the Wan Chai waterfront near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
2. History: (1)
* Due to consequtive land reclamation projects is this pier the third generation from 2014, after the first generation from 1929 and second from 1968.
3. Service: (1)
* Operates the Star Ferry route connecting Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui.
What is the significance of Hong Kong’s Star Ferry?
1. History (4)
2. Name (2)
3. Unique Features (5)
4. Routes (1)
5. Cultural Significance (3)
6. Tourist Tips (4)
1. History: (4)
* Launched in the 1888 by a Parsee entrepreneur with the steamboat named Morning Star.
* By 1888, ferries ran every 40 minutes to 1 hour between Central’s Pedder Street and Tsim Sha Tsui’s Kowloon Point. Service was suspended on Mondays and Fridays for coal refueling.
* In 1898, Sir Catchick Paul Chater purchased the fleet, founding the Star Ferry Company.
* The Star Ferry is one of Hong Kong’s oldest and most iconic transportation services.
Name: (2):
* Inspired by a line from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem Crossing the Bar:
“Sunset and evening star, and one clear call for me.”
* Early ferries were named after celestial bodies, like Morning Star, Evening Star, and Rising Star, reflecting this theme.
3. Unique Features: (5)
* * Current fleet: Nine double-ended boats, mostly painted bottle-green and ivory.
* Current design dates to the 1950s.
* The ferries are double-decked with wooden seats and open-air sides on the upper deck.
* Vintage charm: retains much of its original design with brass fittings, wooden paneling, and nostalgic vibes.
* Reversible wooden bench seats on the upper deck. Each bench has a backrest that can be flipped from one side to the other.This allows passengers to face forward, no matter which direction the ferry is going — because the ferry doesn’t turn around; it just sails back and forth.
4. Routes: (1)
* Connects Hong Kong Island (Central and Wan Chai) with Kowloon (Tsim Sha Tsui).
5. Cultural Significance: (3)
* A symbol of Hong Kong’s heritage, bridging its past and present.
* Popular with tourists and locals for its affordability and charm.
* Offers scenic views of Victoria Harbour.
6. Tourist Tips: (4)
* Named one of the “50 Places of a Lifetime” by National Geographic Traveler.
* Best time: Evening rides to enjoy the Symphony of Lights show across Victoria Harbour.
* Fares start at just HKD 2.70–3.70, making it one of the cheapest sightseeing experiences in Hong Kong.
* Upper deck offers better views, while the lower deck is closer to the water.
