| China Destination Guide: HongKong |
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Main Tour Attractions in
HongKong
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak, elevation 550 m (1,805 ft) above sea level, is the highest point of Hong Kong Island and makes a good outlook for an impressive panoramic view of Hong Kong, especially the central Hong Kong - the business district, Victoria Harbor, and Kowloon on the other side of the bay. This can be done either during the day or in the evening, or at both times, for different effects. The viewing platform, Peak Tower, is a multifunctional buidling with shops, bars, restaurants, and amusement facilities, including Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, where the wax likeness of over a hundred famous figures – Chinese and Western - can be seen. Visitors can reach Peak Tower by taking a bus, a cab, or the funicular tram – Peak Tram - that climbs up the mountainside. The Peak Tower is not on the very top of the mountain; the real summit is about 15 minutes’ walk further up from the viewing platform.
Star Ferry
How do you view from below the skyline of a city that spreads out on a waterfront? You get on a boat. In Hong Kong an inexpensive way to do this is to take a ride on the Star Ferry. A passenger ferry service that has been in place since 1880s, Star Ferry has been a fixture of the Hong Kong scene. It links Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, and its most popular route is the one between Central on the Hong Kong side and Tsim Sha Tsui that is part of Kowloon. As their ferry boat plows its way across Victoria Harbor (the voyage lasts but ten minutes), passengers can take in the coastal views of Hong Kong and Kowloon as well as the traffic on the water. So, even though today there are means of transportation between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon – subway train, for instance - Star Ferry remains popular, among locals and overseas tourists alike.
Stanley Market
Stanley Market is where a tourist can do his or her share of bargain shopping in Hong Kong. Located on the southern side of Hong Kong Island, Stanley has become from a small fishing village to a must-visit place for travelers who like shopping for goodies such as clothing and accessories and want to get Oriental gifts and souvenirs for their relatives and friends back home. The locals often show up too, partly to enjoy the delicious food offered by the restaurants at this waterfront spot. Most shops and stalls are located on Stanley New Street and Stanley Market Road, although there is plenty of shopping to do too in the nearby Murray House. Murray House is an old colonial building – it was originally constructed in 1844. It used to be located in Central, which is on the northern side of the island; in 1982 the building had to be dismantled to make room for a new skyscraper, the Bank of China Tower. The stone blocks and other pieces were put in storage and then reassembled in 1998, according to the old design, except for the fact that now the building is located in Stanley. In Murray house there is a small museum that presents the history of this brand-new old building.
Aberdeen Harbor
The Scottish name not withstanding, Aberdeen is an old fishing village of Hong Kong. Back in the middle of the 19th century, at the time when Hong Kong just became a British colony, close to one-third of Hong Kong Island’s residents live in this area. Even today, many fishing families continued to live on their junks, and the sight of hundreds of floating homes, against the background of modernized Hong Kong, has become a tourist attraction. You can hire a sampan along with a boat operator to cruise around the harbor and observe this quaint way of life. Afterward, if you want to try out some fresh seafood, you can go to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, which docks nearby and has the capacity to serve 2,300 diners at the same time.
Hong Kong’s Ocean Park is also located in Aberdeen.
Ocean Park
Ocean Park is an amusement theme park. It is located in the Southern District of Hong Kong, on the southern side of Hong Kong Island. Opened in 1977, the park occupies 200 acres of land and offers over 40 attractions/activities, among them Great Panda Habitat, Butterfly House, Atoll Reef, Shark Aquarium, and Ocean Theater where you can watch live animal shows – dolphins and more. There are also numerous rides to take at the park - Mine Train, Dragon Roller Coaster, Flying Swing, Eagle and Abyss Turbo Drop – the last let you experience the sensation of sudden falling from the height of a 20-story building. The park is divided into a lowland section and a headland section, which are linked by a cable car system. The eight-minute cable-car ride, in addition to getting you from one section of the park to the other, also provides a wonderful view of the nearby area - Repulse Bay, Aberdeen, and South China Sea. Next to Ocean Park there is Middle Kingdom, a make-believe village in which the past of China is presented, with ancient palaces, pagodas, street scenes, as well as folk art and craft demonstrations. Overall Ocean Park is a nice place for family entertainment and recreation.
Man Mo Temple
Man Mo Temple well illustrates popular religious devotion and communal life in Hong Kong. This temple, located in Tai Po, Kowloon, was erected in 1891 by local villagers. “Man Mo” is Cantonese pronunciation for the two Chinese characters meaning “civil” and “martial” respectively. This refers to the fact that the temple enshrines the deities that oversee these two sides of human life. Architecturally the temple is of the traditional Chinese style, enclosed by walls, with a main hall in the back, where the deities reside. The communal nature of the temple can be seen in that used to provide accommodation for travelers who went through the area, and up till the 1950s, the temple also served a public meeting place for the local residents. Man Mo Temple is located in Tai Po, Kowloon.
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