The HONG KONG travel guide

  In this page :

MAJOR  ATTRACTIONS

Fabulous skyline, world-class architecture, friendly people too busy to smile, melting pot of worldwide cultures, rural areas that impose big contrasts....Hong Kong is more than just a land of financial centre, there are many attractions that make you the captive of Hong Kong's unique charm.

Victoria Peak  

Famous for its magnificant view of the the Victoria Harbour and surrounding areas, the Victoria Peak has two shopping arcades (Peak Tower and the Galleria) and a walking trail loop (Luguard Road and Harlech Road) that provide breath-taking viewing points.

      How to get there -

• Peak Tram - A funicular built in 1888, the oldest public transportation in Hong Kong, it connects Central District and the Victoria Peak, and has incredible views on both sides of the tramway. Tram fare for adult is HK$20(single trip) and HK$30(return trips). Lower Peak Tram terminal is at St. John's Building, Garden Road, Central, you can get there by -
  • MTR - exit J2 of MTR Central station, then walk along Garden Road for around 15 minutes;
  • MTR, then bus - Exit B of MTR Admiralty station, take route number 12A.
  • Ferry and open-top bus - take a ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central. From the pier, walk to the right for 2 minutes, take route number 15C open-top bus which takes you to the Lower Peak Tram terminus.
  • Tram - exit at Queensway(Cotton Tree Drive), walk uphill along Cotton Tree Drive, the tram terminus is on the right side of the road.
• Bus - Route number 15 bus taken at the Central bus terminus at Exchange Square or Admiralty bus terminus.
• Minibus - Route number 1 or 2, at exit K from MTR Central station.

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Victoria Harbour ferry  

A ferry ride in the Victoria Harbour has been named by the National Geographic of Traveler as one of the "fifty places of a lifetime". The most popular route is between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui. This 6-minute ferry ride provides a splendid view of the Hong Kong skyline, which has topped the world's sky lines for many years. Views in day time and at nigt are totally different, worth seeing both if time allows. (Fare : HK$2.20 upper deck and HK$1.70 lower deck. Opr hrs : everyday 6:30am to 11:30pm, every 6-12 mins).

If you want a longer ride, and see more of the harbour view, you can take the below ferry rides -

• Central <--> Hung Hom (Fare : $6.00. Opr hrs : Mon-Fri 7:00am to 8:00pm, Sat, Sun & Public holidays 7:00am to 7:00pm, every 15-22mins
• Wan Chai <--> Hung Hom (Fare : $6.00. Opr hrs : Mon-Fri 6:56am to 8:10pm, Sat, Sun & Public holidays 6:56am to 7:10pm, every 15-22mins)
• Tsim Sha Tsui <--> Wan Chai (Fare : $2.20. Opr hrs : Mon-Sat 7:20am to 10:50pm, Sat, Sun & Public holidays 7:30am to 10:50pm, every 8-20mins)

      How to get there -

• from Central Ferry Piers, Pier 7.
• from Wan Chai Pier at Wan Chai, Hong Kong :
• MTR - exit A of Wan Chai station, then walk towards International Finance Center (IFC), exit IFC at the east, walk along the raised walkway towards pier 7.
• Bus - routes 2A, 2X, 8, 8P, 40, 40M, 905, 960, get off at the Wan Chai bus terminus.
• Tram - exit at Hennesy Road(Fleming Road). Walk northbound along Fleming Road, turn right on Convention Ave.
• from Kowloon (Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier) :
• Bus - Many bus routes go to the Star Ferry pier, including numbers 1, 1A, 2, 2C, 3C, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 9, 12, 35A, 41A, 63X, 81C, 81P, 87D, 203, 208, 230X, 234P, 234X, 237A, 238P, 238X, 242X, and 252B.
• MTR - exit E at Tsim Sha Tsui Station, head south along Middle Road, left on Hankow Road, right on Salisbury Road, pass the bus terminus.
• from Kowloon (Hung Hom Pier) :
• Bus - 6C, 6F, 8, 30X, 93K, 212, 224X, 268B and 269B, get off at Hung Hom pier.
• Green Mini Bus - 2, 2A, 6, 6X, 13(closest mini bus route).
• MTR - Hung Hom station, then take bus route 8, or green minibus route 6. (not recommended).

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Po Lin Monastery and the big Buddha Statue  

Po Lin Monastery is a place where visitors can see natural beauty and heritage which are very different from the busy city life of Hong Kong. It used to be just a small temple, but has been expanded in the past decades, it is now one of the oldest and most famous monastery in Hong Kong.
The big Buddha Statue is the world's largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha statue, opening hours : 10:00am-6:00pm. Visitors can go inside the buddha which has a 3-level exhibition hall if they eat a vegetarian meal there, meal serving hours : 11:30am-17:00pm, price : HK$60.
Ngong Ping Village - composed of a number of souvenir shops and restaurants, very touristy, worth seeing when you visit the Big Buddha Statue.

      How to get there -

• Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail cable car - operates between Tung Chung and Ngong Ping, opens daily 10:00-17:30, takes 25 minutes - it provides a magificient aerial 360° view of Lantau Island, includes Tung Chung Bay, airport island, South China Sea, North Lantau country park, and most importantly, the big buddha. It was built along a steep slope so riding the cable car can be a bit scary. After leaving the cable car station at Ngong Ping, you will find clear signs which lead you to the Monastery and Big Buddha Statue. To take the cable car at Tung Chung -
  • from Central Ferry Piers (Pier 6) -
  Take ferry to Mui Wo, running hrs & fares : Mon-Sat - 00:30am, 03:00am, then 06:10am-23:30pm every 30-40 mins. HK$13, 21.7, 25.5 for ordinary, deluxe and fast ferry respectively. Sun & pub holidays - 00:30am, 03:00am, 07:00am, then 08:00am-23:40pm every 30-40 mins. HK$19.2, 31.7 and 36.7 for ordinary, deluxe and fast ferry respectively.
  • MTR - exit B of MTR Tung Chung Station(Tunag Chung Line), walk west bound towards Tung Chung Skyrail Terminal.
  Bus - From Mui Wo, take bus route number 2, get off at the bus terminus at Ngong Ping. Opr hrs : Mon-Sat - 08:00am, 10:00am-4:30pm every 20-60mins, fare : HK$17. Sun & pub holidays - 08:00am-5:55pm every 30-55mins, fare : HK$27. The bus ride is along a narrowdown and windy road, equally scary as the cable car ride, but it has a different scenic view.

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Tsing Ma Bridge

Completed in 1997, Tsing Ma Bridge is the world's 7th longest span suspension bridge, carries road (upper deck) and rail (lower deck) traffics, and is the world's largest bridge that carries rail traffic. It has splendid views on both sides of the bridge, and is another spot where you can see Hong Kong's landscape and natural beauty blended with modern world-class architecture.
As it does not allow pedestrians, visitors can enjoy the sightseeing from a viewing platform - the Lantau Link Visitor Centre and Viewing Platform. From the viewing platform, you can also see the the Ting Kau Bridge, the world's first major 4-span cable-stayed bridge.) and Kap Shui Mun Bridge, longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. Visitors Centre & Viewing Platform opening hrs : Mon-Fri except Wed - 10:00am-5:00pm, Sat, Sun & Pub holidays : 10:00am-6:30pm. Only cars, taxis, green minibus and private coaches can reach the Visitor Centre and Viewing Platform.

      How to get there -

• Viewing Plaform and Visiting Center - by MTR, then green minibus - exit A1 of MTR Tsing Yi. Take green minibus route 308M, running hrs : Mon-Fri - 10:00am-16:00pm, Sat-Sun & pub holidays - 09:30am-18:30pm, every hour, get off at the Visitor Centre.


• Cross the bridge - the easiest and cheapest way to see the scenery is to be in a vehicle to cross the bridge. All Citybus and Long Win buses running between the Airport, Tung Chung or Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, and the city, with bus routes prefixes A or E. Such as A11 runs between North Point Ferry Pier to the Airport via Central Ferry Piers, A21 runs between Hung Hom Ferry Pier and Airport via Tsim Sha Tsui Holiday Inn Golden Mile.

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Symphony of light  

Performed every evening at 8:00pm, for around 20 mins. It was ranked the World's largest permanent light and sound show by the Guinness World Records, it is done by shooting laser beams from 44 waterfront buildings along the Victoria Harbour, with music as background.

      How to see it -

• harbour cruise - Harbour Tour by the Star Ferry. Buy a 2-hour night pass to enjoy the light show. Just go to any Star Ferry Pier to ask for details
• find a location in the waterfront on Hong Kong Island or Kowloon. Favourite spots are as below -
• Wan Chai Ferry Pier.
• Central Ferry Piers
• In front of the City Hall, Central (the former Queen's Pier).
• Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai - in front of the HK Convention and Exhibition Centre.
• Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront - pedestrian walkway between Avenue of Stars and the Star Ferry Pier, and from the Star Ferry Pier to the Ocean Terminal.

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Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront Promenade  

This pleasant path is scenic and has one of the best views of the Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong Island skyline, and is a popular place for evening leisure strolls. When taking a walk there, take a look at the Avenue of Stars, clock tower, Hong Kong Space Museum, and Hong Kong Cultural Center.

      How to see it -

• From Star Ferry Pier, walk southbound along harbour side.

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Tai O Fishing Village

Tai O is the only fishing village left in Hong Kong. To see the old-day Hong Kong before its face lift, Tai O gives you a glimse of fisherman's daily life, including the stilt houses built along the shore, for years these wooden houses stand still in strong waves, typhoons and intense sunshine.

      How to get there -

• Ferry, then bus - Take the ferry route of Mui Wo from the Central Ferry Piers, Pier 6. Ferry hours : Mon-Sat 00:30am, 03:00am, 06:10am-23:30pm every 30-60mins, fare : HK$13.00(ordinary) and 21.70(deluxe); Sun & Pub holidays : 00:30am, 03:00am, 07:00am-23:30pm every 30-60mins, fare : HK$19.20(ordinary) and 31.70(deluxe). Then take bus route number 1 from Mui Wo Pier to Tai O. Bus hours : Mon-Sat : 06:00am-01:10am every 35-60mins, fare : HK$10.70; Sun & Pub holidays : 06:30am-01:10am every 30-55mins, fare : HK$17.70.


• MTR, then bus - Exit B at Tung Chung MTR station (Tung Chung Line), take bus route number 11 to Tai O.


• Bus, from Ngong Ping - You can do so after visiting the big buddha statue. Take bus route number 21 from Ngong Ping, get off at Tai O. Running hrs : Mon-Sat : 07:30am, 10:35am, 11:20am-16:20pm every 1 hour, and 17:15pm; fare : HK$6.60. Sun & Pub holidays : same as Mon-Sat, plus 14:50pm, 15:50pm, 16:45pm, 18:30pm; fare : HK$14.00.

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Theme parks  

Hong Kong has 2 theme parks that attract a large number of visitors each year, especially visitors from the Mainland China areas. They are the Disneyland, and the Ocean Park. Both parks have special excitements for festivals especially Halloween. Visit respective websites for details.

• Ocean Park - Owned by the Hong Kong Jockey Club which organizes horse race and many local charity activities, it has a long history in Hong Kong. With the keen competition from Disneyland, Ocean Park added in new exhibition halls and rides, and successfully gained much more visiting counts than Disneyland for many years. There are shuttle bus in Admiralty bus terminus that takes you to the entrance of Ocean Park.



• Disneyland - Joint-ventured by the HK Government and Walt Disney Incorporation, Disneyland has an advantage of strong background support and reputation, when it was opened, many visitors go to Hong Kong just to see it. Like many other Disney theme parks, the Hong Kong Disneyland has its hotels. Exit at MTR Sunny Bay station, then take shuttle.

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Museums

Archaeological excavation revealed that Hong Kong's human history started as early as 30,000 years ago, the earliest settlement was at Wong Tei Tung of Sham Chung at Sai Kung, eastern coastal area of Hong Kong, however, this part of the history was very limited. When Hong Kong Island was ceded to Britian in 1841, the British reckoned that it was "a rock with hardly a house upon it". In these less than 170 years, Hong Kong went through wars, immigrants influx and outflow, industrial bloom, economic bloom and crises, health scares, political instabilities, change of ownership, and controversy of new laws; these histories were all well recorded, and were concisely presented in various museums in Hong Kong. Hong Kong museums feature Hong Kong’s many years of history, many of the information is dated back before the Opium Wars. Visitors can buy a weekly museum pass at HK$30 to the following seven museums (marked with ##), museum pass allows you unlimited entrances to these 7 museums except some special exhibitions and Stanley Ho Space Theatre of Hong Kong Space Museum.

      Suggestion -

"Legends of Luxury and Elegance: Lifestyles of the Han Nobility" Exhibition, at Hong Kong Museum of History. It exhibits more than 100 pieces of newly excavated items from the Han dynasty(around 2000 years ago). The exhibition will finish on 03May2010.

      Major Museums on Hong Kong Island -

• Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware (special feature : Chinese Tea Appreciation Class)
• Hong Kong Arts Centre Pao Galleries
• Hong Kong Film Archive
• Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence ##
• Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences
• Hong Kong Planning & Infrastructure Exhibition Gallery (special feature : Architecture Walk)
• Law Uk Folk Museum
• Hong Kong Maritime Museum (special feature : Maritime Museum Guided Tour)

• Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum ## (special feature : Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum and Historical Trail Guided Tour)

      Major Museums on Kowloon -

• Hong Kong Museum of Art ##
• Hong Kong Museum of History ## (special feature "The Hong Kong Story" Guided Tour)
• Hong Kong Science Museum ##
• Hong Kong Space Museum ##
• Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre
• Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum

      Major Museums on the New Territeries -

• Hong Kong Heritage Museum ## (special feature : Cantonese Opera Appreciation Class)
• Hong Kong Railway Museum
• Sam Tung Uk Museum
• Sheung Yiu Folk Museum - address : Pak Tam Chung Nature Trail, Sai Kung, New Territories, phone : (852)2792 6365. open hrs : 9:00am-4:00pm everyday except Tuesdays and some public holidays. Free admission. Transportation : MTR Choi Hung station, then take red minibus 1A to Sai Kung, then take bus route number 94, get off at Pak Tam Chung.

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Dried seafood and herb market

Located at Western Hong Kong, mainly concentrated at Des Voeux Road West. It consists of both wholesellers and retailers selling dried seafood which includes fish maw, scallop, mushroom, sea cucumber, prawn, and salty fish.


Herbal medicine stores are also concentrated in this area such as Ko Shing Street, they sell a very large variety of dried herbs and fruits such as gingseng, and guard, some even sell exotic things such as toads, deer tendon, tiger genital etc.

Even though Hong Kong has been using metric system for many years, these old-style dried seafood and herb stores are still using catty and tael. If you are interested to buy from these store, the following quick conversion may become handy -

• 1 picul (Cantonese pronounciation : daam) = 100 catty (seldom used as picul is too big)
• 1 catty (Cantonese pronounciation : kan) = 0.60478982 kilogram
• 1 tael (Cantonese pronounciation : leung) = 1/16 catty
• 1 mace (Cantonese pronounciation : tsin) = 1/160 catty (seldom used as mace is too small, except for herbal medicine and very expensive stock).
• 1 candareen (Cantonese pronounciation : fan) = 1/1600 catty( seldom used as candareen is too small, except for herbal medicine and very expensive stock).

Buying things in these stores could be tricky as some price tags are displayed in Chinese, and use different weighing units. Always confirm the price before purchasing.

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Horse race

The British colonial era left this horse racing tradition in Hong Kong. Before the handover of ownership in 1997, Beijing government promised Hong Konger s that, horse racing and dancing will all remain the same in the coming 50 years, this shows how popular horse race is to the Hong Kongers. It is also a tourist attraction that most visitors want to feel the horse race atmosphere, not just due to the excitement of the race itself, but watching people betting is very interesting too, besides, both race courses have world-class facilities and expertise for horse care and trainings. There are several restaurants in the race courses, amongst those, Moon Koon Restaurant, Pak Sing Restaurant, Sushi Bar and Sprinter are the most popular for tourists. Reservations are mandatory, online reservations are allowed. The two race courses are located at Happy Valley and Shatin, lowest entrance fee is HK$10.00.

      How to get there -

• Happy Valley Race Course
• MTR, then bus - At Admiralty bus terminus, take bus route number 10S, get off at the race course.
• Tram - take the Happy Valley Line, get off at Happy Valley tram terminus.
• Sha Tin Race Course
• Train - Exit at MTR Race Course station(East Rail Line).

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Lei Yue Mun villiage and seafood

Due to its geographical location, Hong Kong has abundant types of seafood, hence seafood meals are popular in Hong Kong, there are tour groups from South East Asian countries going to Hong Kong just for its seafood. Seafood restaurants are signified by fish tanks with live seafood in front of the restaurants, customers are to choose their favourite food and ways of cooking, then the chef will do the cooking accordingly. There are many seafood restaurants in Hong Kong, amongst which, Lei Yue Mun(Sam Ka Tsuen) is the most famous place for tourists due to its unique fishing village appearance. Besides seafood, some stores sells local snacks, if you are thinking about buying these snacks as souveniour, you had better buy those with proper packing, not all countries allow food products, especially not sealed in bags, to enter .

      How to get there -

• MTR, then bus - Exit A at MTR Sai Wan Ho station, walk northeast bound along Tai On Street, turn left at Lei King Road, turn right on Tai Hong Street which leads you to the Lei Yue Mun(Sam Ka Tsuen) & Kwun Tong Pier. Take the Lei Yue Mun(Sam Ka Tsuen) boat. These are small boats, and can be a little windy and rough, but is an interesting way to see the East gate of the Victoria Harbour.
• MTR - Exit C3 at MTR Kwun Tong station, take bus 14C to Lei Yue Mun/Sam Ka Tsuen.

Seafood price could vary by a lot, especially for tourists. It is recommended to dine in shops that have proper menu. The restaurant almost at the end of the street has a menu with price displayed outside of the store, and have a clean kitchen that allow everyone to see on the street.

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Floating restaurants

Floating restaurants in other countries may be retired big vessels, but floating restaurants in Hong Kong are specially built for dining. The most famous ones are Jumbo Floating Restaurant and Tai Pak Floating Restaurant, together is called the Jumbo Kingdom. They are situated in the typhoon shelter of the Aberdeen Harbour, with feeder boats carrying customers between the pier and these restaurants; For many tourists, this rides on small boats is the most fun part. Besides offering food, these garnish restaurants strive becoming a very Chinese style theme park for shopping.

      How to get there -

• MTR, then bus - At Admiralty bus terminus, take bus route number 37B, 37X, 70(fastest. Can also be taken at Central bus terminus at Exchange Square), 70M, or 347(nice view of west side of the island and harbour). Get off at the bus stop of Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market on Aberdeen Praya Road.

Although it has a proper menu, many seafood price are "current price" and therefore could vary by a lot. The good thing is, there is no price difference for tourists. In general, price is at the high side.

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Outlying islands  

There are 262 outlying islands belonging to Hong Kong's territory, the largest is Lantau Island where it houses the Airport, the Po Lin Monastery and Big Buddha Statue, and the Disneyland. Besides Lantau, there are two islands that are easily assesible and exciting to visit, the outlying island experience is unique, leisure and surely unforgettable. They are Lamma Island and Cheung Chau.

• Lamma Island

  Situated at the southwest side of Hong Kong Island, Lamma is the third largest island in Hong Kong, it has a population of less than 10,000, besides some mininature emergency vehicles, there is no motor vehicle, transportation is mainly foot and bicycle, so it is very different from the urban areas of Hong Kong. There are regular ferries that go to the 2 main piers of Lamma, Sok Kwu Wan(mid eastern coast), and Yung Shue Wan(north western coast). Yung Shue Wan is the most populated area on the island, whilst both sides have seafood restaurants.
  
  A day trip in Lamma Island includes, ferry to Yung Shue Wan, hike for about 1.5 hours to Sok Kwu Wan, along the hiking trial, you can enjoy the beaches, natural scenery and its serenity, some interesting spots are Shen Feng Cave, Tree Frogs Reserve, Sek Pai Wan Scenic Stone, Hung Shing Ye Temple, Lo So Shing Primary School, and the 200 year-old Tin Hau Temple. when you get to Sok Kwu Wan, pick a restaurant in the packed restaurant row, a larger-scaled one is Rainbow Seafood Restaurant, however, they are all almost the same, such as Shum Kee, and Lamma Hilton etc. Along the trial there are several snack stores selling sweet bean curd desserts (Cantonese : Dau Fu Fa, or Dau Fa), the most famous store is Ah Por (meaning old woman), it is said that Ah Por uses natural mountain creek water to make bean curd so it tastes better, just about 10 minutes away from Yung Shue Wan, you will not miss it as it is always packed during holidays.
  
  If you are interested in seeing some sea turtles, or ruins, in addition to natural scenery, take this 2-hr hike. Take a ferry to Sok Kwu Wan, head east and up to a small hill, it gives you a broad view of Hong Kong Island, and the East Lamma Strait which is one of the entrances to the Victoria Harbour for smaller vassels. Walk along the trial, you'll reach the historic Mo Tat Village, walk towards the seaside along the barren fields. Here you can see Stanley and Po Toi Island on the east, mainland China territory of Dan Gan Shan on the south. Continue on the trail and pass a woodland, you will reach a beautiful Shek Pai Wan Beach, which is special for its boulders and views. After passing Tung O Village, you will be at Sham Wan, where you can find the ruin of Lo Ah Tsai Stone Circle, and green turtles coming for spawning between June and October every year. There is a small hill in Tung O Village that you can walk up to, then head back to Sok Kwu Wan, and have seafood dinner.

        How to get there -

  • MTR, then ferry - From Central Ferry Piers, take ferry at pier 4 to either Sok Kwu Wan or Yung Shue Wan, 45mins.
  • Ferry after visiting the floating restaurants - at the same pier at Aberdeen Praya Road, take a ferry to either Sok Kwu Wan or Mo Tat Wan(less popular)
  
  Seafoods here are of much more variety, coupled with the stilt restaurants, dining here is an unparallel experience, and is a good alternative to dining at the garish floating restaurants and unpredicted-priced Lei Yue Mun.
  
  

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• Cheung Chau

  Cheung Chau is much smaller than Lamma Island, but 5 times of the population, also situated at the southwest side of Hong Kong Island, between Lantau Isand and Lamma Island. Same as Lamma Island, there is no motor vehicle except some mininature emergency vehicles. Interesting things to do in Cheung Chau are also hiking and dining. As this island is small, an 1-hr hiking covers both North Island and South Island, during the hike, you can see a 3000-year-old rock carving (near Tung Wan Beach), Cheung Po Chai caves#, Pak Tai Temple, and Tin Hau Temple. You can also rent a bicycle to bike around the island.
  
  Cheung Chau has a tradition - Flag Festival (Bun Festival) on the 8th of the fourth month (2 May 2009) which is a fasinating event for tourists and local people.

      How to get there -

• MTR, then ferry - at Central Ferry Piers, take ferry at pier 5 to Cheung Chau. takes 35mins(speed ferry) and 55mins(ordinary ferry).

# Cheung Po Chai was a famous pirate in Hong Kong a century ago, and was active in the surrounding waters of Hong Kong, it is believed that he hid his jewellery and other valuables in the caves in Cheung Chow.

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Temples visit

You may have a different religion, or you are an atheist, Hong Kong has so many big and small temples, at least one of them worth seeing. Here are 2 of the most famous ones.

• Man Mo Temple - Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong.


• Bus - Take bus route 26 from outside of Pacific Place, get off right opposite of Man Mo Temple.
• MTR - Exit D1 or D2 of MTR Central Station, walk westbound along Queen's Road Central, walk up to the Mid-Level Escalator in front of 100 Queen's Road Central, walk uphill along the escalator, get off at Hollywood Road, walk westbound along Hollywood Road, Man Mo Temple is on your left.


• Wong Tai Sin Temple - Wong Tai Sin District, Kowloon.

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Tailors

Many tourists like making shirts, or even suits, during their stay in Hong Kong. Several decades ago, tailors in Hong Kong were mainly Shanghaiese immigrants. Nowadays, these older tailors still around as tailors, they either send customers' measurements and any specific requirements to the nearby Mainland China cities to make the clothes, or they themselves make the clothes, slowly, focusing on perfection and individual care. However, tourists usually want to have their clothes made in a very short time, some Indian tailor shops are therefore emerged and mostly gathered in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. No matter which tailor you patron, try not to pay before you are fully satisfied with the clothes. Here are some recommendations -

• Nita Tailor - quick, low cost, average quality. 16 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Phone : (852)27234886.
• Shanghai Tang - needs more time and much much more money, high quality. Locations include :
  • Peninsula Hotel, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.
  • Pedder Building, Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong.
  • Intercontinental Hotel, Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.
  • Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong.

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Shopping  

For decades Hong Kong has been a shopping paradise. Shopping in Hong Kong is an exciting experience, there are so many different varieties, so many choices, prices are so competitive, shopping places are so everywhere, you just wish that there were 48 hours in a day so you can shop continuously.

China manufactures the world's clothings, electronic appliances, shoes, bags....shipping these goods to Hong Kong is much easier than shipping to other countries. As a result, shopping in Hong Kong you will always find good deals.

In Hong Kong, prestige branded goods, such as LV, are not especially low price, unless you are from Shanghai, Beijing or Japan where branded goods are more expensive.

There are mainly two forms of shoppings in Hong Kong that attracts tourists, shopping centers and street markets. Most shopping centers, department stores and retailers do not practice bargaining, but they make use of many occasions to offer big sales and slash their prices. However, you can practise your bargaining skill at street markets especially those merchandise with no price tags.

Warning - Some individual electronic appliance shops in Tsim Sha Tsui sold their stocks to tourists at a very low price, after payment, shopkeeper said the particular appliance was out of stock, but the shop had a no-refund policy, so the tourists were forced to buy another appliance that were way too expensive than it should be. Tourists should be aware of that, the policy of "no refund" should not be applicable in these circumstances. Should that happens to you, call the Police or Consumer Council immediately, they know these tricks so well that they know how to handle it.

Major shoppping centers -

• International Finance Center (IFC) - the tallest building in Hong Kong, world's 7th tallest office building, mainly higher end shops. Clothings, jewellery, shoes, sports gear, supermarket, cosmetics & skin care products, confectionary. MTR Central Station.
• Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong - 1st and 2nd floors are mid-range shops, 3rd floor is high end shops. Audio and video appliances, clothings, shoes, gift shop, supermarket, jewellery, cosmetics & skin care. MTR Admiralty Station.
• Queensway Plaza, Admiralty, Hong Kong - mid-range shops. Clothings, jewellery, sports gear, lingerie, shoes, bags. MTR Admiralty Station.
• Times Square, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong - mid-range shops. Electronics, electrical appliances, clothings, jewellery, shoes, sports gear, supermarket, cosmetics & skin care. On levels 10-12, there is a Food Forum where a number of restaurants reside, take a transparent lift to the Food Forum and watch the tightly packed buildings from above. MTR Causeway Bay Station.
• Island Beverley, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong - low-end to mid-range trendy shops. Clothings, bags, jewellery. MTR Causeway Bay Station.
• The Lee Gardens, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong - high end shops. Clothings, shoes, bags. MTR Causeway Bay Station.
• Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong - low end to mid-range shops. VCD/DVD shops, clothes, shoes, lugguage, bags.
• Tai Koo Shing Plaza, Tai Koo Shing, Hong Kong - mid-range shops. Electronics, electrical appliances, clothings, jewellery, shoes, sports gear, furniture, supermarket, cosmetics & skin care. MTR Tai Koo Station.
• Ocean Terminal, Ocean Center & Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui - mid-range to high-end shops. Electronics, electrical appliances, clothings, jewellery, shoes, bags, sports gear, furniture, supermarket, cosmetics & skin care, crystal, ceremics, watches, toys. All three buildings are all connected and you may not noticed that you have already walked to another shopping arcade, MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Station.
• Mong Kok, Kowloon - More for young people or people who likes trendy and cost-effective stuffs. The entire area are full of shops that open till very late. MTR Mong Kok Station. Main shopping areas includes -
• Hollywood Centre - men's clothings.
• Trend Zone - the latest youth clothing, watches, jewellery and decorations.
• Sincere Podium - mobile phone and accessories. You are not recommended to buy mobile phones here as they are either parallel market or second hand mobile phones, warranty is honoured by the tiny little shop that you purchase from. However, you can choose from the large variety of accessories, trendy and good price.
• Sino Center - A place for teengers to buy hit hot music and movies, and celebrities' autographs.
• Computer Centers - several places where computer and computer parts, software, games and all related gadgets are being sold. They are of very good price, but watch out for parallel market merchandise which do not have warranty by the manufacturer, and also watch out for pirated multi-media discs. As the shops are all packed next to each other, you can walk around and see what is the best price you can get. There are 3 major ones -
• 298 Computer Zone - Main place to buy computer-related accessories such as discs, carrying case etc, and is a place to buy/sell second-hand laptops or cameras(Selling has reasonable price here, but I do not recommend buying). 298 Hennessey Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Exit A3 of MTR Wan Chai Station, walk southbound along O'brien Road, left on Johnstan Road (tramway) which continues to Hennessey Road, 298 Computer Zone is on your right.
• Wan Chai Computer Center - A good place to buy computer parts such as hard drives, RAMs etc. Exit A4 of MTR Wan Chai station, Wan Chai Computer Center is just upstairs of the station.
• Golden Computer Arcade & Golden Shopping Center - A place for computer parts and accessories, all computer-related stuffs. Golden Shopping Center, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon. Exit D2 of MTR Sham Shui Po station, walk northeast bound along Kweilin Street, they are on your left, there are big neon light signs that you will not miss.
• APM - mid-range trendy shops - clothings, shoes. MTR Kwun Tong Station.

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Street Markets

Another form for shopping is Street Markets. Hong Kong has numerous street markets, they are usually of very good price, even though low-price low-quality things are not for everyone, you should at least walk along the markets and get a feel of it. Amongst Hong Kong's street markets there are a few that always draw large number of tourists, they are -

• Antique Street - made up of many large and small stores which sell antiques from all around the world, mainly from China and the Southeast Asia. Should stop by the Low Price Shop, a small and not very well-organized store that sells small antique items such as newspaper, photos, paintings, and badges and statues of Chairman Mao. Different shops have different opening hours. Location : Hollywood Road and Upper Lascar Row(Cat Street), Central, Hong Kong Island.
  • Bus - Take bus route 26 from outside of Pacific Place, this bus runs along the entire Hollywood Road.
  • MTR - Exit D1 or D2 of MTR Central Station, walk southbound (uphill) along D'Aguilar Street, follow the road and turn left, turn right on Wymham Street which becomes Hollywood Road. Antiques shops are on both sides of the road. To go to Upper Lascar Row, turn left and walk down the stairs at Ladder Street, Upper Lascar Row is on your left.


• Stanley Market - sells souveniour type of goods, clothes and paintings. Opens in daytime only, around 10:30am-6:30pm. Location : Stanley Market Road, Stanley, Hong Kong Island.
  • Bus -Take bus route 6, 6A, 6X, 66 or 260 from Central bus terminus at Exchange Square, get off at Stanley Village/Market.
  • MTR - Exit B at MTR Causeway Bay station Exit B, walk to Tang Lung Street, take green minibus number 40, get off at Stanley Village/Market.


• Park Lane Shopper’s Boulevard - composed of several mid range stores, sells clothes, watches, and shoes. Park Lane Shopper's Boulevard spans from the Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre to the Jordan Police Station. Exit from either MTR Tsim Sha Tsui station, or MTR Jordan station, follow signs to the Park Lane Shopper's Boulevard.


• Rosewood furniture street - Consists of a number of furniture shops (not closely packed) which sell rose wood Chinese style furniture, old/refurbished/antique and new. Besides rose wood, they also sell furniture made of oak, elm, black wood, chicken wing wood, and rubber tree wood. These shops have small items such as jewellery boxes, chopstick boxes and pen holders for you to take home. If you are really into these furniture and are willing to pay extra for packing and shipment, these shops can ship your furniture overseas. One recommendation is Wing Fat Rosewood Funiture Store, ask to talk to Mrs. Fong. Location : Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Exit F from MTR Admiralty Station, get out of Pacific Place to Queensway Road, walk eastbound, cross the Justice Road under the flyover, continue to Queen's Road East. Rosewood funiture stores are on both sides of the street.


• Toy Street (Tai Yuen Street) - sells low-end clothings and handbags, socks, hair styling accessories, some jade too. The most famous goods here are toys, large variety and very competitive price. Better toy shops here are Gift & Toys House (Shop 2, G/F, Avery House, Tai Yuen Street, phone : (852)28335622) and Yat Sing Toys (G/F, 18 Tai Yuen Street, phone : (852)28931600).
  The Hong Kong Government has a plan to rebuild this area, so take a last look before it disappears.
  Location : Tai Yuen Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Exit A3 of MTR Wan Chai Station, cross Johnston Road, right turn and continues to walk for half of a minute, Tai Yuen Street is the first block on your left.


• Rocky Road - sells clothing accessories such as buttons, lace, zipper, hooks, patch, ribbon, elastic band etc. These stalls are small and usually owned and run by senior citizens who are very willing to listen to your specific requirement even though your purchase is only a few dollars. They open in late morning, close at around 6:00pm, Monday to Saturday only. Pottinger Street is famous of its granite road surface, and has been a popular site for photographers. You may be able to find century-old pictures of Pottinger Street from antique shops. Location : Pottinger Street (the section between Queen's Road Central and Hollywood Road), Central, Hong Kong. Exit D1 or D2 of MTR Central Station, cross Queen's Road Central, right turn, continue walking along Queen's Road Central for around 5 minutes, Pottinger Street is on on your left.


• Ladies' Street (Tung Choi Street) - sells mainly low-end clothings, large variety of T-shirts, toys, bags, shoes, miscellaneous accessories, and some fake branded goods such as handbags and watches. For goods that consumes AC electricity, they are usually 220V or 240V. Stores open in evenings only. Location : Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon. Exit D3 of MTR Mong Kok station. Walk north bound along Sai Yeung Choi Street, turn right on Argyle Street, walk for 1 block you'll see Tung Choi Street.



Visitors should be aware that, fake branded goods might get you into trouble when you buy them, and when you take them into your countries.

• Temple Street - sells mainly small gadgets such as mechanical torch, compass, camera stand, and small electronic toys. Very interesting to shop at. At a corner of the market there are live Chinese Opera show every evening, prepare some cash before you decide to be an audience as people will come to ask for money once you show your interest. Opens in evenings only. Location : Exit C from MTR Yau Ma Tei station, walk north bound along Nathan Road, turn left on Man Ming Lane for 2 blocks.


• Bird's street - sells different types of birds and bird care products, most birds are imported from Southeast Asia. Some store attracts customers by puting a talking parrot in front of their store. Opens in daytime only. Location : Yuen Po Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon. At the east end of Flower Market Street, after passing a gate.


• Flower market - composed of several streets, all stores here sells flowers, both potted plants, cut flowers, and artifical flowers. Fresh flowers are sent to the stores every morning at around 5:00am by trucks. Sometimes you can still see trucks parking on the street and sell flowers, they do this illegally but good-price. Besides, they sell all sorts of plant growing necessities. Opens very early, daytime only. Location : Exit B1 of MTR Prince Edward station, walk east bound along Prince Edward Road West, left on Sai Yee Street, right on Flower Market Road.


• Goldfish street - small scale compared to flower market, sells goldfish, tanks and necessities. Opens daytime only. Location : Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon. North side of Ladies' Street.


• Sai Yeung Choi Street south portion - packed with shops that sells electronic goods.


• Sports Shoe Street(Fa Yuen Street) - sells branded sports shoes.


• Shanghai Street - one of the oldest streets in Hong Kong. The entire street is full of old-style shops selling traditional Chinese necessities such as Chinese kitchen utensils, ceremonial items and Chinese wedding gowns.


• Jade market - make up of hundreds of small stalls that selling jades. Not all stock has price tags, so price can vary by a lot. There is no easy way to identify how good a piece of jade is, besides clear, green and no dye, there is much more to know in order to be able to properly evaluate jade. If you are not good at appreciating jade, you can just stroll around the market, or buy a piece of small and low cost jade as souveniour. Location : At the junction of Kansu and Battery streets. Exit C of MTR Yau Ma Tai station.


• Graham Street market - sells groceries such as vegetable, fruits, tofu, fish, meat etc. The most interesting thing is 40-60 years-old buildings along the street. The government has plan to rebuild this market so hurry up to see it before it disappears. Opens daytime only.

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5 Best souveniours  

We picked 5 favourite souveniours for you, let's see how you like our ideas.

• 24 karat gold - trustworthy gold composition, fixed market price, unique design, coupled with superb workmanship, many tourists go to Hong Kong to buy 24 karat gold jewellery. Shops that sells 24k gold all have obvious signs in the shop showing the price of "buy" and "sell", so the price of a piece of gold jewellery is by weight, plus workmanship cost which varies according to the design. Suggestions are Chow Sang Sang and Chow Tai Fok, they both have branches in almost every district especially in Central, Causeway Bay, and Tsim Sha Tsui where multiple branches are found. 24k gold feels heavier than their weight, softer than 18k gold which is composed of other harder metal, and more yellowish in color. Due to its softness, the pins of ear rings are slightly bigger in size, so try them on before you buy. Unlike 22k or 18k gold jewellery, 24k gold maintains it value very well, most big shops buy back their jewelleries using the sell-out price, but you lost the workmanship cost.

 
• Snack.

 
• Chinese style art and craft - available at many department stores(China Resources carry a large collection but expensive) and Stanley market.

 
• Small rosewood decoration - available at Rosewood furniture street, buy a pen stand, pen holder, small box, chopstick holder, or wall decoration.

 
• Kung Fu movie - select from the large movie collection of world famous Hong Kong movies from Bruce Lee, Jacky Chan, Chow Yun Fat, Stephen Chow, Maggie Cheung, Jet Li, Michelle Yau and other movies at any CD shop, read the VCD/DVD packet to ensure your preferred language and/or subtitle exist, shopkeepers may not be able to give you correct answers. You may find pirated DVDs for sale on the streets, they are the latest movies and good price, but poor quality or even blank/wrong discs, most importantly, bringing a pirated disc to enter your country might get you into trouble. So just buy from a proper shop.
 

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Night lives  

Three places are famous for its night lives of pubs and restaurants, Lan Kwai Fong, Soho, and Knutsford Terrace. Soho East is getting better, but still not as good as these three.

• Lan Kwai Fong

  Made up of D'Aguilar Street and Lan Kwai Fong, it is a collection of pubs and a few theme food restaurants. Famous for its night lives and is a great place to hang out on weekend evenings and festival evenings. Due to a fatal stampede accident in 1992, pedestrian control is enforced by the police during festivals when a large crowd is present, so you will have to expect inconvenience, queues and limited access if you go during festival nights, but nowhere else can have so much fun and atmosphere.

        How to get there -

  • MTR - Exit D1 of MTR Central station, walk east bound on Pedder Street, right on Queen's Road Central, left on D'Aguilar Street, after passing Wellington Street, Lan Kwai Fong starts.



• Soho

  South of Hollywood Road. Made up of Elgin Street, Staunton Street, Shelly Street, and a small portion of Peel Street. Similar to Lan Kwai Fong, but more restaurants and fewer pubs, also famous for its night lives.

        How to get there -

  • MTR - Exit D1 of MTR Central station, walk east bound on Pedder Street, right on Queen's Road Central, you will find an escalator in front of 100 Queen's Road Central, that is one of the entrances for the mid-level escalator, follow the escalator to go uphill, after passing Hollywood Road, SoHo starts.



• Knutsford Terrace

  This is a smaller-scaled hang out place for night lives, and is less crowded. However, it is for people who do not like it being too noisy, and do not want to cross the harbour to Lan Kwai Fong or SoHo.

        How to get there -

  • MTR - Exit B1 of MTR Tsim Sha Tsui station, walk north bound along Nathan Road, right at Kimberley Road, left on Observatory Road, left on Knutsford Terrace.

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Beaches  

The most attractive beaches are in the south side of Hong Kong Island, they are the Repulse Bay and Stanley. You do not even need swimming suits to enjoy the fasination of these beaches. Of course, if you want a dip into the surrounding waters of Hong Kong, these beaches are safe to swim, life guards and shark nets are in place in the warm months of the year.

• Repulse Bay

  A beautiful beach, with natural sea view in the front, a historic shopping mall and a building with a hole(formerly Repulse Bay Hotel) as back drop, and a Kwun Yam Shrine with various big and small statues of Chinese legends on the east end of the beach.

        How to get there -

  • MTR, then bus - Take bus route number 6, 6A, 6X, 66, 260 at Central bus terminus at Exchange Square. Get off at the old Repulse Bay Hotel.




• Stanley  

  The Stanley Main Beach is not very big and rather rocky, and is liked by water sports enthuiasiatic people, mainly wind surfing, kayaking/canoeing, water jet skiing. If you are not a water sport fan you can skip the beach. The attraction here is the Stanley Market, Murray House, Blake Pier, and Stanley Main Street.
  
  • Stanley Market consists of Stanley New Street and Stanley Market Road, opens 10:30am-6:30pm every day.
  
  
  • Murray House is a Victorian style house built in 1844, and was once a ommand and execution center by the Japanese Army during the 3 years and 8 month Japanese occupation, it was then vacant after the Japanese were defeated and fled. In the 70's the Rating and Valuation Department of the HK Government moved into the building, but very soon it was found that the building was haunted, the situation remained unchanged even after several official exorcisism. In 1982, the building was dismantled, each brick was numbered, ready to be relocated. The land was purchased by Bank of China to build a A.M. Pei-designed headquarter. It was until 1998 that the government found the current location, Stanley seaside, to reassemble Murray House. Ground floor houses the Maritime Museum whilst upstairs are restaurants of different cuisines.
  
  
  • Blake Pier was originally in Central, dismantled in 1965, its colonial-style roof was relocated to Morse Park in Kowloon, then relocated to its current location at Stanley next to Murray House in 2007, it is now used for leisure and vessel service for tourists.
  
  
  • Seaside Main Street is one of the roads that leads to Murray House, one side of it is the sea, whilst the other side is low-rise buildings with restaurants and pubs on ground floors, in summer times the stores extend their tables outside onto the street, together with the sea breeze they form a very trouble-free atmosphere. Dining here is extraordinary as you can have a wide view of the sea.

        How to get there -

  • Bus -Take bus route 6, 6A, 6X, 66 or 260 from Central bus terminus at Exchange Square, get off at Stanley Village/Market.
  • MTR - Exit B at MTR Causeway Bay station Exit B, walk to Tang Lung Street, take green minibus number 40, get off at Stanley Village/Market.
  
  

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Astropark  

Opened in Jan2010, equiped with HK$3million astronomical facilities. Consists of 3 sections, Educational Zone, Naked-eye Observation Area and Telescopic Observation Area. Opens 24 hours everyday, free admission. Location - Chong Hing Water Sports Centre, Sai Kung, The New Territories, Hong Kong.

      How to get there -

• MTR, bus, then taxi - Take MTR to Diamond Hill MTR Station, then take bus route 96R, get off at Pak Tam Chung Bus Station, take a taxi to the Astropark.

Red light districts

There are 2 red light districts in Hong Kong.

• Wan Chai, Hong Kong - Despite the book of "The World of Suzie Wong" has been accused of racism, it made this Wan Chai red light district famous. Today's red light district is mainly around Lockhart Road and Jaffe Road, bar girls are mainly from the poorer nearby countries such as Thailand and the Philippines, as they can communicate in English so their target customers are tourists or expatriates. In day time this area is quiet with some hardware stores, DVD shops and tea cafes. When it gets to early evening, a face lift takes place, hardware stores close, DVD shops change their stock to porn movies, newspaper stands sells censored magazines, bars open, bargirls and security guards sit outside of their shops to lure customers, tourists stroll along the streets, potential customers walk around, some negotiate price, some sneakily get into bars, some hang out with bar girls. Very interesting place to see.

      How to get there -

• MTR - Exit A1 or C of MTR Wan Chai station, that is Lockhart Road, Jaffe Road is 1 block north of Lockhart Road.
• Tram - get off at Southern Playground, walk north bound and you will see Lockhart Road.


• Portland Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon - It does not have bars but brothels, bar girls here are mainly illegal immigrants from nearby places such as Macau and the Mainland China, as they do not communicate in English, there are fewer tourist customers. Tourists can still go there to look at hookers at the streets luring customers.
  
  Portland Street is also famous for its chaos of neon lights, some of which are for brothels which are usually rather new, as the Hong Kong Government keeps demolishing the brothel neon light signs. A good place to shop here is the Langham Place.

      How to get there -

• MTR - Exit A2 ,C2 or C4 of MTR Mong Kok station, that is Portland Street.



Warning - prostitution is illegal in Hong Kong.



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Other interests

In Hong Kong you can find traditional and modern interests that top up your trip to be more unforgettable. This website recommends Chinese opera, Chinese medicine, Kung Fu, Hong Kong architecture history, Chinese tea appreciation, Feng Shui, water sports, rock climbing, hiking, and cycling.

• Chinese opera - More than an ordinary opera, Chinese opera is a combination of art, music, legend, history and martial art, and is the traditional Chinese entertainment and culture that usually become trendy every half of a century. It has several genres, amongst which the most popular ones are the Cantonese, Beijingese, and Chiu-Chowese, distinguished by the language, costumes and music. Don't feel bad if you do not understand a bit of the entire show, most local Hong Kongers do not understand them at all, but it is special and interesting to see one while you are in Hong Kong.
  Press here to watch a classic Cantonese Opera.
  Except for special opera shows, the Sunbeam Theatre is the only one that has regular Chinese Opera shows, it has a website but in Chinese only and not very update, so if you are interested in seeing one you should call and ask for details.
  • Sunbeam Theatre
  • Address: 423 King's Road, North Point, Hong Kong. Exit B1 from MTR North Point station.
  • Website (Chinese version only).
  • Phone no: (852)28560161
  • Fax no: (852)25644843
  Alternatively, join a Cantonese Opera Appreciation Class, so as to gain some basic knowledge and see a short opera. Details are as below -
  • Hong Kong Heritage Museum. 1 Man Lam Road, Sha Tin, New Territories. Exit A from MTR Che Kung Temple Station, cross footbridge, walk for 5 minutes to the Museum. Or, Exit from MTR Sha Tin Station, walk through New Town Plaza (a shopping center), turn right and walk alongside Shing Mun River for 15 minutes to Man Lam Road.
  • Assembly place : Lobby of Hong Kong Heritage Museum.
  • Time : 2:30pm-3:45pm every Saturday.
  • Fee : Free, but has to pay the admission fee for the museum, HK$10.
  • Capacity : 25 per class.
  • Enquiry : (852)25081234.
  • Visitors are required to show their passports.
  • Advance registration is required, you can do so by going to the Visitor Centers listed below -
    • Hong Kong International Airport - Transfer Area E2 and Buffer Halls A and B, Arrivals Level, Terminal 1, 7am - 11pm daily.
    • Hong Kong Island - MTR Causeway Bay Station (near Exit F), 8:00am - 8:00pm daily.
    • Hong Kong Island - The Peak Piazza (between The Peak Tower and The Peak Galleria), 9:00am - 9:00pm daily.
    • Kowloon - Star Ferry Concourse, Tsim Sha Tsui, 8:00am - 8:00pm daily.
    • The New Territories - Lo Wu Arrival Hall, 2/F, Lo Wu Terminal Building, 8:00am - 6:00pm daily.

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• Chinese Medicine - Different from Western medicine, Chinese medicine is slow but non-invasive, it is said to be more efficient for certain chronic sicknesses. This is a great opportunity for you to gain some basic knowledge about Chinese medicine such as the concept of yin and yang, and the medical usage and property of some widely used herbal medicines, you will also learn some modern scientific techniques to identify Chinese medicines. Details are as below -
  • Venue : 2/F, 152-156 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong. Exit D2 from MTR Central station, walk west bound along Queen's Road Central, cross the street when you reach Jubilee Street.
  • Time : 2:30pm - 4:00pm every Wednesday.
  • Fee : Free.
  • Capacity : 12 people per class.
  • Organizer : Eu Yan Sang (Hong Kong) Ltd.
  • Enquiry : (852)25081234.
  • Visitors are required to show their passports.
  • Advance registration is required, you can do so by going to the Visitor Centers listed below -
    • Hong Kong International Airport - Transfer Area E2 and Buffer Halls A and B, Arrivals Level, Terminal 1, 7am - 11pm daily.
    • Hong Kong Island - MTR Causeway Bay Station (near Exit F), 8:00am - 8:00pm daily.
    • Hong Kong Island - The Peak Piazza (between The Peak Tower and The Peak Galleria), 9:00am - 9:00pm daily.
    • Kowloon - Star Ferry Concourse, Tsim Sha Tsui, 8:00am - 8:00pm daily.
    • The New Territories - Lo Wu Arrival Hall, 2/F, Lo Wu Terminal Building, 8:00am - 6:00pm daily.

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• Kung Fu - The world's greatest Kung Fu movie gurus, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, are both from Hong Kong. In Hong Kong you can find many different styles such as North/South Shaolin, Wing Chun, Mantis, Jeet Kune Do, Qi Gong, Choi Lei Fut, Tantui, Emei and Tai Chi. Learning Kung Fu takes much more than 1 trip to Hong Kong, but you sure can do a couple of Kung Fu awareness sessions - Kung Fu Corner and Tai Chi Class. Besides getting to know martial arts, it is also a good exercise after all the gourmet you enjoyed in Hong Kong. details are as below -

  Kung Fu Corner -

  • Venue : Sculpture Walk, Kowloon Park, 22 Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Exit A1 from MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Station.
  • Time : 2:30pm-4:30pm every Sunday.
  • Fee : Free.
  • Capacity : No limit.
  • Disability friendly.
  • Kung Fu Corner is held in open air so it is weather-dependent, to confirm if there is any cancellation, call (852)27243344.

  Tai Chi Class -

  • Venue : Sculpture Court, in front of Hong Kong Museum of Art, Tsim Sha Tsui. Exit E from MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Station, follow the signs and walk to the museum. Or, take the Star Ferry from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui, walk about 10 minutes to the museum.
  • Time : 8:00am-9:00am every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
  • Fee : Free.
  • Capacity : 40 per class.
  • Disability friendly.
  • Tai Chi Class is held in open air so it is weather-dependent, to confirm if there is any cancellation, call (852)25081234.

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• Hong Kong Architecture History - This exhibtion centre displays photos and 3-D models that show various local style architectural designs, it changes exhibition focus every few weeks. The exhibition centre resides at a historic building that is to be redeveloped soon. Details are as below -
  • Venue : Hong Kong Architecture Centre, G/F 8 Peel St, Central, Hong Kong. Exit D2 of MTR Central Station, then walk westbound along Queen's Road Central, left on Peel Street, you will find it on your left.
  • Phone : (852)6222 0229 or (852)2805 7146
  • website
  • Time :10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. every Monday to Friday. 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. every Saturday
  • Fee : Free.

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• Chinese Tea Appreciation - This 1-hour session introduces you to the many varieties of tea, the proper preparation, when is time to drink what tea. Details are as below -
  • Venue : Lock Cha Tea Shop, G/F, KS Lo Gallery, Hong Kong Park, Admiralty, Hong Kong. Exit C1 from MTR Admiralty station, walk across pedestrian bridge to Pacific Place, take the escalator to go up to the Hong Kong Park, you will find it on your right.
  • Time : 4:00pm - 5:00pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
  • Fee : Free.
  • Capacity : 15 per session.
  • Advanced registration is required, call (852)28017177 for registration.

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• Feng Shui - "Feng Shui" literally means "wind and water", and is a study of how people can live in harmony with the environment. Feng Shui fan has become younger and younger, and many large organizations in Hong Kong consult Feng Shui experts before major events such as office relocation, and grand opening. Erase your preconception about Feng Shui and come to this class, you will find it more scientific than you thought. Details are as below -
  • Venue : Alex Yu Geomancy & Physiognomy, Flat B and C, 14/F, Golden Hill Commercial Building, 39-41 Argyle Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon. Exit C2 of MTR Mong Kok Station, walk straight ahead across Portland Street, the Golden Hill Commercial Building is on your right.
  • Time : 10:30am-11:30am every Thursday.
  • Fee : Free.
  • Capacity : 30 per class.
  • Visitors are required to show their passports.
  • Advance registration is required, you can do so by going to the Visitor Centers listed below -
    • Hong Kong International Airport - Transfer Area E2 and Buffer Halls A and B, Arrivals Level, Terminal 1, 7am - 11pm daily.
    • Hong Kong Island - MTR Causeway Bay Station (near Exit F), 8:00am - 8:00pm daily.
    • Hong Kong Island - The Peak Piazza (between The Peak Tower and The Peak Galleria), 9:00am - 9:00pm daily.
    • Kowloon - Star Ferry Concourse, Tsim Sha Tsui, 8:00am - 8:00pm daily.
    • The New Territories - Lo Wu Arrival Hall, 2/F, Lo Wu Terminal Building, 8:00am - 6:00pm daily.


• Water sports - Surrounded by waters, Hong Kong is a paradise for watersports enthusiasts. It has many water-related activities such as scuba diving, snorkelling, water skiing, water jet skiing, wind surfing, body surfing, sailing, yachting, speed boating, and kayaking/canoeing. Many private and public facilities at beaches and marinas arrange for such activities for the public. Some companies are :
  • Water skiing - Deep Water Bay Speed Boat Co. Ltd. (852)28120391.
  • Scuba diving - Bunn's Divers Institute (852)25747951.
  • Sailing - Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (852)28322817.
  • Wind surfing - Cheung Chau Windsurfing Centre (852)29818316. Wind surfing has been popular for many years, but it was once particularly popular when Lai-Shan Lee's windsurf skills won Hong Kong's first Olympic medal. You can see wind surfers in many beaches, but as Lai-Shan Lee lives in Cheung Chau, wind surfing in Cheung Chau is mor
  • You can check with hotels in Sai Kung of the New Territories, or walk in to beachside stores at Stanley.

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• Rock climbing - Hong Kong has picturesque mountains, hills and rocks that is fun, but not too challenging for rock climbers. Indoor climbing facilities are also available. You can contact the Hong Kong Mountaineering Union at (852)25048124 for more details.

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• Hiking - 40% of the land in Hong Kong are country park and hiking trails. There are some easy ones and some difficult ones, the Lamma Island section of this website talks about some simple yet interesting hiking trials, but if want more, the below serves a simple guideline, alternatively you can visit the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conversation Department for details.
  • Hong Kong Island - The Victoria Peak, and Bowen Road. Both are flat and easy to walk, and easy to get to.
  • Kowloon - Lion Rock Country Park is one of the three earliest country parks of Hong Kong. The Lion Rock hiking trial spans from North Kowloon to Shatin.
  • The New Territories - The most famous trails are the MacLehose Trials which consists of 10 stages.

    STAGE	LOCATION	LENGTH	DURATION	DIFFICULTY (1-easiest 10-most difficult)
    1	Pak Tam Chung to Long Ke	10.6 km	3.0 hours	1
    2	Long Ke to Pak Tam Au	13.5 km	5.0 hours	3
    3	Pak Tam Au to Kei Ling Ha	10.2 km	4.0 hours	8
    4	Kei Ling Ha to Tate's Cairn	12.7 km	5.0 hours	8
    5	Tate's Cairn to Tai Po Road	10.6 km	3.0 hours	5
    6	Tai Po Road to Shing Mun	4.6 km	1.5 hours	2
    7	Shing Mun to Lead Mine Pass	6.2 km	2.5 hours	6
    8	Lead Mine Pass to Route Twisk	9.7 km	4.0 hours	6
    9	Route Twisk to Tin Fu Tsai	6.3 km	2.5 hours	3
    10	Tin Fu Tsai to Tuen Mun	15.6 km	5.0 hours	3


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• Cycling - Hong Kong is not a great place for cycling, yet there is a cycling path that allows you to look at nice harbour and sea view, breathe fresh air, and safe. The Tolo Harbour Cycling Track runs from Shatin to Tai Po, is easy and scenic, there are many bicycle rental shops available at the track, you can rent from one place and return the bicycles to their chained shops at another place. Exit at MTR Shatin or Tai Po station, there are signs direct you to the track.

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• Chinese style facial hair removing - Beauticians hold 2 pieces of cotton threads between their fingers and teeth to remove clients' facial hair, results are smoother skin and finer hair. Hair removals are for all genders and age groups, around 20% of clients are men. This is a very old skill, decades ago, beauticians set out a small table and stools on the streets to do business. Nowadays not too many people are willing to join the industry, so decades later you may not be able to find it anymore. One suggestion is Miss Leung in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, reservation is required, phone : (852)25461158. Facial hair removal takes 45 minutes, and costs less than a hundred (HK$). Miss Leung does hair removal for arms, legs and back of the necks too.

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