Jardine's Lookout

Jardine's Lookout

View of Jardine's Lookout and Tai Hang
Chinese 渣甸山

Jardine's Lookout (Chinese: 渣甸山; Jyutping: zaa1 din1 saan1; Cantonese Yale: ja din saan) is a mountain and a residential area on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is located Southeast of the Wan Chai district and South of the Tai Hang area, at an altitude of about 433 metres.[1] Nearby hills include Mount Nicholson, Violet Hill and Mount Butler etc.

It is named after William Jardine, founder of Jardine Matheson. It was from here, in the days of the sailing ships, that a watch was kept for the first glimpse of the sails of the firm's clippers coming from India and London. As soon as a vessel was signalled, a fast whaleboat was sent out to collect Jardines' mails. The correspondence was rushed back to the office so that the directors could have the first possible information on the world's markets. (This practice saved the company on at least one occasion, in 1866, when it learnt of the collapse of the discount house Overend, Gurney and Company, about one hour before others did, and quickly withdrew its balances at a local bank before anyone else had heard of the news.)

Jardine's Lookout was the sight of fierce conflict in the Battle of Hong Kong and particularly, the Battle of Wong Nai Chung Gap. The Hong Kong Volunteer Defense Corps and Middlesex Machine gunners manned two pillboxes and other areas defending the pass around Jardine's Catchwater, as well as Canadian Winnipeg Grenadiers defending the adjacent Mount Butler. Japanese forces, after landing on the North Shore of Hong Kong Island; used Sir Cecils Ride and moved up to this pass mid-way up the lookout and were engaged by Commonwealth forces. The fighting was the preliminary conflict in the Battle of Wong Nai Chung Gap.

Due to its scenic view and low population density, it has been considered an upper-class neighborhood in Hong Kong; residences situated there are amongst the most expensive of Hong Kong, and the population mainly consists of highly placed expatriates, government officials and successful businesspeople. In addition, it is also home to numerous Hong Kong socialites, such as Joey Yung. It is also known as the Mid-Levels East. The area is a localized gated community with large detached houses in private lots and more moderate townhouses. Low-rise and high-rise apartments make up the rest of the community. In 2011, the area had a population of 15,533.[2] This community is conveniently linked with public transportation and well-equipped with facilities. Jardine's Lookout is only a 10-minute drive to Central and 5 to Causeway Bay, where the Cross Harbor Tunnel is located, making travel to the Kowloon side easy.

Jardine's Lookout has its own supermarket, deli, florists, post office and many small provisions stores. French and Japanese International Schools are nearby. Canadian International School and Chinese International School are also not far away.

Famous residents

In June 2016 the Government of Canada sold the official residence of the Consul General located at 6 Goldsmith Road.[3]

Transport

There are taxis and buses that can bring residents to main districts in Hong Kong.

Education

Lycée Français International Victor Segalen, the French international school, houses primary school classes at its Jardine's Lookout campus.[4]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jardine's Lookout.

Names related to Jardine (disambiguation):

 (Victoria Harbour)
Central and Western District Eastern District
   Wan Chai District  
Southern District

References

  1. ↑ Bernie Owen; Raynor Shaw (2007). Hong Kong Landscapes: Shaping the Barren Rock. Hong Kong University Press. p. 189. ISBN 978-962-209-847-3.
  2. ↑ "2011 Population Census - Fact Sheet for Wan Chai District Council Jardine's Lookout (B06)". Census and Statistics Department. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  3. ↑ http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1980373/canadian-consulate-sells-luxury-hong-kong-home-not-fugitive
  4. ↑ "Campuses - Jardine's Lookout." Lycée Français International Victor Segalen. Retrieved on 25 January 2015. "34 Price Road, Jardine's Lookout"

Coordinates: 22°16′06″N 114°11′33″E / 22.26827°N 114.19244°E / 22.26827; 114.19244

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/11/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.