Ocean Terminal Rooftop Carpark, Tsim Sha Tsui

Okay, I know it sounds a bit weird talking about a car park, but it seems that I am not the only one who thinks that this place, on top of Ocean Terminal, is a pretty good place to go to. Thanks to TonyB for the reminder. For “normal” people it’s an easy-to-reach vantage point for checking out the views across the harbour. It’s great for the 8pm light show (just a shame the light show is itself very crap) and a decent panorama can be had at anytime along the southern side, especially when we have the lovely clear skies seen recently in HK. For Bruce Lee fans (aka weirdos like me) there is the additional attraction that it was once used, by Golden Harvest, for some famous publicity shots.

The current cruise terminal that stands here wasn’t built until 1966, and prior to this date, even though large cruise ships berthed here, it was still essentially a wharf pier i.e. no frills and used in the main for loading and unloading good for import/export. Film fans who wish to see the same area prior to the building of the current terminal should check out the beginning scenes of “The World of Suzie Wong” where we see William Holden disembark from a ship and walk along the old wharf pier, complete with derricks, and head over to the Star Ferry pier. See below.

1960 Suzie Wong view of what is now Ocean Terminal

The building that now stands here is a very popular and bustling multi-level shopping mall called Harbour City which takes up most of the indoor space between here and Canton Road. Anyway, we’re not interested in the shopping, we want to go to the very top and check out the slightly less salubrious locale of the car park. Thankfully it’s open air.

How to get there? Well, probably the best way is to head into the air-conditioned Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel (another BL connection because it’s the hotel – then just the “Hongkong Hotel” – where he held his 31st Birthday party) and go up a couple of floors before heading out of the rear door to the car park. The more uncomfortable and sweaty way (yes, this is the way I went) is to take the steps next to the car park entrance on Canton Road.

It may be a bizarre concept to go to a car park to glimpse some good views but once you get up there you will see what I mean.

Unlike the China Ferry Terminal, from Ocean Terminal you get a less obscured view over to the island, and the fact that Ocean Terminal is a bit longer than China Ferry Terminal means you can get a much wider viewing angle too (assuming there are no large ships blocking the view that is).

Anyway, here are a few BL shots. Copyrights of which I have no idea as they have been gleamed from various websites and forums (if the copyright is yours then please let me know so I can credit you).

Bruce at the car park. That’s the
Hongkong Hotel in the background.

Star House and the KCR terminus at the back.

I should point out that the clocktower behind Bruce was still part of the old colonial train terminus when these shots were taken. The building was knocked down in the late 70′s – despite a massive campaign to keep it – and all that remains is the clocktower.

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