Central’s Mid-Levels Escalator 中環扶手電梯
Central’s Mid-Levels Escalator start at Queen’s Road Central and Shelley Street. You will see an escalator called “the world’s longest escalator” that goes directly to Mid-Levels. It takes about 20 minutes to get to Mid-Levels, and you can see the old buildings and street scenes of Central along the way.
Central Mid-Levels escalator
Exit IFC at Hong Kong MTR station, walk on the pedestrian bridge, pass the bank, and then pass the Central Market, and you will reach the Central’s Mid-Levels escalator. Around Queen’s Road Central, you will see an escalator called “the world’s longest escalator”.
It takes about 20 minutes to get to Mid-Levels, and you can see the old buildings and street scenes of Central along the way.
On the way back, you need to walk down the stone steps because the escalator only goes in one direction. It will change to the downward direction during other period (from 6 am to 10 am). There are many coffee shops, bars, along the way. You will also pass by Tai Kwun, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and PMQ.
This is a rare experience, but be careful when walking down the mountain on the way back or when it rains, the steps are slippery, just like going down the mountain, and there are many stairs.
Background on the Central Escalator
Construction of Central’s Mid-Levels Escalator began in 1982 and opened on October 15, 1993. Spanning over 800 meters, the escalator system cost HK$245 million. Built over two years by the French industrial construction company Constructions industrielles de la Méditerranée (CNIM), the system aims to ease traffic in the Mid-Levels and attract residents to the Central business district. It has now become a major tourist attraction, offering access to Tai Kwun and Soho, as well as nearby historical and cultural sites such as the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Man Mo Temple, PMQ, and Hollywood Road.
How to get there:
Address: Jubilee Street, Central
Opening Hours: 24 hours but downhill from 6am to 10am and uphill from 10am to midnight
Website: https://www.td.gov.hk/en/transport_in_hong_kong/pedestrians/hillside_escalator/index.html
References:
鄭寶鴻（2023）。《重建香港：港島地標的消失與誕生》 (頁13)。香港：商務印書館。
中環至半山自動電扶梯系統. (n.d.). wikipedia. URL:https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E7%92%B0%E8%87%B3%E5%8D%8A%E5%B1%B1%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E6%89%B6%E6%89%8B%E9%9B%BB%E6%A2%AF%E7%B3%BB%E7%B5%B1
