Activities
Art galleries and exhibitions
The Hong Kong Museum of Art houses the territory’s largest collection of traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. A wider variety of work is displayed in the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin. As well as traditional Asian paintings and sculptures, the museum has held exhibitions on subjects as diverse as poster art and Tibetan treasures. Local artists and photographers showcase their work in temporary exhibitions at the Hong Kong Arts Centre and the Fringe Club. There are also dozens of small commercial art galleries, mainly concentrated around Hollywood Road in Central.
City Hall
5 Edinburgh Place, Central
Tel: 2921 2840
2 Lower Albert Road, Central
Tel: 2521 7251
Open Mon–Sat noon–10pm.
Hong Kong Arts Centre
2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai
Tel: 2582 0200
Open 8am–11pm daily.
Hong Kong Heritage Museum
1 Man Lam Road, Sha Tin
Tel: 2180 8188
Open Mon, Wed–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat–Sun 10am–7pm.
Hong Kong Museum of Art
10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2721 0116
Open Mon–Wed, Fri 10am–6pm, Sat–Sun 10am–7pm.
University Museum and Art Gallery
94 Bonham Road, Mid-Levels
Tel: 2241 5500
Open Mon–Sat 9.30am–6pm, Sun 1–6pm.
What’s on listings
Listings and reviews are given in the freely distributed HK Magazine, available in many bars and cafés. The fortnightly Time Out Hong Kong also has listings for Macau. See “The Planner” pages in the South China Morning Post for cinema and arts listings every day. The tourism websites have calendars of events and festivals – try www.discoverhongkong.com and www.macautourism.gov.mo.
Commercial galleries
Connoisseur Art Gallery
1 Hollywood Road, Central
Tel: 2868 5358
Open Mon–Sat 10.30am–7pm, Sun noon–6pm.
Schoeni Art Gallery
21–31 Old Bailey Street, Central
Tel: 2869 8802
Open Mon–Sat 10.30am–6.30pm.
Good collection of contemporary Asian artists.
Wattis Fine Art
2/F, 20 Hollywood Road, Central
Tel: 2524 5302
Open Tue–Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 1pm–5pm.
Specialises in historical paintings, prints and maps.
Macau
The severe, steely grey building of the Macau Museum of Art has five floors of exhibition space, mainly given over to traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy and ceramics, but there is also room for international visiting exhibitions. For an overview of Macau’s art scene, there is a useful website at www.macauart.net.
Macau Museum of Art
Avda Xian Xing Hai
Tel: 8791 9814
Open 10am–6.30pm.
Tap Seac Gallery
95 Avda Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida
Tel: 2836 6866
Open daily 10am–7pm.
Guangzhou
Gallery of Guangzhou Painting Academy
3 Zhongshan San Lu
Tel: 8384 3949
Open Tue–Sun 10am–5pm.
Guangdong Museum of Art
38 Yan Yu Lu, Ersha Island
Tel: 8735 1468
Open Tue–Sun 9am–5pm.
Concerts
Classical
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra perform regularly when they are not on world tour. Alongside the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Western and Asian visiting orchestras, they hold concerts at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and urban theatres. Recitals (sometimes free) are held at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Hong Kong University’s historic Loke Yew Hall (www.hku.hk/music).
Pop, rock etc.
Despite the lack of a world-class concert venue, Hong Kong periodically attracts some big-name acts from the world of pop, rock and jazz, as well as many legendary stars on money-spinning world tours. Muse, Elton John, Bob Dylan and Plácido Domingo have all played here in recent years. Tickets are expensive, though – generally ranging between HK$500 and HK$900. You can also catch local Cantopop bands and Taiwanese pop stars – both are hugely popular. International acts tend to play at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, while Cantopop stars favour the Hong Kong Coliseum.
Buying tickets
You can buy tickets for shows, concerts and some sporting events from any of the venues’ box offices or Tom Lee music stores (noticeable by their bright yellow sign). If you have a credit card you can buy tickets over the phone via Urbtix (tel: 2111 5999) or HK Ticketing (tel: 3128 8288). Urbtix will also allow you to reserve tickets free of charge for three days (tel: 2734 9009 to book). You can also pay for tickets on the Internet at Cityline – www.cityline.com.hk or HK Ticketing – www.hkticketing.com. You are required to register (free) first.
Venues in Hong Kong
AsiaWorld-Expo
Hong Kong International Airport, Lantau.
Tel: 3606 8828
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA)
1 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai
Tel: 2584 8500
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC)
1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai
Tel: 2582 8888
Hong Kong Coliseum
9 Cheong Wan Road, Hung Hom
Tel: 2335 7234
Hong Kong Cultural Centre
10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2734 2009
www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/HKCC
Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre
1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay
Tel: 2620 2222
Rockschool and the Fringe Club (for more information, click here). The suitably named Underground HK (www.undergroundhk.com) plus Shazza Music (www.shazzamusic.com) promote independent artists and a new generation of would-be rock stars and musicians.
Venues in Macau
The Venetian on the Cotai Strip has raised the bar for entertainment in the region. Its 15,000-seat stadium has already brought some big names to Macau. www.venetianmacaotickets.com
Macau Cultural Centre
Av. Xian Xing Hai South
Tel: 2870 0699
Large venue for performances, with a 1,000-seat auditorium.
Museum pass
A HK$30 museum pass allows free access to seven museums: the Heritage Museum, Museum of Art, Science Museum, Space Museum, Museum of History, Coastal Defence Museum and Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum. The pass is valid for a week and available from participating museums or hktb information centres.
Dance
There is a vibrant dance scene in Hong Kong, with performances by the homegrown Hong Kong Ballet, Hong Kong Dance Company and the offbeat City Contemporary Dance Company. Dance troupes from around the region, particularly from the mainland, can also be seen – perhaps the most spectacular are the Shaolin Monks who leap and tumble elaborate kung fu moves. Shows are usually held at the City Hall, urban theatres or the Fringe Club (for more information, click here).
Film
Hong Kong’s movie industry was once the third largest in the world after Hollywood and Bollywood, but the studios that once churned out kung fu action films and soppy romantic comedies have been in decline for the last decade or so. At the same time, the influence of the Hong Kong industry is more widely recognised than ever, thanks to the recent Hollywood success of director John Woo, actors Michelle Yeow, Chow Yun-fat and the irrepressible Jackie Chan.
Oscar wins for Martin Scorsese’s remake of Andrew Law and Alan Mak’s Hong Kong crime-thriller Infernal Affairs (as The Departed), and period kung fu Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (a joint-production between Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan and the US) plus the continued appeal of Bruce Lee’s movies all keep the city’s movie industry in the spotlight. For a taste of modern Hong Kong movies look up anything by the mainland-born art-house directors Wong Kar Wai (Chungking Express, In the Mood For Love, 2046) and Fruit Chan (Little Cheung, Made in Hong Kong, Durian Durian) or homegrown actor-director Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle).
Cinemas
There are dozens of cinemas and multiplexes in Hong Kong that show a mixture of the latest Hollywood releases, local offerings and big-budget Japanese, South Korean and Thai movies. There are also several good art-house theatres with European and Asian productions. Almost all non-English films will come with English subtitles, but beware of animated features, which may have been dubbed into Chinese. As evening shows tend to sell out quickly, it’s best to buy in advance by a few hours. Tickets cost around HK$80, while discounts of around HK$20–30 are offered on tickets all day Tuesday and for morning and matinée shows.
Broadway Circuit
Tel: 2388 3188
You can book tickets for the following Broadway cinemas via www.cinema.com.hk. The Palace IFC in the IFC mall is a luxurious cinema with big comfy armchair seats, but tickets are standard price. It shows art-house movies as well as mainstream films, and has a DVD store and café. Cinematheque, 3 Public Square St, Yau Ma Tei, near Temple Street market, shows art-house movies and has a DVD shop and café.
The Grand Cinema (www.thegrandcinema.com.hk), 2/F, Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, is Hong Kong’s largest multiplex, located within the new Union Square development. There are 12 state-of-the-art theatres equipped with “infrasonic” sound.
AMC Cinemas (www.amccinemas.com.hk) has multiplexes in Pacific Place and Festival Walk.
UA Cinemas runs nine multiplexes including the UA Times Square, Causeway Bay and UA Langham Place, Mong Kok.
Tel: 2317 6666.
Theatre (www.macautower.com.mo), Macau Tower, tel: 2855 5555.
Film festivals
The Hong Kong International Film Festival (www.hkiff.org.hk) committee stages two festivals annually, one in early spring and the other in late summer. It’s advisable to book ahead as tickets sell out fast. You can buy online. Le French May (www.frenchmay.com), held in May, is a festival of French culture, and usually offers a run of French movies. Throughout the year various mini film festivals are held. Check freebie magazines and the local press for details.
The Hong Kong Film Archive (50 Lei King Road, Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong. Tel: 2739 2139) runs short seasons at the archive near Chai Wan.
Theatre
Most theatre productions are in Cantonese or Mandarin – although some of the larger theatres will put on English subtitles. The professional Hong Kong Repertory Theatre always provides subtitles to its shows. There are also local English-language drama troupes, but the quality is variable. Performances are usually held at the Fringe Club, the Hong Kong Arts Centre or the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Big-name musicals like Mama Mia and Les Misérables periodically make it to Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Arts Festival (www.hk.artsfestival.org), which runs for about a month at the beginning of every year, features opera, concerts, musicals, ballet and drama by artists from all over the world.
Regular performances of Cantonese opera, shunned by the younger generation but loved by the over-fifties, are held at City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central, tel: 2921 2840, as well as several other urban theatres. While the elaborate costumes, shocking make-up and slow-motion dance look and sound exotic, the strangled singing, atonal music and difficulty in following the story often make it hard for foreigners to sit through an entire performance.
Macau
As Macau strives to broaden its entertainment options, Broadway-style shows like CATS and The Sound of Music have been staged at the Macau Cultural Centre. The City of Dreams entertainment complex, on Coloane, spent US$250 million building a dedicated theatre for the tightly-choreographed aquatic dance spectacular, The House of Dancing Water. Shows run five nights a week, with the huge cast taking a break most Tuesdays and Wednesdays. See thehouseofdancingwater.com.
Karaoke
Karaoke may have been invented in Japan but it’s become an integral part of Chinese culture. Many bars and even restaurants have private rooms where groups get together to sing, though karaoke is mostly sung at dedicated emporiums. Some are palatial establishments, others small nooks. Many employ “hostesses” to sing together with the customers. Songs are predominantly Chinese but nearly all karaoke parlours have a basic selection of English language classics. A night out in one of these establishments is not particularly cheap but can prove lots of fun.
Children’s activities
There is a great deal on offer for children in Hong Kong. Travelling on its public transport is adventure enough for some, with its trains, trams, taxis, minibuses, double-decker buses, ferries and junks.
Hong Kong has two large theme parks. Disneyland (Lantau, tel: 1 830 830, www.hongkongdisneyland.com), which is at or near the top of most children’s must-see list. Just 30 minutes by MTR from Central, the 126-hectare (310-acre) site includes four themed areas – Main Street USA, Fantasyland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland. One-day tickets are HK$450 for adults, HK$320 for children aged 3–11, and HK$100 for over-65s. Two-day tickets are available and can be used on any two days within a seven-day period.
Ocean Park (Aberdeen, tel: 2552 0291, www.oceanpark.com.hk) is a homegrown theme park located on the south side of Hong Kong Island. Its animal collections include giant pandas, sea lions, birds, butterflies and dolphins. The coral-reef-themed aquarium includes a dramatic shark tunnel. There are also various stomach-churning rides. Admission charges are: adults HK$320, children (3–11) HK$160.
A must-see for most visitors, including kids, is the tram ride up The Peak and the view from the Peak Tower. There are family-friendly restaurants, and an expanded Madame Tussaud’s (Shop P101, Level P1, www.madame-tussauds.com.hk, open daily). Tickets for adults cost HK$225 while children (3–11) and seniors (65 plus) go for HK$155.
A good few Hong Kong museums are particularly child-friendly. In Kowloon, visit the highly interactive Science Museum (2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, tel: 2732 3232, open Fri–Wed). On the ground floor, under-fives can make giant bubbles and conduct experiments in the Children’s Zone. Among 17 other galleries, older children are drawn to transport simulators and a computer lab.
The Museum of History (100 Chatham Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2724 9042, open Wed–Mon) is a modern museum that recreates the “Hong Kong Story”. Younger kids love the volcano simulation and life-size examples of the mammals that once roamed Kowloon. The walk-through Hong Kong street scenes are excellent.
The Space Museum (10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2721 0226, open Wed–Mon) has exhibitions, but best of all is the Stanley Ho Space Theatre, which shows Omnimax films and the Sky Show (adults HK$24 or HK$32, children and seniors half price).
Perhaps an unlikely hit with kids, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Racing Museum (2/F, Happy Valley Stand, Happy Valley Racecourse, tel: 2966 8065, open Tue–Sun) focuses on horses instead of gambling – dress up as a jockey, and try out the horse simulators.
Adventurous types love clambering around the battlements and tunnels at the extremely well-designed Museum of Coastal Defence (175 Tung Hei Road, Shau Kei Wan, tel: 2569 1500, open Fri–Wed). Explore 600 years of coastal history and walk around the hillside at this historic fort that once protected the eastern approach to the harbour.
If it’s raining or very hot, you will need a few indoor activities on your itinerary. Ice-skating is a cool option and malls such as Festival Walk, in Kowloon Tong, and Elements, within the Union Square development, have decent-sized rinks.
For space in the city, head to the free public parks and playgrounds. In Causeway Bay there’s Victoria Park (tel: 2890 5824), with mini-playgrounds, boat pond, small roller-skating rink and outdoor swimming pool. Cross the road bridge to the Central Library (66 Causeway Road, Causeway Bay, tel: 3150 1234, closed Wed am) for air-conditioning, children’s books, a playroom, readings and information about what’s on for children.
Connecting Admiralty to Central, Hong Kong Park (tel: 2521 5041) is good for a few hours of fun. Enjoy its large children’s playground, water features, walk-through aviary and open-air restaurant.
Kowloon Park (tel: 2724 3344) is a haven in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui. Its playground, maze, swimming pools and sculpture park are useful diversions.
The Outlying Islands are an easy day out with children. Take a ferry to Cheung Chau or Lamma and set your own pace. The tanks of live fish outside the islands’ renowned restaurants will fascinate. Enjoy a stroll to the beach, hike in the hills or hire bikes and explore the traffic-free islands.
For a day on the beach on Hong Kong Island visit Deep Water Bay, Repulse Bay and Chung Hom Kok. The beaches are kept clean and are patrolled by lifeguards (for more information, click here).
Nightlife
Hong Kong has an extremely lively nightlife scene. There are plenty of Western-style bars and clubs that attract a mix of locals and expats. Note that smoking is banned inside all bars and restaurants.
There are three districts in which most bars and clubs likely to appeal to visitors are located: Central, Wan Chai (including Causeway Bay) and Tsim Sha Tsui. Central draws the after-work crowd to the chic bars and restaurants of Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo. Wan Chai has a grungier drinking scene interspersed with girlie bars and tacky basement discos that keep going throughout the night. On Kowloon side, Tsim Sha Tsui’s nightlife tends to be split between bars that are exclusively for locals and those aimed mainly at tourists, with Knutsford Terrace blending the two.
Bars in Central and the swankier Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui joints are the most expensive, with drinks costing HK$60 upwards. The grittier Wan Chai bars are the cheapest, with HK$40 beers as a rule.
For a list of bars and club nights check HK Magazine. You can also try www.hkclubbing.com for guest DJ nights and party dates.
Recommended pubs and bars are listed at the end of each relevant chapter in the Place section of the book. A selection of the best nightclubs in the various regions is given here:
Hong Kong
Club 97
9 Lan Kwai Fong. Tel: 2810 9333
One of the longest-running but still one of the hippest clubs. Friday night is gay night.
Dragon-i
The Centrium, 60 Wyndham St. Tel: 3110 1222
Operates a guest-list-only entrance policy, but you may call in advance to request entry. One of the “to be seen” places for minor and would-be celebs.
Yumla
Lower Basement, Harilela House, 79 Wyndham St. Tel: 2147 2382
Packed little dance club with great music.
Macau
MP3
1333 Avenida Dr Sun Yat-sen, NAPE. Tel: 2875 1306
With dancing girls, DJs and an all-you-can-drink happy hour (6–9pm), MP3 is one of the loudest bars in NAPE.
Guangzhou
Baby Face
83 Changdi Dama Lu. Tel: 020 8335 5771
A high-decibel and invariably packed club that’s part of a nationwide chain. Attracts a young crowd and tends to get going late.
True Color
276 Yanjiang Zhong Lu, Yuexiu District. Tel: 8384 1638
An upmarket club for Guangzhou’s rapidly expanding moneyed youth. The riverside entrance has a red carpet where guests step from growling sports cars.
Shenzhen
In Club
1/F, Diamond Plaza, 2017 Nanhu Lu, Luo Hu District. Tel: 0755 8261 1111
The In – famous for its drinks specials – is very much on the party people’s circuit.
Pepper Club
2/F, Shopping Park, Futian District. Tel: 0755 8387 9899
A lounge bar that morphs into a house club late on, located in Futian’s Shopping Park. Has speciality cocktails and attracts international DJs.
Hong Kong has a small but thriving gay scene, though lesbians are stuck with a few local-style karaoke bars in Causeway Bay office blocks. The bars and clubs that are the most welcoming to foreigners are mainly located in Central.
Club 97’s gay happy hour on Friday (6pm–9pm) is a cornerstone of the scene, and welcomes a mixed crowd to mingle in the “fong”. 9 Lan Kwai Fong, Central. Tel: 2186 1897.
Propaganda, 1 Hollywood Rd, Central. Tel: 2868 1316. Long-running gay club, packed at weekends, with great music.
T:me, B/F, 65 Hollywood Rd, Hong Kong. Tel: 2332 6565
Stylish new bar attracts a mixed crowd.
Macau’s Casinos
Casino Babylon
Macau Fisherman’s Wharf Avenida Dr. Sun Yat-sen
Tel: (853) 2823 2233
Casino Casa Real
Avenida do. Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues 1118
Tel: (853) 2872 6288
Casino Diamond
Hotel Holiday Inn, Rua de Pequim 82–86
Tel: (853) 2878 5645
Casino Emperor Palace
288 Avenida Comercial De Macau
Tel: (853) 2822 9878
Casino Fortuna
63 Rua de Cantão
Tel: (853) 8982 1301
Casino Golden Dragon
Rua de Malaca
Tel: (853) 2872 7979
Casino Grand Lisboa
Avenida de Lisboa
Tel: (853) 2828 3838
Casino Grandview (Macau Jockey Club)
142 Estrada Governador Albano De Oliveira, Taipa
Tel: (853) 2883 2265
Casino Jimei
956–1110, Avenida da Amizade
Tel: (853) 2822 8811
Casino Lan Kwai Fung
Rua de Luis Gonzaga Gomes 230
Tel: (853) 2880 0888
Casino Lisboa
Avenida de Lisboa
Tel: (853) 2888 3888
Casino New Century
889 Avendia Padre Tomas Pereira, Taipa
Tel: (853) 2883 1111
Casino Oceanus no Pelota Basca
Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues No.1470 1526
Tel: (853) 8801 3388
Casino Ponte 16
Rua do Visconde Paço de Arcos, Ponte 16
Tel: (853) 8861 0016
Casino President
355 Avenida da Amizade
Tel: (853) 2857 1533
Casino StarWorld
Avenida da Amizade
Tel: (853) 2838 3838
Casino Taipa
Regency Hotel, 2 Estrada Almirante Marques Esparteiro, Taipa
Tel: (853) 2883 1537
Casino Venetian
The Venetian Macau Resort, Estrada da Baía de N. Senhora da Esperança S/N, Taipa
Tel: (853) 2882 8888
City of Dreams
1/F, Zona de Aterros entre as Ilhas de Coloane e da Taipa, Cotai
Tel: (853) 8590 3000
Kam Pek Paradise Casino
1–5/F, Edf. Centro Commercial San Kin Yip, 197-223 Avenida da Amizade
Tel: (853) 2878 6120
MGM Macau
Avenida Dr. Sun Yat Sen, NAPE
Tel: (853) 8802 8888
Pharaoh’s Palace Casino
5/F, Macau Landmark, Avenida da Amizade
Tel: (853) 2878 6233
Sands Macau
203 Largo de Monte Carlo
Tel: (853) 2888 3330
Wynn Casino
Rua Cidade de Sintra, NAPE
Tel: (853) 8986 9966
Live music venues
Most hotel bars will have a resident band to warble out some golden oldies, an instrumentalist or a jazz band. Many bars also have cover bands that play dance and pop. See live music listings in HK Magazine, Time Out Hong Kong or the South China Morning Post to find out who’s playing.
Dusk Till Dawn, 76 Jaffe Rd, Wan Chai. Tel: 2528 4689. Rowdy bar with a resident cover band playing rock, indie and pop tracks.
Fringe Club, Live music in the Main Bar every Friday and Saturday, ranging from young energetic rock bands to slick jazz quartets. Tel: 2521 7251. www.hkfringe.com.hk
Gecko, 15–19 Hollywood Rd, Ezra’s Lane (alley next to the escalator), Central. Tel: 2537 4680. Funky lounge and wine bar with live jazz during the week.
Peel Fresco Music Lounge, 49 Peel Street, Central. Tel: 2540 2046. Bohemian-style lounge bar with live jazz most nights of the week.
Sport
Participant sports
Top hotels in Hong Kong generally have swimming pools, gyms and tennis courts available free to their guests. A few allow non-guests to use their facilities for a fee – for example, the Marriott in Admiralty charges HK$2,500 for a one-month membership.
There are also scores of gyms, including international chains like Fitness First with a large gym at G/F, Cosco Tower, Grand Millennium Plaza, 181–183 Queen’s Road, Central (tel: 3106 3000, www.fitnessfirst.com.hk), and California Fitness, whose flagship gym is at 1 Wellington Street, Central (tel: 2522 5229, www.calfitnesscenters.com).
Yoga and pilates are big business in Hong Kong. Classes are run at major gyms, and there are now dozens of studios close to offices and shops. HK Magazine is packed with their ads. By posing as a resident, you can usually pick up a free introductory class, but be prepared for a hard sell afterwards.
The government-run Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has sports centres, with tennis, badminton and squash courts and swimming pools all over the city. Visitors to Hong Kong can use their sports facilities, but you must go in person to the centre to book a court (bring your passport). You should be able to walk in and find an available court during the daytime on weekdays, but evening and weekend slots are usually booked days in advance. For a list of centres see www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/ls.php.
The Hong Kong Squash Centre is at 23 Cotton Tree Drive, Admiralty, tel: 2521 5072. For tennis try King’s Park Tennis Court, Jordan, tel: 2385 8985, Victoria Park Tennis Court, Causeway Bay, tel: 2570 6186 and Causeway Bay Sports Ground, tel: 2890 5127. Hourly rates are around HK$50.
There are good lcsd swimming pools in Victoria Park, Causeway Bay (tel: 2570 4682), and Kowloon Park, Tsim Sha Tsui (tel: 2724 3577). Entry fee is HK$19 per person. Most pools – which are unheated – are closed between November and March.
There are ice-skating rinks at numerous shopping malls. Price, including skate hire, is between HK$45 and HK$60.
The most convenient bowling alleys for tourists are the Olympian Super Fun Bowl, tel: 2273 4772 (Olympic MTR station), and the South China Athletic Association Bowling Centre, 88 Caroline Hill Rd, Causeway Bay, tel: 2890 8528.
The only public golf club in Hong Kong is the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau. It has three 18-hole courses spread across an island off Sai Kung in the southeastern New Territories and is accessible by ferry only (tel: 2791 3388; www.kscgolf.org.hk). There are also a handful of private members’ clubs that are open to non-members on weekdays. Try Hong Kong Golf Club, which has three 18-hole courses in Fanling in the northern New Territories (tel: 2670 1211; www.hkgolfclub.org) and three nine-hole courses at Deep Water Bay at 19 Island Rd (tel: 2812 7070), on the south side of Hong Kong Island. Handicap certificates are required.
There are bicycle trails around Tai Mei Tuk reservoir in the New Territories, from Sha Tin to Tai Po market, around Shek O village and on Cheung Chau. Bikes can be hired for around HK$40 per day at all these places. You will have to leave your passport as deposit.
Diving and watersports
While certainly no match for what’s on offer in nearby Thailand and the Philippines, Hong Kong does have a fair few diving schools which brave the territory’s murky water. Pollution and overfishing have taken their toll, but octopus and barracuda are sometimes spotted (www.hk-fish.net), and there are several wreck and reef dives. There is even a small amount of coral in Mirs Bay in the northeastern New Territories. Email the Hong Kong Underwater Club at sec@hkuc.org.hk to book a dive. They go out every fortnight. A day’s diving with all equipment hire costs around HK$550.
Windsurfing is popular. You can hire boards at Cheung Chau’s Kwun Yam Wan Beach. Windsurfing and wakeboarding are also available at beaches at Stanley and Sai Kung, amongst others.
An oft-quoted “little-known fact” is that around three-quarters of Hong Kong is actually countryside, and if you have the time, there are plenty of great hikes on well-marked trails, including circling or descending The Peak, mountain climbs on Lantau Island and spectacular coastal walks in the wilds of Sai Kung. The Hong Kong Tourism Board has a guide to some of the best walks on its website (www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/great-outdoors/hikes/index.jsp) and also published a print version. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department also has a comprehensive list of walks on a dedicated hiking website (www.hkwalkers.net/eng/trail_list/type.htm). Otherwise there’s a good series of hiking guides by Pete Spurrier, for all levels of fitness. For your own safety bring maps, water and a mobile phone. Walk Hong Kong (www.walkhongkong.com) organises hiking tours all over Hong Kong, while Kayak and Hike (www.kayak-and-hike.com) runs hiking, biking and kayaking trips to the most remote parts of the New Territories.
Every November, teams race to complete the 100-km (62-mile) MacLehose Trail, which runs east–west across the New Territories in the Oxfam Trailwalker. The record to date was set by a Gurkha team in 2004 – they finished in 11 hours 57 minutes.
If you are into rock climbing there are at least 19 sites dotted around country parks, from headland crags at Shek O to Lion Rock in Kowloon. See www.hongkongclimbing.com for a good overview as well as a list of indoor climbing walls. The most convenient climbing wall for tourists is at the YMCA in Tsim Sha Tsui, which has two U-shaped walls.
Spectator sports
During the horse racing season (Sep–June), locals swarm to the city’s two big racing stadia, in Happy Valley on Tuesday or Wednesday nights and Sha Tin at weekends. Come in March for the Hong Kong Derby, April for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup and December for the Hong Kong International Races. For more information, click here for more details.
The city’s single biggest sporting event is arguably the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens – three days of heavy drinking, silly hats and manic singing in the stands while teams from all over the world fight it out on the pitch (for more information, click here). The tournament is held at the Hong Kong Stadium in Causeway Bay (www.hksevens.com.hk). Tickets sell out quickly.
More demure is the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes (www.hkcricket.org/en), held in November at the Kowloon Cricket Club.
The Macau Grand Prix (www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo) is held every November; hotels get booked out, so plan ahead. Races – car, motorbike and formula cars – are exhilarating since they take place along a 6.2-km (3.75-mile) street circuit, so for one weekend normality is suspended, with tens of thousands of racing fans crowding into this tiny enclave. Buy tickets online at www.macauticket.com.
Tours
The HKTB runs free “Cultural Kaleidoscope” programmes, which provide more than the usual shopping-and-skyscrapers look at the city. You can join an early-morning tai chi class at 8am in front of the Hong Kong Museum of Art in Tsim Sha Tsui on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Other “classes” include an architecture tour, how to shop for pearls and jade, how to taste Chinese tea, an antiques lesson and guided tours of Mai Po Wetland and a Ngong Ping Fun Walk. All classes are free. See the hktb for times and booking.
Boat trips and tours
The distinctive diamond-shaped junk with bright red sails, emblematic of Hong Kong, was replaced long ago by container ships and sleek turbojets. The last remaining authentic junk, the Duk Ling, is owned by the HKTB, visitors can book a one-hour cruise on the boat for HK$100. There are four departures every Thursday afternoon leaving from Tsim Sha Tsui and Central. You must register first with the HKTB visitor centre in person.
Aqua Luna (tel: 2116 8821, www.aqua.com.hk) is a more sophisticated craft than the HKTB junk. This newly built red-sailed junk has a bar and serves canapés. A HK$100 hop-on, hop-off ticket covers all afternoon sailings as the boat moves between Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, Wanchai and Hung Hom. After dark, there are six scheduled harbour tours which have a set price of HK$195. Cruises depart from Tsim Sha Tsui at half-past, and Central Pier 9 a quarter to the hour. The 7.30pm (from TST) and 7.45pm (from Central) departure coincides with the Symphony of Lights display (for more information, click here) and costs slightly more. Booking ahead online or by phone is essential.
Star Ferry (tel: 2118 6201, www.starferry.com.hk) runs various circular harbour tours throughout the day and tickets are available at the Star Ferry piers in Central, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hung Hom and Wan Chai. The Symphony of Light Harbour Tour (HK$170 adult, HK$153 children), takes you on a shortened harbour circuit for approximately an hour and leaves Central at 7.15pm. Its other evening cruises last one hour and cost HK$150 and HK$135.
Junks and boats can be hired from Saffron Cruises (tel: 2857 1311 (http://www.saffron-cruises.com) Saffron also has a Category Four rescue boat for high-powered 30-minute trips around Hong Kong at breathtaking speeds on board the powerboat Seafari.
For a unique Hong Kong experience, take to the water to see the rare pink dolphins that live in the Pearl River Delta. Hong Kong Dolphinwatch Ltd (tel: 2984 1414, www.hkdolphinwatch.com) runs tours every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday morning. A coach collects visitors from Central and Tsim Sha Tsui for a two- to three-hour junk trip. Adults HK$380, children (3–11 years) HK$190.
Hong Kong has frequently been called a shopper’s paradise, and it is certainly true that most Hong Kong citizens are insatiable shoppers. Options range from colourful night markets and glitzy shopping malls to multi-storey department stores and bustling narrow streets full of antiques and bric-a-brac. Hong Kong may not be the bargain basement it once was – indeed prices in the major malls are often higher than in equivalent shops in the West – but shopping may nonetheless prove one of the most compelling activities of any trip to the territory for many visitors. There is certainly no shortage of supply.
Shopping malls
Hong Kong’s malls are destinations in themselves, and are full of cafés and restaurants in which to take a break. Many also house cinemas and entertainments such as ice-skating rinks. Shopping hours vary, but generally continue until late every day of the week. Even during public holidays most shops are open, the exception being during the week of Chinese New Year. As a guide, shops in Central close around 7pm, but the other main areas tend to stay open until 10pm, sometimes even later. The sales start in mid- to late June and December. Malls are landmarks in Hong Kong. Taxi drivers will recognise their names rather than the street they are on, and most are part of an MTR station development.
What to buy
The network of antique shops located around Hollywood Road offers an extraordinary range of Asian antiquities and artworks at a very wide range of prices. The half-dozen Chinese Arts & Crafts (www.cachk.com) department stores scattered around Hong Kong also offer traditional ceramics, textiles, clothes and handicrafts from mainland China, though they can be very expensive. The largest stores are located at China Hong Kong City, 33 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, and at Pacific Place in Admiralty. With the huge global interest in contemporary Chinese art, Hong Kong’s art scene is booming. Hong Kong also hosts regular art auctions for the likes of Christie’s and Sotheby’s, and there are hundreds of small independent galleries. The Hong Kong Commercial Art Galleries Association has a useful map and up-to-date listings at http://www.hongkongartwalk.com.
Ivory
For many years, Hong Kong was the international centre of carved ivory. However, the ban imposed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) means that you now have to obtain an import licence from your country of residence in order to take any ivory out of Hong Kong.
Bookshops
Bookazine, 3/F, Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Rd, Central; 1/F, Star Ferry Pier 8, Central.
Commercial Press, 3/F, Star House, 3 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.
Dymocks, Level 2, IFC Mall, Central; G/F, The Peak Galleria, 118 Peak Road, The Peak.
Flow, 1/F, 40 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central. Second-hand books.
Page One, Shop 3202, Zone A, Harbour City, Canton Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui; 9/F, Times Square, 1 Matheson St, Causeway Bay. Shop LG 1-30, Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong (with café). Large selection of design books.
Swindon, 13–15 Lock Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui; 310 Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui.
For international brands and designer names head to any of the large malls and department stores. Local brands include Giordano, Bossini and Esprit; they now have competition from global brands like Zara and H&M, which have opened huge stores in Hong Kong.
For young local designers and imported Japanese and European fashions try Causeway Bay (for more information, click here). Traditional Chinese clothing can be found at all price points. Chinese Arts & Crafts department stores have a good range of styles and prices, while Shanghai Tang has styles with a designer edge and price. You will find inexpensive silk and nylon pyjamas, cheongsams and padded jackets in many street markets (for more information, click here).
Shops selling seconds and factory over-runs are scattered throughout the city. There are bargains to be had, but often you cannot try the clothes on before you buy. As a starting point, look out for outlets in The Lanes (Li Yuen Street East and West) in Central, Johnston Road in Wan Chai, and the streets between Jardine’s Bazaar and Percival Street in Causeway Bay. In Tsim Sha Tsui, have a look in the shops along Granville Road and Cameron Road.
Custom tailors
Having a suit made to measure is still a popular luxury for many visitors, and something of a Hong Kong tradition: immigrant Indian tailors set up shop here in the late 19th century, and after 1949, the city became home to some of the legendary tailors of Old Shanghai.
The speed and quality of craftsmanship and the range of fabrics here are all excellent. Such personal tailoring is no longer such a notable bargain, but it can still prove worthwhile. A few establishments can produce your suit within 24 hours, but you won’t usually see the best-quality results – expect your tailor to take about a week if you want a genuinely high-quality garment.
Raja Fashions, Bespoke Tailor, 34-C Cameron Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 2366 7624
Sam’s Tailor, Burlington Arcade, 94 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 2367 9423
Shanghai’s Tailor, 35 G/F, Far East Mansion, 5–6 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 2739 6165
Taipan Tailor, Shop 5 & 6, 1/F, Tower 1, Admiralty Centre, Hong Kong. Tel: 2529 8861.
Bargaining
The practice of bargaining for goods in Hong Kong has been declining for years, and price differences are usually so marginal that it is hardly worthwhile trying to bargain. It is still de rigueur in markets, but remember – if you buy from a market there are no guarantees and there’s no possibility of exchanging goods. Even in street markets, it is highly unlikely that you’ll be able to reduce the asking price by much more than about 10 to 20 percent.
Shopkeepers who are not used to bargaining will probably react rather impatiently to your efforts. If you settle by cash you may get a slightly better deal than if you use a credit card – in many cases, shops will add an extra few percent to the price if you pay with plastic.
Computers
China and Hong Kong are the top two exporters of computer components and accessories in the world. Hong Kong also has the second-highest level of computer ownership.
Depending on the exchange rate, you may find some bargain prices. Some of best retailers are found on the tenth and eleventh floors of Windsor House in Causeway Bay, and in Star House near Tsim Sha Tsui’s Star Ferry pier. There are a number of arcades devoted solely to selling computers and accessories, which, if you know your stuff, are treasure troves. Try the always-crowded Golden Computer Centre in Sham Shui Po or Wan Chai Computer Centre, 130 Hennessy Road. Make sure the operating system and keyboard are in the language you use, and check everything that goes in the box before you take it away!
Cameras and electrical items can still be good buys in Hong Kong, but it pays to research prices at home first. Many camera and electronics stores Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok seldom have price tags on the items, so compare prices before you buy.
Citywide chains Broadway (www.broadway.com.hk) and Fortress (www.fortress.com.hk) are reliable options. Professional and keen photographers recommend the long-established Photo Scientific, Stanley Street, Central, tel: 2525 0550, and Hing Lee Camera Company, 25 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, tel: 2544 7593. Staff are friendly, the goods are reasonably priced. When buying electronic goods, remember to check the voltage of chargers and adaptors.
Jewellery
Hong Kong is the world’s fourth-largest exporter of jewellery, and there is a wide range of designs available in retail outlets throughout the territory. Because Hong Kong is a free port and there is no tax on the import or export of precious metals, prices are good, and tourists from mainland China are major buyers.
Popular jewellery includes jade items (though you should avoid buying expensive pieces without expert advice) and bright-yellow 24-carat gold, called chuk kam in Cantonese. Jewellery stores specialising in chuk kam are usually very crowded, and the atmosphere is more akin to that of a betting shop than an exclusive store. These items are sold by the weight of the gold only, so you pay no premium for the design. There are many fine jewellery stores selling a vast range of gem-set designs – here, you pay for the craftsmanship as well as the materials. For the greatest concentration of jade, head to the Jade Market, located under the flyover near Kansu Street in Yau Ma Tei, but be aware it closes at the relatively early hour of 6pm.
Another good buy in Hong Kong are pearls, which come in all shapes, sizes and colours. The practice of bargaining is much less common in jewellery stores now, but you can certainly try your luck by asking for a discount.
Leather Goods
Hong Kong’s malls all have innumerable shops selling leather goods from international brands. Elsewhere, in the street markets and side streets around Central, Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay there are plenty of small stalls selling wallets and bags inspired by such brands. If you need something in which to carry all your extra shopping, street markets sell inexpensive suitcases and backpacks. For something longer-lasting without a logo, try mid-range department stores like Wing On.
Sportswear
Hong Kong has many chain stores selling inexpensive sportswear and sports shoes (try Marathon Sports, Gigasports or Royal Sporting House). In Mong Kok, parts of Fa Yuen, Nelson and Shantung streets east of the Ladies Market are known as “Sneaker Street”, and are devoted to sports stores.
Watches
After Switzerland, Hong Kong is the largest exporter of clocks and watches in the world; most are now produced at factories in Guangdong. Many of the major Swiss watchmakers have stores in Hong Kong, but if you buy a brand-name watch away from one of these glamorous stores – and if the price seems to be a bargain – never doubt that it is a fake. However, there is a good selection of timepieces in the city, from inexpensive fun watches in the markets to fashionable brands that do not cost multiples of HK$1,000K.
Shopping in Macau
Macau is a good place to buy well-crafted Chinese antique and reproduction wooden furniture. Many Hong Kong expats have “repro” furniture made to order and have it delivered to Hong Kong, so shops are used to shipping abroad.
Antique and furniture stores cluster along Rua de São Paulo, the busy lane which leads up to the facade of São Paulo. You are free to bargain hard here. The backstreets of Taipa and Coloane near their village squares also hide a few antique and crafts shops, and Taipa has a flea market on Sundays. Tourists from the mainland are packing out designer handbag and jewellery shops at the MGM Grand and Wynn Macau’s fancy arcades, but the largest retail area is now The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, with over 350 stores open 10am–11pm Sunday to Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday, where painfully titled “Streetmosphere” is created by international street performers and gondoliers singing Italian opera.
Shenzhen is a major shopping destination for Hong Kongers. There is a wide variety of merchandise at prices much lower than you will ever find in Hong Kong. Designer clothing and accessories can be bought for less than a fifth of the price in Europe or North America.
Lo Wu Commercial City, immediately on the right as you emerge from customs, is the place everyone heads to for cheap fashion, handbags, wallets and shoes. It’s not for the faint-hearted: everyone will want to try and do business with you.
Most tailors’ shops are grouped around the fabric market on the fifth floor. Tailoring costs can be less than HK$100 for a simple dress, skirt or tailored trousers. The second floor of Lo Wu Commercial City is well endowed with jewellery shops, and there can be amazing bargains. The main focus is on pearls (mostly of the freshwater variety), but jade and various precious and semi-precious stones are easy to find, too. Stalls will help you create your own design.
Shops are generally open seven days a week from about 10am until 8 or 9pm. Most people venture no further than Lo Wu, but there are also some great bargains to be had in Dongmen (central Shenzhen; take the subway, or find a taxi).
Whatever you are buying, remember to bargain hard!
What to buy
Art
A short cab ride from Lo Wu, in Baoan, Danfen Art Village (www.dafenart.com) is home to dozens of artists who can copy any style of art you suggest or create an oil painting based on a photograph.
Clothing and textiles
Lo Wu Commercial City also has plenty to offer those looking for a tailor-made suit or other custom-made clothing. Most tailors’ shops are around the fabric market on the fifth floor. There are literally hundreds of clothing, footwear and accessories shops spread throughout the complex.
The best tailors in Shenzhen cluster together in Bu Cheng – Fabric City – in the Dongmen district. Customers are welcome to choose their fabrics in one shop and then get them made up by the tailor of their choice. A pair of trousers, for example, can be made in a week and should cost less than RMB100. The Dongmen Fabric Market on Hu Bei Lu is also worth visiting.
Electronics
Shenzhen’s main electronic-goods stores are gathered around a single block on Huaqiang Lu, with names like Electronic City and Aihua Computer City – take a taxi or bus 101 from Lo Wu. The first floor of Lo Wu Commercial City also has plenty of electronics shops. The major bargains are in items manufactured for the domestic market.
Jewellery
Lo Wu Commercial City is also well endowed with jewellery shops, and there can be amazing bargains. The main focus is on pearls (mostly of the freshwater variety), but jade and various precious and semi-precious stones are easy to find, too.
Shopping in Guangzhou
Though not as glitzy as Hong Kong or Shenzhen, Guangzhou has an interesting shopping scene and good bargains. The main shopping areas are Beijing Lu, Zhongshan Wulu, Renmin Nanlu, Zhongshan Silu and Xiajiu Lu-Shangjiu Lu. Xin Da Xin, at the corner of Beijing Lu and Zhongshan Wulu, offers a good range of Chinese goods, including silk. The main open-air market is Qingping Market (for more information, click here), selling everything under the sun.
What to buy
Antiques
The largest private market for antiques is the Daihe Lu Market, which sprawls over several lanes just north of Qingping Market, near Shamian Island.
Antiques that date from before 1795 may not be legally exported. Any antique over a century old must carry a small red wax seal or have one affixed by the Cultural Relics Bureau before it can be taken out of China.
Beware of fakes, as the production of new “antiques” complete with “official” seal is a well-established and highly profitable industry in China. Despite the pitfalls, there is still much to buy: kam muk (gilded sculptured wood panels), vintage watches, tiny embroidered shoes for Chinese women with bound feet and beautiful Shiwan porcelain.