Places to visit in Hong Kong (famous locations)

Hong Kong is a very interesting city. Even though it is a small city, there is a lot in this city. The city is filled with different cultures, different people, and different locations. In this post, I am going to talk about some famous locations that you should visit when you visit Hong Kong.

The Peak
Hong Kong is a forest made of concrete. The majority of the time, you will be inside the forest and surrounded by building almost cover the sky because of how tall they are.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/90/f7/2c/90f72c4cc26635fee5dc150b130978ab.jpg

Have you ever wonder what is it like to step outside of the forest and look back at it? Well, you can do that. Just go to The Peak. You can get their by hiking or you can take the iconic tram.

http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/876/overrides/peak-tram-victoria-peak-hong-kong_87639_990x742.jpg

Once you get to the top, you will see the Victoria Peak.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Peak_Tower_1.jpg

You can go to the top of the Victoria Peak, and you will witness this

http://images.chinahighlights.com/attraction/hong-kong/victoria-peak/victoria-peak1.jpg

or this

https://readyandreach.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/12-07-04-lard-in-hong-kong-the-peak-by-scott-wu-16321.jpg

Isn't the view amazing? For a while, you can get away from the quick pace of Hong Kong and take the time to look back at a place where you've always been inside of it, from another perspective.

Personally, I think the night view is amazing. After you have been there and witness the view, you will understand why people call Hong Kong the "Pearl of the Orient". 

-Victoria Harbour

If you can't get enough of Hong Kong's fantastic view, you should head to the Victoria Harbour. Victoria Harbour is a harbour that separates Hong Kong Island from Kowloon. In the old time, there were many ships and ferries moving across the harbour.

http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/CPR/ships/bccs/victoria_harbour.jpg

Now a day, it is very different.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Victoria_Harbour_23Jun2007.jpg

If you go to the Victoria Harbour during the day, you will see many skyscrapers. People are in those buildings working, and the scene is quite ordinary and peaceful. 

But at night...it is a whole another story.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Hong_Kong_at_night.jpg

All the lights are on, and you can see different color. The harbour suddenly becomes a mirror that reflects all the lights. It's another amazing view of Hong Kong. How can you improve this view? Well, every night, there is A Symphony of Lights. This is a night show involving more than 40 buildings on both sides of the harbour.

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/seasia/images/see-do/highlight-attractions/large/1.1.3.7-SOL_03.jpg

During some special holidays, such as Chinese New Year, fireworks show will happen at the Victoria Harbour. There will be many people standing on each side of the harbour and watching the fireworks show.

https://travelogme.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/new-year-fireworks.jpg

Again, Hong Kong is truly the "Pearl of the Orient".

-Avenue of Stars

Are you a big movie fan? If so, you will like the Avenue of Stars. Avenue of Stars is modelled on the Walk of Fame at Hollywood. But instead of all the big Hollywood stars, you will see Hong Kong famous celebrities.

http://novotel-hongkong-nathanroad.com/wp-content/gallery/attractions-in-the-vicinity-slide/the-avenue-of-stars.jpg

There are different statuses, hand prints, or information about some of the famous celebrities in Hong Kong that had have huge impacts to Hong Kong's entertainment industry. Out of all the statues, Bruces Lee's statue is probably the most well known one.

Walking through the Avenue of Star, you can learn more about Hong Kong's entertainment industries. 

-Tian Tan Buddha

Hong Kong is not all about quick-pace city life. If you want a moment of peace, there are many options. One of the most famous ones is probably the Tian Tan Buddha. It is located at the Lantau Island.

http://www.meros.org/en/wonder/avatar?id=455

To get there, you will first have to take the cable car.

http://www.urban-outdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/lantau-island-cable-car-360_byg666.jpg

Then when you get there, you will have to walk in a long stairway to get to the gigantic buddha itself. Under the buddha, there are some things that you would see in other temples. Nothing really special happens inside. Most people go there just to witness the buddha. The buddha is very high up because it symbolizes heaven.

-Golden Bauhinia Square

Bauhinia is Hong Kong's national flower. It is on the flag of Hong Kong.

http://www.flags.net/images/largeflags/CHIN0100.GIF

And Hong Kong also created a gold statue of it and located it at the Golden Bauhinia Square. This is just a tourist location for taking pictures. However, some time, there are some special ceremonies that happen at the Golden Bauhinia Square.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Golden_Bauhinia_Square_20080830.JPG

Every morning, there is a flag-rising ceremony. So if it is something that you want to see, you should visit the Golden Bauhinia Square in the morning. Also, during July 1st, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day, the flag-rising ceremony will be more serious. Many important people such as Hong Kong's chief executive will also be at the Golden Bauhinia Square to witness the flag-rising ceremony.

-Macau

Okay, Macau is the last place that I am going to talk about. I know Macau is not in Hong Kong, and I am cheating a little bit putting Macau on my list. But many people from Hong Kong go to Macau all the time because of its proximity with Hong Kong. Going to Macau from Hong Kong is very convinient; you can get to Macau from Hong Kong by ferry in about 40 to 45 minutes.

http://travelsummary.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Map.jpg

Macu is a very small place. It is even smaller than Hong Kong. 

One of the most famous thing in Macau is casinos. Macau is like a small Las Vegas. In fact, some people from Hong Kong go to Macau just to gamble.

http://itsmacau.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/macau-casinos1.jpg

Because of the casinos, Macau has many very nice hotels.

Another famous location at Macau is the Macau Tower.

http://static.thousandwonders.net/Macau.Tower.original.7381.jpg

Going to the Macau tower can be quite exciting, and scary. First, if you go to the top of the building, there is a glass floor.

https://ccyee.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/view-from-glass-floor-of-macau-tower-you-dare-to-jump.jpg

The top floor is 223m (731.6ft) high. So if you are scared of height, maybe you should step on those glass floors.

But if you are more adventurous, you can step up your game and try the skywalk. What is a skywalk? Well, you will walk outside of the tower.

http://www.ajhackett.com/macau/assets/bulkUpload/0020.jpg

https://www.macautower.com.mo/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/IMG_3649.jpg

If you think this is not exciting enough. Well, you have one more option: bungee jump.

http://static.businessinsider.com/image/5346d228eab8eab25188cdf6/image.jpg

You jump off of the Macau Tower.

http://ncmedia.azureedge.net/ncmedia/2015/11/Lara-Croft-Cosplayer-Jenn-Croft-Scales-Worlds-Highest-Bungee-Jump-at-Macau-Tower-1800x1200.jpg

There are other famous locatioins at Macau that you should go visit. But I am not going to talk much about it here. Oh, also, Macau has many delicious food, so....why wouldn't you go to Macau?

Hong Kong and Macau are two very interesting cities. Even though they are part of China, they have a lot of influence from western countries. Both cities have their own uniqueness. I hope that after reading this post, you guys would consider visiting Hong Kong and Macau the next time when planning travels.

Places to visit in Hong Kong (for fun)

Last time, I talked about Hong Kong's fantastic food. This time, I am going to talk about places that teenagers should visit when they are in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a very energetic city that never sleeps. Teenagers will be able to find locations that interested them no matter when it is day or night.

-Hong Kong Disneyland 
The first place that I am going to recommend is Hong Kong Disneyland.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Front_Entrance_of_Disneyland.JPG

Hong Kong Disneyland is located in Lantau Island, Hong Kong. Hong Kong Disneyland is the smallest Disneyland in the world. It has 7 theme areas:Main Street, U.S.A., Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, and Toy Story Land.

http://www.smalltravelbugs.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Hong-Kong-Disneyland-Map.jpg

Inside, there are many differernt rides that you would expect to see in Disneyland such as Space Mountain and Jungle Cruise. There are also some fantasic shows you can see in Hong Kong Disneyland. And oviously, in Hong Kong Disneyland, you will meet many of the Diney characters walking around or in the parade. You will be able to take pictures with them. Also, do not forget to stay a little bit longer and watch the beautiful firework show that happens everynight.

      

If you want to spend more time at Hong Kong Disneyland, there are also two hotels: Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel and Disney's Hollywood Hotel. Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel will provide you a more classic European experience while the Diney's Hollywood Hotel will be more mordern. If teenagers want to stay in a Disney hotel, I would recommand them to stay in the Diney's Hollywood Hotel because there are more Disney elements in it. There are different disney theme rooms that teens can choose from. 

Even though the hotels in Hong Kong Disneyland are very nice, you do not have to stay at those hotels. Since Hong Kong Disneyland is not as big as other Disneylands, spending 1 day in Hong Kong Disneyland is enough for many people. Sure you won't be able to get to everything in there. But you will more than likely be able to go to all the places that you want and get the Disney experience. Also, Hong Kong Disneyland's location is kind of far away most places you would want to visit when you are in Hong Kong. So I would not recommend staying there if you are not going to Disneyland. However, if you are a huge Disney fan and you would like to leave your footprint in every space in Hong Kong Disneyland, then you should probably stay in Disneyland's hotels for 1 or 2 nights.

I have personally been to both the Disneyland in Anaheim and the Hong Kong Disneyland, and I think that even though Hong Kong Disneyland is much smaller than the Disneyland in Anaheim, they have many things that are in common. Going to Hong Kong Disneyland will give you a good Disney experience and a taste of what the U.S. Disneylands are like. Personally, I enjoyed my experience at Hong Kong Disneyland a little bit more just because there were not as many people as in Anaheim so I didn't have to wait too long for rides.

-Ocean Park
If you are in to exciting rides, Disneyland may not be for you. But don't worry. There is another place in Hong Kong where you can find exciting rides. The Ocean Park.

Ocean Park is another theme park in Hong Kong. It has opened way longer than Hong Kong Disneyland has. It is located in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern District of Hong Kong.

http://images.china.cn/images1/200707/400657.jpg

In Ocean Park, you will be able to find those crazy roller coasters and other exciting rides. Besides those rides, you will also find some less intense rides for younger kids.

But Ocean Park is much more than an amusement park. It is also a marine mammal park, aquarium, and animal theme park. At Ocean Park, you will see different animals such as sharks, jellyfishes, penguins, pandas and more. There is also a theater where you can watch animal shows. So if you are not in to the rides, you can still come to the Ocean Park and have a good time. You will be able to see many rare animals.





I would recommend teenagers to go to the Ocean Park more than Hong Kong Disneyland because there are more exciting rides in the Ocean Park and the Ocean Park has more attractions. Also, Disneyland might be a little bit childish for some teens. However, if you are a Disney fan and want the Disney experience, then Disneyland is where you want to go. But if you have time, go to both because they offer very different things and experiences.

-Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/au/images/shop/where-to-shop/large/3.2.1.8-Mong-Kok_03.jpg

If you are a teenager, you will love Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Mong Kok. Since these three places are next to each other, they form the Yau Tsim Mong district. In the Yau Tsim Mong district, you can find basically anything: shopping malls, delicious food, interesting stores. And because many young people hang around in this district, many stores in this district do not close until very late at night.

Remember in the last post, I tell you guys to try some Hong Kong street food? Well, you will find almost all types of street food in the Yau Tsim Mong district. Again, I urge you guys to try it because they are very delicious.






In the Yau Tsim Mong district, you will also find many themed streets.

http://i.imgur.com/f6hTorv.jpg

There is a "figures street" where you can find many stores that sell Japanese figures on the same street. This is a heaven for many people who like Japanese animes.

http://www.12hk.com/area/HoManTin/VictoryAve_IMG_2286a.jpg

There is a "pet street" where many pet stores are located. If you need anything pet related, you can go to the "pet street" and I am sure you will find what you want.

http://vermilliongoldfishclub.com/diary/images/tungchoi/ultimate.jpg

If you want to find any aquarium related things, you can go to the "goldfish street". When you are there, you will find goldfishes swimming around you because there are some many aquarium stores.

http://www.nomadgirl.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/MAIN201306271400000169090264533.jpg

Want to buy a pair of sneakers? No problem. Head to the "sneakers street" and you will find tons of sneakers from different countries.

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/nz/images/see-do/highlight-attractions/large/1.1.1.8-Temple-Street-Night-Market_01.jpg

At night, there are some night markets where you will find people selling all kinds of stuff, ranging from food to jades (but those are properly some not very good ones). Although much of the stuff that is being sold at the night markets is counterfeit or not that high quality, but going to those night markets will allow you to experience the older Hong Kong.

Yau Tsim Mong district is a part of Hong Kong that never sleeps and fills with energy. It is a very diverse district where you can find almost everything you are looking for. I am sure teenagers will love this district.

-Lan Kwai Fong
If you are over 18, and you want some drinking and party scenes, then head to Lan Kwai Fong. Lan Kwai Fong is in Central, Hong Kong. There is a street full of pubs. If you go to Lan Kwai Fong during the day, not much will be happening.

http://travelerfolio.com/tf3/photos/2011/04/lan-kwai-fong-hong-kong.jpg

However, if you go there at night...

http://news-cdn.efinancialcareers.com/wp-content/uploads/expats-at-lan-kwai-fong-1.jpg

it is going to be crowded. You will see many people popping in and out of pubs with drinkings and having fun. You will also see many foreigners at Lan Kwai Fong because partying and dancing is more of a western thing, and many foreigners who go or move to Hong Kong will spend many of their nights at Lan Kwai Fong. During holidays, especially western holidays such as Christmas and Halloween, the atmosphere at Lan Kawi Fong will be fantastic.

Lan Kwai Fong is usually filled with people until late at night. Since it is a place full of alcohol, sometimes people will get into troubles because they drank too much. So be aware when you are staying late at there.