Things to Do in Hong Kong Sar

One of Hong Kong’s many charms is the variety of experiences in the immediate vicinity of a major international metropolis. As you’re wandering through the sleepy fishing villages or lazing the day away on the sandy beaches of Cheung Chau Island, it’s easy to forget you’re in Hong Kong. But the island offers much more than just pretty beaches and fresh seafood.

This small island -- even smaller than nearby Lantau -- was once a hideout of eighteenth-century Chinese pirate Cheung Po Tsai, who legend says plied the waters of the South China Sea pillaging the fishing villages he passed. Cheung Po Tsai Cave, one of his supposed safe houses, is open for exploration. Elsewhere on the island you’ll find waterfront walks and inland hikes winding past local temples, quiet beaches and lookouts with panoramic views over the South China Sea.

Each year during late April or early May, islanders celebrate the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, one of the more unusual cultural festivals in Asia. Thousands of competitors climb three 60-foot (18-meter) towers covered in steamed buns, trying to collect as many of the buns as possible in a quest to become King or Queen of the Buns. The higher up a bun is, the more it’s worth.

There are dozens of street markets in Mong Kok crowded with vendors selling “designer” purses, cell phones and t-shirts. The most interesting and unique section is down North Tung Choi street: an area colloquially known as Goldfish Street.

As the name implies, the street is devoted to all things with gills.  Here you will find over forty fish shops spilling over with everything from colorful goldfish in ballooning plastic bags to aquariums full of tropical fish. Turtles, lizards and even puppies are also for sale.

Fish are a popular pet in tight-spaced Hong Kong so this area is often crowded and busy. Many sellers are adverse to pictures, but it's fun to just stroll the street and observe the spectacle. The best time to visit is at night when the stores are illuminated and the fish look particularly exotic.

The Avenue of Stars, located on the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, is Hong Kong’s answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hong Kong film industry has enjoyed a long history as the third largest in the world after Hollywood and Bollywood, and as the second largest exporter of movies, many of Hong Kong’s locales and celebrities have become familiar to foreign audiences who’ve never stepped foot in the city.

Along the quarter-mile (440 meter) stretch, you’ll notice a large replica of the statue presented to winners of the Hong Kong Film Awards as well as a bronze statue of Hong Kong’s most famous celebrity, Bruce Lee. Star-shaped plaques inlaid into the promenade contain names and sometimes autographs and handprints of other industry celebrities.

Even if you’re not familiar with the Hong Kong film industry, a visit to the Avenue of Stars will reward you with unobstructed panoramic views of the Hong Kong Island skyline in front of Victoria Peak. It’s also a perfect spot to view the nightly Symphony of Lights performance across the harbor.

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005, the Historic Centre of Macau comprises a zone of culturally significant buildings scattered in the southwestern corner of the Macau peninsula. Easily enjoyed as a half-day or full-day walking tour, the Historic Centre of Macau primarily focuses on the fusion of Portuguese colonialism with traditional Chinese cultural heritage. As an important Far East trading port, Macau has one of the longest-standing histories of European influence found anywhere on the Asian continent. For over 400 years two distinctly different cultures coexisted on a tiny strip of land. During this time both the Chinese as well as Portuguese residents crafted temples, forts, public squares and traditional works of architecture that create what is now the best example of European influence found anywhere on the Asian continent.

Popular stops in the Historic Centre include the 15th century A-Ma Temple, where devotees of this Goddess of seafaring come to burn incense and pray for safe passage. You may also want to climb atop the old walls of Monte Fort where cannons which once defended against invading Dutch sailors now point towards glitzy casinos. Down on the street level the classic, pastel façades of Portuguese buildings give areas such as Senado Square and the Church of St. Dominic a fairytale appearance. Other stops like the Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral show that history isn’t always kind, in that even the grandest of buildings are still susceptible to fire and disaster.

The Macau Historic Centre is easily Macau’s most popular visitor destination (that isn’t a gaming venue), and a stroll through the area is literally a walk through history that is unlike any other in the world.

The flower market is probably the most colorful and definitely the best smelling of the many Mongkok area markets. The vibrant stretch of road houses over 100 specialty shops and flower wholesalers. Here you'll find everything from delicate orchids to hearty cacti as well as scores of flowers, bonsai trees and exotic plants.

It's easy to walk through the market, buy a local bouquet at a reasonable price and take colorful photographs. The best time to visit is the week before the Lunar New Year when the market is extra active with locals buying elaborate good fortune arrangements. You can also combine this with a visit to the adjacent Yuen Po Street Bird Market and Garden.

In 1910, the Kowloon-Canton rail line began service, shuttling passengers between Mainland China and Hong Kong. Five years later, the Clock Tower was erected at what was then the Kowloon Station, where it still stands today. The 144-foot (44-meter) tall red brick and granite structure has since become one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, and a quite meaningful one for Mainlanders who passed through the station on the way to their new lives in Hong Kong and abroad.

Located in Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, the Clock Tower is easily accessible from the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, Avenue of Stars and Star Ferry Pier. If you’re in the Tsim Sha Tsui area, it’s worthwhile stopping by to see one of the city’s Declared Monuments and to do some people watching, as the public area in front of the Clock Tower has turned into a popular hangout among locals.

A former British colony, Hong Kong today is international and cosmopolitan, with diverse influences from China, Britain and beyond. While it is technically part of China, it really operates as its own country, with its own currency, laws and border controls. Vibrant, innovative and ever-changing, it is also one of the busiest deep water harbors in Asia and a prime shopping destination.

How to Get to Hong Kong
Cruise ships dock at the Ocean Terminal in Victoria Harbor, located on the southwestern edge of the Kowloon Peninsula. When you disembark there, you’ll be within easy walking distance of shops, restaurants and many major attractions, as well as the city’s underground transit system.

One Day in Hong Kong
With only one day in Hong Kong, you could easily spend most of your time on the Kowloon Peninsula. However, to see a bit more, start by taking the Star Ferry over to Hong Kong Island.  There, take the Peak Tram funicular railway up to Victoria Peak to enjoy 360 degree views around Hong Kong.  Spend some time along the walking trails that encircle the peak and then make your way back to Kowloon.

Your next stop should be the Hong Kong Museum of History, where you can spend a couple hours perusing innovative exhibits that offer a good look into Hong Kong’s fascinating past.  Other museums of interest include the International Hobby and Toy Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Dialogue in the Dark – a unique exhibition that requires you to explore using your non-visual senses in complete darkness.

Grab lunch and then it’s time to hit one of Hong Kong’s famous markets - the Ladies’ Market on Tung Chi Street, offering clothing, traditional souvenirs and sometimes tacky tchotchkes. From there, you might head to the Tsim Sha Tsui area for more shopping mixed in with colonial buildings and modern high-rises. Or, make your way to the Temple Street Night Market to enjoy a variety of entertaining street performers.

Hong Kong’s public transportation system is one of the most modern and efficient in the world, but for an authentic, street-level tour of old Hong Kong Island, hop on the Ding Ding Tram. These double decker trams got their nickname from the dinging sound used to warn other traffic and pedestrians that the tram is approaching. The bell was replaced by a beeping sound in 2000, but the public vehemently opposed the change, and the “ding ding” sound was shortly reintroduced.

Trams have been ferrying passengers along the streets of Hong Kong since 1904, but the iconic double deckers didn’t show up on the scene until 1912. The modern line makes a loop from Kennedy Town in the west to Shau Kei Wan in the east, passing through some of the island’s oldest neighborhoods. Hong Kong maintains the largest fleet of double decker trams in the world, so you’ll only have to wait a minute or two, and you can pay the inexpensive fare with your octopus card.

The British handed over sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, but cultural vestiges remain. One of the most prevalent is horse racing, and the best place to see it in Hong Kong is at the Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island. The sport has a history in the city dating back to 1841, a pastime of the city’s rich and elite. Today, it’s become somewhat of a local passion.

Racing season lasts from September through July, with races typically taking place on Wednesday nights. Horse racing is the only legal form of gambling in Hong Kong, and you’ll find thousands of spectators betting on the horses at the track, while thousands more place bets at Jockey Club offices around the city.

Before the races, head up to the second floor of the facility to learn about the history of the sport at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Archive and Museum. Exhibits trace the migration routes and origins of the racing horses used, display a skeleton of one of Hong Kong’s most winning horses and hosts rotating themes exhibits throughout the year.