Читать книгу Hong Kong Tuttle Travel Pack - Simon Ostheimer - Страница 11
ОглавлениеCHAPTER 1
HONG KONG’S ‘Must See’ Sights
When you’re caught up in a bustling city of 7 million, it can sometimes be hard to catch your breath and decide what to do next. That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you and put together this list of the top 21 things to see and do in Hong Kong. From riding the Star Ferry to dolphin watching to wandering the backstreets of Central, you simply can’t leave Asia’s World City without checking off the following.
1 The Star Ferry
2 The Peak Tram
3 The Mid-Levels Escalator
4 The Lantau Big Buddha
5 Kowloon’s Temple Street
6 Happy Valley Horse Racing
7 Stanley Village
8 The Ping Shan Heritage Trail
9 Tai O Village
10 Sea Kayaking
11 Hollywood Road
12 Lamma Island
13 Hong Kong’s Trams
14 Morning Tai Chi Classes
15 Dolphin Watching
16 Harbour Junk Rides
17 The Avenue of Stars
18 Shek O Beachside Village
19 Lan Kwai Fong Nightlife
20 Dim Sum Brunch
21 Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula
Make the Most of Your Visit
Blessed with one of the world’s best public transport systems and bilingual English and Chinese signage, Hong Kong is a very easy city to travel around. However, as with any holiday, a little bit of advance planning can make the difference between enjoying that harbour-front cocktail at sunset and being stuck underground five stations away on the MTR. Before beginning any journey, make sure you pick up an Octopus travel card (www.octopus.com.hk), which can be used on all public transport (excluding taxis) and pay for goods at fast food restaurants, retail outlets, convenience stores and much more.
One Amazing Hong Kong Day
After grabbing breakfast at your hotel, begin your day with early morning tai chi on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront (see No. 14) in one of the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s free classes. Then, once you’ve perfected ‘White Crane Spreads Wings’ and ‘Step Back to Repulse Monkey’, walk over to the nearby Star Ferry (see No. 1) pier and catch the famous green-and-white boat across to Central, remembering to check the brass plaque by the funnel to see what particular ‘star’ you’re on. Once you’ve crossed Victoria Harbour, head to Central Pier 8 and board bus 15C to the Peak Tram (see No. 2) Terminus on Garden Road. Arriving here, purchase a Peak Tram Sky Pass ($56 return; if the queues are long, use your Octopus card instead and buy a separate Skypass from the ground floor counter in The Peak Tower), and then enjoy some of the best views in Hong Kong as the funicular railway carries you 1.4 km up the steep, wooded slopes. Next, head to the Sky Terrace for panoramic 360-degree views of the city. For lunch, you can choose from one of the many dining options in The Peak Tower or The Peak Galleria opposite, or instead head to the historic surrounds of The Peak Lookout, a former sedan chair rest station and now heritage restaurant. Walk off lunch by taking a leisurely stroll along Lugard and Harlech Roads before catching the Peak Tram back down to Central. Upon arrival at the lower terminus, follow the signs for St John’s Cathedral and Battery Path, which will lead you down to Queen’s Road Central. Surrounded by high-rises, you’ve now arrived in the city’s retail heart. Indulge in a bit of window shopping in high-end malls such as The Landmark and Prince’s Building, before dropping by the Duddell Street branch of Shanghai Tang (1 Duddell Street, 2525 7333; www.shanghaitang.com) for a brightly coloured souvenir, and then heading up the hill to Lan Kwai Fong (see No. 19) for an early drink. You can either choose to stay here for dinner or head back down to Queen’s Road Central and head go towards the Mid-Levels Escalator (see No. 3). As you slowly rise up the hill, take your pick of the restaurants you see below and reflect on one amazing Hong Kong day.
1 The Star Ferry
The best—and cheapest—way to see the harbour
One of the most spectacular ferry rides in the world, the Star Ferry ’s 12-boat fleet makes the short crossing from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon 7 days a week for almost 17 hours a day. Founded in 1888 as the Kowloon Ferry Company by Parsee merchant Dorabjee Naorojee Mithaiwala, the current name was supposedly due to his love for Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem ‘Crossing the Bar’, of which the first line reads: ‘Sunset and evening star, and one clear call for me!’ The name of each boat (they all contain the word ‘Star’) can be found on the prows—the boats have two so they don’t have to turn around—and on a bronze plaque set on the funnel. The green-and-white painted craft currently ply the following routes: Wanchai-Tsim Sha Tsui and Central-Tsim Sha Tsui. The latter is the most famous, a 9-minute ride between the 41-m-tall Two IFC and the ski jump-shaped building otherwise known as the Cultural Centre. If your schedule permits, the best time to hop on board is just before 8 pm when the scheduled
Symphony of Lights begins. This spectacular show sees more than 40 buildings on both sides of the harbour lit up in a coordinated display of music, lasers and (on public holidays) fireworks. Unfortunately, these days the Star Ferry is increasingly just a tourist attraction, its purpose of helping commuters cross the harbour superseded by the arrival of the MTR train system in 1979, and the government’s decision to reclaim yet more land in the name of development. The extra 300 m walking distance to the Central pier has lost the company millions of dollars and led to the closure of routes.
See: www.starferry.com.hk
Opening Times Wanchai-Tsim Sha Tsui, 7.30 am– pm. Central-Tsim Sha Tsui, 6.30 am–11.30 pm
Address Central, Wan Chai & Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Piers
Getting There Central (Central MTR), Wan Chai (Wan Chai MTR), Tsim Sha Tsui (Tsim Sha Tsui MTR). Follow directions within stations
Contact +852 2367 7065; sf@starferry.com.hk; www.starferry.com.hk
Admission Fee Adult: Mon–Fri $2.50; Sat, Sun & Public Holidays $3. Child: (age 3–12) Mon–Fri $1.50; Sat, Sun & Public Holidays $1.80.
2 The Peak Tram
Literally rise above it all on this funicular railway
Since 1888, Hong Kong’s only funicular railway has been ferrying passengers up the slopes of the 552-m Victoria Peak, the Island’s highest. Covering a distance of 1.4 km and rising almost 400 m from the city below, this major tourist attraction carries more than 4 million tourists every year (a remarkable 11,000 per day). However, this engineering marvel was not intended for sightseeing, but rather as a time-saving tool for commuters. Conceived and executed by entrepreneurial pair Alexander Findlay Smith and N. J. Ede, the line was constructed through the use of back-breaking labour, ironic considering that the only previous way to reach the top of the mountain was by sedan chair—a wooden seat carried by two ‘coolies’ (the name for Chinese labourers) that had to be arduously carried up a series of switchback paths to reach the summit. The main beneficiaries of the new railway were wealthy Caucasians and the governing British as locals were prohibited from living on The Peak until 1930 (though exemptions were possible). The front seat was reserved for the Governor only. The line’s construction led to the rapid opening up of the Mid-Levels and The Peak areas for residential use, with the tram providing a quick commute to offices in Central and connections on to elsewhere. Today, the Peak Tram rarely stops at any of the intermediary stations, instead providing tourists with stunning views as the city recedes below, and the perfect way to reach The Peak Tower entertainment complex, which contains branches of Ripley’s Believe It or Not and Madame Tussauds, as well as several dining options and a top floor viewing terrace with 360-degree views of the Island. To get a real feel for the area, take a stroll along panoramic Lugard and Harlech Roads, which begin opposite the Peak Tower, then, when finished, take a spot of tea in The Peak Lookout, a 19th-century protected building that was once a rest house for sedan chair carriers and now houses a popular restaurant.
See: www.thepeak.com.hk
Opening Times Daily 7 am–midnight
Address Garden Road Peak Tram Lower Terminus, Central
Getting There From Central MTR Station, take exit J2. Turn right through Chater Garden, cross Queen's Road Central and walk up Garden Road. Or board the Peak Tram shuttle bus No. 15C at the Central (Near Star Ferry Pier 8) Bus Terminus
Contact +852 2522 0922; info@thepeak.com.hk; www.thepeak.com.hk
Admission Fee Adult: $40 return, $28 single. Child (age 3–11): $18 return, $11 single
3 The Mid-Levels Escalator
Soak up the sounds and sights from this walkway
Carving its way down the Mid-Levels hillside like a dragon winding its way to the sea (an apt comparison in feng shui-obsessed Hong Kong), this 800-m-long engineering marvel is possibly the planet’s only commuter escalator. Although not one continuous stretch (it’s actually a connecting series of 20 escalators and three moving walkways), it’s been listed by the Guinness World Records as the ‘Longest Outdoor Covered Escalator System’ since its opening in 1993, and has been immortalized on the big screen in the 1997 movie Chinese Box starring Jeremy Irons and Gong Li, and the 2008 Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight. Conceived by the Hong Kong Government as an innovative solution to the area’s worsening traffic congestion, the project was criticized upon completion for being far over budget, and ineffective at its stated purpose of reducing vehicles on the roads. However, the unintended side effect of opening up these previously difficult-to-reach neigh-bourhoods was a boom in local residential property prices and the creation of two new entertainment districts, NoHo and SoHo. Standing for North and South of Hollywood Road respectively (the government initially tried, unsuccessfully, to label the district as the banal ‘Mid-Levels Themed Dining Area’ to avoid the negative connotations of Soho in London), these areas are now home to a diverse array of bars, restaurants, shops and galleries. As it is possible to exit the system on every street it crosses, it has become popular in the evening for commuters to ‘step off’ for dinner or drinks on their way home. Sadly, there is an ongoing struggle between residents seeking to retain the area’s distinctive character and property developers seeking to take advantage of the influx of money. Taking approximately 20 minutes to walk from top to bottom, the escalator runs downhill from 6 am to 10 am and uphill from 10.30 am to midnight.
See: www.ilovesoho.hk
Opening Times Runs one-way downhill 6 am– 10 am, uphill 10 am–midnight, daily
Address Starts at Des Voeux Road Central, ends at Conduit Road
Getting There Central MTR, Exit D1, walk along Queen's Road Central to the start
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily); www.discoverhongkong.com
Admission Fee Free
4 The Lantau Big Buddha
Find inner peace and a stunning new perspective
Thought its status is disputed, Tian Tan Buddha, or Big Buddha, is still declared to be the world’s ‘largest seated outdoor bronze statue of Buddha’. Weighing 250 metric tons and seated at the top of 268 steps, the 35-m-tall Tian Tan looms over Ngong Ping, a high plateau on Lantau Island to the west of Hong Kong. Though only constructed in 1993, it has quickly become the most recognizable symbol of the Po Lin Monastery, a Buddhist retreat built in 1920. Back then, monks, pilgrims and visitors could only access the holy site via a long hike after a lengthy boat ride from the more populous parts of the territory. These days, however, you need only work up a sweat queueing for the Ngong Ping 360, a 5.7-km-long cable car that whisks the public from sea level to the mountain top in just 25 minutes. Beginning from Tung Chung, a new town being developed on Lantau’s northern shore, the gondola crosses green hills and has scenic views of the Hong Kong International Airport (Chek Lap Kok) to the north and the Lantau North Country Park to the west and south. Wildlife exists in abundance here, with Black and Red Kites (indigenous birds of prey) soaring high on thermals above, and the occasional pack of wild dogs or herd of wandering cows sometimes seen on the slopes below. Passengers have a choice between Standard and Crystal Cabins, with a corresponding price hike, though the only actual difference is a glass bottom floor in the latter. For those without a head for heights, Ngong Ping can also be reached by a one-hour bus journey, which also starts at Tung Chung. Despite the area’s commercialization—the Ngong Ping Village includes the less than inspirational ‘Walking with Buddha’ and ‘Monkey’s Tale Theatre’ attractions—Hong Kong’s record-breaking Big Buddha still offers visitors fleeting moments of serenity.
See: www.np360.com.hk
Opening Times Daily 10 am–5.30 pm
Address Po Lin Monastery, Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, New Territories
Getting There Take Lantau Bus No. 23 at the bus station outside Tung Chung MTR Station to Ngong Ping Bus Terminus; take Ngong Ping Cable Car at the Cable Car Station outside Tung Chung MTR Station; take First Ferry from Central Pier to Mui Wo, and take Lantau Bus No. 2 to Ngong Ping Bus Terminus
Contact +852 2985 5248; info@plm.org.hk, plm. org.hk (Po Lin Monastery); +852 3666 0606, info@np360.com.hk; www.np360.com.hk (Ngong Ping 360)
Admission Fee Po Lin Monastery free; Ngong Ping 360 Adult: $125 return, $86 single. Child (age 3–11): $62 return, $44 single
5 Kowloon’s Temple Street
Shop, dine and watch opera at this evening market
Squeezed between the old Kowloon districts of Jordan and Yau Ma Tei, Temple Street is most famous for two things: fashion and food. Sometimes labelled as Men’s Street to differentiate it from Ladies Street further to the north in Prince Edward, the shop and restaurant-filled thoroughfare is named after the Qing Dynasty-era temple to Tin Hau that sits towards its northern end. While it may seem odd to have a place of worship devoted to the Goddess of the Sea so far from the water, in fact the shoreline used to be only a stone’s throw from here, but numerous land reclamations since have put the harbour almost 1 km away to the west. While the Cantonese Opera performances at the stage next to the temple draw small audiences, tourists really flock to the area for the night market (open daily), when the narrow road is occupied on both sides by tiny stalls selling everything from ‘I’m Lost in Hong Kong’ T-shirts and kitsch Chairman Mao souvenirs to DVDs, phones, watches and all types of fashion. And that’s not all; behind the many stalls lie rows of shops selling the same, where better bargains can often be found. While there is certainly good shopping here (just make sure you’re prepared to haggle and don’t be afraid to walk away if they won’t match your price), the most fun to be had is arguably pulling up a plastic stool at one of the many restaurants that line the street and enjoying a fine meal of Cantonese cuisine while people-watching. One of the most popular establishments is Temple Street Spicy Crab, located at the southern end closest to the Jordan MTR station, where you can order up a variety of seafood for reasonable (in Hong Kong, at least) prices. Don’t dally though; unless you’re eating, drinking or waiting for an order, you’ll be asked to give up the table for the next hungry customer.
Opening Times 4 pm–midnight
Address Temple Street, Jordan-Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon
Getting There Yau Ma Tei MTR Station, Exit C: turn on to Temple Street at Man Ming Lane. Jordan MTR Station, Exit A: turn right on to Jordan Road and then take another right on to Temple Street
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily); www.discoverhongkong.com
Admission Fee Free
6 Happy Valley Horse Racing
Join in the fun at the track—a true local obsession
It’s no exaggeration to say that Hong Kongers are obsessed with horse racing. Ever since the first race was run in December 1846, citizens of all classes have come together to place bets and cheer on their chosen combination of rider and steed. The attraction, as with the city at large, is the opportunity to make big money. Racing in Hong Kong is run under the auspices of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, or HKJC (the former Royal prefix was dropped prior to the city’s 1997 handover to China), a non-profit organization that donates the majority of its proceeds to charitable causes. On average, more than HK$1 billion per year is given to the areas of sports and culture, education and training, community services, and medicine and health, with the HKJC also the largest taxpayer in the territory. As well as clubhouses and other facilities for its 20,000 or so members, The Jockey Club has two racecourses. The newer of the two is Shatin, a state-of-the-art track in the eastern New Territories with capacity for 85,000 punters. At its centre sits Penfold Park, a public space for residents of the surrounding town. However, the true home of Hong Kong racing is Happy Valley. Founded in 1845 (a mere three years after the island had been ceded to the British in perpetuity by the Chinese), it was quickly embraced as the heart of the new colony’s social life, although the local rice farmers moved to make way would probably disagree. Once surrounded by barren hillside, today the racecourse has been hemmed in by the ever-growing city, making for a stunning setting when the regular Wednesday night races take place. Best approached by tram, which has a branch line that runs around the track delivering punters to the entrance, a cacophony of cheers and curses envelops ‘The Valley’ during race time, the betting a mere part of the carnival atmosphere that includes beer stands, outlandish costumes and a whole lot of fun.
See: www.hkjc.com
Opening Times Wednesday evenings (see web-site for schedule)
Address 2 Sports Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Getting There Walk from Causeway Bay Station, Exit A; catch a taxi or hop on a tram marked Happy Valley
Contact +852 1818; customer.care@hkjc.com; www.hkjc.com
Admission Fee $10 (you must be 18 or above to enter the racecourse)
7 Stanley Village
Soak up the seaside charm at this former pirate lair
Here there be pirates. Set on a peninsula along Hong Kong Island’s southeast coast, Stanley is known in Cantonese as Chek Chue, or Bandit’s Post. Though the origins of the name are debated, legend has it that Hong Kong’s most famous pirate, Cheung Po Tsai (the island of Cheung Chau is named after him) once had a secret lair here, a cave that was closed up in the 1950s. The English name comes from a 19th-century British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. Today, the area is a rich residential district, with a famous tourist attraction at its heart. With its narrow alleyways and dozens of small shops selling clothing, souvenirs, art and jewelry, Stanley Market doesn’t have much that you can’t find elsewhere in the city. However, the difference here is that when you have finished shopping, you are just steps away from glorious yellow sand beaches and a restaurant-lined boardwalk that curves around a scenic crescent-shaped bay. On weekends, locals and visitors alike flock here to relax under the sun and enjoy a variety of international dining. At the end of the bay stands an imposing three-storey colonial-era building—Murray House. Built in 1846 as British Officers’ Quarters, it was later used as government offices and—for a dark period during WWII—as a detention centre by the Japanese military police (kempeitai). Though it seems like it may have stood here for more than a century, it was actually originally located in Central. One of Hong Kong’s oldest buildings, in 1982 it was carefully dismantled brick by brick to make way for the Bank of China building, and stored for 20 years before being reassembled in Stanley in 2002. It now houses several restaurants as well as a Maritime Museum (www.hkmaritime-museum.org) on the ground floor. Next to it stands the Victorian-era Blake Pier, also formerly located in Central and subsequently moved, from which visitors can catch ferries south to the small island of Po Toi. On the other side lies an old Tin Hau Temple built in 1767, which honours the goddess of the sea. This was supposedly built by none other than the pirate Cheung Po Tsai himself.
Opening Times Daily 10.30 am–6. 30pm (Stanley Market)
Address Stanley, Hong Kong
Getting There Bus 6, 6A, 6X, 66 or 260 from Exchange Square bus terminus (MTR Hong Kong Station Exit D), or MTR Causeway Bay Station Exit B, cross Hennessy Road, turn right, walk one block to Tang Lung Street and take green minibus 40
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily); www.discoverhongkong.com
Admission Fee Free
8 The Ping Shan Heritage Trail
Discover a slice of traditional and rural Hong Kong
The New Territories was founded by the ‘Five Great Clans’—Man, Hau, Pang, Liu and Tang—whose ancestors were the first to move into the area from Mainland China. The Tangs have inhabited the area since at least the 11th century, living in what is now Hong Kong for more than 900 years. Many of the city’s most prominent people share the surname, including Sir David Tang, founder of the famed Shanghai Tang chain of stores and the exclusive China Club; and Henry Tang, the former Chief Secretary for Adminis tration (the second highest position in the Hong Kong government), who lost the 2012 Chief Executive race to Leung Chun-ying. One of the oldest group of Tang villages can be visited along the Ping Shan Heritage Trail, a government cultural initiative launched in 1993. Located in a formerly rural area in the northwestern New Territories, the walking trail is approximately 1 km long and passes traditional Chinese buildings in the villages of Hang Mei Tsuen, Hang Tau Tsuen and the walled village of Sheung Cheung Wai. Clearly explained signage marks landmarks along the way, including the Hung Shing and Yeung Hau Temples, the ancient Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda (the only such example in Hong Kong), the Kun Ting Study Hall (used by students preparing for the Imperial Civil Service Examination during the Qing Dynasty), and the Tang Ancestral Hall (due to the clan’s historic wealth and power, this is one of the largest examples in the territory). As these are still working villages, the most unique part of walking the Ping Shan Heritage Trail is seeing a slice of Hong Kong as it once was: traditional, rural and dominated by clans. When you’ve finished your stroll through the city’s past, stop by the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery and Heritage Trail Visitors Centre. Built in 1899 in a colonial style, this charming two-storey building was once the local police station before being converted to its present use in 2007.
See: www.amo.gov.hk/en/trails_pingshan.php
Opening Times Daily
Address Ping Shan, Tin Shui Wai, New Territories
Getting There To reach the start of the trail, take the MTR West Rail line to Tin Shui Wai station, then follow the signs from Exit E
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily); www.discoverhongkong.com
Admission Fee Free
9 Tai O Village
Visit this village on stilts, the ‘Venice’ of the east
Located on the far west coast of Lantau Island, the fishing village of Tai O sits on the very edge of Hong Kong. Indeed, Chinese territory once extended up to its very shoreline, meaning British rule ended the moment you left land. However, the new Special Administrative Region’s (SAR) borders were redrawn following the 1997 handover, and the maritime boundary shifted roughly 2 km offshore. Tai O is known as the Venice of Hong Kong due to the large number of stilt houses built either side of a river that runs though its middle. Local residents feel such affinity for their housing style that when a devastating fire in July 2000 destroyed a majority of buildings, they refused the government’s offer to construct new homes away from the water, instead demanding that their old abodes be rebuilt. Because of its strategic position and sheltered harbour, during its history Tai O has variously been a base for Portuguese sailors, Qing Dynasty mandarins, British colonial officials, pirates and smugglers (due to its continued proximity to Chinese waters, the latter are still common, especially for cigarettes, narcotics and illegal immigrants). In addition, it was a main entry point for refugees fleeing the Chinese Civil War. Up until the 1950s, it was also famed for salt farms, the surrounding marshes proving perfect for the mineral’s production. These days, the village mostly relies on weekend tourism, when flocks of locals and foreigners descend to soak up the rural atmosphere. As well as purchasing bags of locally produced shrimp paste and salted fish, visitors also come for the ‘dolphin tours’, where a fleet of identical villager-piloted speedboats whiz you through the surrounding waters in a usually futile search for the endangered Pearl River Delta Chinese white dolphin. Better known as the pink dolphin due to its distinctive skin colouration, these shy animals are usually wise enough to steer clear of the small craft crashing through the waves. On the way out of the harbour, you may notice a small two-storey colonial building peeking out from the tree-line on your right. This was the old Tai O Police Station, which was reopened as the Tai O Heritage Hotel in 2012.
See: www.taioheritagehotel.com
Opening Times Daily
Address Tai O, Lantau Island, New Territories
Getting There From Mui Wo, take New Lantau Bus No. 1. From Tung Chung Bus Terminal, take New Lantau Bus No. 11
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily), www.discoverhongkong.com
Admission Fee Free
10 Sea Kayaking
Explore the territory’s stunning natural environment
Kayaking and hiking? In Hong Kong? The city’s great outdoors comes as a surprise to many visitors, though it shouldn’t considering that 40 per cent of the territory is designated as Country Park. While there are many ways to explore the green side of the territory, including on one of the hundreds of well-marked hiking trails, there’s nothing that quite comes close to exploring it by paddle power, which is where outdoor adventure outfit Kayak and Hike comes in. Run by long-time resident Paul Etherington, the company offers visitors a variety of unique water-borne activities that explore the Hong Kong coastline, mainly focusing on the National Geopark, which was opened in November 2009. Covering an area of almost 50 sq km, it incorporates eight distinct areas representing some of the territory’s most distinctive natural landscapes, including the hexagonal volcanic columns of High Island, the red rock of Port Island and the unusual outcrops of Tung Ping Chau, Hong Kong’s easternmost island. The excursions usually run from 8.45 am to 4 pm, with the most popular being the Geo Park Kayaking Junk Trip. On this trip, participants take a scenic 40-minute boat ride to an old fishing village, explore caves and sea arches on a guided kayak trip in the ocean, walk to the top of a small island for spectacular views of the coastline below and snorkel over protected coral reefs. For around $100 they’ll provide a great Chinese lunch at a local restaurant, though you are welcome to bring a packed lunch and snacks to keep you going. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about a trip with Kayak and Hike is that it only costs HK$700 per person; for the equivalent of a Western meal in SoHo, you can have an experience of a lifetime. It means that the next time someone refers to Hong Kong as nothing but urban jungle, you’ll be able to set them straight. Advance bookings are required.
Opening Times Trips run 8.45 am–4 pm
Address Boat departs from Sai Kung waterfront
Getting There Train to Hang Hau MTR Station, take Exit B1, catch minibus No. 101 to Sai Kung; boat leaves from Sai Kung New Pier
Contact +852 9300 5197; paul@kayak-and-hike.com; www.kayak-and-hike.com
Admission Fee $700 per person
11 Hollywood Road
Walk along this street famous for its art and antiques
While today the name is synonymous with Californian glitz and glamour, Hong Kong’s own Hollywood (Road, that is) was actually founded almost half a century before its American counterpart. One of the first streets to be built in the then British territory, it is named after the English family estate of the colony’s second governor, Sir John Francis Davies. Hollywood Road was originally close to the water, before successive land reclamation works left it high and dry. It quickly found fame for its numerous antique shops, where, allegedly, sailors and merchants returning from China would sell the proprietors works of art they had ‘acquired’ north of the border. Collectors would then purchase them from these middlemen. It is a role the road has stuck with for more than a century, making it a must-see destination on the tourist trail along with adjoining Upper Lascar Row, better known as Cat Street. Visitors flock here to experience the ‘old’ Hong Kong atmosphere and peruse Ming Dynasty furniture and kitsch Mao iconography. The road is also famed for the Man Mo Temple, built in 1847 as a place to jointly worship the Gods of Literature (Man Tai) and War (Mo Tai). Over the last 20 years or so, however, Hollywood Road has slowly been reinventing itself as a centre for arts and culture, with many small galleries and chic eateries opening up along its length. These include spaces such as Para/Site (www.para-site.org.hk), a not-for-profit organization devoted to contemporary art housed in an old shophouse; and Classified (www.classifiedfoodshops.com.hk), a European-style bistro replete with sidewalk seating and artisan cheeses. If you’re visiting town during March, you might want to consider signing up for the annual Hong Kong ArtWalk (www.hongkongartwalk.com), a charity event with a society slant. Over the course of an evening, paying participants visit as many of the area’s galleries as they can, remarking upon the fine art hanging on the walls while sipping on cocktails and wine and nibbling delicate finger food—behaviour which, admittedly, does sound rather like Hollywood, USA.
Opening Times N.A.
Address Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Getting There Central MTR, Exit D1, walk along Queen's Road Central to the Mid-Levels Escalator, ride up until Hollywood Road exit
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily); www.discoverhongkong.com
Admission Fee Free
12 Lamma Island
Take some time out on Hong Kong’s most chilled island
Hong Kong’s third largest island takes its name from two Chinese characters pronounced in Cantonese as laam and ah. Roughly translating as ‘southern branch’ or ‘tree’, the name refers to Lamma’s distinctive ‘Y’ shape. Located directly south of heavily populated Hong Kong Island, Lamma is most famous for being the birthplace of superstar actor Chow Yun-fat and for its preponderance of hippies. Due to the laws of the time, before 1997 British citizens did not require a visa to stay or work in the colony. During the 1960s, this meant that Lamma became a rest station for travellers on the Asian hippie trail, attracted by the 13.5 sq km isle’s comparatively cheap housing and its easy access to Central. In the years running up to the Handover, the island saw an additional influx of low-skilled workers and gap-year students who came to witness the last days of colonial rule, picking up low-paid jobs as barmen, bouncers and construction workers, many of whom acquired permanent residency and decided to stay. As a result, Lamma has a laid-back, multicultural vibe that you won’t find anywhere else in Hong Kong. Buildings more than three storeys tall are prohibited, as is all vehicular traffic except for the small VVs (Village Vehicles) used to transport goods. As the only way to reach the island is by boat, your journey begins at the Central Ferry Piers (located, as the name suggests, north of Central), from where it’s a 25-minute sail past the western edge of Hong Kong Island before docking at Yung Shue Wan, Lamma’s main settlement. As the village’s narrow streets can fill up with local day trippers on weekends, the best time to visit is during the week, when you can take your time browsing the chilled cafes, neighbour-hood bars and bohemian fashion shops. Once you’ve had your fill, follow the signs to Hung Shing Yeh Beach, a pleasant 15-minute stroll that takes you past overgrown rice paddies, over a small hill and past the power station that supplies Hong Kong Island with almost all of its electricity. Sitting on the quiet, sandy shore, it’s hard to imagine that you’re in the heart of an Asian metropolis of 7 million people. Other island attractions include the seafood restaurants of Sok Kwu Wan, supposed Japanese-built WWII ‘kamikaze’ caves, and views from the top of the 353-m-high Mount Stenhouse.
See: www.lamma.com.hk
Opening Times N.A.
Address Lamma Island, New Territories
Getting There Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry run regular services from Central Ferry Piers to the Lamma villages of Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan (www.hkkf.com.hk)
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily); www.discoverhongkong.com; see also www.lamma.com.hk
Admission Fee Adult: Mon–Sat $16.10, Sun & Public Holidays $22.30. Child (under 12): $8.10–$11.20
13 Hong Kong’s Trams
Ride the city’s oldest and most beloved transportation
Without a doubt, the best way to see the city is from the top of a tram. Each day, a fleet of 161 double-deckers slowly trundle their way along the north shore of Hong Kong Island, carrying more than 230,000 passengers. Founded in 1904, Hong Kong Tramways forms an integral part of the territory’s comprehensive transport system, its 118 tram stops (spaced on average about 250 m apart) allowing people to travel short distances quickly. In fast-paced Hong Kong, where people even walk up the escalators because they move too slowly, this is of vital importance. Of course, for visitors with more time on their hands, trams offer a scenic way to travel through the heart of the busy city (not to mention great photo opportunities) from Kennedy Town in the west to Shau Kei Wan in the east. Unlike buses, trams are boarded from the back and exited from the front, where you pay the driver the grand fare of $2 (senior citizens and children pay $1). It is this affordability, added to convenience (during peak hours they run every 1.5 minutes), that explains Hong Kongers’ ongoing love affair with their trams. This happy relationship was put under strain in 2009 when French transport firm Veolia bought the company. Despite fears the new owner would raise prices and scrap the iconic, if dated, design—for a while there was talk of replacing the historic double-decker trams with modern European single-decker models—Hong Kong’s beloved trams continued to trundle on their merry way. Indeed, with three new lines (the first for decades) being proposed (a north Island route connecting Western Market in Sheung Wan with the Wan Chai Convention Centre via the Star Ferry Pier in Central, and separate tracks in the new West Kowloon Cultural District and Kai Tak redevelopment), the future of the trams seems stronger than ever. Like Hong Kongers, you will still have to hurry on board to grab your seat up top.
See: www.hktramways.com
Opening Times 5 am–midnight
Address N.A.
Getting There N.A.
Contact +852 2548 7102; enquiry@hktramways. com; www.hktramways.com
Admission Fee Adult: $2.30. Child (under 12): $1.20
14 Morning Tai Chi Classes
Learn to control your inner chi with these free lessons
While Hong Kong is often associated with Bruce Lee’s famed Jeet Kune Do or the kung fu antics of Jackie Chan, the seemingly serene art of tai chi is arguably the most popular form of martial arts in the territory. Roughly translating as ‘Supreme Ultimate Fist’, tai chi chuan was founded as a series of slow-motion exercises designed to give the practitioner complete control over their body and mind. Today, it is practised the world over for the same reasons, promoted for its ability to relieve stress, health benefits, and, if necessary, self-defence. Regarding the latter, the basic precept of tai chi is to meet force with softness (yang with yin), letting the attacker tire themselves out with their own movement. These days, though, tai chi is more on a par with yoga and pilates than karate or judo, and is practised worldwide as a form of active meditation and way to keep fit, especially among the older generation. No matter what your age, you too can try this ancient art form while in Hong Kong under the direction of experts. Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the Tourism Board holds free morning classes in two dramatic locations: at the viewing platform on top of The Peak Tower and along the Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) waterfront (advance registration is essential; call the Hong Kong Tourism Hotline on 2508 1234). Commencing at 8 am and lasting an hour, these sessions are an excellent way to learn about this ancient art as well as an opportunity to explore two of the city’s most interesting areas. If you choose to sign up for the TST class, take a late morning walk afterwards along the Avenue of Stars. Hong Kong’s answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, this waterfront walk is home to the hand prints of Jackie Chan and a life-size statue of Bruce Lee.
Opening Times Mon, Wed & Fri: 8 am–9 am
Address Sculpture Court (in front of the Hong Kong Museum of Art), Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Getting There MTR East Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Exit J. Walk for approximately 10 minutes until you reach the museum. From the Star Ferry pier at Tsim Sha Tsui, walk for around 10 minutes until you reach the museum
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily); www.discoverhongkong.com
Admission Fee Free
15 Dolphin Watching
Meet the SAR’s wildest inhabitants—pink dolphins
As with much of the city’s wildlife (cows? really?), people are unlikely to believe you when you tell them that Hong Kong is home to wild dolphins, pink ones at that. Yet it is, though the dolphins are endangered because of threats to their habitat and feeding grounds. Officially known as the Chinese White Dolphin, in Cantonese slang the mammal is called hoi tuen, or sea pig. Despite their name, pink dolphins are actually born with dark skin, which gradually turns grey and then white as they age; the reddish colouration is a result of blood vessels close to the skin, which help the animals regulate their internal temperature. While the exact number of pink dolphins in the Pearl River Delta is unknown, scientists estimate the total population at no more than a few hundred. Local interest in the pink dolphin has increased dramatically over the last 16 years, since the founding of Hong Kong Dolphinwatch in 1995 first raised awareness of the animals, and the indigenous species was made the official mascot of the 1997 Handover. While local boatmen in places such as Tai O offer speedboat tours, Dolphinwatch offers the only real environmentally minded way to see them, providing a portion of proceeds to the World Wide Fund for Nature, as well as supplying them with information on sightings and photos that assist with research. They also have a ‘Go-Again Guarantee’, where you can join another trip free of charge if you don’t sight a dolphin. Their regular trips include return trip coach transport to the ferry pier, a presentation on the dolphins by experienced guides and free light refreshments on board.
Opening Times Mon–Fri 9 am–6 pm (office hours), trips run every Wed, Fri & Sun
Address 1528A Star House, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon (office)
Getting There Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station, Exit L4, or walk from Star Ferry Pier
Contact +852 2984 1414; info@hkdolphinwatch. com; www.hkdolphinwatch.com
Admission Fee Adult: $380. Child (age 3–11): $190. Child (under 3): $50
16 Harbour Junk Rides
Watch the sunset from the deck of an historic boat
There was a time when Victoria Harbour was full of Chinese junks. Trading vessels could be seen unloading their cargo of Chinese goods for shipment overseas before heading back up the Pearl River under sail to Canton (the former name of Guangzhou) for more. Fishing vessels also sought out this safe anchorage on the South China coast, a refuge from the frequent typhoons as well as an opportunity to take on new supplies. During the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s, fleets of these distinctive boats suddenly appeared as people fled the chaos in Mainland China. Today, however, these unique vessels have completely disappeared from Hong Kong waters (though ‘junk’ is still used as a name for the pleasure vessels that head to the outlying islands on weekends); except for one, that is. Meaning ‘Clever Duck’ in Cantonese, the Duk Ling is a 50-year-old junk that was once used by Chinese fisherman, and has appeared on screen in films such as Around the World in 80 Days and Taipan. Its iconic outline (a stylized version is used as the logo of the Hong Kong Tourism Board) is unmistakable as it carries passengers on cruises around the harbour and further afield to Lamma and Po Toi. While trips can be booked at any time of the day, nothing can quite match watching the sunset over the city skyline as you sit back on the wooden deck of this ancient craft. To experience a more Western approach to sailing, you might want instead to try riding the waves on board The Bounty, a tall masted vessel that starred in the 1983 film of the same name starring Mel Gibson as mutineer Fletcher Christian. The only such European tall ship in Hong Kong waters, it can often be seen travelling between Central and Lantau.
www.dukling.com.hk, www.thebounty.com.hk
Opening Times Mon–Fri 9 am-6 pm (office hours)
Address 17/E Neich Tower, 128 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Getting There N.A.
Contact Duk Ling: +852 2573 5282; charter@dukling.com.hk; www.dukling.com.hk
Admission Fee N.A.
17 The Avenue of Stars
See the stars along this homage to cinematic icons
Hollywood has its Walk of Fame, Hong Kong has its Avenue of Stars (www.avenueofstars.com.hk). Inspired by the legendary stretch of sidewalk outside Mann’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, USA, the New World Group paid $40 million to construct a Hong Kong replica along the boardwalk it owned on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. Upon completion, the stretch was handed over to the Hong Kong Government and made public property. The decision about who gets to have their hand prints immortalized in concrete rests with the Hong Kong Film Awards Association. To date, more than 100 local actors and doyens of the film industry have been accorded the honour, including movie moguls Sir Run Run Shaw of Shaw Studios, and Raymond Chow, founder of Golden Harvest, which launched the careers of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Hong Kong’s two most famous martial artists can be found further along the avenue (a life-size statue of Lee with the harbour in the background is a popular photo opportunity), alongside fellow actors Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li, Gong Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Chow Yun-fat and Andy Lau, as well as the ‘Four Heavenly Kings’, namely Andy Lau, Leon Lai, Aaron Kwok and Jackie Cheung. The city’s most famous directors are here too, including John Woo, Tsui Hark and Wong Kar Wai. For any fan of Hong Kong cinema, the Avenue of Stars is a must-see attraction, but even if you’re not familiar with many of the names, the waterfront walk is a pleasant way to take in the dramatic city skyline, especially at night if you’re there when the Symphony of Lights begins (8 pm daily). This visual spectacular involves almost 70 buildings on both sides of the harbour being lit up by lasers and searchlights in a coordinated light show. It makes for a sparkling end to a star-packed day.
