“Cityscape” is a very broad term, and most of the time it refers not only to a certain place, but also to a place that we have experienced, are familiar with and have left deep memories. Its beauty may be obvious to everyone, or it may be a secret that only we know in our hearts.
Memories are raging, and the authors are calm, sincere, and honest. We hope that through the “City Walk Guide” series, we can show you every interesting and extraordinary city scenery.
The city of Hong Kong has given me a lot of different cultural feelings in the city. If you wish to visit Hong Kong to feel the different culture here, here is a strolling guide, which may not be the same as a normal travel guide, and hopefully will help you feel the charm of the city from the residents’ point of view.
This article is divided into two parts: a daytime strolling guide and an evening strolling guide. One of the impressions of Hong Kong is that the streets have a lot of neon lights and a feeling of bright lights, and this part of the experience will be focused on staying for the evening strolling part, while during the day, you can set foot in some of the more unique places to feel some other aspects of the city’s culture.
Daytime Strolling Guide
Sky 100 & M+ Museum
If you like to experience a city from a holistic perspective, then the West Kowloon area is a highly recommended place to visit.
Every big city may have its own tower for a bird’s eye view of the whole city, and in Hong Kong this is Sky 100. At Sky 100 you can look down on the planning and development of the city from four directions: southeast, northwest and southwest, or you can sit down and chat with friends over a cup of coffee 100 stories up in the sky. By the way, if you like to send postcards to your friends, the postcards here are all very unique and you can take your time to choose and write your own message and drop it in the mailbox.
West Kowloon Park often holds a lot of interesting outdoor concerts, and every weekend there are also many people come here to enjoy a picnic leisure time, foreign friends in this group accounted for a lot of proportion, you can come here for a walk to feel the blue sky and white clouds and the atmosphere of life.
There is also a special art museum in West Kowloon, the M+ Museum, which is the first global museum of contemporary visual culture in Asia. It collects and exhibits the works of some of the world’s greatest artists, and also tells the story of Hong Kong’s here and now, showing the transformation of the city from the post-war period to the present.
There are also some regular large shopping malls “Elements” near West Kowloon, and a special building “Hong Kong Palace Cultural Museum” was recently built and opened, which can also be visited on foot if you are interested.
Wong Tai Sin & Choi Hung & Diamond Hill
If you like to immerse yourself in the life of local residents and experience the impact of local historical policies, then Wong Tai Sin district is a good choice.
There is nothing more famous than the Wong Tai Sin Temple in Wong Tai Sin District, where people come to pray for good fortune, for good luck in work and life. Visiting Wong Tai Sin Temple is of course not without asking for fortune telling and feeling this ritualistic act.
Behind Wong Tai Sin Temple, you will find a strange hill, which is the “Lion Rock”. In Hong Kong, people love to go hiking in the countryside on weekends, commonly known as “hiking hills” here. Each uniquely scenic peak is a country park, with government-paved trails and a hierarchy of difficulty. In this densely populated city, it is rare to keep a significant number of them. The special thing about Lion Rock is that it is close to the city, the terrain is not too high so the difficulty is low, and you can also meet the wild monkeys that are so cute/vicious ~ as long as you don’t actively attack them, they won’t attack the tourists.
If you walk to the side, you will see a landmark of Hong Kong called “public housing”, which is somewhat like the public housing in the mainland, with its own style of architecture. It is said that it takes years to get a public housing unit. After seeing the public housing, there is a very representative MTR “rainbow station” nearby, because different MTR stations use different colors to represent the image of the area, you can also pay special attention to it. The rainbow MTR station is a very special existence.
Finally, walk to Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill and check out the local stores such as Brainstorm, Suning, Watsons, and Mannings. In the center of the plaza, there are occasional New Year’s Eve-like vendors selling Chinese and foreign pastries. You can also find your favorite restaurants here, local specialties Minhua restaurants and representative chain restaurants of various countries.
Shatin & Science Park & Tai Mei Tuk
Walking and stopping in the city is an option, going to the suburbs with a mobility scooter is also an option to experience the life of the residents. If you love cycling, you can come and try this route.
When you exit from Tai Wai or Sha Tin MTR station, you will find many bicycle stores renting off-road bicycles, and you will also find many signs guiding the bicycle trails near the stores. Along the way, you will see a lot of natural scenery, such as the waterfront promenade in Pak Shek Kok, which is an emerging residential area attracting many people to buy houses in this vicinity; such as the Hong Kong Science Park, which is a high-tech industrial park and a dream workplace for many young people.
Whether you start in Tai Wai or Shatin, you will eventually arrive at Tai Mei Tuk, the end point where you can return your bike. After returning your bike, you can rent a boat to paddle boy at the pier next to the Water Activities Center or fly a kite on the embankment. Last but certainly not least, the key food of this route, Tai Mei Tuk Barbecue Site, is a limited time self-service barbecue, which is called “putting the question” in the words of this place.
Evening Stroll Guide
Mongkok & Nathan Road & Avenue of Stars
One of the inherent impressions of Hong Kong, with the massive amount of neon lights on the streets, is encountered at night in “Mongkok”. Here you can also find almost all the Hong Kong snacks in the territory, as well as numerous put-themed restaurants to feast on. Do not think that Hong Kong people do not eat spicy, I can often hear the local accent to place an order medium spicy, large spicy, so that I order away spicy (do not spicy) people’s voice decibel are down a large part.
After eating and drinking, you will come to the city’s central axis “Nathan Road”, which is also a song of the same name in Hong Kong music that is very popular. Keep walking in the direction of Tsim Sha Tsui to feel the traffic of the city. You will come across Kowloon Park, a seemingly uneventful street garden with a lake inhabited by flamingos.
The end of this road is the “Avenue of Stars”, which we used to see and hear about on TVB. On the Avenue of Stars, there is a memorial plaque with the names and palm prints of outstanding filmmakers arranged according to the era and order. Although it may not be clear at night, but walking down this avenue, there is a sense of long-lost intimacy.
Victoria Harbour & Star Ferry & Central & Western District Promenade
Next to the Avenue of Stars is the Victoria Harbour. If you are tired of walking, sit down and take a rest, look at the sea and have a small dessert. The “Regal Ice Cream Truck” parked near the “Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower” is a good choice, soft and sweet, and affordable.
If it happens to be 8:00 pm, the “Illuminations of Hong Kong” light show will be staged. Bright lights flash from the skyscrapers of Causeway Bay and Central on the other side of the harbor, while your ears are filled with heartwarming music that perfectly matches the rhythm of the lights. The bay of water in front of you separates Hong Kong Island from Kowloon, but the spirit of Hong Kong is not separated by this. This is a performance done together by both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and the sophisticated cooperation is amazing.
After watching the show, you may also be curious about what it’s like to see from the other side of the sea. For only $3, you can have a wonderfully smooth sailing experience with the sea breeze.
The ferry terminal is in Central, and if you like a bit of action, you can walk two steps to Lan Kwai Fong for a wine party. If you prefer a quieter, more lived-in place, you can walk straight down the pier and along the Central and Western District Promenade to meet coconut trees, woodchucks, street artists, and yoga practitioners. “Zhongshan Memorial Park is at the midpoint of the promenade and echoes West Kowloon Park across the water.
