Shopping
Hong Kong loves shopping, so if you do too, you’re going to love Hong Kong. And even if you aren’t in thrall to the lure of the shopping gods, you will still enjoy the city’s colourful markets and appreciate the efficiency of its air-conditioned malls (especially on a hot day), or the contrast and convenience of luxury brands’ gigantic flagship stores a stone’s throw from market stalls and alleyways selling cut-price seconds and knick-knacks. Perpetual browsers will find plenty of fascinating side streets to explore, too many to mention here, and determined bargain hunters will always be rewarded.
Since Hong Kong is a duty-free port with no sales tax, some goods are cheaper here than in their country of manufacture. On photographic equipment, electronic goods and watches, you avoid the luxury tax payable in your home country. Speciality goods and souvenirs, often handmade, come from Hong Kong and elsewhere in China. Garments custom-made by skillful Hong Kong tailors are still much in demand and cost less than elsewhere for comparable items. There are some exceptions to Hong Kong’s duty-free regime, however – you will have to pay tax on tobacco and all alcohol except wine.
Shopping in New Kowloon’s markets
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications
Stores do not open until 10am or later, but conversely stay open until 10pm or later. Most shops are open seven days a week. Stores in Central are an exception; they generally close at 7pm and on Sunday. The only holiday on which all commerce comes to a halt is the Chinese New Year in January or February.
Most stores have fixed prices, but it never hurts to ask for a discount or the ‘best price’, especially if you buy several items in a smaller shop or stall. Compare prices before you buy. Always ask to see the manufacturer’s guarantee when purchasing cameras, watches, audio-visual and electronic equipment and check the box as it is packed. Note that when haggling, the merchant assumes you are prepared to pay cash. If, after making a deal, you try to pay with a credit card, they may then boost the price.
Shipping. Many stores will pack and ship purchases. Ask if automatic free insurance is provided. If the goods are very valuable or fragile, it is a good idea to buy an all-risk insurance policy for the shipment.
Looking for a good buy
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications
Where to shop
Major shopping areas are Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, especially around Canton and Nathan roads; Central and Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island; Wan Chai and Mong Kok markets for bargains rather than quality; and the Hollywood Road area for antiques.
Department stores. Look for Hong Kong’s own Lane Crawford, a very upmarket store with branches at Pacific Place, IFC Mall and Harbour City; mid-range Wing On, one of the oldest in Hong Kong; the UK’s Harvey Nichols in The Landmark and Marks & Spencer branches; and the Japanese stores, Sogo and Seibu.
Malls. Hong Kong is full of giant malls dedicated to shopping, eating and entertainment. Harbour City, just west of the Star Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui, is one of the largest; Elements, above Kowloon MTR, is vast but quieter than most; IFC Mall and The Landmark in Central have major designer brands; Pacific Place in Admiralty has a mix of luxury and mid-range brands; and Times Square in Causeway Bay has 16 floors of spending opportunities.
Shopping tips
Be aware that brand names, including electronics, are sometimes fakes, glass may be sold as jade, and that antique you bought may have been made last night. Always ask for a receipt that records information about the item, and if you buy an antique, be sure to get a certificate of authentication. Needless to say, avoid peddlers who approach you in the street.
It is advisable to shop at outlets that are members of the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s (HKTB) Quality Tourism Services Scheme, identified by a black Chinese character encircled by a golden letter Q with a small red junk in the bottom left corner. Membership imposes an obligation to maintain standards of both quality and service. For a list of QTS-accredited outlets, pick up a copy of the HKTB’s A Guide to Quality Shops. Look out for regular VIP promotions and discounts that are only available to tourists.
Factory outlets. Hong Kong’s garment factories have moved elsewhere, but there are still plenty of small outlets dotted about the city selling excess stock, samples and factory overruns. Try Johnston Road in Wan Chai, Fa Yuen Street in Mong Kok and Stanley Market. Pedder Building at 12 Pedder Street, Central has designer outlets. Also in Central, Li Yuen Street East and Li Yuen Street West, better known as ‘The Lanes’, have some outlet shops and all kinds of stalls selling chinoiserie, clothes, shoes, watches, bags and luggage.
Markets. Markets are the places to use your bargaining skills. Treat all claims of authenticity with a healthy pinch of salt, enjoy the banter and be prepared to walk away. Hong Kong’s most famous and colourful market, selling every conceivable kind of goods, is the Temple Street Night Market near the Jordan MTR stop. By day the Ladies Market on Tung Choi Street, and nearby Fa Yuen Street in Mong Kok are the places to go for clothes and accessories. Stanley Market is located on Hong Kong’s southern coast, and is good for men’s, women’s and children’s clothes, shoes and gifts.
Sales sales sales
Hong Kong has fantastic sales from just before Christmas until just after Chinese New Year and from mid-June through July.
What to buy
Antiques. Hollywood Road, which runs from Central to Sheung Wan, is the most famous place for antiques in Hong Kong. Look for fine Chinese bronzes, embroidery, lacquerware and porcelain, tomb figures and wood carvings. The experts point out that it is not age alone that determines a Chinese antique’s value – the dynasties of the past had their creative ups and downs. For genuine antiques, try Honeychurch Antiques at 29 Hollywood Road for furniture and silver or Tai Sing Company at 12 Wyndham Street for porcelain and pottery. For fun, you can visit the Low Price Shop at No. 47 or the Cat Street flea market. Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau, Aberdeen is a vast industrial building with 27 floors of stores selling a mixture of Asian antiques, as well as modern and reproduction furniture.
Brocades and silks. Fabrics from China are a bargain and well worth taking home. Chinese-product department stores stock silk fabrics, silk scarves, finely embroidered blouses and traditional padded jackets. Chinese Arts and Crafts is at Pacific Place in Central, and in Star House in Tsim Sha Tsui. For fabrics, you could try Western Market, Morrison Street, in Sheung Wan.
Cameras. Hong Kong is the place to buy some of the world’s most advanced photographic equipment, and there are some real bargains around. However, be sure you compare prices and models before buying. Two reliable places to start looking in Central are Photo Scientific, 6 Stanley Street, and Hing Lee Camera Company, 25 Lyndhurst Terrace.
Carpets and rugs. Hong Kong is a mecca for handmade rugs from all over Asia. Caravan at 65 Hollywood Road, Horizon Plaza and The Silk Road at Ocean Centre, Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui are good places to start looking.
China (porcelain). Away from the antique stores of Hollywood Road and Horizon Plaza, China Arts & Crafts stores and the Wah Tung China Company at 7/F 57–9 Hollywood Road are good places to look for new items.
Chinese memorabilia at the Cat Street flea market
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications
Electronics. The latest gadgets are sometimes available in Hong Kong before anywhere else. It’s a great place to check out computers, cameras, video equipment, mobile phones, audio equipment and related accessories. Check prices online or at home before you browse and make sure you know what kind of guarantee you will get. Nathan Road has many electronics shops, but this is not where local people shop. Enter these shops if you know exactly what you want and what is the latest model. Fortress and Broadway are two reliable electronics chainstores that are safe to buy from, although a little bit more expensive than the smaller retailers. Also check out Star Computer City in Star House near the Star Ferry terminal in Kowloon. And no lover of technology should miss a visit to Wan Chai’s computer malls at 138 and 298 Hennessy Road.
Arts Festival
A highlight of the arts calendar is the annual Hong Kong Arts Festival (www.hk.artsfestival.org), a three-week dose of international culture in February/March, with concerts, plays, Chinese opera and other productions staged by leading talent from East and West. Tickets for the shows must be reserved well in advance.
Furniture. The choice ranges from traditional, hand-carved, Chinese rosewood furniture to well-made reproductions of modern Western styles. Hollywood Road has more antique items, Horizon Plaza has furniture from all over Asia as well as modern designs, and Queen’s Road East in Wan Chai has long been the place to go for furniture and soft furnishings.
Jade. ‘Good for the health’ is just one of the many qualities attributed to this beautiful stone, which ranges in colour from emerald green to white. Real jade is extremely expensive and some counterfeit jade looks exactly like the genuine article. Some people say you can test the authenticity by touch – real jade feels smooth and cool. Alternatively, you can shine a lamp on the stone – real jade shows no reflected light. Chinese Arts & Crafts stores give an indication of market prices, and the Jade Market in Yau Ma Tei is great fun.
Jewellery. Gold is top of the shopping list for many visitors from Asia and the packed stores are hard to miss. Other popular purchases include freshwater pearls and diamonds. At Rio Pearl, 3/F 39 Mody Road, you can buy gemstones loose or set, or have them made up to your own design. Gallery One, 31–3 Hollywood Road has an extensive range of semi-precious stones, beads, fixtures and fittings and will make jewellery to your design. Again, look out for the Q symbol that indicates the jewellery store has been accredited by the HKTB.
Hong Kong is traditionally a good place to buy electronics
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications
Kitchen equipment. Woks, bamboo steamers, biscuit moulds and other gadgets essential for Chinese cookery make good purchases. Shops on Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan and Shanghai Street, Yau Ma Tei, plus Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium, 301–9 Nathan Road, sell all sorts of intriguing kitchen equipment.
Leather goods. Bags and shoes are worshipped by many fashionistas in Hong Kong. Head to the malls for temples to Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta and their rivals. Some people are also prepared to pay thousands for second-hand designer bags at Milan Station, at 26 Wellington Street, Central and at 10 other branches around the city.
Clothes. Hong Kong’s shops carry almost every recognisable European and American label, from top-end designers to the moderately priced or on-trend brand. For clothes and accessories from young Hong Kong and Asian designers, visit the city’s malls and markets, but you should also try small boutiques in and around SoHo. Shanghai Tang (1 Duddell Street, Central and 1881 Heritage TST) has classy, Chinese-inspired clothes and gifts.
Tea. If you want to learn something about tea, go to the Moon Garden Tea House at 5 Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay. The owners will brew up a pot so that you can taste before making a choice. There are tea classes at the Lock Cha Tea Shop in Hong Kong Park on weekdays (www.lockcha.com). For current schedule and fees call tel: 2805 1360.
Tailoring
Tailor-made clothes are not as popular in Hong Kong as they once were, but there are still many tailors’ shops; experts when it comes to producing custom-made garments for men and women, and also adept at copying patterns. The result can be a quality suit at a fair price – but made-to-measure clothing is not cheap. Many tailors are located around Nathan Road and Mody Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. On Hong Kong Island, Tai Pan Row Tailors in IFC Mall is a respected choice.
Entertainment
Hong Kong is a city that never sleeps and plenty of bars and eateries stay open well into the early hours. The Hong Kong Tourism Board offices and many hotels carry two free monthly magazines, Citylife and Where, which give nightlife and restaurant listings as well as a rundown of what’s showing at theatres and cinemas. Otherwise, you can simply wander through the maze of neon signs and take your pick. For slightly more objective reviews of bars, restaurants and shows, study the weekly HK Magazine or BC Magazine which comes out every two weeks. They are handed out free in many bars, restaurants and bookshops. There’s always a varied programme of events, ranging from world-class concerts to local amateur dramatic productions.
There are more than 30 cinemas in Hong Kong and the latest Western releases are shown in some of the larger ones. English-language films have Chinese subtitles. Mainland Chinese and foreign films usually have Cantonese and English subtitles. The Hong Kong International Film Festival (www.hkiff.org.hk) takes place in March/April. More than 200 films from all over the world are shown at this event.
Chinese opera
Alex Havret/Apa Publications
The performing arts
Performance venues. The theatres in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui are the main venues for concerts and opera. Other performing arts centres are the City Hall (www.cityhall.gov.hk) cultural complex, with exhibition halls and theatres that present concerts, plays and films; the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (www.hkapa.edu) with two major theatres for dance, drama and concert performances; and the Hong Kong Arts Centre (www.hkac.org.hk) in Wan Chai. Other centres for concerts and entertainment are Sha Tin Town Hall, Kwai Tsing Theatre in Kwai Chung and the theatres in the Fringe Club for plays and cabaret. Larger arenas, including the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, the Hong Kong Coliseum, and the Ko Shan Theatre in Kowloon play host to various concerts, sporting events and variety shows.
The Hong Kong Dance Company in performance
Hong Kong Dance Company
Classical music. The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (www.hkco.org) performs new and traditional works featuring traditional Chinese instruments. The Hong Kong Philharmonic (www.hkphil.org) performs Western classical works and new pieces by Chinese composers in its September-to-June season.
Chinese opera. Cantonese opera is alive and well in Hong Kong, and the two other forms, Beijing and Kunju, are sometimes presented as well. For most foreign visitors, this unique art form is likely to be inscrutable at first exposure, but everyone can appreciate the spectacle and the elaborate, glittering costumes. Although the music may seem strange to the unaccustomed ear, its loud cymbals and drums certainly won’t send you to sleep.
Dance. Hong Kong’s three professional dance companies – the Hong Kong Ballet Company, the Hong Kong Dance Company and the newer City Contemporary Dance Company – perform regularly, often at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
Theatre. The two leading local troupes, the Chung Ying Theatre Company and the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, always perform in Cantonese, but there are also some English-language performances at the Fringe Club, in Central, and some amateur productions are staged at the Arts Centre.
Night cruises
Star Ferry (www.starferry.com.hk) offers a two-hour harbour cruise, departing TST pier at 7pm each evening, timed to take in the 8pm Symphony of Lights. Aqua Luna (Central Pier 9, TST Star Ferry Pier; www.aqualuna.com.hk), a traditional red-sailed junk, has harbour cruises every hour in the evenings and some weekday afternoons. Lamma Island’s Rainbow Restaurant, Sok Kwu Wan (www.rainbowrest.com.hk), offers a free evening shuttle for patrons from Central Pier 9.
Nightlife
Hong Kong by night can suit any taste – riotous, sedate, raw or cultured. Sometimes there is a cover charge of HK$50–200 at clubs, which may or may not include a couple of drinks. Many of Hong Kong’s five-star hotels have bars with live music and some of the best views in the city. The Lobster Bar at the Island Shangri-La is one of the classiest places for live music. The Sky Lounge, on the 18th floor of the Sheraton, and the glitzy Lobby Lounge at the InterContinental, with floor-to-ceiling harbour views, are great places to take in the Symphony of Lights (8pm), a sound and light display, starring the Hong Kong Island skyline.
Sailing on the Aqua Luna
Alex Havret/Apa Publications
The Fringe Club (www.hkfringeclub.com), 21 Lower Albert Road, Central is Hong Kong’s best alternative entertainment venue, with jazz, rock and other live music, in addition to an excellent gallery for visual arts and a relaxing rooftop bar. Pubs are numerous. In Tsim Sha Tsui, Ned Kelly’s Last Stand on Ashley Road is an Aussie institution and Delaney’s (http://delaneys.com.hk), at 71–7 Peking Road, is one of Hong Kong’s enduring Irish pubs.
The clubs and bars of Wan Chai, long the centre of seedy nightlife, have become almost respectable. Dusk till Dawn, 76–84 Jaffe Road, is a Wan Chai mainstay for all-night partying. Mes Amis (www.mesamis.com.hk) at 81–5 Lockhart Road has a lively dance floor at the weekend. A lot of the raunchy action has moved across the harbour to Tsim Sha Tsui East; this is also where you’ll find pricey hostess clubs.
SoHo (South of Hollywood Road) is a hip area, which spreads around the Central Mid-Levels escalator, to Elgin, Peel and Staunton Streets and Hollywood Road. The area has a great choice of restaurants and a lively bar scene. Staunton’s (www.stauntonsgroup.com) at 10–12 Staunton Street, the rooftop bar at The Fringe Club and Hong Kong Brew House (www.elgrande.com.hk) at the top of Lan Kwai Fong are good places to take in the scene.
Causeway Bay is packed with restaurants and bars to visit after late-night shopping. ToTTs in the Excelsior Hotel is a more sophisticated restaurant with music and an outdoor terrace, while the small bars in the streets around Times Square attract a younger crowd.
Sports and outdoor activities
Beaches. In subtropical Hong Kong you can swim from April to early November, but water quality depends on tidal and climatic problems. Aside from concerns about pollution, rubbish in the water is all too common. There are more than 40 government-managed beaches with lifeguards, shark nets, changing rooms, showers, toilets and water testing (Apr–Oct). On Hong Kong Island, Repulse Bay is the most popular; others are Shek O on the east coast, and Stanley and Deep Water Bay on the south coast. They are very crowded, especially at summer weekends. On the outlying islands, Cheung Sha is on Lantau, Tung Wan is on Cheung Chau and Hung Shing Ye and Lo So Shing are both on Lamma.
Golf. The Hong Kong Golf Club (tel: 2670 1211; www.hkgolfclub.org) has three 18-hole courses at Fanling in the New Territories. The Discovery Bay Golf Club on Lantau Island (tel: 2987 7273; www.dbgc.hk) has three nine-hole courses. Both are open to the public on weekdays. Kau Sai Chau (tel: 2791 3388) run by the Jockey Club is the only public golf course in Hong Kong and enjoys a spectacular island location in the New Territories (for more information, click here). Many Hong Kong residents and visitors cross the border to play at the less expensive world-class courses in Guangdong: the Guangzhou Luhu Golf and Country Club (www.luhugolf.com), or Mission Hills Resort (www.missionhillsgroup.com).
Hiking. In the New Territories the famous MacLehose Trail stretches 97km (60 miles) from Sai Kung Peninsula to Tuen Mun. The Lantau Trail is a 69km (43-mile) circular trail on Lantau Island that begins and ends at Silvermine Bay. Both trails are divided into segments of varying difficulty. Trail maps are available at the Government Publications Centre, Low Block, Government Offices, 66 Queensway in Central. HKTB also has maps and sponsors the Guided Nature Walks, which includes hikes in all regions of Hong Kong.
Taijiquan (t’ai chi). Many t’ai chi classes take place in parks around the city. Most of the classes are held in the mornings at Victoria Park and Hong Kong Park. If you want a more structured class, Hong Tai Chi School periodically offers free classes as part of the cultural programme of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (http://www.lcsd.gov.hk).
A night at Happy Valley is a classic experience
Alex Havret/Apa Publications
Horseracing. The racing schedule is September to June, and the Jockey Club (www.hkjc.com) runs two courses, Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island (for more information, click here) and Sha Tin (for more information, click here). Dress like a racehorse owner and join the HKTB’s ‘Come Horseracing Tour’, which includes entry to the Jockey Club visitors’ box and members’ enclosure and a meal. For a more casual day or night at the races, the public stands have no dress code and the entrance cost is HK$10.
Cricket and rugby. International cricket sixes events are a regular part of the sporting calendar each autumn. The Hong Kong Rugby Sevens has become the world’s premier sevens tournament. For one weekend in late March or early April the Hong Kong Stadium hosts international teams and fans who come for the party as much as the sport.
Children’s Hong Kong
Hong Kong has many attractions that appeal to children of all ages. Apart from the theme parks and beaches, there are many novelties. Cable-car rides are usually popular, a ride on the Peak Tram is sure to provide a thrill, and children will enjoy the various attractions in the Peak Tower, including Madame Tussaud’s (for more information, click here). Riding the Star Ferry or ferry trips to outlying islands are inexpensive fun, and the Dolphin Watch trip (for more information, click here) is bound to appeal.
Thrills at Ocean Park
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications
Ocean Park (for more information, click here) is very popular with children of all ages and may warrant two visits. Hong Kong Disneyland (for more information, click here), is easily reached aboard the special Disneyland Resort MTR train.
Indoor activities at the Science Museum in Tsim Sha Tsui East allow children to get their hands on more than half the 500 exhibits on display, while the nearby Space Museum has regular movie screenings on an OMNIMAX screen.
The carnival atmosphere of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, with its high bambooand-paper towers covered in steamed buns, held in May, and the Dragon-boat races in June will fascinate youngsters, as will the full-moon festival in September.