Overview: Seven people live on each square meter of Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated places in the world. Each morning tens of thousa... more »

Overview: Seven people live on each square meter of Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated places in the world. Each morning tens of thousa... more »
Tips: The escalator is free. The 800-meter stretch--partly traditional moving stairs, partly like a people conveyor in an airport--travels do... more »
This upmarket mall--with the Four Seasons Hotel at one end and financial sector offices at another--is where many escalator commuters end their morning trip. To do the opposite, walk to Exit E1 of the Hong Kong Station for Airport Express trains, a round indoor space with a column in the middle. Exit through the southwest glass doors, away from the... More
If you want to get off so soon after getting on, exit here and turn right. At Graham Street make a left and then a right at Gage Street to visit some small, traditional Chinese markets.
Peek in the medicine shops and see if you can spot anything controversial, such as the bladder of an endangered fish called the giant yellow croaker, r... More
If you're hungry for bakery treats, get off at Lyndhurst and make a right. At 35 Lyndhurst, near the corner of Graham Street, is the original location of the Tai Cheong bakery, which opened in 1954 and now has a dozen branches. Buy some cheap (HK$3.5) and delicious egg custard tarts, known as "Fei Pang" or "Fat Patten," because Hong Kong's last Bri... More
Exit and turn right, walking west along Hollywood Road toward Ladder Street. At the corner you'll find the Man Mo Temple, which is more than 100 years old. This important Hong Kong place of worship is dedicated to Man ("civility"), the god of civil servants and literature who carries a calligraphy pen, and Mo ("military"), the god of war and martia... More
Get off the escalator at Staunton Street and take your pick of restaurants and bars in a newly popular area known as SoHo, or South of Hollywood Road. Around and between Staunton and Elgin there are dozens of local favorites. They include Chilli Fagara, a Sichuanese restaurant just south of Staunton on Graham Street; Life Vegetarian on Shelley Stre... More
To the right of the escalator at Mosque Street is the Jamia Mosque (30 Shelley Street). Built in 1849 and added to in 1915, the turquoise, plaster and wrought iron building remains in active use. You may see worshippers inside as you pass along on your ride up Shelley Street, but it's best not to enter if you're not there to take off your shoes and... More
The residential area marking the top of the escalator is 135 meters above where you started and almost a kilometer's walk. Take the stairs back down and you'll have participated in not one but two world records--the longest escalator and the longest staircase on earth.