Title: Fast City – Overhead bridge, Hong Kong Central
Director: Haw Jane (3036241088)
Video:
Introduction:
As one of the world’s leading financial centers, Hong Kong is a city that never slows down. A fast city can be characterized by having a prosperous economy, countless major business institutions, well-developed and advanced infrastructures and transportation systems, high population densities and cutting-edge technology. Hong Kong is a perfect definition of a fast city. In particular, Hong Kong Central is a hub of fast paced activities, consisting of busy workers rushing to offices and conducting business deals. An overhead bridge spanning over Connaught road is the key to its fast pace. Many people navigate over the bridge on a daily basis, not only businesspeople, but also residents, tourists or merely just people who came to admire the widely known bridge. Hong Kong Central’s overhead bridge brings out the quality of efficiency in Hong Kong.
In a city where time is money, the overhead bridge cuts unnecessary time by a significant amount, accelerating the pace of Hong Kong’s lifestyle. It’s relatively efficient compared to other modes of transportations as it provides shelter for when severe weather occurs, saves time from traffic lights and congestions, can directly bring you to your destination and eliminates waiting time unlike public buses and MTR. Besides the bridge itself, other features of the bridge contribute to the fast speed of Hong Kong. It comprises 20 escalators, totaling up to 800 meters. Unlike ordinary escalators, the escalators in Central’s overhead bridge runs downhill in the early rush hours and runs downhill in other times. This way, the escalator would efficiently facilitate the movement of people from areas of mid-level to their workplace in the morning, and smoothly send people back at the end of the day. These minor yet notable features are what makes Hong Kong a city that never rests.
Central’s overhead bridge spans over the Connaught road, connecting numerous major buildings and landmarks of Hong Kong. For example, IFC, the Jardine House and the Mandarin Oriental, which the video showcases. By adding an additional street level, the construction effectively mitigates human congestion of public spaces, allowing flow of human to move without delays.
In the future, we would expect Hong Kong to continue with the expansion of overhead bridges, not only in Central, but also in other necessary locations. Unsurprisingly, Hong Kong will maintain its reputation as having fast paced lifestyles with the aid of overhead bridges.
Methodology & Reflections:
This video compromised of historic images, original footages, and videos from Youtube to portray the overhead bridge in Hong Kong Central in every respect. Through the incorporations of materials from different sources, an extended overview of overhead bridge is demonstrated clearly, with regards to different times and spaces.
To showcase the overhead bridge that is located in Central, footages were filmed from different angles and standing points, aiming to present a grand view of the area. However, as it is difficult to get a shot of the entire bridge, a footage of the overhead bridge was obtained from another source, utilizing a more professional and high-tech device, a drone. This video provided a comprehensive outlook of the span of the overhead bridge, highlighting the immensity of the construction. As the bridge is situated in Central, several footages of the surrounding landmarks are included, eg. the Mandarin Oriental, Jardine House and IFC. This is to demonstrate the functionality of the bridge and how it connects Hong Kong together. Additionally, some research about the history of overhead bridges was done to give a comprehensive analysis of the subject. Since information regarding the first overhead bridge was difficult to find, research on the bridge built in the Peninsula was conducted, as the overhead bridge in Central was based on this construction. Historic images were acquired from social media platforms (Facebook), as there were limited sources to this.
As the overhead bridge at Central is of great length, it is almost impossible to capture the construction using ordinary filming devices. To improve, more technical and professional cameras can be borrowed to present the full magnitude of the bridge. This could bring greater visual impact for the viewers when watching this video. Furthermore, shots from different locations could be taken, for example, from Shun Tak Ctr and Infinitus Plaza, giving a more detailed and thorough view of the bridge. Another possible improvement regarding the production of the video could be about the pacing and consistency of it. As editing was kept to a minimum to bring elements of truthiness and credibility into the video, the pacing could be inconsistent due to the varying scene lengths and camera angles. To remove this flaw, carefully selected filming techniques can be utilized to enhance the viewer’s experience.
In terms of the content, a more balanced representation of the overhead bridge in Central can be done. As a non-local producer, there might be misinformation regarding the bridge’s effect on stakeholders and their impressions. Even though thorough research has been done, some primary research can be conducted to get an extensive outlook of the bridge. For instance, interviewing pedestrians using the bridge to share their personal stories and feelings towards it. Even if they have negative attitudes towards the overhead bridge, acknowledging different viewpoints and controversies would bring a more balanced portrayal of the matter.
References:
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JasFilms. (2022, April 22). Bridge in Central Hong Kong | FPV. Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYW1m00rnhc
LandMark. (n.d.). LANDMARK Hong Kong. Www.landmark.hk. https://www.landmark.hk/en/visit/around-central/central-mid-level-escalator
One Building One Story. (2021, February 5). Facebook. Www.facebook.com. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=192498782628765&set=pcb.192500092628634
PMQ Life. (2022). PMQ 元創方 | Around PMQ: World’s longest outdoor covered escalator system. PMQ 元創方 | around PMQ: World’s Longest Outdoor Covered Escalator System. https://www.pmq.org.hk/leisureculture/around-pmq-worlds-longest-outdoor-covered-escalator-system/
Road, B. L. (2022, March 28). FLOATING WAY: Central Elevated Walkways (中區行人天橋), Central (中環), Hong Kong. Blue Lapis Road. https://bluelapisroad.wordpress.com/2022/03/28/floating-way-central-elevated-walkways-
The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited. (n.d.). History Timeline | Hong Kong Hotel Cultural History. Www.hshgroup.com. https://www.hshgroup.com/en/About/History-of-Innovation/History-Timeline
Tran, L. (2016). Fast Paced Hong Kong | UD Abroad Blog. University of Delaware. https://sites.udel.edu/globalblog/2016/07/fast-paced-hong-kong/
Van Steekelenburg, E. (2020, November 4). Creating new layers of public space through elevated walkways. The City at Eye Level. https://thecityateyelevel.com/stories/creating-new-layers-of-public-space-through-elevated-walkways/
Wainwright, O. (2013, February 22). Cities Without Ground: a guidebook to Hong Kong’s elevated walkways. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2013/feb/22/cities-without-ground-hong-kong-walkways
Haw Jane 3036241088
I appreciate your selection of the ‘Overhead Bridge’ as your artifact, which, along with your passage, is particularly interesting and unique. Your passage is rich with informative details, delving into the historical usage of the bridge and emphasizing its significance over time. Moreover, your video is exceptionally appealing, and the background music blends very well with your narration. Your reflection is also very comprehensive, which adds further depth to your work.