Quick Answer: Central is Hong Kong's business core and its most visited district: the Peak Tram, the Mid-Levels Escalator, the Star Ferry, Tai Kwun, Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo are all within a fifteen-minute walk of Central station. Here is what is where, how to get around, and the firms, offices and services based here.
Central is Hong Kong's business core and its most visited district. The Peak Tram, the Mid-Levels Escalator, the Star Ferry pier, Tai Kwun, Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo all sit within a fifteen-minute walk of Central station, and the office towers between them house the banks, law firms and accountants that run the city. This guide covers what is where, how to get around, and the businesses based here. Portal Hong Kong lists more than 600 businesses in Central, more than any other district.
What is where?
| Area | What you find | Nearest station or stop |
|---|---|---|
| Harbourfront and Statue Square | Star Ferry Pier 7, outlying-island ferry piers, IFC mall and towers, Exchange Square, Statue Square, HSBC building, Bank of China Tower, Tamar Park and Government offices | Central, Hong Kong station |
| Des Voeux Road and Queen's Road Central | Landmark, Prince's Building, Chater House, Central Market, bank headquarters, the tram line | Central exits D and G |
| Lan Kwai Fong and D'Aguilar Street | Bars and clubs, restaurants, Friday-night crowds | Central exit D2 |
| Hollywood Road and SoHo | Mid-Levels Escalator, Tai Kwun, PMQ, galleries, restaurants on Elgin, Staunton and Peel streets | Escalator from Queen's Road |
| Garden Road and the Peak | Peak Tram lower terminus, St John's Cathedral, Hong Kong Park, Zoological and Botanical Gardens, US Consulate | Central exit J2 |
| Admiralty edge | Pacific Place, Queensway government offices, High Court | Admiralty |
How do you get there and around?
Central station (Island and Tsuen Wan lines) and Hong Kong station (Tung Chung line and Airport Express) are one complex; the Airport Express takes about 24 minutes from the airport. The Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui lands at Pier 7, a ten-minute crossing. The tram runs east to Wan Chai and west to Sheung Wan. Within Central, the elevated walkways link the piers, IFC, Exchange Square and the Landmark without touching a road, and the Mid-Levels Escalator carries you uphill from Queen's Road to Conduit Road (it runs downhill before 10am for commuters, uphill after). Taxis are plentiful but slow at rush hour; walking beats driving for anything under a kilometre.
What should you see?
- The Peak Tram from Garden Road to Victoria Peak, for the view; the rebuilt tram and terminus reopened in 2022.
- Tai Kwun, the restored Central Police Station, magistracy and Victoria Prison on Hollywood Road, now galleries, heritage displays, restaurants and a courtyard for events.
- The Central to Mid-Levels Escalator, 800 metres of covered escalators through SoHo; step off at any level for a street of restaurants.
- PMQ on Aberdeen Street, the former Police Married Quarters, with local designers' studios and shops.
- Central Market on Des Voeux Road, the 1939 Bauhaus-style market building reopened in 2021 with shops and food.
- Statue Square and the HSBC building, with Sunday gatherings of domestic helpers filling the square and the walkways.
- Hong Kong Park and the Zoological and Botanical Gardens, two green escapes uphill from Garden Road.
Where do you eat, drink and shop?
Lan Kwai Fong is the bar district; SoHo, above Hollywood Road, has the restaurants; Wellington Street, Gage Street and Graham Street keep the noodle shops, wonton counters and the last dai pai dong; the IFC and Landmark malls house the luxury brands and the upscale restaurants. For the weekday lunch crowd, the food halls under the office towers turn over thousands of meals between 12.30 and 2. Browse restaurants and shopping and lifestyle listings in Central on Portal Hong Kong.
Who does business here?
The banks, the law firms around the courts and the Landmark, the Big Four and mid-tier CPA firms, family offices and fund managers in the IFC and Exchange Square, and the corporate services providers who form and administer companies for all of them. Office rents are the highest in Hong Kong, which is why serviced offices and co-working spaces in Central let small firms buy the address without the lease, and why Sheung Wan and Wan Chai next door take the overflow. For picking a firm here, see our guides to choosing a CPA firm and finding a solicitor.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Central known for?
- Central is the financial and administrative heart of Hong Kong: the headquarters of HSBC, Bank of China and Standard Chartered, the Government offices at Tamar, the Court of Final Appeal, the IFC towers and the Landmark. It is also where visitors start: the Peak Tram lower terminus on Garden Road, the Central to Mid-Levels Escalator, the Star Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui, Tai Kwun and the nightlife of Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo.
- How do I get to Central?
- Central station on the Island and Tsuen Wan lines, and Hong Kong station on the Tung Chung line and Airport Express, are linked underground. The Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui arrives at Pier 7, outlying-island ferries at Piers 4 to 6, and the tram runs along Des Voeux Road. From the airport, the Airport Express reaches Hong Kong station in about 24 minutes.
- What are the main sights in Central?
- The Peak Tram to Victoria Peak; the Central to Mid-Levels Escalator, the world's longest outdoor covered escalator system; Tai Kwun, the restored Central Police Station compound; PMQ, the former Police Married Quarters turned design hub; Central Market; Statue Square and the HSBC building; Hong Kong Park and the Zoological and Botanical Gardens; and the harbourfront from the Star Ferry pier to Tamar Park.
- Where do people eat and drink in Central?
- Lan Kwai Fong for bars, SoHo (south of Hollywood Road, around Elgin and Staunton streets) for restaurants along the escalator, the IFC and Landmark malls for upscale dining, Wellington Street and Gage Street for dai pai dong and noodle shops, and the food halls in the office towers for weekday lunch.
- Is Central a good place to base an office?
- It is the most expensive office district in Hong Kong and the most prestigious. Law firms, banks, CPA firms, family offices and corporate services providers cluster here for proximity to clients, the courts and the Companies Registry; serviced offices and co-working spaces in Central let smaller firms buy the address without the lease. Wan Chai and Sheung Wan next door are cheaper alternatives.
