Soho (South of Hollywood Road)
Soho (South of Hollywood Road) is a small warren of streets between Central and Midlevels. It is definitely a place for cultural adventure. You will also feel amazed at how th...
Soho (South of Hollywood Road) is a small warren of streets between Central and Midlevels. It is definitely a place for cultural adventure. You will also feel amazed at how the traditional old Chinese buildings have become dwarfs next to the skyscrapers that were built beside them.
Elgin, Shelley and Staunton Streets are excellent places with a handful of chic bars, cafés and restaurants where Chinese and expatriates mix. Soho is not only famous for its wide variety of international cuisine, but it is also well-known for stylish home decor shops. Not only can you find hip designer products and local 60s – 80s retro style items, but you can also find Chinese and European antiques. If you are an art lover, the numerous art galleries in the area make up this hodgepodge of a district.
The Escalator
From Central MTR station, the best way to get to Soho is by taking the covered escalator which links all the roads between Queen’s Road and Conduit Road. It was originally built to make it convenient for pedestrians to get around the steep districts of Central, the Midlevels and Soho. Now it has also become the ‘transport of delight’ for sightseers. Along the escalator you will pass by busy streets, upstairs shops in old Chinese residential buildings, art galleries, bars and restaurants. Feel free to get off anytime and head to any place that takes your fancy. It is almost like the magical inexorable escalator of life.
Tip:
The escalator runs uphill until midnight, except during rush hour in the morning it runs downhill.
Did you know?
The escalator is the world’s longest covered escalator system, measuring 792 meters, which is another wonderful feature of Hong Kong.
Estimated duration of trip to Soho:
Sightseeing only: 2 hours
Sightseeing + dinner: 3 hours
(shopping / art lovers please add 2 more hours!)
He Yuan
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He Yuan is a fun garden to get lost in. Built in 1883, its maze of buildings and residences adapt some Western architectural styles, yet retain a nostalgic late Qing era feel.
This deep, rocky, and elegant place is an intricate weaving of gardens and crimson buildings meshed with buildings within buildings and gardens surrounding gardens. He Yuan emits the feeling of the sun before a rain shower.
There is a certain mystery to the grounds, as finding yourself lost within a forest of towering stones is nearly guaranteed.
A few hundred year old trees cast a long shadow over the two story buildings and lotus ponds, while smaller trees emerge from the rocks and walkways to flower in the spring. Stepping into He Yuan is an escape, and then exiting back out onto the busy street outside will feel like an unfamiliar world. It also lies in a great part of town for street browsing and alley wandering with a great Korean restaurant (Ah Li Lang) just a short walk north of the entrance.
Combo Ticket: For 110 yuan you can get a combo ticket which includes the entrance fees to Slender West Lake, a small museum within the Slender West Lake scenic area, Ge Yuan and He Yuan. It also includes a twenty minute ferry ride down The Grand Canal.
Visit He Yuan’s official website
He Yuan is located south-east of the center of Yangzhou. Tourist buses number 1 and 2 both go to He Yuan, as well as city bus number 9 and 19. It is a short walk west from the south dock of the ferry to He Yuan.
