HONG KONG SIGHTS TO BEHOLD
(Courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board)


Hong Kong International Airport
This architectural masterpiece, part of a HK$155.3 billion engineering project that includes rail, road and bridge projects, is situated on a flattened island off northern Lantau Island.  It opened in July 1998 with two very important visitors--Bill Clinton and Jiang Zemin.  Complementing this award-winning showpiece--designed by world-renowned architect Lord Norman Foster--is Tsing Ma Bridge.  At 2.2 kilometers (1.36 miles), it is the world's longest road-and-rail suspension bridge and a feat of modern engineering.  It provides the link to downtown Hong Kong for the high-speed Airport Express, which will have you in Kowloon in 20 minutes and in Central, on Hong Kong Island, in about 23 minutes.  Then your adventure begins...

NOT TO BE MISSED

The first place on every visitor's "Must-Do" list is Victoria Peak, where you can grasp the diversity and scale of the city.  In approximately seven minutes, you'll be up in the clouds, thanks to the Peak Tram, which says a lot about the city--a historic form of transport to view a panorama of modern skyscrapers and mountains.  The tram, which climbs 373-meter-high (1,224 feet) above the harbour, has been in operation since 1888.

Step on to any street and you'll be swept away in a wave of commotion, smells and sounds  For a taste of what it's like to live here, ride the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator, which snakes its way through some of the city's most expensive real estate.  An incredible 800 meters (875 yards) long, it's the world's longest covered outdoor escalator and moves about 36,000 people a day.  It has created its own "escalator culture" of trendy bars, cafes and restaurants along its route.

For another "moving" experience, ride the upper deck of a bus from Central to Stanley on the South Side of Hong Kong Island.  Through sharp twists and turns, ascents and descents, this exhilarating ride boasts nonstop magnificent views.  Get a seat at the front for the ultimate experience.

NEIGHBORHOODS

Hong Kong may be small, but it's a place that lives large.  Its neighborhoods each have their own distinct character, sights and sounds.  You'll want to explore them all.

Hong Kong Island

Central. Home to the business and financial world, where charming colonial buildings stand proudly alongside futuristic monoliths.  A new landmark is rising in Central above the Star Ferry Piers, the Two ifc (International Finance Centre) tower: Standing 420-meters high (1,378 feet), Two ifc is the tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong and the fourth tallest in the world.  Central is also a magnet because of the legendary Star Ferry, providing a memorable and scenic boat ride across one of the most photographed harbours in the world.  Star Ferry, which celebrated its centenary in 1998, will have you across the harbour and in Tsim Sha Tsui in about eight minutes.  Central is also a shopper's paradise.  Lan Kwai Fong, the famous nightspot, is here, along with another fashionable evening dining area, SoHo.

Admiralty. Immediately below Hong Kong Park and close to the waterfront lies Admiralty.  The area features a collection of modern landmarks, including the deluxe Pacific Place hotel-and-shopping complex.

Wan Chai. Famous as the home of the fictional Suzie Wong, as portrayed in the 1957 movie, The World of Suzie Wong, today's Wan Chai is more notable for its dizzying array of small shops--from wet markets to metal craftsmen and quaint printers selling traditional red Chinese wedding invitations.  At its core is the nightlife scene, with many trendy bars and restaurants complementing the older "traditional" establishments.  The district also boasts the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, where the ceremony for the handover took place in 1997.  Perched in the harbour, it resembles a soaring bird, symbolizing the free spirit of the city.  There's also the 374-meter (1,230 feet), 78-storey Central Plaza, where rooftop neon lights change colour each quarter hour after 6pm to signal the time of the day.  A ride to its Sky Lobby on the 46th floor helps you put Hong Kong Island and Kowloon in perspective.

Causeway Bay and Happy Valley. Extremely popular for shopping and entertainment.  The area also boasts one of the greatest horseracing venues in the world at the magnificent Happy Valley Racecourse, where the first meeting was held in 1846. Causeway Bay's Japanese department stores are among the biggest in town.  There are also many local teahouses offering unique HongKong-style tea and snacks.  It's frantic day and night, but in the morning, take a crack-of-dawn stroll through Victoria Park and watch locals achieve inner peace by practising tai chi (Chinese shadow boxing).

South Side.  Step away from the hustle and bustle into a slower pace of life.  Aberdeen Harbour may be ringed with high-rise housing estates, but fishermen still live on high-sterned varnished-wood junks.  At night, the Jumbo Floating Restaurant moored in Aberdeen Harbour, becomes the focus.  Nearby is Ocean Park, an amusement park perched around two mountain peaks.  It boasts a range of hair-raising rides, a scenic cable car ride, reef aquariums, seals and sea lions, and its two most popular guests-giant pandas, An An and Jia Jia.  An unrivalled experience combining entertainment, education and conservation.

Kowloon

Avenue of Stars. Walk among the stars as Hong Kong pays tribute to famous celebrities from the silver screen and those behind the camera who make the magic happen.  This new attraction along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront features plaques and hand prints of stars, sculptures, movie industry milestones, souvenirs for sale, incredible views of Hong Kong's famous skyline and more. 

Tsim Sha Tsui. Welcome to Hong Kong's tourist mecca.  Enter the "Golden Mile", a long boulevard of shops and tourist hotels running from the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula down Nathan Road. It's Hong Kong's answer to Fifth Avenue and the Champ's Elysee, and is an unforgettable shopping experience.  Drop into Kowloon Park, and meander along the Sculpture Walk featuring local and international exhibits.  Take time to admire the graceful old Clock Tower alongside the Star Ferry concourse. It was part of the Kowloon-Canton railway station that was moved to nearby Hung Hom in 1975.

Tsim Sha Tsui East. This is a major hotel, shopping and nightlife area fronts a fine waterfront promenade that sweeps all the way from the Hong Kong Cultural Centre to Hung Hom.

Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok. Gain an insight into traditional Chinese urban life.  Yau Ma Tei (meaning "place of sesame plants" because it was once a farmland) is a maze of narrow, fascinating streets.  Mong Kong, is reputedly the most densely populated urban area in the world.  These neighborhoods are bustling with markets specializing in everything fro flowers and goldfish to jade and songbirds.

New Territories

Sprawling between Kowloon Peninsula and Mainland China, the 747 square kilometers (287 square miles) of the New Territories are a rich tapestry of scenic contracts--hilly, rolling woodlands and buzzing "new towns"; duck farms and wildlife reserves; sandy bays and ornate temples; bustling markets and isolated hamlets.

Outlying Islands.

Hong Kong has more than 260 Outlying Islands and although only a few are inhabited, they offer an endless cornucopia of experiences for the adventurous visitor seeking tranquility and a glimpse of what Hong Kong life was like in years past.  Lantau island is a must for hikers and lovers of the great outdoors; green Lamma Island is famous for its seafood restaurants; tiny Cheung Chau and Peng Chau still cling to their traditional fishing village lifestyles.  The main islands are no more than an hour away from Central by ferry--and getting there is half the fun!