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Downtown Honolulu is more than just the state's main business centre and financial district. In and around this small jungle of office buildings and bank towers are some of Hawaii's most cherished treasures—all within comfortable walking distance of each other A good start-off point is the Aloha Tower Marketplace, a harbour side complex of shops and restaurants surrounding historic Aloha Tower. Next door is the Hawaii Maritime Centre, which traces Hawaii's ocean history from the ancient Polynesian voyagers and rowdy whalers to the luxury liners of the 1920s and '30s. Head east and there's the Iolani Palace, the only royal palace standing on American soil. The palace served as the royal residence for Hawaii's last monarch, Queen Liliuokalani until she was overthrown in a bloodless coup in 1893, which resulted in the US government's annexation of the Hawaiian Islands, paving the way for the admission of Hawaii as the 50th state in 1959. Behind the palace is the State Capitol Building, where the governor and state legislature fight their political battles. The building opened in 1969 and remains a unique work of architecture. The cone-shaped chambers symbolize Hawaii's volcanoes, and the building columns are reminiscent of palm trees. The large pool of water surrounding the building symbolizes the fact that Hawaii is the only island state in the U.S. Across the street from the palace is the Kamehameha statue, which fronts Honolulu's old judicial building. The bronze statue stands eight feet and six inches high (not including the 10-foot-high base). Chinatown is a short walk from downtown Honolulu and offers a more authentic Asian experience than those of other 'Chinatowns' in other US mainland cities. Temples and pagodas stand next to excellent Asian restaurants serving Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese food and the markets make an interesting stroll in the mornings. |