Causeway Bay Sightseeing
While our district is often praised for it's shopping
opportunities we don't forget that it is also a historic
part of the city of Hong Kong with a vibrant
multicultural, multi-faith community which means there
are many interesting sights to be seen within the area.
Although the bay and the causeway which give the
district its name have long since gone, obliterated by
reclamation, there is still a coastline and beside it is
the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter, one of the few
remaining places were you can see the old style
residential fishing boats which once were a main stay of
the economy of Hong Kong, and an important source of
food!
First established in 1874 the shelter has moved
gradually north over the years since as the land
was reclaimed from the sea, and shrunken in area
considerably as the fishing fleet of Hong Kong first
moved to other shelters on the south side of the Island
at Aberdeen, and later shrunk due to the fishing
industry moving to other parts of the South China Sea.
As well as the small number of fishing boats still
remaining there, mostly now used exclusively as
residences for the fisher folk as no inshore fishing is
now performed in Hong Kong, there are also plentiful
high end Yachts as just beside the shelter is the Royal
Hong Kong Yacht Club, one of the few institutions to
have maintained the "Royal" title in the post-colonial
Hong Kong.
With a rich history going back at least to 1890 this
once colonial institution is now part one of the elite
clubs of the region which is open to all with an
interest in Yachting. The clubhouse is on Kellett
Island, which was once a real island but is now
connected by reclaimed land to the rest of Causeway Bay.
Previously the clubhouse had been at the end of Boat
Street on what is now Electric Road, in an Arts and
Crafts style mixing European and Chinese architecture
elements, and is now the Oi! Cultural Centre.
Overlooking the shelter is the famous Noon Day Gun,
made famous by the song about "Mad Dogs and Englishmen"
which recounts how the gun is fired once a day as a time
keeping signal. For over a hundred years the gun
has been fired daily by a representative of the Jardine
Matheson Company.
Inland from the harbour is Victoria Park, one
of the great green lungs of the city which provides not
only recreational space on a daily basis but also a
location for major events. The Luna New Year
Fair held yearly in the park is one of the
highlights of the year and crowds and queues form in
such numbers that police controls are required.
The yearly Hong Kong Flower Show is almost as popular
with displays both commercial, hobbyist and amateur at
all levels attracting a wide ranging crowd into the
park.
On regular days the jogging track, lookout hill, the
model boating pool and the swimming pool are regular
attractions. Two separate children's playgrounds
with extensive climbing frames also contribute to making
this a family friendly location. During the
weekends the park entrance plaza is a popular meeting
points for Indonesia domestic helpers who create an
ongoing party atmosphere for much of the day with music,
dance and ethnic foods.
Also in the area
- Hong Kong Central Library
- Noonday Gun
- St. Mary's Church
- Tram Terminus
Times Square may just be another giant
shopping mall and office tower, but that doesn't stop it
being a place to congregate and to explore the microcosm
of Hong Kong that is Causeway Bay. With marble and glass
fronted shops, high end boutiques, food courts and
restaurants from around the region and the world you'll
find plenty to explore within the building itself.
But go just behind the Times Square complex itself
and the options branch out amazingly, go under the
flyover to enter the world of the traditional Wet Market
where live fish and fresh meat are sold beside
vegetables, fruit and dried goods.
