Skyscrapers, Hong Kong

Currently, IFC #2 is the tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong and the 4th tallest in the world. This building is 88 stories tall and was designed by architect Cesar Pelli. You can take the elevator up to the 55th floor of IFC #2 . First you have to register with security by taking the esculator down to the main level of the building if you've entered via the IFC Mall. This picture was taken on a very foggy night. We had just gotten off of the ferry after coming back from Cheung Chau Island.

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Because my accommodation was in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon's harbor side area, I got to see this view on my first night in Hong Kong and I admired it throughout my entire stay. It turned out to be without doubt the view that impressed me the most in Hong Kong (with the nighttime view from Victoria Peak coming on a close second place). It is absolutely amazing to look across the harbor at all those colored skyscrapers, hanging on the northern part of Hong Kong Island. Every evening at 8 pm they put on a show called Symphony of Lights in which the facades of various skyscrapers lit up in different colors, shooting rays of light. You can get to Tsim Sha Tsui by taking the Star Ferry from Central, a great way to enjoy the view from an even closer distance.

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When you think of Hong Kong you immediately picture that famous skyline. The international finance centre of Hong Kong has 112 buildings that stand taller than 180 metres (591 ft).

The tallest building in Hong Kong, completed this year (2010), is the International Commerce Centre in Kowloon. It has 108 stories and is the 4th tallest in the world.

The International Finance Centre comes in 2nd with 88 floors and is the 7th tallest in the world

The highest church in the world located in a skyscraper is in the Central Plaza, which at 78 stories is the 3rd tallest in Hong Kong and 11th in the world.

Next is the 70 floors of the Bank of China Tower which brings it in as 12th in the world.

5th in Hong Kong and the world's 16th is The Centre.

For more check out Wiki.

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Some of the most valuable real estate in the world is to be found on HK Island - resulting in everything being built vertically. The proximity to each other is extraordinary - as seen from the Peak.

But Kowloon is catching up as so much of HK Island cannot be built upon. Great swathes of Kowloon is disappearing under the new apartment and office developments - and there is also the constant reclamation of land...

Dropping by the Tsim Sha Tsui harbour stretch to view the Hong Kong Island nightime skyline is a must. Lights from the spread of skyscrapers are like jems encrusted in tall jewel boxes. Don't miss the nightly firework display from 8:00 to 8:18pm.

The firework display (named Symphony of Lights) are best viewed at the Avenue of Stars.

A good way of combining activities to get a Hong Kong experience would be to grab dinner at a local restaurant/coffee shop on Hong Kong Island, then take the Star Ferry from either Wanchai or Central over to Tsim Sha Tsui (the ferry is a great way to take in the night view!) and finally take a stroll along the Avenue of Stars to catch the light show.

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Space is a series problem in Hong Kong especially given that its economy is constantly expanding. Therefore, to solve the problems, the planners only had one option and that was to build up. The largest concentration of high-rise apartments and office blocks are found on the northern side of Hong Kong Island in the Central, Admiralty and Causeway Bay districts and are, probably, the best overall impression of what Hong Kong is all about. The price of land in this area has soared to astronomical heights, and it is now a district of high-rise blocks occupied by banks and commercial firms which have almost completely displaced the handsome old buildings of the early colonial period. Looking round the streets and squares between the Mandarin and Hilton Hotels, for example, it is difficult to imagine that right up to the 1960s this was an area of whitewashed four- and five-story buildings with verandas. The best way to see them is either from the top of Victoria Peak or from across the harbour in Kowloon. Another way is to simply walk around the districts that I've mentioned, especially at the weekend, when the traffic and population is less congested, so as to look up at them in awe.

FOR A BIRDS EYE VIEW OF HONG KONG WHY NOT GIVE THE BANK OF CHINA TOWER A TRY.
WHEN IT WAS OPENED IN MAY 1990 IT WAS THE TALLEST BUILDING IN HONG KONG AND ASIA PLUS IT HAD THE HONOUR OF BEING THE FIRST BUILDING TO TOP 1,000 FT OUTSIDE THE USA.
THESE DAYS IT IS THE THIRD TALLEST BUILDING IN HONG KONG BEHIND THE IFC TOWER AND CENTRAL PLAZA..
EVEN SO AT 74 STORIES HIGH THIS STUNNING BUILDING STILL DOMINATES THE SKYLINE OF HONG KONG..THE OBSERVATION DECK IS ON THE 43RD FLOOR.
WITH THE BUILDING STANDING SOME 74 FLOORS HIGH, ITS A SHAME YOU CANT GET ANY HIGHER TO TAKE IN THE VIEWS..
BUT HEY.. YOU STILL GET SOME STUNNING VIEWS OUT OVER THE CITY AND VICTORIA HARBOUR... ENJOY THE VIEW.

En route to the tram terminus (we took the tram up to Victoria Peak), we saw the brightly lit Bank of China building. This iconic building is one of the most recognisable buildings in HK, with its reflective glass panels and sharp edges. It was designed by the world-renowned I.M. Pei.