Hong Kong Walks - Garden Road Leisure Walk

The best way to experince Hong Kong's colonial past and new modern architecture.

Start at MRT Admiral Station Exit C1 and follwo the signs to Honk Kong park/ Island Shangri-La Hotel. The park is opposite upper mall entrance. Walk to the Flagstaff House ( Museum of Tea Ware), the oldest Western building in Hong Kong built in 1846. Admission is free. Follow the directional signs inside the park to Rawlinson House, which once served as the residence of the Deputy Commander of the British Forces, today is a Marriage Registry. Walk up along Cotton Tree Drive. Turn right to the Lower Peak Tram Terminus when you pass the Hong Kong Squash Center to reach the Peak Tram  going to Victoria peak. The tram is operational since 1888,  the way up is so steep that buildings appear like they are leaning at a 45 degrees angle. During high tourist seasons, expect a long waiting time to get to the tram.  Open 7am -12am daily. Walk along Garden road to the Helena May Building. -a hostel for women only, open from 9am 11pm Mon-Sat (except public holidays). St. Joseph's Church is located next to Helena May Building. Cross Garden Road via the footbridge to get to the Hong Kong Zoological & Botanical Gardens. There are more than 1000 plant species in the garden. (Free Admission) Cross Upper Albert Road to Government House. Not open to publich except during special administrative occasions. Walk along Upper Albert Road to the Central Government Offices, which houses most major offices of the Hong Kong Government. (not open to public) Walk along Garden Road to St. John's Cathedral. Built int he 13th century, gothic style - open daily from 7am-6pm Just beyond the St. John's Cathedral is the Former French Mission Building  ( The Court of Final Appeal). - built with granite and red bricks - not open to public. Walk back to the Garden Road via Battery Path and down to the Bank of China Tower. - a spectacular 70-story, prisim-like strucutre, 368 meters- one of the tallest building in Hong Kong. Cross Queen's road Central to the HSBC Building. It's a comon belife that rubbing the pows of the 2 bronze lions that have guarded the portals of the bank since 1935, will bring good luck.