Hong Kong — Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System 中環至半山自動扶梯系統, Hong Kong
That is one giant escalator
September 2015
When travelling, I occasionally come across something that makes me stop in my tracks. And the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System 中環至半山自動扶梯 was one such thing. I didn’t think I would ever encounter an outdoor escalator running up a hillside in a city.
The Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System 中環至半山自動扶梯 runs some 800 m up the hill from Central Hong Kong to what is called the “mid-levels”. The escalator runs downhill in the morning until about 9 or 10 am and then reverses direction (I wonder what happens if you are on it, and it changes direction?). This makes sense because workers get a little “lift” coming down the hill in the morning and a helping hand when going home at night.
The photographs below show my first encounter with the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System 中環至半山自動扶梯. At first, I thought it was an escalator up to some high-rise flats. It wasn't until I came across the escalator again a few streets later that I realised it was free public transport up the hill.
The escalator is just an escalator. It has a covering to keep the rain off and is divided into short segments, so you can easily get on and off.
![Photo by Author — Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System 中環至半山自動扶梯系統, Hong Kong](https://www.nickswanderings.com/content/images/2024/06/central_mid_levels_escalator-2.jpg)
And when you're on it, it seems to go on and on and on.
![Photo by Author — Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System 中環至半山自動扶梯系統, Hong Kong](https://www.nickswanderings.com/content/images/2024/06/central_mid_levels_escalator-5.jpg)
The photograph below shows the various segments of the escalator running down the hill on the right-hand side of the lane.
![Photo by Author — Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System 中環至半山自動扶梯系統, Hong Kong](https://www.nickswanderings.com/content/images/2024/06/central_mid_levels_escalator-6.jpg)
To me, it just seemed wrong, weird almost, to be taking an escalator up a hill through a city.
And it was very popular.
![Photo by Author — Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System 中環至半山自動扶梯系統, Hong Kong](https://www.nickswanderings.com/content/images/2024/06/central_mid_levels_escalator-8.jpg)
Finally, you get to the top. And as I didn't want to go up the hill and had taken the escalator to see where it goes and how it operated, I then had to turn around and walk back down the hill.
And it was a long walk back down.
Now, I don't know if the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System 中環至半山自動扶梯 is unique, but I have not come across anything like it in any other cities. It is an interesting way to solve a transportation problem, that is, how to get everybody to and from work, but it seems rather odd. But it works.
FourSquare: Central-Mid-Levels Escalator