125 Best Sights in Hong Kong, China

A sign here marks where Captain Charles Elliott stepped ashore in 1841 to claim Hong Kong for the British empire. This was once the waterfront, but aggressive reclamation has left the spot several blocks inland. At the top of the street stands Hollywood Centre, home to a number of shops and galleries and the non-profit contemporary art space Asia Art Archive.

Hong Kong's answer to New York's 5th Avenue and London's King's Road are the first few blocks of Chater Road, Des Voeux Road Central, and Queen's Road Central (the thoroughfares that stretch west from Statue Square). Most high-end designers have boutiques in über-posh shopping centers like the Landmark or Alexandra House. A stone's throw away, but at the other end of the income scale, are Li Yuen Street East and Li Yuen Street. Known as the Lanes, they're packed with stalls selling cheap cheongsams (sexy silk dresses with Mandarin collars), phone cases, backpacks, and Hello Kitty merchandise. On the south side of Queen's Road is steep Pottinger Street, a haberdasher's dream.

The beach in this tranquil neighborhood is large and wide, but be warned: it's the first stop for most visitors to Southside. Two huge statues of Tin Hau—goddess of the sea—at the east end of the beach were built in the 1970s. Worshippers had planned to erect just one statue, but worried she'd be lonely. Look for a famous apartment building with a hole through it—following the principles of feng shui, the opening allows the dragon that lives in the mountains behind to readily drink from the bay. To get here, take Bus 6, 6A, 6X, 66, or 260 from Exchange Square Bus Terminus in Central. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (HK$50–HK$60 fee for two hours); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

To the east of Sha Tin, the Sai Kung Peninsula is home to one of Hong Kong's most beloved nature preserves, Sai Kung Country Park. It has several hiking trails that wind through majestic hills overlooking the water. The hikes through the hills surrounding High Island Reservoir are also spectacular. Seafood restaurants dot the waterfront in Sai Kung Town as well as the tiny fishing village of Po Toi O in Clear Water Bay. At Sai Kung Town you can rent a sampan that will take you to one of the many islands in the area for a day at the beach. Take the MTR to Diamond Hill (Exit C2) and take Bus 92 to Sai Kung Town. Alternatively, catch a taxi along Clearwater Bay Road, which runs through forested areas and land that's only partially developed, with Spanish-style villas overlooking the sea. This excursion will take a full day, and you should only go if it's sunny.

A walled Hakka village from 1786 was saved from demolition to create this museum. It's in the middle of industrial Tsuen Wan, in the western New Territories, and its quiet courtyards and small interlocking chambers contrast with the nearby residential towers. It looks more like a large home than a village—not surprisingly, the name translates as "Three Beam House." Rigid symmetry dictated the construction: the ancestral hall and two common chambers form a central axis flanked by private areas. Traditional furniture and farm tools are on display.

Head through the courtyards and start your visit in the exhibition hall at the back, where a display gives helpful background on Hakka culture and pre-industrial Tsuen Wan—explanations are sparse elsewhere. You can also try on a Hakka hat.

Whether you enter Sha Tin by road or rail, you'll be amazed to find this metropolis in the middle of the New Territories. One of the so-called "new towns," Sha Tin underwent a population explosion starting in the mid-1980s that transformed it from a town of 30,000 to a city of more than a half million. It's home to Sha Tin Park and the fantastic Hong Kong Heritage Museum, which is devoted to Chinese history, art, and culture.

This popular race track is newer (it opened in 1978) and larger (the capacity is over 83,000) than the one in Happy Valley, and it's a spectacular place to watch a race. It's one of the world's most modern courses and, as such, is the venue for all championship events. Racing season is from September through June. The racecourse has its own stop on the MTR East Rail line that is open only on race days.

Traditional trades are plied along this street. There are blocks dominated by tailors or shops selling Chinese cookware or everything you need to set up a household shrine. Nearby Ning Po Street is known for its paper kites and for the colorful paper and bamboo models of worldly possessions (boats, cars, houses) that are burned at Chinese funerals.

The seaside locale is Southside's easternmost village. Every shop sells the same inflatable beach toys—the bigger the better, it seems. Cut through town to a windy road that takes you to the "island" of Tai Tau Chau, really a large rock with a lookout over the South China Sea. You can hike through nearby Shek O Country Park, where the bird-watching is great, in less than two hours. To get here from Central, take the MTR to Shau Kei Wan (Exit A3), then take Bus 9 to the last stop (about 30 minutes).

The area south of Hollywood Road—hence the name—is the epicenter of Hong Kong's latest gastro revolution. The bars here are a chiller alternative to the crowded drinking spots in Lan Kwai Fong, Central's nightlife mecca. Trendy boutiques are tucked in between, some featuring local designers and one-of-a kind goods.

A peaceful gap in the skyscrapers accommodates the graceful Gothic form of this Anglican church. Completed in 1849, the cathedral is made of Canton bricks in the shape of a cross. The doors are constructed from timber salvaged from the World War II–era British warship HMS Tamar.

This wedgelike building includes a pair of stained-glass windows by Remo Riva that represent visions of "Hong Kong Today" and "Hong Kong Tomorrow."

The land was gifted to the public by HSBC, whose headquarters dominate the southern end, with the proviso that nothing built on it could block the bank's view of the water. The Victorian–Chinese hybrid building on Statue Square's east side was built for the Supreme Court in 1912 and now houses the Court of Final Appeal. In front of the council building is the Cenotaph, a monument to all who lost their lives in the two World Wars.

It's worth the trek almost to the mainland China border to visit this 19th-century home of merchant and philanthropist Man Chung-luen. The surefire path to becoming a big shot in Imperial China was passing civil service examinations, but few people from Hong Kong—which was hicksville at the time—made the grade. Man Chung-luen proved the exception in 1875. Congratulatory tablets from the emperor hang in the house's entrance hall. The room layout, beautifully decorated doors, and roof ridges are all characteristic of Qing-dynasty architecture. Stained glass and rococo moldings reflect European influences, a result of the British victory over China in the Opium War of 1841. Women could watch guests unobserved from an upper gallery, which also has an enclosed courtyard for stargazing, charmingly called a "moon playing chamber." To reach the house, cross over the road outside Sheung Shui station (Exit A1) and take Bus 76K toward Yuen Long; alight at San Tin, 5½ km (3½ miles) away. The five-minute walk to the mansion is signposted from there. Alternatively, get a taxi from the station—one way costs HK$40.

The name means Big Hat Mountain, and at 3,140 feet this volcanic outcropping in Tai Mo Shan Country Park is Hong Kong's highest point. The "Foggy Mountain" is covered in clouds almost daily, but when the mist—and pollution—clears, the view stretches all the way to Hong Kong Island. To reach the visitor center, take Bus 51 from Tsuen Wan and get off at the Country Park bus stop. Walk 10 minutes up Tai Mo Shan Road.

Tucked away on the western end of Lantau, this fishing village inhabited largely by the tanka (boat people), some of whom still live in stilt houses, is a great place to spend a few hours. There's a temple dedicated to Kwan Tai, god of war, that was established in the 15th century. Remains of salt pans line part of the shoreline, and a look seaward sometimes rewards you with a sighting of a rare Hong Kong pink dolphin. The 1902 Tai O Police Station, on the village's southwest tip, has been restored and converted into the Tai O Heritage Hotel, a great place for tea or a meal.

The maze of streets west of Man Mo Temple is known as Tai Ping Shan (the Chinese name for Victoria Peak, which towers above it). It's a sleepy area that's filled with small local shops, local design outposts, and cozy cafés. One of the city's oldest residential districts, it has undergone major gentrification in recent years.

This company hosts guided trails through the Tai Po Kau forest in the New Territories. The forest is known for its wide variety of flora and fauna and is popular for bird-watching. Guests have a chance to visit a butterfly garden during the half-day tour.

The name means "shopping place," which it more than lives up to. In the heart of the region's breadbasket, this utilitarian town's main open-air market is a feast for the eyes, with baskets of lush green vegetables, freshly cut meat hanging from great racks overhead, fish swimming in tanks awaiting selection, and all types of baked and steamed treats. To reach the village, take the MTR East Rail Line to the Tai Po Market stop.

A couple of temples and shrines dot what's also known as Grass Island, and beautiful beaches line the shore. Most people have a seafood lunch at the New Hon Kee Seafood Restaurant, run by Loi Lam, a stocky, vivacious fellow who speaks fluent English with a fantastic accent he picked up in Manchester, England. A sampan from Wong Shek Pier in Sai Kung Country Park will speed you to the island.

In the heart of Yau Ma Tei, Temple Street is home to Hong Kong's biggest night market. Stalls selling kitsch of all kinds set up in the late afternoon in the blocks north of Public Square Street. Fortune-tellers, open-air cafés, and street doctors also offer their services here.

Located in the Institute of Chinese Studies building, the museum is home to more than 15,000 historical objects, including well-respected collections of bronze seals, classical paintings, calligraphy, Yixing earthenware, and Lingnan school paintings.

Take the East Rail line to University station, then hop on the free campus shuttle bus (1A on weekdays; H on weekends) to reach the museum.

It's worth a trip out to the western end of the Mid-Levels to see these imposing Edwardian-era buildings. The institution opened in 1912 with 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.

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.

Despite the name, the stalls here are filled with no-brand clothing and accessories for both sexes. The shopping is best between Dundas and Argyle.

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 Chinese 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.

Though a little bit farther west than Tsim Sha Tsui’s main attractions, the West Kowloon Cultural District makes for a nice change of pace. The entire project is slated to be completed in 2017, but already the grassy harbor-front park offers a nice getaway from Kowloon's crowded corners. It hosts music concerts, food festivals, arts exhibits—whatever’s on the docket. Rent a bike and pedal around for some fresh air and striking harbor views.

After years of construction, portions of this massive development project—slated to convert 40 hectares (99 acres) of harborfront into green space and to transform Hong Kong into “Asia’s arts and cultural capital”—were finally completed in 2018. The first openings included the M+ Museum, one of the world's largest visual arts museums with 17,000 square meters (183,000 square feet) of performance and theater space, and the Xiqu Centre, a beautiful Cantonese opera center, with the 1,000-seat Grand Theatre and more-intimate, 200-seat Tea House Theatre. Come 2022, the cultural district will welcome the waterfront Lyric Theatre Complex for music, theater, and dance; the Hong Kong Palace Museum, devoted to imperial Chinese art; and an Art Park, complete with an outdoor cinema, bar, café, and live-music stage.

SmartBikes, which you can rent with cash or an Octopus card, make it easy to explore the vast peninsula.

The Sheung Wan district'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. Today it's a shopping center selling trinkets and fabrics—the architecture is what's worth the visit. 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 towards the main eastern dam. Turn left where the dam ends and you'll find the start of the trail.