Travel to Hong Kong

As the economic and financial center in East Asia, Hong Kong enjoys all the benefits of a dynamic and vibrant metropolis. Hong Kong however still captures the romance and mystery of days gone by in the markets and lanes where East meets West. In addition to its impressive modernity, Hong Kong has many accessible beaches and natural sights for outdoor lovers. Lantua Island for example, provides a relaxing atmosphere for a holiday break.

#One: Hong Kong Park

Hong Kong Park is a small public city park on Hong Kong Island in Central. It is surrounded on one side by the skyscrapers and on the other side by Victoria Peak. But in the small 8 hectare (20 square acres) space between Cotton Tree Drive and Kennedy Road, the Hong Kong Provisional Urban Council and the Hong Kong Jockey Club opened this park in 1991. It is free and attracts a million visits a year. In the big garden is a pond that covers a former tennis court, waterfalls or rapids and several important facilities including a sports facility, a big aviary, museums, a plant conservatory and a children's playground. 

The park has won several awards including one from the United State Urban Services Department for its excellent design and facilities in the crowded urban area. The aviary is a walk through aviary. This means that you can walk on a walkway through the tree canopy so that you can see the birds flying around inside up close. The little Hong Kong Park has a lot of interesting attractions crammed into it and is a major highlight of a visit to Hong Kong Island.

#Two: Avenue of Stars


The Avenue of Stars is basically a sidewalk on the shore of Hong Kong's Victoria Bay that is modeled after the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The sidewalk and pedestrian area has the handprints and signatures of famous Hong Kong actors such as Jackie Chan and metal sculptures of Hong Kong actors or film industry figures such as Bruce Lee. It stretches for about 440 meters along the shoreline, and there are benches and decorative plants. 

To keep people from falling into the ocean below, there is a metal handrail along the sidewalk. Some local people go there to enjoy the sight of the bay and the passing ships, jog, and enjoy the harbor air, and tourists go to see the light show at night and to take photographs. This sidewalk attracts a lot of mainland Chinese. You can see most of the tall buildings on Hong Kong Island here, and at night as part of the light show, music and dialogue are played.

#Three: Man Mo Temple

It is the oldest temple in Hong Kong in the Mid-levels area of Hong Kong Island. It is half the way up Victoria Peak. In the temple, two idols are worshiped, the God of Literature and the God of War. It was built in 1847. People go to the Man Mo temples in China to pray for success in examinations or in their academic or literary endeavors. They also go to Man Mo temples to settle disputes. A bronze bell there was also made in 1847. Though it has been often renovated, the original appearance is preserved, and it is visited by lots of people.

It is said that the ceremony for settling disputes between people of cutting off a chicken's head and burning yellow paper originated during the Qing dynasty. In this ceremony, in order to avoid going to court, people invoke the gods to punish people who don't perform the vows that they publicly make in the ceremony.

#Four: Hong Kong Aberdeen

Aberdeen Harbor is on the southern side of Hong Kong Island. It is on the other side of Victoria Peak from the main Hong Kong urban area. Aberdeen is the largest town on Hong Kong Island outside the main urban area, and the harbor was famous as the place where the Hong Kong boat people lived in the 1960s and 1970s. Movies such as a James Bond movie and a Bruce Lee movie were filmed there, so the harbor is recognized world wide. 

Now, the harbor area is mainly an anchorage for the yachts and pleasure boats of the Hong Kong suburban dwellers in the area. But there are still some famous floating restaurants and local fisherman using the bay, so it is a place to go for seafood on a boat and to see the scenery and the area tourist destinations like Hong Kong Ocean Park.

#Five: Victoria Peak

Victoria Peak is the highest peak in Hong Kong Island with an altitude of 554 meters and has been considered as a landmark of the island. It is the best spot to have a bird's eye view of the Victoria Harbor and the whole thriving island. Viewed from the peak, the scenes are different between day time and night. At day time, you can see high and crowded buildings and the busy Victoria Harbor. 

At night, lit up by colorful lights, the whole scene is dazzling as a fairly-tale world. The best spot to enjoy the scene is the Peak Tower and the Lion Kiosk beside the peak tram terminal. To reach the Victoria Peak, you can take the peak tram which was put into service in 1888. Its steepest point has an angle of 27 degree which definitely can give you an unforgettable experience. Recommended Hong Kong Travel, Hong Kong attractions and Tours to Hong Kong.

The Special Administrative Region of China - Hong Kong is a magnificent tourist destination, located on the Pearl River Delta, in the northern province of Guangdong. The major hub of finance and trade - Hong Kong boasts of a liberal economy. History has it that the area was once a colony of the Britain till 1984, when the British handed it over again to China. Al though, a part of China, the region maintains and enjoys a free market. Attractions in the area range from breathtaking cityscapes, mysterious temples, and colonial buildings to superb museums, parks, and gardens. Most revered as well as the oldest temple in the city is the Man Mo Temple, which is devoted to the deities of literature and war.

Found inside the temple are a range of figurines, depicting other deities. Further, the temple is believed to have been once served as the local court of law. Another prominent temple in the city is Wong Tai Sin Temple - a Taoist shrine, which is much famed across the South East Asian, European, and American countries. Built in traditional-style Chinese architecture, the temple's highlights are grand red pillars, golden roof ornamented with blue friezes, yellow latticework, and colorful carvings. Apart from these, Hong Kong is home to more than 400 Buddhist temples, such as the Chi Lin Nunnery and Po Lin Monastery.

No visit to the region would be complete without taking a tour to the Victoria Peak, also known as the Peak, featuring the oldest mode of public transport - The Peak Tram, which is in operation since 1888. The Peak Tram is considered the fastest way to reach the Peak. The Peak's attractions also cover the Peak Tower - a shopping center with an impressive terrace, from where one can enjoy the magnificent views of whole of the Hong Kong Island. Housed within the Peak Tower is Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, boasting of more than 100 superb wax likenesses of world leaders, sport people, and other eminent people.

The Giant Buddha is perhaps the most popular of the region's destinations. An outdoor seated statue made of bronze - Giant Buddha is the tallest seated statue in the world. With a height of 34 mt, the statue weighs more than 250 tonnes. In order to reach the statue, one has to climb 268 steps. Ngong Ping 360 -a cable car climbing to the Chinese village of Ngong Ping from Tung Chung - is considered one of the best ways to reach the statue.

Hong Kong is sometimes referred to as the 'Movie Capital of Asia,' with its attractions such as the Avenue of Stars, whose highlights are commemorative plaques, eloquent milestones, handprints of movie celebrities, cabins with movie memorabilia, a soaring Hong Kong Film Awards statuette, and a life-sized statue of Bruce Lee - a well-known kung-fu star.

Other must-see destinations in the area are Disneyland and Ocean Park, providing an eclectic mix of entertainment, education and conservation facilities; Repulse Bay, which is much favored for its sandy beaches and sub-tropical backdrop; and Golden Bauhinia Square, which marks the most prominent occasion in the history of China, ie, the return of Hong Kong by the British and the establishment of the city as the Special Administrative Region on 30 June 1997.

The city is one of the best places to dine in, with an array of restaurants, serving mind-blowing cuisine such as dim sum, tofu, chicken lo mein, oft shell crab meat, Tong Cho oysters, and Peking duck. The city is also a real shopper's paradise, with countless number of shops in such happening areas as Stanley, a coastal area dotted with shops and pubs, and Causeway Bay Hong Kong and Wan Chai Hong Kong.

A unique thing regarding the area is that it has something for everyone. For bird lovers, a visit to the Bird market, selling and showing birds, would be a great option. Likewise, take a tour to the city's fish market, boasting of aquariums with exotic fish varieties. In addition, there are excellent options available for flower lovers, with an expansive flower market, which stand out for its unique selection of flowers and plants. Above all, worth mentioning is the city's vibrant nightlife, which is mostly concentrated around the twin districts of Wan Chai and Lan Kwai Fong.