Invest and Settle in Hong Kong Experience Life in Hong Kong: It is said that the West Island Line of the Hong Kong subway has finally come into operation after much anticipation. The subway we usually see is quite ordinary, lacking any sense of design or modernity. BUT, now the West Island Line is here!!! We must praise the efficiency of MTR, as overnight, every station display screen and every subway map on the Hong Kong Island line has been updated to include Sai Ying Pun Station, Hong Kong University Station, and Kennedy Town Station.
Upon arriving at Kennedy Town, the first thing you see is the station sign, and you may notice that the station name is somewhat different. Indeed, the character "坚" is written in simplified Chinese, which caused some controversy online last year.
However, a spokesperson for MTR quickly clarified that the calligraphic station names of the three new stations were created by the same former MTR architectural designer, and this style is actually an artistic expression of the calligraphic font used in subway stations. Historical figures like Wang Xizhi and Huang Tingjian have varying degrees of simplification in their works.
The discussion about station names does not end there. Before the West Island Line, all Hong Kong subway station names aimed to be controlled within three characters, and some originally four-character place names were simplified. For example, Tsim Sha Tsui East was simplified to "尖东", and Chinese University was more directly and bluntly referred to as "大学". So why can't Hong Kong University and Kennedy Town be renamed "港大" and "坚城"? Firstly, Hong Kong University is a proper noun, and simplifying it to "港大" could imply a lack of seriousness. After all, Chinese University is abbreviated as "大学" and not "中大". As for Kennedy Town, it was originally named Kennedy Station during its design phase, but it was later reverted. Ultimately, the main purpose of controlling the number of characters in station names is to facilitate passenger memory; deliberately creating an unfamiliar abbreviation for the sake of brevity can actually be counterproductive.
Upon coming up from the platform, there is a community gallery with a whole wall showcasing photographs of famous locations near Kennedy Town. For instance, the Western District Pier, the Temple of Master Lu Ban, and the stone wall trees on Ko Si Street.
If you didn't tell someone this was inside a subway station, it would look like a gallery in an art exhibition hall. Even locals find it rare, and people keep taking photos to commemorate.
As for the apple sculpture in the middle of the hall, it has attracted quite a few people.
The highlight of the Kennedy Town station hall is this "City Fruit", a work by local artist Liu Yuqi. The apple cores on both sides feature silhouettes of young residents of Kennedy Town, symbolizing them as the seeds and future of Kennedy Town.
The apple skin is also covered in residents' handprints, which is quite interesting. Since the apple skin is reflective, people can use this effect to take some fun photos.
The design of the new ticket gate is very modern, but some have joked that it looks like a pair of scissors.
After exiting the station, you will see the famous ticket machine that is said to allow you to buy tickets for the subway using an Octopus card! It continues the modern feel of the ticket gate.
You can choose to pay with an Octopus card when buying tickets.
MTR certainly wouldn't be so foolish; this feature is more for friends traveling together who do not have an Octopus card. Upon reflection, it is indeed more user-friendly. In addition to this machine that allows ticket purchases with an Octopus card, there is another advanced device, also used for buying tickets.
This is the MTR discount machine, which is easily overlooked. The first function seems to be related to Octopus card stored value, the second allows you to purchase Airport Express tickets and save 6 HKD in handling fees, and the third, can you guess what it is for?
You wouldn't have expected it, but it can actually be used to purchase train tickets!
For example: From Hung Hom to Guangzhou, or from Guangzhou to Hung Hom, just a few taps on your phone and a touch of your Octopus card, and the train ticket is in hand!
We must admit that the journey to Kennedy Town subway station is quite stunning. Although it is just a small subway station, it reflects the culture, art, and convenience of Hong Kong in many ways. Are you looking forward to your next trip to Hong Kong University subway station?
