Arched verandahs of the Barrack Block at Tai Kwun beside a red-brick building, with towers of Central behind

Heritage · Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong Island

Central-Mid-Levels, PMQ & Tai Kwun

A restored police station, magistracy and prison complex and a former police quarters turned design hub

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Photo: Cheung Yin (@cheungyin) / Unsplash

Discover Central-Mid-Levels, PMQ & Tai Kwun

The slopes between Central and the Mid-Levels hold some of Hong Kong's most rewarding heritage. Tai Kwun, the former Central Police Station compound on Hollywood Road, brings together a colonial police headquarters, a magistracy and Victoria Prison, restored and reopened in 2018 as a centre for heritage and arts. Its former parade ground, now lined with restaurants and cafes, is a calm square in the middle of the city.

A few minutes' walk west, PMQ occupies the site of the Central School and the later Police Married Quarters, now home to studios and shops of more than 100 local designers. Linking them all is the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator, a chain of covered escalators that carries people up the hill past cafes, galleries and street-side restaurants.

Don’t miss

01Tai Kwun's Police Headquarters Block (1919) and the Parade Ground
02Heritage exhibitions in the former Victoria Prison halls at Tai Kwun
03Former Central Magistracy with its columned verandah, completed in 1914
04PMQ's designer studios, plus galleries on the Central School and police family life
05Central-Mid-Levels Escalator, about 800 metres of reversible escalators and travelators

History & culture

The story of Central-Mid-Levels, PMQ & Tai Kwun

The Central Police Station compound was first built in 1864 and expanded many times; its grand Police Headquarters Block on Hollywood Road dates from 1919. Beside it stand the Former Central Magistracy, completed in 1914, and Victoria Prison. Together they represented law and order in colonial Hong Kong. The police station was decommissioned in 2004, and the group was revitalised under the leadership of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, with two new contemporary buildings added. Tai Kwun, meaning 'big station', opened to the public in 2018; the Central Police Station and Central Magistracy were declared monuments in 1995.

PMQ has an equally layered past. In 1862 the Central School, the first government school to offer Western education to the public, opened nearby; it moved to the corner of Aberdeen Street and Hollywood Road in 1889 and was later renamed Queen's College. Dr Sun Yat-sen studied at the school in 1884. After wartime damage the buildings were demolished, and in 1951 the Police Married Quarters were built on the site for families of officers at the Central Police Station. Vacated in 2000, the quarters reopened as PMQ in 2014.

The Central-Mid-Levels Escalator opened in 1993 and runs about 800 metres from Queen's Road Central to Conduit Road.

Local life & traditions

This hillside neighbourhood mixes office workers, long-time residents and creative businesses. At lunchtime and in the evenings the lanes around the escalator fill with people heading to cafes and restaurants, while Tai Kwun's courtyards host performances, talks and exhibitions that draw a local crowd. PMQ's design markets and festivals are an important showcase for Hong Kong's independent makers.

Things to do

Experience it like a local

Start at Tai Kwun: wander the courtyards, see the heritage exhibitions in the old prison blocks, and check what is on at the contemporary art galleries. Guided tours explain the buildings and their conservation. Then follow Hollywood Road west to PMQ to browse locally designed fashion, jewellery, ceramics and homeware, or join one of its craft workshops.

Ride the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator uphill (it runs upward from mid-morning until midnight) to explore the bars and restaurants of the surrounding streets, and walk down through the lanes afterwards. Combine the area with Man Mo Temple and the antiques shops of Sheung Wan for a full day of heritage on foot.

When to go

October to December offers dry, mild weather that is ideal for walking the steep streets. Spring is pleasant but humid, and summer is hot with frequent heavy showers, although Tai Kwun and PMQ have plenty of covered space. Weekends are livelier, with more events, while weekday mornings are quieter for photography.

Plan your visit

Verified information

Tai Kwun address: 10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong Island. Source: discoverhongkong.com ↗
Heritage status: Former Central Police Station Compound declared a monument in 1995; revitalised as Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage and Arts in 2018. Source: amo.gov.hk ↗
PMQ address: 35 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong Island. Source: discoverhongkong.com ↗
Mid-Levels Escalator direction: Runs downhill from 6 am to 10 am and uphill from 10:20 am to midnight, between Queen's Road Central and Conduit Road. Source: discoverhongkong.com ↗
Halal dining nearby: HKTB lists Saffron, a halal-certified Persian restaurant near Tai Kwun, and Pasteako, a halal-certified restaurant in its PMQ section. Source: discoverhongkong.com ↗

Checked against the sources on 27 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.

Travel tips

Check Tai Kwun's official website for current opening hours and exhibitions before you go.
Use the escalator to go uphill and walk down; the streets are steep.
Wear comfortable shoes: the area is full of steps and slopes.
Visit on a weekday morning for quieter courtyards and easier photography.
Combine with Man Mo Temple, a short walk west along Hollywood Road.

General guidance from our specialists, not official information.

Around Central-Mid-Levels, PMQ & Tai Kwun: food, markets & places to stay

Jamia Mosque, Hong Kong's oldest mosque, stands on Shelley Street beside the Mid-Levels Escalator and holds daily prayers. The surrounding streets are packed with cafes and restaurants, including halal-certified options listed by HKTB. Central MTR station and the Peak Tram's Garden Road terminus are within walking distance downhill, and Man Mo Temple is a short walk west.