subject: Experience an Open-Air Stairwell to the Skies in Hong Kong's One and Only Central-Mid-Levels Escalators [print this page] Experience an Open-Air Stairwell to the Skies in Hong Kong's One and Only Central-Mid-Levels Escalators
When it comes to groundbreakings escalators it seems the island metropolis of Hong Kong truly has a leg up on the rest of the world. Home to the longest sheltered outdoor escalator system on the planet, this unique feature in the city's transportation system has garnered worldwide attention and acclaim for its inherent ingenuity and innovation. Spanning 800 meters in length from Central Mid Levels to Central Hong Kong, the one of a kind escalator network was constructed in 1993. Transporting an average of 60,000 people a day, the network connects Conduit Road in the Mid-levels to Des Voeux Road in Central Hong Kong travelling through narrow roads that stretch for several miles in a zigzag fashion.
Comprising of twenty escalators as well as three mobile sidewalks, it takes a total of twenty minutes to travel across the Guinness World Record breaking transportation apparatus although the time is marginally reduced when people walk the steps while the escalator is moving. Built at a cost of HK$240 million the escalators head downhill from 6am to 10 am in the morning and then again goes uphill from 10.30am to 12 midnight.
As one of the city's most frequented tourist hotspots various restaurants, bars, cafes, boutiques and traditional Chinese medicine stores have also sprung up along the escalator path for added convenience. Known locally as "escalator culture" it is also common to see tourist snapping away at the panoramic views available when en route, especially when the escalators navigate a junction. Elevated above the streets sometimes up to three storeys from the ground, the trip affords stunning views of the island's dai pai dongs and wet markets while towering skyscrapers and housing developments crowded together also casts Hong Kong in a entirely new light.
Available for use by residents and tourists free of charge, the escalator network's 20 sections have drop off points at nearly every street it crosses and has several exits and entrance points scattered all over Noho and Soho.
Travellers in search of conveniently positioned hotels in Hong Kong will be more than satisfied with the advantageous location of the Eaton Hotel Hong Kong. Ideally situated in the centre of the city's CBD and tourist hub this stylish rest is also within close proximity of trendy Hong Kong bars.
