Route 720 is an Island Eastern Corridor

Island Eastern Corridor

Island Eastern Corridor is an expressway along the north shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It starts from Causeway Bay in the west and ends in Chai Wan in the east. It is part of Route 4...

 express bus route on Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...

 operated by New World First Bus

New World First Bus

New World First Bus Services Limited , abbreviated as First Bus and "NWFB", is the third largest public bus operator in Hong Kong.NWFB was established in 1998, taking over China Motor Bus's franchise on 1 September 1998 to provide bus services on Hong Kong Island together with Citybus...

 (NWFB) between Grand Promenade

Grand Promenade

The Grand Promenade is a high-rise development located in the Sai Wan Ho district of Hong Kong. The complex consists of five towers. Towers 2, 3, and 5, which are all interconnected and listed as one skyscraper by real estate data company Emporis, were built in 2005 and contain 66 floors each;...

, Sai Wan Ho

Sai Wan Ho

Sai Wan Ho is a primarily residential area on the northeastern shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, between Quarry Bay and Shau Kei Wan. It is part of the Eastern District, and is administered together with surrounding areas under the Eastern District Council.-Location:Sai Wan Ho is conventionally...

 and Central (Macau Ferry) Bus Terminus

Central (Macau Ferry) Bus Terminus

The Central Bus Terminus is a major bus terminus located in Sheung Wan, Central and Western District, Hong Kong, next to the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal...

, Sheung Wan

Sheung Wan

Sheung Wan is an area in Hong Kong, located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island, between Central and Sai Ying Pun. Administratively, it is part of the Central and Western District...

 (marked as Central

Central, Hong Kong

Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula...

).

History

The route was started on 8 June 1984 between Shau Kei Wan

Shau Kei Wan

Shau Kei Wan or Shaukeiwan, Shaukiwan is a town in Eastern District, Hong Kong. Literally, Shau Kei means a pail, and Wan implies that the town is developed along the coast. Nowadays it is a relatively densely populated town compared with some developing areas.-Name:The name Shau Kei Wan comes...

 and Gilman Street, Central together with route 780 by China Motor Bus

China Motor Bus

China Motor Bus Company Ltd. , often abbreviated as CMB, was the first motor bus company in Hong Kong, and was responsible for the introduction of double-decker buses to Hong Kong Island....

 (CMB) to coincide with the opening of the first section of Island Eastern Corridor between Causeway Bay

Causeway Bay

Causeway Bay is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, located on the Hong Kong Island, and covering parts of Wan Chai and Eastern districts. The Chinese name is also romanized as Tung Lo Wan as in Tung Lo Wan Road...

 and Tai Koo Shing. Initially only weekday peak hour services were provided. On 1 September 1998 the route was handed over to NWFB with the CMB franchise expiry, and NWFB started a morning special circular service from Tai Koo Shing to Gilman Street, to replace route 721.

On 29 March 1999 route 720 services increased to cover the whole day and also weekends to replace route 20 as part of an Eastern District

Eastern District, Hong Kong

The Eastern District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It had a population of 587,690 in 2006. The district has the second highest population while its residents have the third highest median household income among 18 districts....

 route arrangement scheme. On 4 March 2001 the route was further extended to Aldrich Bay

Aldrich Bay

Aldrich Bay was formerly a bay in the north shore on the Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It is now reclaimed and is a housing area outside the area of Shau Kei Wan, neighbouring A Kung Ngam and Lei King Wan. Outside Aldrich Bay, it is the Shau Kei Wan Typhoon Shelter. It is not a small community...

. On 9 June 2002 route 720A was devolved from 720 to replace daytime services to Admiralty. On 23 February 2004, all services other than mornings extended to Macau Ferry Pier. On 24 June 2006 the route was extended to Grand Promenade.