Queen Victoria Street, Hong Kong

Queen Victoria Street
<span class="nickname" ">域多利皇后街

Section of Queen Victoria Street, between Des Voeux Road Central and Queen's Road Central
Location Central, Hong Kong
Coordinates Coordinates: 22°17′1.43″N 114°09′19.73″E / 22.2837306°N 114.1554806°E / 22.2837306; 114.1554806
North end Connaught Road Central
South end Queen's Road Central
Beginning of Queen Victoria Street: Intersection with Connaught Road

Queen Victoria Street (Chinese: 域多利皇后街; pinyin: Yùduōlì Huánghòu Jiē; Cantonese Yale: wik6 do1 lei6 wong4 hau6 gaai1) is a one-way street in Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Named after Queen Victoria, the street stretches from Connaught Road Central to Queen's Road Central. The street is noted for the many landmarks that it runs past, namely Central Market and the headquarters of the Hang Seng Bank.

History

During the First Opium War, the British occupied Hong Kong in 1841 and one year later, the territory was ceded to them in the Treaty of Nanking. The street is named after Queen Victoria, who was the reigning British monarch at the time Hong Kong was colonized.[1] Although its Chinese name is a mistranslation of "Queen", meaning queen consort instead of queen regnant, it has never been changed to reflect its proper dedication.

At the time of the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, it was believed that Queen Victoria Street would be renamed along with other streets and places in order to erase memories of the colonial past.[2] This was in spite of a statement by the Urban Council declaring it generally had not intention of modifying the names of streets that bore colonial references.[3] However, the renaming did not come to fruition at the handover[4][5] and the street still retains its royal name to the present day.[2]

Description and features

From its northern end, Queen Victoria Street begins at Connaught Road Central, traveling down one-way past the headquarters of the Hang Seng Bank, located to the west of the street. It then reaches the intersection with Des Voeux Road Central; the next segment of the street ascends up a slope southwards. Here, it passes Central Market—also located on its west side—before ending on Queen's Road Central. The street is parallel to the adjacent Jubilee Street,[1] which runs west of Queen Victoria Street and follows the same route, albeit with the landmarks to its east.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Signs of a Colonial Era. Hong Kong University Press. 2009. pp. 7–8, 10. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  2. 1 2 McKirdy, Euan (May 12, 2011). "Empire strikes back". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 8, 2013. (subscription required)
  3. ↑ "Tea, cricket, other British legacies are likely to endure". South China Morning Post. April 29, 2006. p. 16. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
  4. ↑ Katz, Gregory (June 29, 1997). "Cautious Welcome – Hong Kong awaiting transfer with pride, fear". The Dallas Morning News. p. 1A. Retrieved October 4, 2013. (subscription required)
  5. ↑ Lin, Jennifer (May 18, 1997). "Shedding Images Of Sovereignty". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. A03. Retrieved October 4, 2013. (subscription required)
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