Connaught Road

Connaught Road ( Chinese: 干諾道) is a major thoroughfare on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It links Shing Sai Road in Kennedy Town to the west and Harcourt Road in Admiralty to the east.

Location

The road consists of two adjoining sections, namely Connaught Road Central () and Connaught Road West ().

Connaught Road Central runs the length of Central, parallel to the north shore. It runs from approximately Admiralty in the east, where it connects Harcourt Road at the junction with Murray Road. The road ends west at On Tai Street, where it becomes Connaught Road West.

Connaught Road West runs towards the Kennedy Town and Pok Fu Lam areas in the west. For most of the stretch, Connaught Road West runs beneath the Connaught Road West Flyover, ( Route 4). It is the main thoroughfare to the entrance of the Western Harbour Crossing and beyond to Shek Tong Tsui, where it merges with Des Voeux Road West.

History

This road was once a waterfront promenade with boats docked against the northern side of the road. In 1889, the north shore of Victoria City was under extensive reclamation. In 1890, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn visited Hong Kong, when Francis Fleming, the then acting governor announced a new road to be constructed in front of the old "Bowring Praya" (present-day Des Voeux Road). This newly constructed road was then named Connaught Road, after the prince. A statue of the prince once also occupied the junction of Pedder Street.

Connaught Road West was lined with many piers in the past. Due to the reclamation of the harbour, the entire length of Connaught Road has now become landlocked.

During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, Connaught Road was renamed Sumiyoshi Dori (住吉通).

Structures along Connaught Road

Connaught Road Central

* AIG Tower
* Hong Kong Club Building
* Statue Square
* Hong Kong City Hall
* Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
* Connaught Place
* Chater House
* Jardine House
* Central Elevated Walkway
* World-Wide House
* Exchange Square
* International Finance Centre Tower One
* Wing On House
* Hang Seng Bank Headquarters Building
* Shun Tak Centre

Connaught Road West

* Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park
* Witty Street Depot of the Hong Kong Tramways
* Western Wholesale Food Market
* Western Harbour Crossing
* Liaison Office of the Central People's Government
*
* Island Pacific Hotel

Gallery

Image:Chater House 2008.jpg, Connaught Road frontage of Chater House in July 2008
Image:aigtower.jpg, AIG Tower, 1 Connaught Road Central in August 2006
Image:HK Statue Square Xmas Tree Mandarin Oriental Hotel.JPG, The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in December 2006
Image:HK Chater Road Statue Square.jpg, Statue Square abuts Connaught Road in May 2006
Image:HK Club Connaught Road Central.JPG, The Hong Kong Club Building's frontage on Connaught Road in April 2007
Image:City Hall from Statue Square.jpg, City Hall facing Connaught Road in September 2004
Image:HK Connaught Garden Henry Moore sculture 6.JPG, Henry Moore's sculpture, Connaught Place in 2007
Image:Central Walkway.jpg, The Central Elevated Walkway crosses Connaught Road in June 2007
Image:Connaught Road Central daytime 2.jpg, Connaught Road, looking west in January 2006 (1IFC on the right)
Image:HK Connaught Road C Hang Seng Bank Jubilee Street.JPG, New Headquarters of the Hang Seng Bank in April 2007
Image:Hkshuntak.jpg, Connaught Road West Flyover leading up to the Shun Tak Centre (background) in August 2005
Image:WingOnHouseCentralHKG.jpg, Wing On House (middle); the two buildings to the right are the old and new headquarters of Hang Seng Bank in September 2004
Image:HK 2 ChinaChem Plaza China Insurance Group Building 5.JPG, ChinaChem Plaza and the China Insurance Group Building are both on Connaught Road Central in April 2007
Image:Connaught_road_west_night_view_2019.10.jpg, Connaught Road West at night in October 2019

See also

* List of streets and roads in Hong Kong
* Pedder Street

References

Roads on Hong Kong Island
Route 4 (Hong Kong)
Central and Western District, Hong Kong