Mid-Levels Escalator - Riding Uphill Through SoHo

Mid-Levels Escalator - Riding Uphill Through SoHo

Photo: LN9267, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

A stop on Hong Kong: Star Ferry to the Peak, a free self-guided tour.

Central climbs steeply from the harbor, and in 1993 the city's answer was this chain of covered escalators. It stretches about 800 meters and rises some 135 meters from Queen's Road Central to Conduit Road in the Mid-Levels, using 18 escalators and three moving walkways. Riding it is free. It runs downhill for the morning commute and uphill for the rest of the day, so you may need the stairs alongside if you arrive early.

Built for commuters, it changed the neighborhood. Bars and restaurants sprang up along its route, creating the district now called SoHo, short for South of Hollywood Road.

This is your food stop. Step off at Lyndhurst Terrace for Tai Cheong Bakery, selling egg tarts since 1954; Chris Patten, the last British governor, was a well-known fan. On nearby Gage Street, Lan Fong Yuen, open since 1952, is credited with Hong Kong's silky milk tea, strained through a cloth filter. Ride on up to Hollywood Road.

Getting here: Walk west along Queen's Road Central for about 10 minutes to Cochrane Street, where the covered escalator starts its climb.

Did you know?: The escalator was approved in 1990 at HK$100 million, but the final cost came to about HK$240 million.

Photo op: Turn around on one of the upper escalators and shoot down the long covered walkway as it threads between the buildings and over the cross streets.

More on Wikipedia: Central-Mid-Levels escalator · SoHo, Hong Kong · Egg tart · Hong Kong-style milk tea

Stops on this tour

  1. Clock Tower - Last Call for the Kowloon Terminus
  2. Avenue of Stars - Hong Kong Cinema by the Harbor
  3. Star Ferry - Ten Minutes Across Victoria Harbour
  4. Statue Square - Named for Statues Mostly Gone
  5. Court of Final Appeal - Justice on a Timber Raft
  6. HSBC and Bank of China - Two Banks, Two Landmarks
  7. Mid-Levels Escalator - Riding Uphill Through SoHo
  8. Man Mo Temple - Incense Coils on Hollywood Road
  9. PMQ - Police Flats Turned Design Hub
  10. Tai Kwun - Police Station, Court and Jail
  11. Peak Tram - Asia's First Funicular
  12. Victoria Peak - The View That Built a Neighborhood