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HONG
KONG
ATTRACTIONS
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Hong Kong is
truly an international city which blends in the best from the
East and West, creating a unique personality. A city of
paramount sophistication, Hong Kong sets trends for the world to
follow. Hong Kong leads the global resurgence of Chinese
culture, and stands at the forefront of an exciting new era
where every moment in this exciting city is an unforgettable
experience.
Hong Kong offers plenty of options, ranging
from a junk cruise to remote islands with century-old Chinese
traditions to a breathtaking hike over rolling green hills to
stunning white beaches, a trek to charming Chinese fishing
villages or a fascinating city tour of art, history and modern
museums.
Hong Kong
comprises 235 islands including one with the largest Buddha in
the world. There's the Kowloon peninsula teething with
shops, temples, markets and restaurants; the New Territories
which offers a contrast of scenic beauty and man-made
achievements, its unique gardens and parks bursting with birds,
wildlife and plants. Hong Kong offers visitors a motley of
options including shopping, swimming, hiking, golfing,
sightseeing, dining in world class restaurant, horseracing,
within its compact geography.
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Victoria
Peak
High
above Hong Kong Island on the 'back of the Dragon', Victoria Peak is
Hong Kong's premier visitor attraction, providing magnificent harbour
and city views. Arriving late afternoon enables you to experience the
dazzling panorama of Hong Kong Island, the harbour, Kowloon and the
hills beyond. Later, you can thrill to the neon-dotted skyline by
night. What's more, The Peak offers visitors a multitude of fantastic
entertainment, dining and shopping options. |
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Peak
Tower & Peak Galleria
Thrilling
indoor entertainment is housed in the Peak Tower and Peak Galleria.
Attractions include a hi-tech virtual-reality ride, the Peak Explorer,
as well as a showcase of weird and wonderful artefacts at the Ripley's
Believe It Or Not! Odditorium. Then, rub shoulders with the famous at
world-renowned Madame Tussaud's wax portraits museum. With around 100
astoundingly life-like wax figures means getting up close and personal
with Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger has never been easier. |
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Repulse Bay
Primarily
a well-to-do residential area, sun-drenched Repulse Bay has a relaxed
resort-like atmosphere. The wide, wave-lapped beach is popular with
locals and visitors alike and great for sandy strolls - early morning
with the waking of another day, when the sun is up and the sunbathers
are out in force, or at sunset when all is at peace.
As well as sun, sea and sand, there are plenty of diversions nearby.
The ornate Life Guard Club is built in a traditional Chinese style,
its ceiling decorated with magnificent swirling dragons. The
picturesque gardens that lead down to the beach are dominated by
towering twin statues of Kwun Yum and Tin Hau, both protectors of
fishermen.
The
colonial-style, The Repulse Bay, houses designer shops and
award-winning restaurants and resembles the luxury hotel that
originally occupied the site. This is the ideal place for a romantic
dinner under the stars. For something more down-to-earth, several
open-air restaurants nearby specialize in the joys of wholesome
barbecued food, including the freshest prawns, squid, fish and other
seafood. All are cheery hives of activity every night of every week. |
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Ocean Park
Ocean Park is one of Southeast Asia's largest
oceanariums and theme parks, and tops the itinerary of many visitors
to Hong Kong - especially those with children. You'll need a whole day
to see everything. There are funfair rides and dolphin shows, scenic
cable cars and sea lions, magnificent shopping, great dining and so
much more.
The Lowland Gardens are a must-see, featuring the
park's most adored attractions - the giant pandas An An and Jia Jia.
The animals live happily in a 2,000-square-metre habitat that closely
resembles the natural living conditions of giant pandas in the wild.
The project provides an excellent opportunity for the public to learn
more about this endangered species, the survival problems they face
and how they can be saved from extinction.
The
undersea world is explored at Marine Land. Here visitors journey under
water at the Atoll Reef to discover more than 250 kinds and 2,000
fish, including an 80-year-old, 1.8-metre-long giant grouper can be
seen. The Atoll Reef also boasts the largest number of Giant Napoleon
fish to be found in any aquarium in the world. |
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Sheung Wan & Western
Hong
Kong's most typical traditional "Chinatown" area is always teeming
with activity. Vibrant Western is a hive of shop houses, exotic
markets and steep "ladder" lanes. This is where modern Hong Kong
started, mushrooming around Possession Street where the British first
planted the Union Jack in 1841. Chinese migrants began to settle here
in the same year, creating the raffish heart of 19th Century maritime
Hong Kong.
Hollywood Road and Upper Lascar Row, known as "Cat
Street" are must-see stops on every visitor's itinerary. Crammed with
antique shops and an open-air curio market, these quaint locales are
ideal places for picking up eclectic souvenirs and gifts. You'll find
everything from Ming furniture and lotus lamps to Mao badges and
ancient snuff bottles. Photogenic Man Mo Temple, dedicated to the God
of Literature (man) and the God of War (mo), is just a
stroll away.
After extensive renovations, the Edwardian Western
Market was re-opened in late 1991. It is crammed with fabric shops and
stores selling handicrafts. More traditional shopping can be found
along Bonham Strand West, where stores selling Chinese medicinal herbs
and ginseng wholesalers have changed little in the past half century.
On Queen's Road West you can buy birds' nests for soup, as well as
paper offerings, including paper cars and mobile phones, for burning
at funerals to ensure a prosperous afterlife. Des Voeux Road West is
celebrated for its dried seafood shops. Here you can find all manner
of preserved oysters, shrimp, mussels, squid and fish. |
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Happy Valley Racecourse
Happy
Valley Racecourse was built on reclaimed marshland, and the first
races were held here in 1846. They have been extremely popular ever
since. Today, the track is ultra-sophisticated with computerized
betting and races broadcast live on gigantic screens. Night racing was
introduced at Happy Valley in 1973 and was an immediate success. The
extra revenue raised was used to build Hong Kong's second racecourse
at Sha Tin in the New Territories, which opened in 1978.
Sha Tin Racecourse
Sha Tin, once a tiny village on the shores of a shallow inlet, is now
a bustling new town. Built almost entirely on reclaimed land, Sha Tin
Racecourse is more than just a modern racetrack. Extensive landscaping
of the infield has transformed it into one of Hong Kong's largest
public parks, Penfold Park, enjoyed by thousands every weekend. |
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Aberdeen Harbour
Aberdeen
Harbour is home to hundreds of people living on fishing junks. Their
traditional lifestyle is dramatically juxtaposed against a modern
high-rise community that spreads up the nearby hillsides. In the
evenings, the thousands of twinkling lights reflected on the water are
a magical sight.
To get a close-up look at the Aberdeen way of life, many visitors take
a sampan ride. In the evenings, many others prefer to take in the view
from one of two magnificent floating restaurants anchored here. Three
stories high and elaborately decorated with swirling red and gold
dragons and other traditional Chinese motifs, the experience is not to
be missed. Neither, of course, is the delicious fresh seafood and the
excellent Cantonese fare on offer. |
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Stanley Market
Stanley
Market is the place to find silk garments, sportswear, art, Chinese
costume jewelry, other souvenirs and a host of fantastic bargains.
And when the shopping is done, you can relax at one of the area's
pleasant beaches set in sheltered, sandy coves. One is a favorite
destination for Hong Kong's windsurfers. Stanley village also offers
an appetizing range of restaurants and snack bars.
A trip to
Stanley would not be complete without a stop at Stanley Plaza which
comprises a six-storey shopping centre featuring shops and
restaurants. Right next to it is Village Square which serves as a
multi-functional outdoor performance venue. Adjacent to that is Murray
House - a former British army officers' quarters and the oldest
example of Western architecture. It was dismantled in 1982 and put
back together again - brick by brick.
Another colonial building worth a visit is the Old Stanley Police
Station, one of the oldest surviving police stations in Hong Kong.
This landmark was built in 1859. In the area you'll also find the Old
Stanley Fort and a cluster of historic military sites.
Other sightseeing attractions include an interesting 18th century Tin
Hau Temple, huddles of charming cottages and palatial country homes on
the village slopes. |
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Information provided by Hong Kong Tourism Board.
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