Hong Kong Travel Guide
Hong Kong is a non-stop, fast-moving metropolis with one of the world's most recognizable skylines. It has a scintillating atmosphere that's almost impossible to describe - you have to see it, smell it, feel it. With fabulous shopping and dining, and an ever-changing landscape, it's a beacon of modernity. But there's plenty of tradition and history to discover too, in its festivals, museums and temples.
Hong Kong, 'The City of Life', remains the sophisticated heart of Asia. Riveting, exciting, mysterious and glamorous, Hong Kong is a living fusion of East and West combining Chinese tradition with 150 years of colonial influence. With great shopping, fantastic hotels, top-class cuisine and a rich culture, no other Asian city captures the old and new quite so adeptly.
Hong Kong is a city of contrasts and surprises, and little has changed since it was handed back to the Chinese in 1997. Take the steep, funicular Peak Tram to Victoria Peak. The view down into central Hong Kong and across the water to Kowloon is fantastic both day and night. There are many great ways to see the city including taking a ride on the upper deck of the number 6 bus from Central to Stanley. Another is the Star Ferry, a familiar sight around Hong Kong and a symbol of the city. Far more important, however, is that from the deck you get some of the best views available of the waterfronts of Hong Kong Islandand Kowloon. Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade similarly offers great views of the spectacular Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island waterfront.
Hong Kong is a food lover's paradise, and apart from Chinese food, which is superb, there are also many Indian, Vietnamese, Filipino, Singapore/Malaysian and Thai restaurants. The main dining districts include Causeway Bay, Lan Kwai Fong, Repulse Bay, SoHo and Tsim Sha Tsui. For a true Hong Kong experience try the many varieties of Dim Sum. For a unique night-time dining experience, enjoy the Jumbo Floating Restaurant moored in the middle of Aberdeen Harbour. Hong Kong is a small place that most definitely lives large and it remains a perfect city break or multi-centre destination.
Things to do
Hong Kong's diverse range of museums provides fascinating insights into the territory's colourful history and development, and includes one dedicated to one-time resident and China revolutionary Dr Sun Yat-sen. Others cover art, history, heritage, antiquities, film, medical sciences, housing, police and much more. There are also museums of science, space, and such special interest subjects as tea ware.
Major Museums
- Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum (Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum Guided Tour)
- Hong Kong Heritage Museum (Cantonese Opera Appreciation Class)
- Hong Kong Museum of Art
- Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence
- Hong Kong Museum of History ("The Hong Kong Story" Exhibition Guided Tour)
- Hong Kong Science Museum
- Hong Kong Space Museum
Temples
Hong Kong has many ancient Chinese temples spread throughout the territory. They serve followers of Buddhism and Taoism as well as a number of deities. There are also a number of monasteries and nunneries, some in very remote areas.
- Chi Lin Nunnery / Nan Lian Garden
- Sha Tin Che Kung Temple
- Miu Fat Buddhist Monastery
- Hung Shing Temple at Kau Sai Chau, Sai Kung
- Yuen Yuen Institute
- Che Kung Temple at Ho Chung
- Lo Pan Temple
Declared Monuments
Many fascinating Chinese and colonial heritage sites still exist in Hong Kong, reflecting more than 5,000 years of Chinese and more than 100 years of British colonial heritage. The following is a list of important heritage sites that are easily accessible.
- Hong Kong Island
- Kowloon
- New Territories
- Outlying Islands
Giant Buddha
Lantau Island features the world's tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha, along with the Po Lin Monastery, Tai O village on stilts, Ngong Ping 360 and Hong Kong Disneyland.
