At 78 storeys and 374m the Central Plaza is Hong Kong's tallest building, and until the completion of the 112-storey Petronas Tower in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) in 1996, was also Asia's tallest building. For a time it was the world's fifth-highest building, and still holds the record for a building made from reinforced concrete. Special plasticisers had to be added to the concrete to prevent it from solidifying as it was pumped up over 300m.

Completed in 1892, it provides a potent symbol of the manner in which the glitz of Central's downtown is spreading east into the old red-light district of Wan Chai. Be sure to see Central Plaza in conjunction with another outstanding Wan Chai building, the nearby Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

During office hours you can ride the Plaza's lifts to the Sky Lobby observation deck on the 46th floor to admire some spectacular views over the city. At ground level the building's public spaces are equally impressive, the vast 30m high lobby a palatial vision of marble, paintings and real-life palm trees. At night the Plaza's illuminated exterior and triangular glass pyramid and summit mast make the building an unmissable feature of the city skyline. 

Unlike the Bank of China Tower, however, whose angles and points reputedly produce bad feng shui, the contractors thoughtfully rounded the edges of the Central Plaza's angles to temper any malevolent forces.