Asia's truly international, vibrant city - a melting pot of the East and West. From the futuristic Chek Lap Kok airport, modern skyscrapers, to colourful local markets and roadside foodstalls, Hong Kong offers her visitors a smorgasbord of sights, sounds and smells found nowhere else. Besides great shopping, Hong Kong is also a gourmet's shangri-la.

PLACES TO SEE
The skyline of Hong Kong is one of the best in the world. See the stunning Hong Kong Island skyline from Kowloon.

Guided Walk - Hong Kong Tourism Board offers many free walking tours, including Nature Kaleidoscope Walk and Architecture Walk.

Victoria Peak - Get a stunning view of Hong Kong Island on the Victoria Peak with the giant, Wok shaped Peak Tower. Within the building are shops, restaurants, museums, and viewing points. The Peak Tram runs from Central to the bottom of the Peak Tower.

Horse Racing - The racing season runs from September to June, during which time meetings take place twice weekly, the location alternating between Shatin in the New Territories and Happy Valley near Wan Chai. Of these, Happy Valley is the more convenient and more impressive location, although live races only take place here on Wednesday night. A night in Happy Valley can be filled with entertainment. Get a local Chinese gambler to explain the betting system to you and then drink the cheap draft beer! Be sure to pick up the Racing Post section in the South China Morning Post on Wednesday to guide you. A 'beer garden' with racing commentary in English available at Happy Valley near the finish line, and many expatriates congregate here during the races.


TRADITIONAL HERITAGE IN HONG KONG

Ping Shan Heritage Trail in Tin Shui Wai

Kowloon Walled City Park in Kowloon City

Tsang Tai Uk in the New Territories

Che Kung Temple in the Sha Tin
Man Mo Temple and Fu Shin Street Traditional Bazaar
Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas Located 5 minute walk from Shatin KCR station. This is one of the best temples to visit in Hong Kong. There are over 12,000 buddha and you can usually see monkeys. There is also a pagoda that you can climb. If you are hungry before you climb the large number of stairs there is also a very delicious hot pot restaurant on the way. Although, at the top of the hill there are also amazing vegetarian spring rolls.

Stilt houses in Tai O (aka Hong Kong Venice) -- to have a taste of a traditional fishing village.

Po Lin Monastery and the Tien Tan Buddha Statue on Ngong Ping, which can now be accessed by riding on the Ngong Ping Cable Car that takes you to the massive golden buddha on Lantau Island. A 20-25 minute ride on the Cable Car with a fantastic view of the island and a great way addition to this already amazing trip.

MUSEUMS

Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum (Central)
Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery (Quarry Bay Park)
Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware (Hong Kong Park)
Hong Kong Film Archive (Sai Wan Ho)
Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre (Kowloon Park)
Hong Kong Heritage Museum (Shatin)
Hong Kong Maritime Museum (Stanley)

Hong Kong Museum of Art (Tsim Sha Tsui) Hong Kong Museum of Art is a fascinating, strange and elusive place. The entrance lies up one floor, mimicking the “temple” approach to the high altar of culture and art. Here it doesn’t work, instead of the broad sweep and sense of grandeur, one feels threatened and unwelcome. Once you arrive on the first floor, the cold unwelcoming entrance is forgotten and you are bathed in light from the wall of glass that gives you a panoramic view of Hong Kong Island. The objects on show are Chinese ceramics, terracotta, rhinoceros horn and Chinese paintings. There is also a temporary exhibition space devoted to items from their own collection with additional lent material. There is also space for contemporary art produced by Hong Kong artists, most of whom have moved away from the traditional Chinese art forms to North American and British art.

Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence (Shau Kei Wan)
Hong Kong Museum of History (Tsim Sha Tsui)
Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences (Mid-levels)
Hong Kong Police Museum (The Peak)
Hong Kong Railway Museum (Tai Po)
Hong Kong Science Museum (Tsim Sha Tsui East) A museum which decided to make an architectural statement about its purpose, yet somehow got it horribly wrong.
Hong Kong Space Museum (Tsim Sha Tsui)
Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre (Hong Kong Park)
Law Uk Folk Museum (Chai Wan)
Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum (Sham Shui Po)
Madame Tussauds (The Peak)

NATURE
Hong Kong is not all skyscrapers, and it is worthwhile to go to the countryside (over 70% of Hong Kong), including the country parks and marine parks.

Lantau Islan is twice as big as Hong Kong island and is well worth checking out if you want to get away from the bright lights and pollution of the city for a spell. Here you will find open countryside, traditional fishing villages, secluded beaches, monasteries and more. You can hike, camp, fish and mountain bike, amongst other activities.

The Sai Kung peninsula is also a worthwhile place to visit. Its mountainous terrain and spectacular coastal scenery make this a special place. If you like challenging routes, try going to Sharp Peak (Nam She Tsim in Cantonese). Sharp Peak is famous for its steep slope with a height of more than 400m. The view from the top is fantastic. For a more relaxed route, try to walk along Section 2 of Maclehose Trail.

Hong Kong Wetland Park is a relaxing park set amidst an ecological mitigation area. One can stroll along a network of board walks built over the marshy area and watch birds from a tower. The park also features a large visitors centre/museum. The museum has many interactive exhibits ideal for children, as well as some live animal habitats. To visit, take KCR West Rail to Tin Shui Wai Station, then the #705 light rail to Wetland Park. The park is pushchair and wheelchair friendly.

North East New Territories is also famous for its natural environment. Yan Chau Tong Marine Park is located in the North East New Territories. A few traditional abandoned villages are connected with hiking trails in the territory. North East New Territories is one of the famous hiking hot spot for the locals.

Short hiking trails (2 hours) can be found on Hong Kong Island and the New Territories.

There are some outlying islands are also worth to visit, e.g.: Lamma Island, Cheung Chau, Ping Chau, Tap Mun, Tung Lung Island.

THEME PARKS

Hong Kong Disneyland opened on September 12, 2005. It is on Lantau Island and may be reached via the MTR Disneyland Resort Line from Sunny Bay Station. (Note that, to get to Disneyland from the HK Airport, you must make two connections, the first at Tsing Yi and the second at Sunny Bay.) Though significantly smaller in size than other Disney parks elsewhere, it does offer some great attractions ("Festival of the Lion King" stage show, "Golden Mickey's" stage show, "Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D" show) and very short queues most of the year (except the week of Chinese New Year). Disneyland has not been as successful as anticipated and reports in the South China News indicate that it has failed to reach its visitor numbers by as much as one million people. It's not all bad, though - a second theme park should open next door in the near future.

Ocean Park is on the southern side of Hong Kong island. With roller coasters and large aquarium altogether, it's still packed on weekends with families and tourists after opening to the public for 30 years. The cablecar is an icon and an essential link between the two parts of the park. The views of the South China Sea from the car is always terrific. It would be fair to say that many local people would choose Ocean Park if they had to pick a single theme park to attend. For many, the chance to see Hong Kong's pandas would be a deciding factor. Young adults will be attracted to the wider range of rides. You can get to Ocean Park by a direct bus ride from Admiralty MTR station; it will be the first stop after you clear the Aberdeen Tunnel.