The escalator is around 730m long and links the Ferry Terminal (well almost!) to Conduit Road. It is the world’s largest covered escalator, and it’s used by almost quarter of a million people a day. The direction is set dependent on the largest usage, and we were happy that it was going up at the time of our visit. It’s free to use, and if you have an Octopus travel card, you can get credits for travelling on the escalator.
Although most people use it to travel from A to B, we found it an interesting experience providing regular hop-off points for sightseeing. There was no hassle or hurry on our escalator journeys, and despite the fact that it cuts through busy parts of Hong Kong, it was a strangely serene experience.
There seemed to be distinct sections of the town that were accessible off the escalator. The lower area, Soho, is quiet and ordinary during the day, but transforms at night into a bustling area full of trendy bars and eateries.
We jumped off at Hollywood Road to investigate Hong Kong’s antique and curio shops. There’s a full range, from the exclusive well-laid-out specialist shops to the small, cluttered booths crammed with old, or at least aging, bric-a-brac. I always find the latter more interesting, as "you can’t beat a good rummage." We didn’t buy, but we had great fun looking! From here, it’s a short downhill walk to the central markets.
The market area is absolutely fascinating, with numerous Chinese pharmacists displaying their ancient and often bizarre-looking remedies in glass bottles. There were a lot of fish stalls, some specialising in dried and smoked fish, but the majority with fresh supplies. Fish were swimming in open-top tanks, waiting to be selected, whilst others lay, recently dissected, on slabs. Fish heads were lined up in pride of place overlooking bodies that have been so recently dissected that their major organs were still pulsating. Gross but true!
The fruit and vegetable stalls were piled high with brightly coloured fresh produce, some so exotic that we’d never ever seen them before. This day market was choc-a-bloc with customers negotiating their prices for bulk buying.
Rejoining the escalator, we headed back up, passing by the numerous expensive and exclusive art galleries before disembarking towards the top of the escalator to investigate the Jamia Masjid Mosque. This mosque services a potential congregation of 70,000 Muslims and was rebuilt in 1915 by an affluent Bombay Muslim. The influences are obvious, but the mosque assumes a juxtaposition by being overshadowed by old and modern skyscrapers and nestling in the courtyard of an old, rundown tenement block next to the modern escalator. Washing is hung out on lines attached to the side of the mosque and in the high-walled garden, where serenading birds could be heard.
We then took the long walk back down to the Star Ferry - only recommended if you’re reasonably fit!