Connaught Road

Connaught Road
Connaught Road Central at night in March 2015, with Exchange Square on the left
Traditional Chinese	干諾道
Simplified Chinese	干诺道
Cantonese Yale	Gon nohk douh
Jyutping	Gon1 nok6 dou6
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Gānnuò Dào Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Gon nohk douh Jyutping Gon1 nok6 dou6

Connaught Road 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 (干諾道中) and Connaught Road West (干諾道西).

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.^[1] A statue of the Duke once also occupied the junction of Pedder Street.^[1]

Connaught Road West was lined with many piers in the past. Rice wholesalers gathered there owing to its proximity to the shore. Due to reclamation of the harbour, the entire length of Connaught Road has now become landlocked.

Structures along Connaught Road

Connaught Road Central

• AIG Tower
• Edinburgh Tower^[2]
• 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
• Hotel Marriott Courtyard Hong Kong [yue; zh-tw]
• Island Pacific Hotel

Gallery

• 
  Connaught Road frontage of Chater House in July 2008
• 
  AIG Tower, 1 Connaught Road Central in August 2006
• 
  The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in December 2006
• 
  Statue Square abuts Connaught Road in May 2006
• 
  The Hong Kong Club Building's frontage on Connaught Road in April 2007
• 
  City Hall facing Connaught Road in September 2004
• 
  Henry Moore's sculpture, Connaught Place in 2007
• 
  The Central Elevated Walkway crosses Connaught Road in June 2007
• 
  Connaught Road, looking west in January 2006 (1IFC on the right)
• 
  New Headquarters of the Hang Seng Bank in April 2007
• 
  Connaught Road West Flyover leading up to the Shun Tak Centre (background) in August 2005
• 
  Wing On House (middle); the two buildings to the right are the old and new headquarters of Hang Seng Bank in September 2004
• 
  ChinaChem Plaza and the China Insurance Group Building are both on Connaught Road Central in April 2007
• 
  Connaught Road West at night in October 2019

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Connaught Road.