Interesting places in Hong Kong:

Hong Kong Island		Kowloon, Hong Kong
Victoria Harbour 維多利亞港		Tsim Sha Tsui 尖沙咀
Yau Tsim Mong District		Reclamation Area of Central & Wanchai (新填地)
九龍城區		黃大仙區
Victoria Peak 太平山 (香港) 山頂		Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden
Kwun Tong District　（觀塘區）		Hong Kong Park
Tsuen Wan		Shatin
Lamma Island, Hong Kong		Central Ferry Piers
The Peak Tower / 凌霄閣		Tsing Yi (青衣)
Star Ferry Pier, Kowloon		Hong Lam Court
Academic Building		官涌山
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 香港理工大學		Cheung Chau Island
Peak Tower

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (Traditional Chinese: �������� pronunciation) is one of the two ) is one of the two special administrative regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the other being Macau. The territory, comprising over 260 islands, is commonly known as Hong Kong (Chinese: �), but was often written Hongkong in older English texts. The Hong Kong Government officially changed the name of Hongkong to Hong Kong on 3 September 1926.^ In Chinese, it means "The Fragrant Harbour," and it has also been called "The Pearl of the Orient," "The Gateway to the East."

The skyline of Hong Kong is one of the best in the world. See the stunning skyline from .

Guided Walk

Hong Kong Tourism Board offers many free walking tours, including Nature Kaleidoscope Walk and Architecture Walk.

Victoria Peak

Get a stunning view of Hong Kong Island on the with the giant, Wok shaped Peak Tower. Within the building are shops, restaurants, museums, and viewing points. The Peak Tram runs from Central to the bottom of the Peak Tower.

Horse Racing

The racing season runs from September to June, during which time meetings take place twice weekly, the location alternating between Shatin in the and Happy Valley near . Of these, Happy Valley is the more convenient and more impressive location, although live races only take place here on Wednesday night. For only $10 entrance fee, a night in Happy Valley can be filled with entertainment. Get a local Chinese gambler to explain the betting system to you and then drink the cheap draft beer! Be sure to pick up the Racing Post section in the South China Morning Post on Wednesday to guide you. A 'beer garden' with racing commentary in English available at Happy Valley near the finish line, and many expatriates congregate here during the races. One good tip, take along your passport and you can get in at tourist rate of 1 HKD.

Local life

The most effective way to know how Hong Kong people live is to experience the local life of an ordinary Hong Kong resident.

Go visit a public housing estate and a private one in a row, you witness the difference of rich and poor; go visit a fresh food market and a larger supermarket called "superstore", you witness struggle between small retailers and corporations; go visit one of the small shopping malls in Mongkok, you witness teenagers spend their pocket money on overpriced sneakers and youth fashion.

Just wander and observe - and don't worry - most areas in town are quite safe.

Traditional heritage

There are many traditional heritage locations throughout the territory.

• in Tin Shui Wai,
• in Kowloon City,
• in
• in the
• in the Sha Tin,
• in the
• Temple of Ten Thousand Buddha's Located 5 minute walk from Shatin KCR station. This is one of the best temples to visit in Hong Kong. There are over 12,000 buddha and you can usually see monkeys. There is also a pagoda that you can climb. If you are hungry before you climb the large number of stairs there is also a very delicious hot pot restaurant on the way. Although, at the top of the hill there are also amazing vegetarian spring rolls.

.

• Stilt houses in Tai O (aka Hong Kong Venice) -- to have a taste of traditional fishing village.
• Po Lin Monastery and the Tien Tan Buddha Statue on Ngong Ping, which can now be accessed by riding on the Ngong Ping Cable Car that takes you to the massive golden buddha on Lantau Island. A 20-25 minute ride on the Cable Car with a fantastic view of the island and a great way addition to this already amazing trip.

Museums

There are a variety of in Hong Kong with different themes, but to be honest, the people on the streets seem to offer more insights than the exhibits in most of these government-run museums.

One exception is the which gives an excellent overview of Hong Kong's fascinating history. Not the typical pots-behind-glass format of museum you find elsewhere in China. Innovative galleries such as a mock-up of a colonial era street make the history come to life. Allow about 2 hours to view everything in detail.

Nature

Hong Kong is not all skyscrapers, and itis worthwhile to go to the countryside (over 70% of Hong Kong), including the and .

• is twice as big as Hong Kong island and is well worth checking out if you want to get away from the bright lights and pollution of the city for a spell. Here you will find open countryside, traditional fishing villages, secluded beaches, monasteries and more. You can hike, camp, fish and mountain bike, amongst other activities.

• The Sai Kung peninsula is also a worthwhile place to visit. Its mountainous terrain and spectacular coastal scenery make this a special place. If you like challenging routes, try going to Sharp Peak (Nam She Tsim in Cantonese). Sharp Peak is famous for its steep slope with a height of more than 400m. The view from the top is fantastic. For a more relaxed route, try to walk along Section 2 of Maclehose Trail.

• is a relaxing park set amidst an ecological mitigation area. One can stroll along a network of board walks built over the marshy area and watch birds from a tower. The park also features a large visitors centre/museum. The museum has many interactive exhibits ideal for children, as well as some live animal habitats. To visit, take KCR West Rail to Tin Shui Wai Station, then the #705 light rail to Wetland Park. The park is pushchair and wheelchair friendly.

• North East New Territories is also famous for its natural environment. Yan Chau Tong Marine Park is located in the North East New Territories. A few traditional abandoned villages are connected with hiking trails in the territory. North East New Territories is one of the famous hiking hot spot for the locals.

• Short hiking trails (2 hours) can be found on Hong Kong Island and the New Territories.

• For further information, please visit the homepage of .

Theme parks

• opened on September 12, 2005. It is on and may be reached via the MTR Disneyland Resort Line from Sunny Bay Station. (Note that, to get to Disneyland from the HK Airport, you must make two connections, the first at Tsing Yi and the second at Sunny Bay.) Though smaller in size than other Disney parks elsewhere, it does offer some great attractions ("Festival of the Lion King" stage show, "Golden Mickey's" stage show, "Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D" show) and very short queues most of the year (except the week of Chinese New Year). Disneyland has not been as successful as anticipated and reports in the indicate that it has failed to reach its visitor numbers by as much as one million people. It's not all bad, though - a second theme park should open next door in the near future.

• is on the . With roller coasters and large aquarium altogether, it's still packed on weekends with families and tourists after opening to the public for 30 years. The cablecar is an icon and an essential link between the two parts of the park. The views of the South China Sea from the car is always terrific. It would be fair to say that many local people would choose Ocean Park if they had to pick a single theme park to attend. For many, the chance to see Hong Kong's pandas would be a deciding factor. Young adults will be attracted to the wider range of rides.

Seeing different sides of Hong Kong by Public Transport

Travelling on a bus or a tram is ideal for looking at different sides of Hong Kong. Not only it is cheap to ride on a bus or a tram, it also allows you to see completely different lifestyles in different districts in a short time. Below are some recommended routes.

Bus

• starts from the downtown in Jordan. It goes along Peninsular and heads through the . Then it goes into Sha Tin new town. Afterwards it goes through Tai Po Road, where you can see many traditional Chinese villages and the sceneric Chinese University of Hong Kong. The bus further goes to Tai Po and you can see the traditional Market. After Tai Po, the bus again passes through the countryside and eventually reaches its terminus at Sheung Shui (below Landmark North), which is near the Hong Kong - Shenzhen boundary. The journey takes 105 minutes and costs $8.20 for the whole journey with a traditional non air-conditioned bus.

• starts from Central (Exchange Square) to The Peak. It is an alternative way for getting to The Peak by bus rather than by Peak Tram. Your journey to Hong Kong will not be complete unless you have visited the Victoria Peak. You can see the beautiful view of Hong Kong Island, Victoria Habour and Kowloon Peninsula along the Stubbs road during the journey. When you arrive, there are two shopping malls: The Peak Tower and The Peak Galleria, which provide restaurants, a supermarket, and souvenir shops for your convenience. In addition, is temporarily closed for renovation, and it may be re-opened in May 2006. Direction: you can take MTR and get off at Hong Kong station. You can approach Hong Kong station by the underpass from Central station. After that, follow the exit B1 to Exchange Square and you will see the bus terminus. You can also get off at Admiralty station. Then, follow the C1 exit toward Queensway Plaza. The bus stop is located at the motorway beside Admiralty Garden. After you get in the bus, just stay on until it arrives to The Peak bus terminus. The bus fare is $9.2 and it takes about 30 minutes for the journey.

• starts from the Tsim Sha Tsui East Bus Terminus which is located at the Concordia Plaza, which is directly opposite the Science Museum at Science Museum Road. It goes along Salisbury Road, where the Avenu of the Stars, The Space Museum and the HK Art Museum is located. Later it goes to Hong Kong University, which is the most prominent and the oldest university in Hong Kong after crossing the Western Harbour Crossing. It later pass through the country side of the southern part of Hong Kong . It will reach the Hong Kong southern side, where the is located at Aberdeen. Not long after, the bus past through a football field, which is a 5-10 minutes walk to the Ocean Park. Finally, the bus past through the beautiful sandy beach of Repulse Bay, before it actually arrive its terminus station at Stanley Village, where the famous and the Stanley Village Market is located. The fare is HK$13 and it takes about 95 minutes for the journey.

Tram

• Take a tram journey on .

The tram system refers to , a slow yet special form of transport running on Hong Kong Island. It, has been operating since 1904 and is an obvious relic of the British administration. A trip on a tram is a perfect way to have a leisurely tour around Hong Kong Island's major streets and to have a glimpse to the locals life. Fares are relatively cheap, 2 HK dollars per trip for adult and 1 HK dollar for Senior citizens (age 65 or older)and children

It is recommended to ride from as far as in the west, to as far as in the east, in order to get a strong contrast of "East meets West" and "Old meets New".

A new, modern, tram system operates in the north west New Territories and serves New Towns between Yuen Long and Tuen Mun. Few tourists will be inspired by these trams but they may appeal to trainspotters.

Avenue of the Stars and A Symphony of Lights

Hong Kong's version of Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Avenue of the Stars celebrates the icons of Hong Kong cinemas past century. The seaside promenade is also offers fantastic views day and night of the Hong Kong harbour and skyline. The Avenue can be reached from the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station or the Star Ferry.

The Avenue of the Stars is also a great place to see , a spectacular light and laser show syncronized to music and staged every night at 8:00pm. This is the world's "Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show" as recognized by the Guinness World Records. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the light show is in English. On the other nights, it is in Cantonese. However, whilst it is not such a big deal, during festival times the light show is supplemented by fireworks that are worth seeing.

Top photos chosen by u all:

Peak View (Hong Kong)
Made by CarbonSilver (gbenz)
There’s a tram that’s been taking passengers up the steep incline to the fabulous view from the top of Victoria Peak (aka, “The Peak”) since 1888. I, in my infinite wisdom, chose to hike from Victoria Bay (1400 feet below in humid 90 degree heat). Thankfully, I brought a hand towel from the hotel to blot the sweat from my forehead before my glasses are so wet I can’t see. After all this hiking, the last thing I expected to find was a shopping complex including multiple restaurants, 2 shopping malls, and even a large grocery store. But this is Hong Kong. My feet are killing me, and I haven’t eaten since breakfast, so I decide to sit down for a beer and some Indian curry while watching the view below. There’s a table outside where I can cool off without looking too obnoxious in my sweaty state. The wind is blowing about 20MPH up here, and it feels great to start drying off. In the picture above, you see the towering metropolis of Hong Kong Island, then Victoria Bay, and across it is the Kowloon Peninsula. I’d say there are several things about Hong Kong that really blow my mind, and you can get a sense of many of them in this picture… First is the sheer number of people is astounding (similar to Chicago, but it just feels much, much more crowded). Every other street feels about as packed as Chicago’s Magnificent Mile on a sunny Saturday. The second thing that really gets me is the air quality is horrendous. The first day I got here, the pollution was so bad that you couldn’t see the tops of the tallest buildings and the sun was literally blotted out of the sky for most of the day. Granted there’s a bit of moisture in the air, but a lot of it is pollution. The picture here is my third day in HK., the humidity is only about 50%, and you can still see a dense haze. You may notice many bright colors on the buildings. At 8pm every night begins a light show (the “Symphony of Lights“) that is the biggest in the world (according to Guiness). The fact that Disney put a theme park here is both unsurprising and completely redundant at the same time. Hong Kong feels like a big Disneyland merged with a financial hub merged with an Asian megalopolis. The tall buildings you see in the foreground are Hong Kong Island. The buildings further (beyond the river) are the Kowloon peninsula. What you can’t see is that these sorts of buildings are scattered all around various parts of Hong Kong. It’s amazing how many tall buildings there are here. Land is quite dear.


Victoria Harbour
Made by MASON(alex555)
EXPLORE For the project in Melbourne, Australia, see Melbourne Docklands. For the harbour of Victoria, British Columbia, see Victoria Harbour (British Columbia). Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea was instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent development as a trading centre. Throughout its history, the harbour has seen numerous reclamation projects undertaken on both shores, but still retains its founding role as a port for thousands of international vessels each year. Long famous for its spectacular views, the harbour is a major tourist attraction of Hong Kong. Lying in the middle of the territory's dense urban region, the harbour is the site of annual fireworks displays and its promenades are popular gathering places for tourists and residents. 維多利亞港（Victoria Harbour），簡稱維港，係香港嘅香港島同九龍之間嘅海港。由於港闊水深，係天然嘅好港口，香港亦都因為噉而有「東方之珠」[1]、「世界三大天然良港」[2]同埋「世界三大夜景」[3]嘅美譽。東起鯉魚門，西面海界就由青衣島去到香港島。中間尖沙嘴到中環之間就比較窄。 維多利亞港個名係英國人紀念英女皇維多利亞（Victoria）而起。而個港亦響正香港首府維多利亞城嘅北面。未起名維多利亞港之前，英文就叫Harbour of Hongkong或者Hongkong Harbour，即係香港之港咁解。 初期維多利亞港西界無咁遠，只係包括香港島北角，九龍紅磡到昂船洲嘅水域。


Hong Kong Nightscape
Made by EricK_1968
Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港; pinyin: Xiānggǎng; Cantonese Yale: Hēunggóng), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south. Hong Kong is a global metropolis and international financial centre with a highly developed capitalist economy. Under the one country, two systems policy and according to Basic Law, it has a high degree of autonomy in all areas except foreign affairs and defence, which are the responsibility of the PRC Government. Hong Kong maintains its own currency, legal system, political system, immigration control, rule of the road and other aspects that concern its way of life, many of which are distinct from mainland China. Beginning as a trading port, Hong Kong became a crown colony of the United Kingdom in 1842. It was reclassified as a British dependent territory in 1983 until the transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997. Renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour, its identity as a cosmopolitan centre where the East meets the West is reflected in its cuisine, cinema, music and traditions. The city's population is 95% Han ethnicity and 5% other. With a population of 7 million people and a land area of 1,054 km2 (407 sq mi), Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Source: wikipedia


A vertigo sunset...
Made by jazzpic
With the risk of becoming boring by uploading the same kind of pics all the time, here's another fisheye vertigo one. I really could not just leave it on my desktop ;-)) This one is taken only a few minutes later than the previous one......I like the more dark sky, the additional lights on the buildings and the reflections...... I hope you like it too! 4 skyscrapers out of the famous Hong Kong skyline in a different perspective. I put my fisheye lens on and put the camera flat on it's back on a beanbag. I took a whole series while turning the camera 360 degrees. The results were really cool ...... See more Hong Kong skylines See more Hong Kong sunsets here


Festival of Lights
Made by Steve Webel
The lights are part of the Symphony of Lights which the city of Hong Kong puts on nightly. The detail in the buildings looks pretty cool in the . As you may have noticed, the composition is identical to the previous photo in my photostream - I took both of these on the same night. This one is from later in the evening, the other is from dusk. http://photographer.stevewebel.com --- Camera: Minolta DYNAX 5D Exposure: 10 sec (10) Aperture: f/8 Focal Length: 35 mm ISO Speed: 100 Exposure Bias: 3/10 EV --- I would love to have feedback on this photo. (Please add any approapriate tags to this photo!)


homes and doors
Made by * andrew
shun lee public estate, hongkong - nowaday, it's not easy to get into any public estate's houses(buildings) because main gates have been installed for security reason. in fact, most of internal views of each building are quite interesting. it truly reflects hongkong's culture, history and living. however, there's not open for public access. This shot is dedicated to former Governor Sir Murray Maclehose who was mapped out and rolled out the policy of public estate in hong kong. He really did a lot of great contribution to Hong Kong while he was the Governor of Hong Kong. contax t3 @ f/2.8, fujifilm fujicolor superia reala 100


City At Night
Made by BarneyF
View Large On White Hong Kong, taken from The Peak. I've got back from a 5 night holiday to Hong Kong. This was one of the must take photo's from the trip. I got to the viewing platform at the top of the peak above Hong Kong and found my tripod was too short to get a view over ther glass sides. This was taken with the camera tripod balanced on top of the railings so the aperature had to be wide to keep the exposure time down. This version will probably get changed after I've had some sleep and I've reprocessed it. No HDR processed from a single raw in CS3


Hong Kong Gets Ready to Party!
Made by Steve Webel
I was excited to have another clear day (there is an approaching typhoon, so I guess the smog / pollution has been blown away!), however I was disappointed there were not any clouds to add contrast in the sky. I think the colors in the sky came out pretty nice! The detail in the buildings looks pretty cool in the . http://photographer.stevewebel.com --- Camera: Minolta DYNAX 5D Exposure: 10 sec (10) Aperture: f/9 Focal Length: 35 mm ISO Speed: 100 Exposure Bias: 3/10 EV --- I would love to have feedback on this photo. (Please add any approapriate tags to this photo!)


Tin Kau and Tsing Ma Bridges after sunset
Made by jazzpic
Watch it LARGE! Today the weather was much more friendly for sunset pictures....Unfortunately so was I to a lot of mosquitoes.....which have been feeding on me while I had to stand still for long exposures. Two days ago I took the same shot and I had to HDR process it to show it. This is all natural light...I upped the levels a bit and cleaned some dust spots (I desperately need to clean my sensor any time soon!).... Hope you like it...I will have some more in the coming days... See my other Tsing Ma Bridge pictures See my other Hong Kong sunset pictures here


stormy symphony
Made by Farl
Unlike most pics that I regularly see on Hong Kong's popular Symphony of Lights laser show, this one is different as the heavy storm clouds persistently blanketed the skies. We could hardly see the laser beams because of the torrential rain and the overcast conditions. Still, there is no want of colors in the harbor which enveigle just about everyone. the Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong, as seen from the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront more stories and pics in Hong Kong’s Symphony of Lights in colloidfarl.blogspot.com