Western Hong Kong: Creating new life
Life in western Hong Kong Island and around Ap Lei Chau is becoming more colourful and diversified with the imminent opening of new MTR lines and an allied escalator system. For anyone who has not been to those districts for a while, it is well worth making a visit just to see how life there is changing. A trip along the route of the new MTR West Island Line shows just how quickly the whole urban landscape of that part of Hong Kong is developing.
Life in western Hong Kong Island and around Ap Lei Chau is becoming more colourful and diversified with the imminent opening of new MTR lines and an allied escalator system. For anyone who has not been to those districts for a while, it is well worth making a visit just to see how life there is changing. A trip along the route of the new MTR West Island Line shows just how quickly the whole urban landscape of that part of Hong Kong is developing.
Our journey starts from the future Kennedy Town MTR station. Nearby Davis Street and Kennedy Town New Praya - the core area of West Soho - has already evolved into a zone for gourmet dining. There we can find Bistronomique, which is “Michelin Bibendum-recommended”, Bistro Du Vin run by the Les Amis Group, and the new value-for-money Italian restaurant Bresola. If nostalgia is your preference, you can try the historic Kuen Fat Chinese restaurant, Sun Mei, which serves Chiuchow cuisine, the western menu at Nice Restaurant, or Sammy’s Kitchen steak house. Also, don’t forget the Praya, where a relaxed ambience and fine food go hand in hand. In the vicinity of Hollywood Road, there are many galleries and antique stores and a wonderful granite wall leads on towards Tai Ping Shan Street where boutiques and the aroma of coffee provide good reason for visitors to spend an hour or two.
The next station is Hong Kong University. The surrounding area has many older historical buildings which give Mid-Levels West a unique feel. Narrow streets and criss-crossing lanes create a fascinating maze for tourists to explore, with every street corner or flight of stairs offering different visual effects and scenes reminiscent of the city’s earliest years. The heritage University of Hong Kong, the Museum of Medical Sciences and King’s College can all be found there, along with other fine examples of 19th or early 20th century architecture.
The general ambience of learning and literary culture will make even city slickers want to take their time looking around. When meal time comes, it is just a short walk downhill to find the “dai pai dong” eateries and casserole rice shops on Water Street, the sweet soup shops on Third Street, or any of the restaurants in the cooked food centre inside the Smithfield Municipal Services Building. All of them offer delicacies good enough to satisfy the tastes of even the most discerning visitors.
Ap Lei Chau in Island south has long been somewhat marginalised with only a road bridge connecting the island to the rest of Hong Kong, but the new station at South Horizons is expected to change all that. There are some breathtaking sea views and Ap Lei Chau is also close to attractions like the Aberdeen Marina Club, Ocean Park and the world-famous Jumbo Kingdom floating restaurant.
For nature lovers, Yuk Kwai Shan, at 196 m, is the “No.1 Peak” on the island and something of a must-see. You can get there via a trail near Lei Tung Estate, which climbs through shrubs and greenery before opening out to panoramic views of the hills, islands and sea in that corner of Hong Kong. But the wonders of Mother Nature really become apparent when you see the whole of Ap Lei Chau and the sand bar that links it with the smaller Ap Lei Pai island. This sight has been compared to Amanohashidate and the Angel Road on Shōdo Island in Japan.
The new MTR island lines are just highlighting the unique characteristics of Kennedy Town, The Mid-levels West and Ap Lei Chau.
