The Central Heritage Trail was created by the Hong Kong Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) as part of a series of self-walk routes around Central, Sheung Wan and Western Districts. The Central Heritage Trail is nearly 5.5 km long, winding through the district and taking in 40 historic buildings and sites. It is further broken down into three sections (A,B and C), allowing you to concentrate your efforts in smaller areas if preferred. Route A of the Central Heritage Trail focuses on the area in and around Statue Square Garden. It it a flat area that is easy to walk and has 11 different stops which can be leisurely done in less than 60 minutes. It includes 11 stops as described below. Beginning at (1) Edinburgh Place, location of the present Hong Kong City Hall and former location of the City Hall pier and Queen's pier, you proceed to (2) Statue Square, the former site of the Queen Victoria Statue, which is now located at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. Here you will see the (3) Cenotaph Monument erected here in 1921. Then on to the (4) site of the old Hong Kong Club House, which was demolished and replaced with a modern skyscraper in 1987. Next up is the impressive (5) Old Supreme Court and (6) site of the old Hong Kong Cricket Club, which was relocated to Wong Nai in 1975 and repurposed into Charter Garden that you can visit today. There is commemorative plaque for the old Cricket Club found within the garden grounds. The route then proceeds to the (7) site of the old Murray House, which was dismantled and moved to Stanley in 1980, making way for the large Bank of China building that you see today. This is followed by the (8) site of the old Murray Parade Grounds, now home to the Cheung Kong Centre skyscraper. Then onward to the (9) site of the old City Hall, where the HSBC headquarter bank is now situated. Along Bank Street, you can see a commemorative plaque for the old site of the original City Hall. The trail then makes a slight uphill ascend to the (10) Former French Mission Building and ends at (11) St. John's Cathedral. You can visit St. John's to have a look around or to join services which continue to be held here regularly. This wraps up Route A of the Central Heritage Trail. You can then proceed to Route B which includes 10 historic stops around Hong Kong Park and the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens.

This is one of 3 Heritage walking trails around the Central area. Of the 3 trails, Route A has the most significant buildings and is also the easiest. It is the shortest one and covers the flat area near the harbour, avoiding the steep slopes as you move further back from the water. There are 11 stops, which take you past 6 historic buildings. Other stops are just site locations that mark the spot of a long-gone building. The main sights are the Old Supreme Court (1912) and the French Mission Building (1843). These grand old survivors now sit in prime Central positions against a backdrop of skyscrapers, office blocks and modern development. The Courthouse has a surprising Buckingham Palace connection. It was designed by the same two Englishmen, Sir Aston Webb and Ingress Bell, who also designed the eastern façade of Buckingham Palace. The French Mission Building has an intriguing history, having been home to colonial rulers, opium merchants and Russian diplomats before French missionaries took over. In addition to the historic sites, you will also pass by the new Bank of China and the HSBC Building. Being modern buildings, they are not listed on the trail, but they are two of Hong Kong’s most iconic buildings and are a distinctive part of the Hong Kong city skyline. The walk covers an area of just under 1 km and can be done in around 30 minutes, which allows time for brief photo-stops. Finishing at the cathedral, you are only a few minutes from the Peak tram station. Or, if you are up for more walking, then you can link almost straight into Route B of the Heritage Trail which will take you through Hong Kong Park. Routes and maps are available at the AMO (Antiquities and Monuments) government website.