A 792-metre-long series of moving walkways and escalators connecting Central with the Mid-Levels residential district on the hillside above, the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator is both a genuine piece of urban infrastructure and an extraordinary way to see Hong Kong. It passes through narrow streets, under residential blocks, past wet markets and temples, and through SoHo — the restaurant and bar district that grew up around it.
The full ride takes about twenty minutes at the escalator's pace; on foot the same route takes forty-five minutes of steep climbing. Walking down the streets alongside gives a different perspective. The morning hours (when it runs downhill) are the most atmospheric — schoolchildren, office workers, and wet-market shoppers all using the same public infrastructure.