Hong Kong Landmarks and Viewpoints

Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank (HSBC) Building

Completed in 1985 and said to be the most expensive building ever built, the 179-metres (587 feet) HSBC Building epitomizes the mix of an ancient practice with high-tech wizardry. Its design is based on the art of feng shui, in which the harmony of elements, shapes, sizes and colours is considered to be essential for producing and maintaining the proper balance of energy to generate prosperity.

When standing in the building's public plaza, you can see right into the heart of the building through a ten-storey glass atrium.

Hong Kong Cyberport

Located on the southwest coast of Hong Kong Island, this award-winning high-tech facility supports the IT, multimedia and telecommunications industries. In addition to providing grade-A offices, Cyberport is home to providing a luxury residences, Cyberport is home to the five-star Le Meridien hotel.

Cyberport is a US$2 billion (HK$15.8 billion) project managed by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited.

Designed to establish Hong Kong as the digital content and IT hub of the Asia-Pacific region, Cyberport is owned Company of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR).

Cyberport regularly hosts international forums on such cutting-edge themes as global digital content and digital media research and development.

No trip to Hong Kong would be complete without a special visit to this futuristic IT flagship.

Bank of China (BOC) Tower

The soaring 70-storey BOC Tower is one of Hong Kong Island's most stunning landmarks. Designed by acclaimed architect I M Pei and completed in 1990, the design was inspired by the elegance of bamboo, and symbolizes vitality, strength and growth. The 367-metre (1,205 feet) building's geometric glass façade also makes it one of the most photographed buildings in the city.

Exchange Square and the International Finance Centre (IFC)

Exchange Square, home to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, is formed by three adjacent blocks: One, Two and Three Exchange Square. This spectacular building complex has been recognised as an important achievement in architecture.

With its three towers of rose-coloured granite and silver glass, it is an aesthetic forum wherein some of the most important financial transactions take place.

Exchange Square is connected to the ifc – and the Airport Express Line's Hong Kong Station directly underneath – by a network of walkways. The ifc mall features trendy restaurants, fashion, beauty, and jewellery shops, and a cinema.

The ifc itself comprises two buildings, the first of which opened to the public in 1999. The second one (2ifc), with 88 floors, opened in 2003. The top floor is slightly higher than the viewing gallery at the Peak, making it the sixth tallest office building in the world.

As Hong Kong's tallest building (so far), 2ifc is expected to be usurped by the International Commerce Centre in Kowloon's Union Square, already under construction. Union Square is being constructed around the Airport Express Line's Kowloon Station.

The proposed International Commerce Centre also will house a seven-star Ritz-Carlton hotel with 300 rooms near the top of the tower. It will be the highest elevated hotel in the world!

Stanley Military Cemetery

The Stanley Military Cemetery is is a place of historical interest near St Stephen Bay on Hong Kong Island. Between 1841 and 1866, this triangular plot of land was used to bury deceased British soldiers and their families. Further burials took place there during the two World Wars.

Hong Kong Cemetery, in Happy Valley, is one of Hong Kong's early Christian cemeteries from the colonial period. It has both military and civilian graves and a special Japanese section has been designated for Shinto burials. Located not far from the racecourse, it rests alongside the Jewish, Parsee and Muslim Cemeteries, as well as the Roman Catholic St Michael Cemetery.

Statue Square, The Cenotaph and City Hall

On weekdays in Central's Statue Square, people quietly sit alongside the fountains during lunch breaks or after work, but on Sundays the venue puts on its party hat as thousands of Filipinas who work in Hong Kong rendezvous with friends for picnics in and around the Square on their day off.

In the middle of the square proudly stands a statue of Sir Thomas Jackson, former chief manager (1876 to 1902) of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation.

Not far away, across Chater Road, is the Cenotaph: a memorial to Hong Kong residents who died in World Wars I and II.

Facing Victoria Harbour, just steps away from Statue Square, is City Hall, which contains a concert hall, a theatre and, on the second floor, the ever-popular Maxim's restaurant, where dim sum is all the rage.

The Fringe Club & The Foreign Correspondents' Club

Central's Fringe Club, in a brick and stucco colonial-style low-rise structure built in 1913, originally was used as a cold-storage warehouse for ice and dairy products. The building is a historical site and, in 1984, it was taken over by the Fringe Club.

Since then, it has become a popular venue for art and crafts exhibitions, live theatre and music – such as the big band sound of the Saturday Night Jazz Orchestra – and the annual Fringe Festival. The building also features a rooftop beer garden and a cosy restaurant for romantic fine dining: M at the Fringe.

Next door to The Fringe is The Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC), a popular social and intellectual melting pot, where journalists and photographers rendez-vous with businessmen, bankers, authors and artists. The FCC facilities host a number of popular events, including Women in Publishing Society (WiPS) seminars.

The Star Ferry & the Hong Kong Tram Line

In Hong Kong, one of life's simple pleasures is taking a ride on the Star Ferry from Kowloon across Victoria Harbour to Hong Kong Island and back. For those of you who aren't looking for a luxury cruise, the ferries of Hong Kong are the way to go. Just get on board and relax as you sail away…

The decks of the ferries offer striking views no matter the weather. Romantics will not want to miss this ride, particularly at twilight time, when it is especially enchanting with Hong Kong's cornucopia of neon lights aglow all around you.

Another historical and economical way to get around Hong Kong – overland, this time – opened in 1904: the 13-kilometre-long Hong Kong Tram Line, which traverses Hong Kong Island from east to west on the north side. Double-decker trams were introduced in 1912.

Besides Hong Kong, Blackpool, England is the only other city in the world currently using a fleet of double-decker trams.

Victoria Park & the Hong Kong Central Library

The majestic statue of Queen Victoria on her throne was placed in Causeway Bay's Victoria Park after being was restored in 1952. The park includes a central lawn, a swimming pool, and children's play areas. The Park's tennis court even hosts international tennis tournaments on occasion.

This is one of downtown Hong Kong's cherished green areas where one can sit and enjoy a good book after visiting the grand Hong Kong Central Library just across the road.

The 12-storey Hong Kong Central Library facing Victoria Park opened in 2002. Its arch-shaped entrance symbolizes a gate to knowledge. It is a top-notch public library, housing a Multimedia Information System and a 24-hour book drop. Stop by for a little respite from the heat and noise of the city!