Canal Road, Hong Kong

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Under the bridge there are some local social service organizations in Canal Road

Bowrington Canal in 1920

Villain hitter and her client under the Canal Road Flyover in Hong Kong.

Canal Road East (traditional Chinese: 堅拿道東), Canal Road West (traditional Chinese: 堅拿道西) and the Canal Road Flyover (traditional Chinese: 堅拿道天橋) are important roads in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, Wan Chai District of Hong Kong.

Before urban development the area was the estuary of a river named "Wong Nai Chung", which looked like the neck of a goose. The 4th Governor of Hong Kong, John Bowring built Bowrington (or Bowring City) around the estuary. Bowrington Canal was built as the extension of Wong Nai Chung and the long and narrow canal was known as and thus known as Ngo Keng Kan (鵝頸澗, lit. goose neck stream). The landmark Bowrington Bridge built in 1861 across the canal was known as Ngo Keng Kiu (鵝頸橋, lit. goose neck bridge). The area surrounding are also known as Ngo Keng. During the reclamation of Wan Chai beside Victoria Harbour from 1922 to 1929, the canal was covered and made subterranean and the bridge was removed. However the name survives in the history and remains the name of the area.

[edit] Canal Road Flyover

Canal Road Flyover (traditional Chinese: 堅拿道天橋; simplified Chinese: 坚拿道天桥; pinyin: Jiānnádào Tiānqiáo; Cantonese Yale: gin1 na4 dou6 tin1 kiu4) was built in 1970s for Cross-Harbour Tunnel, on top of Canal Road East and Canal Road West. Many who do not known the history of Canal Road might associate the flyover with Ngo Keng Kiu. It initially connects only Canal Road West to the north of Gloucester Road in its opening at 29th March 1972. Four years later, the flyover was expanded and extended south to Aberdeen Tunnel entrance in Happy Valley in 1976. The flyover was expanded again and an exit connects Canal Road East.