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Avenue
of Stars |
| Discover Hong Kong movie magic
as you stroll along the Avenue of Stars on
the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade. This tourism
attraction pays tribute to the stars of the
silver screen including handprints of individual
stars, sculptures, movie history milestones
of the past hundred years and movie memorabilia
kiosks. The Avenue of Stars also offers incredible
panoramic views of the famed Victoria Harbour
and the stunning Hong Kong skyline. It is
also the perfect place to watch the spectacular
A Symphony of Lights, a nightly multimedia
show beginning at 8pm. |
|
Clock
Tower |
| The old Clock Tower near the
Star Ferry concourse at Tsim Sha Tsui is a
landmark of the bygone era of the Age of Steam,
when trains arrived here with passengers who
weeks before had embarked from London on the
world's longest railway journey. With its
distinctive design in red brick and granite,
the 45-metre Tower is a graceful reminder
of those Colonial times. But over many years
it had far greater significance for tens of
millions of Chinese for whom the former terminus
was the final stop on their rail journeys
from villages in their homeland to new lives
either in Hong Kong or by ship to distant
destinations overseas. Now the site of the
historic railway station is occupied by the
Hong Kong Cultural Centre, its curving roof
and futuristic features creating an unusual
background to its solitary neighbour. The
Clock Tower is an ideal starting place for
a Heritage Walk in Tsim Sha Tsui. The Cultural
Centre is highly interesting both out- and
inside. Look for the unusual golden statue
of a winged figure on the side facing the
Star Ferry, an avant-garde gift from France. |
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Temple Street |
| Hong Kong's most famous open-air
market opens at 2:00pm but really comes to
life at dusk, with a bustling array of stalls
selling everything from watches and leatherware
to clothing and souvenirs. Other attractions
include fortune-tellers and occasionally,
Cantonese opera singers. Temple Street is
in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon. |
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Chi
Lin Nunnery |
| Magnificently renovated in traditional
architecture, the Chi Lin Nunnery is another
must-see attraction in Kowloon. No nails were
used in this multi-million dollar renovation,
only wooden dowelling and brackets. The 3.2-hectare
site, comprising various Buddhist halls, is
a living museum of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).
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Sik
Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple |
| If you have a long-standing wish
that's yet to come true, perhaps the place
to visit is the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin
Temple where, provided you make an earnest
plea to the gods, "every wish can come
true" - or so it is said. But even if
you don't get your wish and win a million
in the lottery, this temple complex in the
heart of urban Kowloon is still well worth
a visit. Covering 18,000 square metres and
located in a tranquil natural setting remote
from the nearby housing estates and the bustle
of their streets, the temple is, apart from
being an important religious centre, a scenic
attraction full of beautifully ornamented
traditional buildings. |
|
Festival
Walk |
| Festival Walk is Sham Shui Po
District's premier celebration of shopping
and fun - all under one roof. Bright and airy,
Festival Walk's mall contains more than 200
shops, some 30 restaurants, an 11-screen cinema
multiplex and Hong Kong's largest ice rink.
Operated by Swire Properties, Festival Walk
opened in 1998. A 1.5 million sq ft mixed-use
development by Kowloon Tong, it embraces 980,000
sq ft of retail space, as well as a 282,000
sq ft office building. The mall's polished
chrome escalators, wide corridors and plunging
atriums are designed to make the best use
of natural light, so it's like shopping in
an air-conditioned outdoors. And as it's right
next to new residential developments at Parc
Oasis and City University, throngs of students
lend the mall a trendy and youthful air. |
|
Lei
Yue Mun Seafood Bazaar |
| Located on the Kowloon side of
the narrow eastern entrance to Hong Kong Harbour,
the small fishing village at Lei Yue Mun first
came into prominence in the 1960s, when it
became fashionable to go there for its seafood.
At that time, most diners would select their
own live seafood from the fish market, and
then take it to a restaurant for cooking.
Many still do, but with many more restaurants
now in business, you can make your selection
closer to your table. Lei Yue Mun launched
a Seafood Festival in 1992, and so successful
was it in promoting business that it has since
become an annual happening. During the Festival
the narrow streets reverberate to the drums,
gongs and songs of Cantonese opera performers,
while lion dances add a touch of frenzied
excitement to the occasion. Restaurants arrange
attractive promotions and offer special dishes
to keep their tables busy, and local and visiting
gourmets converge on the area to dine on superb
seafood dishes washed down with wines, liquors
or copious draughts of beer. |
|
Kowloon
Walled City Park |
| Few areas of Hong Kong have a
richer historical background than the Kowloon
Walled City Park, originally the site of a
walled fort. After Hong Kong Island was ceded
to Great Britain in 1841, squatters soon moved
in and for about 100 years it remained a quiet
rural hamlet huddled behind its protective
walls. World War 2's end soon saw hundreds
of thousands of Chinese refugees flock to
Hong Kong, bringing a fresh wave of squatters,
particularly criminal elements attracted by
this legal no-man's land. Lacking law and
order, the area mushroomed into a squalid
eyesore of illegal buildings where crime,
drugs and vice flourished side by side in
a maze of dank, dark alleyways. The situation
became so out of hand that the Chinese and
British authorities finally agreed to clear
the festering slum in 1994 and resettle its
occupants. The cleared site was then transformed
into the beautiful Chinese park and garden
which today delights visitors from all over
the world. It is built in the classical Jiangnan
style and its features include a Garden of
the Chinese Zodiac, a Mountain View Pavilion
and a Hill Top Pavilion. |
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