Queensway (Hong Kong)
Yue Chinese) | |
Length | 600 meters (2,000 ft) |
---|---|
Location | Admiralty, Hong Kong |
Coordinates | 22°16′44″N 114°09′52″E / 22.2789°N 114.1645°E |
Queensway | |
---|---|
Hanyu Pinyin | Jīnzhōng Dào |
Yue: Cantonese | |
Yale Romanization | Gām jūng douh |
Jyutping | Gam1 zung1 dou6 |
IPA | [kɐ́m tsʊ́ŋ tòu] |
Queensway is a major road in the
Name
Queensway was formally separated and given its own name when the extensive military and naval sites that dominated this area were redeveloped around the 1960s.
The road is one of only a handful in the territory to have a name consisting of a single word. Other examples are Glenealy (Central), Smithfield (Kennedy Town) and Broadway (Lai Chi Kok). As a result, the road is often mistakenly referred to as Queensway Road.[3]
Important buildings
The road is home to a large amount of landmarks, with its northbound lane housing landmarks such as the
Military history
Until the 1980s, both sides of the road were British military sites. To its south were Wellington Barracks, Murray Barracks and Victoria Barracks, while to the north lay the Admiralty Dock. Flagstaff House was the residence of the Commander British Forces of Hong Kong between 1842 and 1978. These were gradually replaced as Central district expanded.
Layout
The road was formerly not as straight as at present. Two close bends in the midsection (between Rodney Block and Naval Terrace, neither of which remains) formed an S-shape, known as the death bend of Queensway (金鐘道死亡彎角) as it was the site of frequent traffic accidents, especially between vehicles and trams. Straightening of the road was planned from as early as 1968[4] and finally carried out in 1974 with the official completion taking place on 12 January 1975.[5]
Present-day Queensway is much wider than it used be. Its carriageways are separated by the lines of the famous Hong Kong trams. At no point along its length are pedestrians allowed to cross the road at ground level. Instead, there are a number of footbridges, which also provide access to the tramway stop islands.
Events
Although it is a major road, Queensway is part of the route regularly taken by marches and protests including the annual
See also
- List of streets and roads in Hong Kong
- Murray House, in Stanley, which was originally located along the road, before being moved.
References
- ^ Queen's Pier - 1920s
- ^ Why is Admiralty different?, Gwulo (see 1964 map)
- ^ The film world is oddly inclined to refer to this thoroughfare as 'Queensway Road', e.g. here [1] Archived 4 January 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Legco Official Report of Proceedings, 23 October 1968, p503
- ^ Legco Official Report of Proceedings, 9 May 1973, p763