133 Best Sights in Hong Kong, China

This incense-filled site is dedicated to Taoist sea goddess Tin Hau, queen of heaven and protector of seafarers. The crowds here testify to her being one of Hong Kong's favorite deities—indeed, this is one of over 100 temples dedicated to her. Like all Tin Hau temples, this one once stood on the shore. Kowloon reclamation started in the late 19th century, and now the site is more than 3 km (2 miles) from the harbor. The main altar is hung with gold-embroidered cloth and usually piled high with offerings. There are also two smaller shrines inside the temple honoring earth god Tou Tei and city god Shing Wong. Surrounding Temple Street night market is a fortune-telling hot spot: you may well be encouraged to have a try with the chim. Each stick is numbered, and you shake them in a cardboard tube until one falls out. A fortune-teller asks you your date of birth and makes predictions from the stick based on numerology. Alternatively, you could have a mystically minded bird pick out some fortune cards for you.

Agree on a price before your fortune, as bargaining with fortune-tellers is common.

Block upon block of tightly packed stalls overflow with clothes, bags, and knickknacks along Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok. Despite the name, items for women, men, and children are for sale. Most offerings are imitations or no-name brands; rifle around enough and you can often pick up some cheap, cheerful basics. Haggling is the rule here: a poker face and a little insistence can get you dramatic discounts. At the corner of each block and behind the market are stands and shops selling the street snacks Hong Kongers can't live without. Pick a place where locals are munching and point at whatever takes your fancy. Parallel Fa Yuen Street is Mong Kok's unofficial sportswear market.

All that remains of the old Tung Chung village is the hulking granite Tung Chung Fort. Considering how this neighborhood has become absolutely overcome with housing developments and shopping, that any vestige of pre-British remains makes it that much more fascinating. The first fortification on this spot was built during the Song Dynasty, some time in the late 1100s CE; the current structure dates from 1832, although it was refurbished in 1988.

With time on your hands, take a trip out to the western end of the Mid-Levels to see the imposing Edwardian-era buildings of Hong Kong's oldest university. The institution opened in 1912 with its first faculty, the Faculty of Medicine, which had been known as the Hong Kong College of Medicine since 1887. Today the exteriors of University Hall, the Hung Hing Ying Building, and the Tang Chi Ngong Building are on the government's Declared Monument List.

Hong Kong Island's largest park is a welcome breathing space on the edge of Causeway Bay. It's beautifully landscaped and has recreational facilities for soccer, basketball, swimming, lawn bowling, and tennis. At dawn every morning hundreds practice tai chi chuan here. During the Mid-Autumn Festival it's home to the Lantern Carnival, when the trees are a mass of colorful lights. Just before Chinese New Year (late January to early February), the park hosts a huge flower market. On the eve of Lunar New Year, after a traditional family dinner at home, much of Hong Kong happily gathers here to shop and wander into the early hours of the first day of the new year.

Pak Tai Temple in Wan Chai (not to be confused with Pak Tai Temple in Cheung Chau) is the largest temple on Hong Kong Island and a reminder of Wan Chai's early development. Built in 1863 by the local community, the Taoist shrine honors Pak Tai, the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven. Its colorful, intricate carvings, imposing statues of deities, and handcrafted ceramics roof make it well worth a visit. Conveniently, the temple is located close to other attractions like Blue House and Wan Chai Market. 

Sheung Wan's iconic market, a hulking Edwardian-era brick structure, is a good place to get your bearings. Built in 1906, it functioned as a produce market for 83 years. Mostly of interest to architecture buffs, today it's a shopping center selling fabrics. Nearby you'll find herbal medicine on Ko Shing Street and Queen's Road West, dried seafood on Wing Lok Street and Des Voeux Road West, and ginseng and bird's nest on Bonham Strand West.

The 78-km (48-mile) trail runs from Stanley Gap on the south end of Hong Kong Island, through rugged peaks that have a panoramic view of Repulse Bay and the nearby islands, and to Nam Chung in the northeastern New Territories. You have to cross the harbor by MTR at Quarry Bay to complete the entire walk. The trail is smoothed by steps paved with stone, and footbridges aid with steep sections and streams. Clearly marked with signs and information boards, this popular walk is divided into 10 sections, and you can easily take just one or two (figure on three to four hours per section); traversing the whole trail takes about 31 hours.

Section 1, which starts at Stanley Gap Road, is only for the very fit. Much of it requires walking up steep mountain grades. For an easier walk, try Section 7, which begins at Sing Mun Reservoir and takes you along a greenery-filled, fairly level path that winds past the eastern shore of the reservoir in the New Territories and then descends to Tai Po, where there's a sweeping view of Tolo Harbour. Other sections will take you through the monkey forest at the Kowloon Hill Fitness Trail, over mountains, and past charming villages. To reach Section 7, take the MTR to Tsuen Wan, then catch Minibus 82. Get off at the bus terminus and walk for 15 minutes toward the main eastern dam. Turn left where the dam ends and you'll find the start of the trail.

Every year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board throws a monthlong culinary extravaganza packed with restaurant deals, tours, and food-themed street carnivals. The highlight event is the four-day Wine and Dine Festival at the New Central Harbourfront, which has colorful booths offering tasty snacks and tipples, as well as live music and entertainment. It's usually held in late October or early November.

Just minutes away from Man Mo Temple, Wing Lee Street is one of the city's last thoroughfares where every building features 1950s-era "tong lau" architecture. In 2010, the tenement buildings on this tucked-away street were saved from being demolished following a series of protests from preservationists.

The government transformed this former movie theater (which screened adult films for years before being abandoned) into a 300-seat venue for Chinese opera performances. Some of the shows have English supertitles. A historic redbrick building around the corner on Shanghai Street serves as the theater's administration building.

Though mostly built as a neighborhood park in which bird-owning residents can meet and \"walk\" their caged pets, the Urban Renewal Authority also included some 70 stalls to be used by those who lost trade when the famous Hong Lok Street songbird stalls were demolished in a revitalization project in the late 1990s. Though it sells various kinds of feathered creatures, you can also pick up the picturesque, empty carved cages and put them to better (empty) use in your home decor. Access the main entrance from Boundary Street, a short walk from the Prince Edward MTR station.

These pavilions and prayer halls, founded in 1950, bring together the three streams of Chinese thought: Buddhism (which emphasizes nirvana and physical purity), Taoism (nature and inner peace), and Confucianism (following the practical and philosophical beliefs of Confucius). The main three-tier red pagoda is a copy of the centuries-old Temple of Heaven in Beijing, and houses 60 statues representing the full cycle of the Chinese calendar—you can look for the one that corresponds to your birth year and make an incense offering. To reach the institute from Tsuen Wan MTR, head to Shiu Wo Street and take the #81 minibus.