Discover 35 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Hong Kong (China). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Nathan Road, Hong Kong Science Museum, and The Big Buddha. Also, be sure to include Madame Tussauds Hong Kong in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Hong Kong (Yau Tsim Mong).
Table of Contents
Nathan Road
Also known as: 彌敦道
Thoroughfare in Hong Kong, Asia. Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong, aligned south–north from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sham Shui Po. It is lined with shops and restaurants and throngs with visitors, and was known in the post–World War II years as the Golden Mile, a name that is now rarely used. It starts on the southern part of Kowloon at its junction with Salisbury Road, a few metres north of Victoria Harbour, and ends at its intersection with Boundary Street in the north. Portions of the Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan lines run underneath Nathan Road. The total length of Nathan Road is about 3.6 kilometres.[1]
Address: 473-473A Nathan Rd., Hong Kong (油尖旺区)
Hong Kong Science Museum
Also known as: 香港科學館
Museum in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Science Museum is a science museum in Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong, located next to the Hong Kong Museum of History.[2]
Address: No.2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong (油尖旺区)
The Big Buddha
Also known as: 天坛大佛
Landmark hilltop statue of Buddha. The Big Buddha is a large bronze statue of Buddha, completed in 1993, and located at Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, in Hong Kong. The statue is sited near Po Lin Monastery and symbolises the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and faith. It is a major centre of Buddhism in Hong Kong, and is also a tourist attraction.[3]
Address: Ngong Ping Rd, Hong Kong (离岛区)
Madame Tussauds Hong Kong
Also known as: 香港杜莎夫人蠟像館
Wax museum featuring notable Americans. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, is part of the renowned chain of wax museums founded by Marie Tussaud of France, is located at the Peak Tower on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It is the first Madame Tussauds museums in Asia, the other being the Shanghai branch, which opened in 2006 and the third branch at Bangkok which opened in 2010. The Hong Kong branch houses nearly 100 wax figures of internationally known personalities, with Asian figures taking up more than a third of the total, of which sixteen were Hong Kongers. The wax figures are featured in a range of themed settings such as Hong Kong Glamour, Music Icons, Historical and National Heroes, The Champions and World Premiere.[4]
Address: 128 Peak Rd, Hong Kong (中西区)
Hong Kong Park
Also known as: 香港公園
Park in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Park is a public park next to Cotton Tree Drive in Central, Hong Kong. Built at a cost of HK$398 million and opened on 23 May 1991, it covers an area of 80,000 square metres and is an example of modern design and facilities blending with natural landscape.[5]
Address: 19 Cotton Tree Dr, Central, Hong Kong (中西区)
Clock Tower
Also known as: 尖沙咀鐘樓
Historical site in a scenic environment. The Clock Tower is a landmark in Hong Kong. It is located the southern shore of Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It is the only remnant of the original site of the former Kowloon station on the Kowloon–Canton Railway. Officially named Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower, it is usually referred to as the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower for its location.
Built out of red bricks and granite, the Clock Tower peaks at 44 metres, and is topped by a 7-metre lightning rod. The top of the tower can be reached by a wooden staircase located within. The interior of Clock Tower had previously been open for the visit but is currently closed for maintenance. The clock tower is located near Victoria Harbour at the foot of Salisbury Road. Another landmark, the Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier, is located nearby.
The tower has been listed as a declared monument in Hong Kong since 1990.[6]
Address: Salisbury Rd, Hong Kong (油尖旺区)
Hong Kong Space Museum
Also known as: 香港太空館
Astronomy and space science exhibits. The Hong Kong Space Museum is an astronomy and space science museum located in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Opened on 8 October 1980, it is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. The building is notable for its hemispherical shape, which contains a planetarium, the only one in Hong Kong. The main facilities of the museum are located in a building next to the planetarium, showcasing information about the Solar System, cosmology, and spaceflight.
Accessible from Salisbury Road, it is adjacent to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower. The Hong Kong Science Museum and the Hong Kong Museum of History are also located in Tsim Sha Tsui.[7]
Address: 10 Salisbury Rd, Hong Kong (油尖旺区)
MegaBox
Shopping centre in Hong Kong. MegaBox is a large shopping centre in Hong Kong and part of the Enterprise Square Five shopping and office complex, located at 38 Wang Chiu Road, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon. With 19 stories and a floor area of 100,000 m2, MegaBox is the largest shopping centre in Eastern Kowloon.
In addition MegaBox houses an ice rink, MegaIce, which is the largest in Hong Kong at 26 metres x 57 metres. MegaBox's UA theatre is the first commercial theatre in Hong Kong to have the IMAX film display system. It also offers a 1000-space car park.
Although it is not built on top of a railway station, the mall is accessible by its free shuttle bus service, plying between the mall and MTR Kowloon Bay station with a frequent headway. Visitors using the MTR have complained of the long delay of around 15 mins from waiting for the shuttle bus to and from the mall. The mall is 15 minutes from the station on foot.[8]
Address: Hong Kong, 38 Wang Chiu Road
Hong Kong Museum of Art
Also known as: 香港藝術館
Museum in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Museum of Art is the first and main art museum of Hong Kong, located in Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. It is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government. HKMoA has an art collection of over 17,000 items. Admission is free for permanent exhibitions. Its rival is the non-government-managed Hong Kong Arts Centre. These two museums are considered to be the top two art museums in Hong Kong that dictate the discourse of art in Hong Kong.
It has a extended branch, the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, at the Hong Kong Park in Central.[9]
Address: 10 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong (油尖旺区)
Western Market
Also known as: 西港城
Historical landmark in Hong Kong. Western Market is one of the oldest structures in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The current structure, built in 1906, was the North Block of the original Western Market. It is the oldest surviving market building in the city. The former South Block was demolished in 1981 and its site is now occupied by the Sheung Wan Complex.[10]
Address: Hong Kong, 323 Des Voeux Road Central
Ocean Park Hong Kong
Also known as: 香港海洋公園
Theme park with rides and wild animals. Ocean Park Hong Kong, commonly known as Ocean Park, is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, animal theme park and amusement park situated in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern District of Hong Kong. It is the second largest theme park in Hong Kong, after Hong Kong Disneyland, as well as the largest theme park in Hong Kong by area. It is also the second oldest theme park in Hong Kong, after the now-defunct Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park which closed on 31 March 1997, four months before the 1997 handover.
Opened on 10 January 1977, Ocean Park became popular, but 28 years later, it was unprofitable and widely expected to close due to the new Hong Kong Disneyland. However, the Park responded with a HK$5.5 billion development plan that saw it expand to over 80 attractions and rides, and steadily grow visitor numbers to 7.6 million in 2014, making it the world's 13th most visited theme park, and one of the largest theme parks in Asia. Half of all visitors now come from mainland China, in growth that parallels rising mainland tourist visitor levels to Hong Kong over the same period.
Covering an area of 91.5 hectares (226 acres), the park is separated by a large mountain into two areas, The Summit (Headland) and The Waterfront (Lowland). These areas can be reached by a 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) cable car system, or the Ocean Express funicular railway. To ascend the Headland, which comprises several hills, visitors can use Hong Kong's second longest outdoor escalator. The theme park has various attractions and rides, including four roller coasters, and also animal exhibits with different themes, such as a giant panda habitat, rainforest and polar displays, as well as an aquarium featuring the world's largest aquarium dome. Between 1979 and 1997, Ocean Park was most famous for its signature killer whale, Miss Hoi Wai/Susie Wong.
As well as being an amusement park, Ocean Park Hong Kong aims to merge entertainment and education, including conservation advocacy. However, it has been criticised by wildlife advocates for practices including the wild capture of large sea animals, such as dolphins and orca, and the presentation of shows featuring such animals performing.
Ocean Park is also renowned for holding the largest Halloween events in Asia.[11]
Happy Valley Racecourse
Also known as: 跑馬地馬場
Sports venue. The Happy Valley Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing and is a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It is located in Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island, surrounded by Wong Nai Chung Road and Morrison Hill Road. The capacity of the venue is 55,000.[12]
Address: Happy Valley Racecourse, Happy Valley, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong (湾仔区)
Victoria Peak
Also known as: 太平山
Lush lookout point with telescopes. Victoria Peak is a hill on the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. With an elevation of 552 metres, it is the highest hill on Hong Kong Island, ranked 29 in terms of elevation in Hong Kong. It is a major tourist attraction offering views of Central, Victoria Harbour, Lamma Island and the surrounding islands.
The summit of Victoria Peak is occupied by a radio telecommunications facility and is closed to the public. The surrounding area of public parks, tourist facilities and high-value residential land is the area that is normally meant by the name The Peak. The Peak also refers to Victoria Peak itself and its nearby areas, including Victoria Gap, Mount Kellett and Mount Gough. Sometimes Bowen Hill may also be included.
The Peak is recognized as one of Hong Kong's most prestigious residential areas. Some of the properties are some of the world's most expensive homes with record-breaking transactions.[13]
Cheung Po Tsai Cave
Tourist attraction in Hong Kong. Cheung Po Tsai Cave is a natural cave where the famous Guangdong pirate Cheung Po Tsai, according to legend, kept his treasures. It is located on Hong Kong's outlying island of Cheung Chau and is a popular attraction of it. No treasures have been found in the cave.[14]
Victoria Park
Also known as: 維多利亞公園
Green space for sports, swimming and play. Victoria Park is a public park covering 190,000 square metres in Hong Kong, and is one of Hong Kong's central attractions. The park is named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. It is located in Causeway Bay, on the north of Hong Kong Island, between Causeway Bay and Tin Hau MTR station Exit A2. It is part of Wan Chai District, bordered by Victoria Park Road and then Victoria Harbour to the north and Causeway Road and Hong Kong Central Library to the south. The park underwent a major revamp in the early 2000s, which gave it many of its new and rebuilt features, including basketball courts, tennis stadiums, and swimming pool.[15]
Address: No.1 Hing Fat Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong (湾仔区)
Stanley Market
Also known as: 赤柱市集
Market in Hong Kong. Stanley Market is a street market in Stanley on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The street is a typical example of a traditional old open-air market in Hong Kong and has since become a major tourist attraction, well known for its bargains. Many of the stalls or shops in Stanley Market sell Hong Kong souvenirs as well as clothing - particularly silk garments and traditional Chinese dress - toys, ornaments, luggage, souvenirs, paintings, and Chinese arts and crafts. The market grew out of Chek Chu Tsuen, a nearby village.
There are several small Chinese restaurants in the marketplace and a small old dai pai dong or open food stall. There are also a variety of restaurants along the seafront.
The nearby Stanley Main Street offers many larger restaurants, both Western and Chinese.[16]
Address: Stanley Beach, Hong Kong (南区)
K11 Art Mall
Also known as: K11
Shopping centre in Hong Kong. K11 Art Mall is a seven-storey shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong located in The Masterpiece, developed by New World Development and completed in December 2009. It is near Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui stations.[17]
Man Yee Building
Also known as: 萬宜大廈
Building in Hong Kong. The original Man Yee Building, initially built in 1957, was the first building in Hong Kong with escalators.
Located between Queen's Road Central, Pottinger Street and Des Voeux Road Central in Central on the Hong Kong Island, the tower was demolished in 1999 and was rebuilt as a 35-storey (344 ft/105 m) tower with total office space of 290,000 square feet (27,000 square meters). It is owned by Man Hing Hong Property Management and Agency Company Limited and designed by architectural firm Rocco Design Architects Limited.[18]
Address: 60-68 Des Voeux Rd C, Hong Kong (中西区)
Hair Raiser
Roller coaster. Hair Raiser is a steel floorless roller coaster at Ocean Park Hong Kong in Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the coaster opened on December 8, 2011, and is the twelfth floorless coaster to be built. The large smiling face entrance is loosely based on Luna Park Sydney in Australia.[19]
Address: 180 Wong Chuk Hang Rd, Hong Kong (南区)
Hong Kong Wetland Park
Also known as: 香港濕地公園
Conservation area and educational exhibits. Hong Kong Wetland Park is a conservation, education and tourism facility, located at the northern part of Tin Shui Wai, in Yuen Long. It was to be an ecological mitigation area for the wetlands lost due to Tin Shui Wai New Town development.
The Hong Kong Wetland Park comprises a 10,000-square-metre (110,000 sq ft) visitor centre, Wetland Interactive World, and a 60-hectare (150-acre) Wetland Reserve. The Wetland Interactive World has themed exhibition galleries, a theatre, a souvenir shop, an indoor play area (swamp adventure) and a resource centre.
Wetland Park currently holds the highest recorded temperature in Hong Kong, at 39.0 °C (102.2 °F) on 22 August 2017, the day before Typhoon Hato affected the region.[20]
Tai Mo Shan
Also known as: 大帽山
Old volcano and Hong Kong's highest point. Tai Mo Shan is the highest peak in Hong Kong, with an elevation of 957 metres. and located at approximately the geographical centre of the New Territories.
The Tai Mo Shan Country Park covers an area of 14.40 square kilometres (5.56 sq mi) around Tai Mo Shan. It is located to the north of Tai Lam Country Park. The 35-metre-high (115 ft) Long Falls is the highest waterfall in Hong Kong.[21]
World-Wide House
Also known as: 環球大廈
Condominium complex in Hong Kong. World-Wide House is an office building in Central, Hong Kong. It is located between Connaught Road Central, Pedder Street and Des Voeux Road Central.[22]
Address: 19 Des Voeux Rd C, Hong Kong (中西区)
Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market
Also known as: 油麻地果欄
Market in Hong Kong. Fruit Market, also known as Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market and Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market, is a wholesale fruit market in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.[23]
Address: Waterloo Rd, Hong Kong (油尖旺区)
Manulife Plaza
Also known as: 利園一期
Skyscraper in Hong Kong. Manulife Plaza, also known as Lee Garden One, is an office skyscraper in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The triangular-shaped tower stands 789 ft tall and contains 52 floors of office space. The building is currently the 16th tallest in Hong Kong and the tallest in Causeway Bay. It also has seven-storey podium hosting a shopping mall.[24]
Address: 28 Yun Ping Rd, Hong Kong (湾仔区)
Salisbury Garden
Garden in Hong Kong. Salisbury Garden is a public space between the Hong Kong Museum of Art and Hong Kong Space Museum, along Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. At the centre is a fountain, with patches of trees on two sides to provide shades for pedestrians.
The Art Square at Salisbury Garden opened in 2014.[25]
Flagstaff House
Also known as: 茶具文物館
Antique teaware in a historic building. Flagstaff House, built in 1846, is the oldest example of Western-style architecture remaining in Hong Kong. It is located at 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Central – within the Hong Kong Park.
It has been a longtime residence of the Commander of the British forces in Hong Kong during colonial times. Today Flagstaff House houses the Museum of Tea Ware.[26]
Address: Hong Kong, 10 Cotton Tree Drive
Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens
Also known as: 香港動植物公園
Zoological park in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is one of the oldest zoological and botanical centres in the world, and the oldest park in Hong Kong. Founded in 1864, its first stage was opened to the public in 1871. It occupies an area of 5.6 hectares, in Central, on the northern slope of Victoria Peak.
Similar to Hong Kong Park, Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens provides a natural environment and atmosphere. While physically smaller than Hong Kong Park it contains more plants, animals and facilities.[27]
Address: Albany Road, Hong Kong (中西区)
Peak Tower
Also known as: 凌霄閣
Shopping complex in Hong Kong. The Peak Tower is a leisure and shopping complex located at Victoria Gap, near the summit of Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It also houses the upper terminal of the Peak Tram. Both the Peak Tower and the Peak Tram are owned by the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels group, the owner of Hong Kong's Peninsula Hotel and other properties. The tower and tram are jointly promoted by the collective branding known as The Peak.
The Peak Tower is located at an elevation of 396 m, 156 m below the summit of Victoria Peak. Because the architects sought a design which would be prominent on the skyline but would not interrupt the natural line of the hills, they chose a site in a dip along the line of the hills, and restricted the tower's height to 428 m above sea level.[28]
Address: No. 1 Lugard Road, Victoria Peak, Hong Kong (中西区)
Cat Street
Also known as: 摩羅街
Street in Hong Kong. Lascar Row is the combined name of two streets between Hollywood Road and Queen's Road Central in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, Upper Lascar Row and Lok Ku Road. The immediate area is notable for its antique stalls.[29]
Address: Upper Lascar Row, Hong Kong (中西区)
Nan Lian Garden
Also known as: 南蓮園池
Tourist attraction in Hong Kong. The Nan Lian Garden is a Chinese Classical Garden in Diamond Hill, Hong Kong near Diamond Hill station. The garden has an area of 3.5 hectares. It is designed in the Tang Dynasty-style with hills, water features, trees, rocks and wooden structures.
The garden was a joint project of the Chi Lin Nunnery and the Hong Kong Government. It opened to the public on 14 November 2006.
The garden is open daily from 7am to 9pm.[30]
Address: No.60 Fung Tak Road, Diamond Hill, Hong Kong (九龙城区)
Chater House
Also known as: 遮打大廈
Office building in Hong Kong. Chater House is an office tower in Central, Hong Kong. Opened in March 2003, it is a part of the Hongkong Land portfolio of properties. It has a three-level retail podium, known as Landmark Chater. The building was built on the site of the former Swire House, and was named after Sir Paul Chater. The building faces streets on three sides: Chater Road, Pedder Street and Connaught Road Central.[31]
Address: 8 Connaught Rd C, Hong Kong (中西区)
Wong Tai Sin Temple
Also known as: 黃大仙祠
Taoist temple devoted to a Chinese deity. Wong Tai Sin Temple is a well known shrine and tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. The 18,000 m2 Taoist temple is famed for the many prayers answered: "What you request is what you get" via a practice called kau chim. The temple is located on the southern side of Lion Rock in the north of Kowloon.[32]
The Landmark
Also known as: 置地廣場
Office in Hong Kong. Landmark is a commercial complex owned by Hongkong Land in Central, Hong Kong. It consists of three office towers: Gloucester Tower, Edinburgh Tower and York House. Its retail podium, Landmark Atrium, forms the core component of the LANDMARK shopping mall.
The Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel is in the lower floors of Edinburgh Tower, directly linked to the retail floors of Landmark Atrium.[33]
Address: 15 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong (中西区)
Kowloon Walled City Park
Also known as: 九龍寨城公園
Park in Hong Kong. The Kowloon Walled City Park is a historical park in Kowloon City, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The Kowloon Walled City had been a military stronghold since 15th century due to its coastal location and was a centre of vice and crime until 1987. Under the agreement between the Hong Kong Government and the PRC, the Kowloon Walled City was demolished in the 1990s while the indigenous buildings and features were preserved for incorporation in the new park.
The Kowloon Walled City Park is designed as a Jiangnan (江南) garden of the early Qing dynasty. The park, 31,000 square metres (7.66 acres) in total, is divided into eight theme zones with their own characteristic scenery, matching with the style of the whole park. The design was awarded a Diploma at the IGO Stuttgart EXPO 93 (International Garden Exposition).[34]
Address: Tung Tau Tsuen, Kowloon, Hong Kong (九龙城区)
Yen Chow Street Hawker Bazaar
Bazar in Hong Kong. The Yen Chow Street Hawker Bazaar, also known as Pang Jai, is a covered market located at the intersection of Yen Chow Street and Lai Chi Kok Road in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. The market is known for selling fabrics, textiles, and other fashion-related paraphernalia. The market has been popular with craft enthusiasts, design students, and professionals in the fashion industry for decades.[35]
Address: 荔枝角道３７３號 No.373 Lai Chi Kok Road, Hong Kong (深水埗区)