The Great Wall of China
The Forbidden City and the Imperial Palace, Beijing
Today we’re taking you on a tour of one of Asia’s most dynamic cities: Hong Kong ! Yes, this is a city of modern skyscrapers and futuristic architecture, but if you scratch beneath the surface and spend a little time here, you’ll discover pockets of tranquility in the form of incense-filled temples and bonsai gardens, a delicious foodie scene that features budget friendly Michelin-stared restaurants, mountainous islands that are an easy day trip away, antique markets full of treasure, and a dazzling skyline you won’t soon forget. Without further ado, let us show you 25 things to do in Hong Kong: Let’s kick things off at the Peak Tram, where the steep 7 minute ride to Victoria Peak gives you some of the best views of the city. So we just finished riding the tram to Victoria Peak and now we are enjoying the free views.
15 Top Tourist Attractions China 2019 Photo Gallery
We could be paying more and going up to the sky terrace but we refused because the free views are good enough. Yeah, and if you are willing to walk out a little bit from the complex you will find that you know the crowds slowly dissipate. And hey we are just by ourselves right now.
The Terracotta Army
At 552 meters, the Peak is the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island and its location offers vast views of towering skyscrapers, Victoria Harbour and Kowloon off in the distance. For more postcard worthy views of Hong Kong, we also visited Victoria Harbour at sunset and then readed as the skies turned from amber to fiery orange. Another event you should definitely make time for is the Symphony of Lights , which is a daily music and light show that encompasses both sides of the harbour. Skyscrapers dazzle with blinking lights and lazer beams, while everyone oooh’s and aaah’s from the waterfront. You can read the show from either Kowloon or Hong Kong Island , but I personally prefer being on Kowloon since Hong Kong island has the iconic skyline. We are currently in the Nan Lian Garden which is right across from the Chi Lin Nunnery.
The Summer Palace
And again like most parks here in Hong Kong it is super peaceful. They have soft music playing. You can hear the birds chirping. There is beautiful flowers. There is like a little golden pagoda in the middle of a lake. So we are going to show you all of that now. After visiting the gardens, we crossed over to the Chi Lin Nunnery , which is a Buddhist temple complex that dates back to the 1930s. What is perhaps most impressive is that the structures were built out of wood but without the use of a single nail! Alright guys we have three words for you! Tim Ho Wan ! Tell us all about it. What is this place? This is basically one of the best places to try dim sum in all of Hong Kong. Yes. It is a Michelin starred restaurant yet it is affordable. So we are going to go in, we are going to order a lot of food and we are just going to scarf down some dim sum.
Cruising the Li River
Okay. Oh the joy. Ready. Yeah. Alright guys so we just finished placing our order. And this is what the menu looks like. You basically grab a pencil and you tick off the different dishes you are interested in. The first one has already arrived. Oh wow. So we got a little bit greedy because it is like three in the afternoon. We have not had lunch yet so we ordered seven different dishes and we are going to be showing you those once they arrive. First one is here and this one is the sticky rice wrapped in a lotus leaf. This is one of our favorite ones. I love this one. So let’s not waste any time. Let’s just start unfolding this masterpiece. Wow. Lots of steam rising. Ooh! Look at that. It is a huge leaf. It is a huge one. And there you have got the sticky rice with chicken I believe and a nice mushroom. So we are going to be sharing this. Mmmm. Wow. So good.
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Well what do you think? I love it. He loves it. And there is more food. Oh my gosh. So I am just going to use my hand because it is a little bit easier for me. But man these are nice and plump. Yeah. Everything here is plump and stuffed. They do not skimp out here. Mmm. Mmmm. What do you think? There you have it. There is the barbecued bun. This is so fluffy. Oh my gosh. I know. It is a lot fluffier than I remember. Wow. What about the taste? Do you like it? Mmmm. It is really nice because it is like savory inside but then really sweet on the exterior so you get both flavors. It is that contrast that makes it so good. Mmmm. So the next on the menu is one of our absolute favorites. I believe it is called Har Gao and that is basically the almost like shrimp dumplings. Yeah, they are. Shrimp in a little wrapper and they are just so good. Oh my gosh this is a slippery one. Haha. do not burn yourself. I have a feeling it is going to be really hot. Those are like freshly steamed. Oh man. His eyes are bulging out. That was a big bite. Hahaha. So yeah it is just filled with like so much shrimp and you just bite into it and it is juicy and it is just so flavorful and tasty. It is so plump. It is. Seriously. That is the best way to describe them. Just such plump pieces of shrimp.
The Yangtze River and the Three Gorges
I think it goes without saying that Tim Ho Wan is one of our favourite places for dim sum , and it’s worth seeking out if you’re ever in Hong Kong ! So next up we are going to read the Noon Day Gun. And I have to admit the first time I heard about this attraction I had no idea what it was. Sam actually mentioned it to me last time we were in Hong Kong like three years ago. And I just thought Noon Day Gun was a name. To me it sounded like Chinese. But apparently it is a gun that they fire during the day at noon so we are just waiting for that to happen right now. Getting here is a little tricky. I wish I could give you instructions. Um, basically you can probably see the Excelsior Hotel behind me. The Excelsior. Um, you need to go down some tiny side alley and then cross through a tunnel. Um but yeah it is a little bit tricky to find it. We went into like three buildings before we found the right place so you may have to ask around to find it. Um but yeah we are here. We are going to read this gun be fired. Woah! Well Sam after all of these years you finally got to see the Noon Day Gun again. How was it? Yeah, it must have been like six or seven years ago that I got to experience this. Well my biggest tip for this is when you come here make sure you plug your ears just before the shot. Yes! It is some kind of loud. And it almost makes you like shake. That is how loud it is. It is really powerful. Yeah. It is scary. It is a powerful blast. And it is a very short ceremony. Like he just rings the bell, fires the gun and off he goes. And then you can come in and check this place out.
The Classical Gardens of Suzhou
For thirty minutes. You can go and take some pictures of the gun and just walk around. It is pretty cool. Another fun thing to do in Hong Kong is to ride the double decker trams. This was one of the earliest forms of transportation in the city, and riding them through the modern financial district feels a bit nostalgic. If you’re really looking for something memorable, you can actually hire a party tramway and celebrate with music, drink, and stellar views as you cruise through the city. We are currently making our way down Upper Lascar Row and this is the place to buy souvenirs. There is also some construction happening so it is bit loud. But basically the street is lined with shops that sell really high end antiques and then on the street you have like these little tables where you have old trinkets and just things that would make really cool souvenirs but also have a history behind them. So it is worth checking out for sure. I have not picked up anything but I do see things that interest me. It is just I do not have a home and I do not have room in my suitcase. If antiques aren’t really your thing and you’re looking for something a bit more modern, Causeway Bay is full of malls, department stores, and fashion boutiques. So today we are going in search of free views of Hong Kong. Always like free stuff. So we are here at Central Plaza and apparently on the forty sixth floor there is a skydeck. So we are going to be checking this out for the first time. We have never done this in Hong Kong before. Let’s do it. So look at this.
The Potala Palace, Tibet
We get three hundred and sixty degree views of Hong Kong from this building and no one is here. And it is free. More people should know about this place. Seriously guys. Free views of Hong Kong all to yourself. So this is a bit of a quirky attraction to be listing, but not every city offers the opportunity to ride a series of escalators instead of walking up hills. The Central–Mid-Levels escalator is the longest covered escalator system in the world, so it’s worth experiencing at least once. Just know that there is no escalator going down, so you’ll have to take the stairs. Man Mo Temple dates back to 1847 and it is dedicated to the God of Literature and the God of War. For a little trivia, this temple was once popular with students looking to succeed in the civil examinations of Imperial China. We are currently inside the Man Mo Temple and it is thick with incense in the air. I do not know if you can actually see it. But is almost burns your eyes a little bit yet it looks magical at the same time. So it is a weekend in Hong Kong. Tell us what are we up to? Yeah, it is time for some nightlife in Hong Kong. We are at Lan Kwai Fong and this is probably the most popular nightlife area in the city. We are not exactly going to paint the town red but I think we will get a beer or maybe a glass of wine. So I am the kind of person who would rather be at home in bed reading a book on a Sunday night but apparently that is considered lame. So somebody insisted we check out the nightlife. That is all kinds of nerdy. All kinds of nerdy. So here we are. The funny thing is it is like seven thirty PM right now and we are super early. Yeah. It is going to get hopping around nine or ten.
Shanghai’s Promenade: The Bund
By which time we will be back. We will be sleeping by then. Back in the hotel. But anyways cheers. What did you get? Ah, I got red wine. And I got gin and tonic. Salut. If you’re looking to get out of the city and a little closer to nature, you can ride the aerial tramway to Lantau Island. Once you’re there you can visit the Po Lin Monastery , and also visit the Tian Tan Buddha , better known as the Big Buddha. So one thing to keep in mind is that if you visit the Buddha in the morning it is backlit. So if you are a photographer and you want to be able to take some good shots from the front you may have better luck in the afternoon. Otherwise this is what you will get.
Time for a little update. Yeah, so we have had a busy day exploring Hong Kong. Now it is time to go back to our apartment and this is our favorite way of getting around the city. Is taking the Star Ferry. Star Ferry. In my opinion it is like iconic transportation in Hong Kong. You have got to do it. It is cheap it is fun. You can cross Kowloon to Hong Kong Island or vice versa. And it is just something we look forward to doing every time we visit Hong Kong. And the views. If museums are your thing, you can always pop into the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui, which looks at Hong Kong’s history and cultural heritage. The permanent exhibition is free of charge. So right now we are visiting Hong Kong Park and this is one of the coolest parks in the city because you are surrounded by skyscrapers yet you can hear the sounds of nature. They have streams and waterfalls and you can hear the birds chirping and there is palm trees swaying so it feels very peaceful but you can still see that Hong Kong is a very modern city and it is not that far away. Inside the park they also have this huge walk through Aviary. Um and yeah they just have birds flying freely.
Hangzhou’s Historic West Lake
One just nearly hit someone in the head. And it is pretty cool. They have over six hundred birds in here. Another cool park you can visit is Kowloon Park , which offers a serene escape on the other side of the harbour. For a bit of a splurge and some sugary treats, we would recommend indulging in afternoon tea. We went to Lion Rock inside the Royal Plaza Hotel. Alright so I am so excited the tea is here. And we each get our own pot. And seriously there is probably like three cups in here. And they have already poured one. Yours is like the chocolate truffle? It is the chocolate mint truffle. I do not even know. Oh my gosh. The order. But it smells amazing. That seems like a bit of a fancy pants tea. Yeah, it smells like melted chocolate with mint? Does it? I can not say I smell the truffle but I am not that familiar with truffle so. Mmmm. That is nice. The flavor itself is not very strong but it is more the aroma that you get before you drink it. And like you do not need any sugar or milk with this.
It is just so good. I love the way it smells. It smells like the holidays. We are both so giddy right now. The tower of heavenly delights has arrived. Low and behold. So let’s see what can we choose. So we are going to start from the top and work our way down. So we have some scones, some chips with crab meat I think. This looks like a mini quiche and then we have mini burgers. Mini sliders. What is on the second level? Well, we will get to that later. But first let’s eat from the top alright. And I have a major sweet tooth so I am starting with the scone. I am just going for it. Why waste any time. So there we have it. There is the little scone. Going to cut it in half and I have got some jam here.
The Mausoleum of Light: The Northern Imperial Tomb
And I am really hoping this is clotted cream and not butter. But it might be butter. I think it may be butter. Would that be the saddest thing ever? With butter. It is a little sad but I will survive. Hahaha. It is not England so that is okay. And then some jam. Oh yeah baby. This is what I came for. The scones that is my favorite part of the whole afternoon tea experience. So if you do not want your scone Sam I will take it. Oh, I will have my scone. I will gladly relieve you. No worry about that. This is like one bite. Mmmm. Oh man. That is how it is done. So I think I have something that might be a mushroom tart. It has a very um flaky exterior and it looks like mushrooms on top. So there we go. I do not know if I should do it in one bite or two. All in one bite. Oh my gosh that is a huge one. One bite. You can handle it Sam. Oh, keeping things classy. Mmmmm. We will give you a second to chew it. And search for your words. So food does not go flying everywhere. Right. That would be a civilized way of doing things. So if you have ever had like a thick mushroom creamy soup before it tastes like that. And then it just aww the pastry is so buttery and flaky. And you just bite into it and it just disintegrates in your mouth. Oh la lah.
Leshan Giant Buddha
And you are rolling that mushroom around it is just aww that is nice. Rolling it around huh? Rolling it around on your palette. Mmm. And you get the idea. It was an hour of om nom noms! This evening we are taking part in Sam’s favorite activity. Shopping! Oh yeah. Shopping. No, we are headed over to Temple Street Night Market and we are just going to check it out and see what is happening out there. The market itself stretched for several blocks and offered all kinds of clothes, purses, souvenirs and random knick-knacks. We also spotted some street karaoke happening in the area. Lastly, let’s talk about transportation. The most effective way to get around Hong Kong is by MTR. If you’re going to be here a few days and you don’t want to pay for individual tickets each time, you can get an Octopus card and also save on the fare. As a final piece of advice, try to avoid travelling in Hong Kong during rush hour. You’ll either feel like a canned sardine on the subway, or be left behind on the platform like a beached whale because there’s no more room. And that’s a wrap for Hong Kong. We hope that you enjoyed this travel guide and that it gave you a few ideas of things to do and places to visit on your own trip. We know we only covered a small fraction of everything Hong Kong has to offer, so if you have any other suggestions of things travellers should experience, feel free to share those in the comments below. Wishing you happy travels and until next time!
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