In the light of the approval of funding for the City’s first high-speed railway, Howzit-HongKong.com decided to take a walkabout around the West Kowloon precinct to see what it looks like before the bulldozers roll in.
I took the new ‘pink’ West Rail Line of the MTR (Hung Hom to Tuen Mun) and got off at the brand-spanking Austin Station. A brisk walk of about 10 minutes along Austin Road will also take you to the Elements Mall in West Kowloon. Elements also operates a free shuttle-bus service from Hankow Road in Tsim Sha Tsui (TST, between the Peninsula Hotel and the YMCA).
The area earmarked for the new high-spreed train station is still just a vacant plot as the go-ahead for the multi-billion dollar controversial project was only received a few days ago. I also noticed that the City Golf Club driving range is still operating, although after the go-ahead for the rail system was given, it will probably be shutting down soon.
After about 15-minutes from Austin Station I reached the entrance to the West Kowloon Cultural District. This area can be seen from HK Island and can easily be identified by the yellow and blue MTR ventilation buildings.
The proposed District is planned as the arts and cultural hub of Hong Kong. Located at a wedge-shaped and waterfront reclaimed land west of Yau Ma Tei, the district will feature a new modern art museum, numerous theatres, concert halls and other performance venues.
When I visited there, I noticed a few people enjoying the tranquility of the area that is located on the waterfront along the western channel of Victoria harbour. I also saw some beefy blokes running along the cycling path.
If you walk all the way through the District, the boardwalk takes you to edge of the Western Cross-Harbour Tunnel. A pedestrian footbridge then takes you either into the International Commerce Centre (ICC) or the brightly- coloured (orange) Elements Mall.
The base of the ICC is still being finished and construction workers can still be seen all of the precinct.
While the visit to the West Kowloon Cultural District this morning can best be categorized as a tranquil stroll through one of the hidden gems of Kowloon, I shudder to think how the area will transform once the construction companies roll in for the construction of the many arts & cultural facilities that are being planned, as well as the new high-speed railway interchange across Austin Road.
However, when all the work is done, the West Kowloon precinct should surely boast some pretty impressive structures.
Have a look at some more pictures I took this morning on our Flickr-Page as well this video:
Below, Hendersen Land’s proposal for the West Kowloon Cultural District. Read more about the West Kowloon Cultural District here
