Hong Kong attractions
I tell you in great detail about all the sights of Hong Kong on the website. www.hong-kong.su/to-see/
One of the most attractive cities for tourists, which has been welcoming millions of travelers for many years, is Hong Kong. With this word, the imagination obediently draws a dense palisade of mirrored skyscrapers, crowds of hurrying people and picturesque markets where you can buy literally anything. To some extent, this is true, because of the abundance of skyscrapers, Hong Kong is called the New York of East Asia, and there are actually even more skyscrapers here than in the overseas metropolis.
But the “Hong Kong forest”, as the forest of skyscrapers shining in the rays of the sun is called here, is only the most famous part of Hong Kong – Victoria, as the British called this place, or Hong Kong, as the Chinese call this city. It is located in the north of the island of Hong Kong, and the tendency of buildings to grow upwards is explained by the scarcity and the incredible high cost of local land.
In fact, the Hong Kong Administrative Region of China includes its mainland, the Kowloon Peninsula, separated by the Strait, the so–called New Territories, and individual islands, of which there are about two hundred and sixty. The most famous of them are Lamma and Lantau. Hong Kong Airport is also an island – the famous Check Lap Kok, located near Lantau. The airport accepts Aeroflot flights four times a week. In addition, Cathay Pacific Airlines operates direct flights from Moscow to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong originally emerged as a British colonial settlement. Leased from China in 1898 for 99 years, it began to develop rapidly, and today’s seven million Hong Kong is the most important financial center in East Asia and the whole world. It is known for its currency and gold markets, intensive global trade, a developed manufacturing industry, and a powerful film industry even by world standards. In addition, the city is famous for its well-developed tourism business and many others. Hong Kong’s seaport is the third largest worldwide. Every year, more than 7,000 ships under the flags of the whole world are moored at its berths.
It is noteworthy that after its transfer to China in 1997, many of the British who were born and raised here moved to their historical homeland, the United Kingdom. Great was their amazement upon arrival in the land of their ancestors. It turned out that the European and British culture, of which they considered themselves zealous guardians, was something completely alien. As a result, many returned to Hong Kong, of which they had become a part. It is difficult to call Hong Kong a purely Chinese city, despite the fact that most of its inhabitants come from the Celestial Empire. At the same time, they didn’t become English speakers, but they stopped being Chinese.
The areas into which Hong Kong is divided are sharply different from each other: the concrete and steel jungles of the city of Hong Kong contrast with the pastoral landscapes of the New Territories and the southern part of Hong Kong Island, which is a combination of fashionable residential complexes, nature reserves and sandy beaches. The best beach on the south side of the island is Repulse Bay. In the east, the beaches of Van Chai and Causeway Bay are not inferior to it. However, in Hong Kong it is impossible to be far from the sea and beaches, the best of them are located in the area of the New Territories.
This city, which insatiably earns and spends huge amounts of money, with more luxury limousines driving through its streets than in any other place, has the reputation of being the most densely populated metropolis in the world. And although a lot of land has been reclaimed from the sea, there are places in Hong Kong called “tankas” where people traditionally huddle in junks and flimsy boats without a ceiling over their heads. Such a place can be called Aberdeen Harbor, the identity and lifestyle of the local inhabitants contrast sharply with the Central area of the city.
Hong Kong is a city with its own unique face, which is largely determined by its attractions. It is difficult to put them in order of importance, everyone has their own priorities, but there are some among them that every tourist or guest of the city dreams of visiting. These attractions include Victoria Peak, which is usually visited first.
Named after the English Queen, the peak is the highest point of the island, rising more than half a kilometer above the sea. About six million people visit this place every year. During the day, the viewing platforms offer magnificent views of the city and its surroundings, the strait and the mountains visible in the distance. At night, it is a fantastic picture created by the lights of skyscrapers, bright neon advertisements and floodlights that highlight the most picturesque places.
There, on Victoria Peak, there are opportunities for successful shopping, dining and all kinds of entertainment. The railway funicular, built back in 1888, is considered the most convenient way to get to the top. When boarding, try to take the front right seats – these are the most advantageous places to admire the surroundings.
The Hong Kong Zoo, part of the Zoological and Botanical Gardens, is located on the picturesque slope of Victoria Peak, on Albert Road. They were created back in 1864, but to this day they have retained their unique original appearance. Visitors can see a rich collection of flora and fauna, as well as a huge number of birds. The colony of red-cheeked gibbons is the largest in the world. The entrance to the zoo and the botanical garden is free, this place is one of the most favorite among the locals.
Modern and crowded Hong Kong surprises visitors with a variety of cultural institutions and historical attractions, and a leisurely stroll through the Admiralty district, where you can not only admire fashionable buildings, but also visit fine restaurants and shopping centers, will bring both aesthetic and gastronomic pleasure.
One of the most popular Hong Kong attractions was the Ocean Park, opened in 1977 on the south side of the island. Covering an area of more than 870,000 square meters, the park is divided into three thematic areas connected by a street escalator, the world’s second longest, a funicular and the so-called Ocean Express.
The themed “Aqua City” located in the park allows you to look at the underwater world and its inhabitants in a completely new way. Here you can become a lagoon explorer or admire the colorful fountains and streams, the world’s first evening show on a water screen and visit a large aquarium, which is home to about five thousand fish of more than four hundred species.
The exhibitions “Amazing Animals of Asia” and “Treasures of Goldfish”, the interactive journey performance “The Adventure of the Giant Panda” and much more are worthy of attention. There are places to relax and restaurants, an ocean theater and all kinds of attractions. You can read more about the Ocean Park on the website www.oceanpark.com.hk Tickets can also be purchased on the park’s website.
There aren’t many places on the planet where you can visit one of Madame Tussauds’ museums. In Hong Kong, you will meet wax figures of former and popular movie and stage characters, wax figures of Barack Obama and members of the British royal family, as well as figures of Andy Lau, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, who give the collection a local flavor. By the way, Bruce Lee, a native of Hong Kong, had a two-meter bronze monument erected in the city, for which about one hundred thousand dollars were raised by fans of his talent. The monument was erected on Hong Kong’s Avenue of Stars, located on the Victoria Bay Waterfront in Kowloon. This pedestrian zone is very popular in Hong Kong and is one of the most photographed places.
If you are invited to visit the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, don’t be intimidated by the name. No dusty shelves with scattered parts of ancient skeletons and pieces of ceramics darkened by time – after all, this is Hong Kong, and the heritage museum is its best museum. Interactive exhibitions and an abundance of video materials are waiting for you. Truly interesting expositions will not let you get bored, and will tell you a lot about the city.
In case you are already tired of the overcrowded areas of Hong Kong, visit Stanley district to feel like you are in a quiet small town with a market and shopping mall of the same name. Pay attention to the old buildings – they were literally moved here stone by stone from the Central District and reassembled on the seashore. Almost every house on the ground floor has an upscale Michelin-starred restaurant. The area is predominantly populated by wealthy foreigners who have decided to settle on the island.
The same old buildings, which have preserved the features of the former Hong Kong, can be seen by deciding to go shopping on the streets of Sheung Wan district. This place is also favored by colorful sellers of bird nests and shark fins, which are ingredients for exotic Chinese cuisine.
Modern architecture is concentrated in the Central District, which is also a unique and easily recognizable landmark of Hong Kong. This is Hong Kong today. Here, on the respectable Queen’s Road, in the area of Statue Square, is one of the most expensive buildings in the whole world — the headquarters of HongkongBank. Rubbing the claws of two bronze lions guarding the northern entrance to a building worth almost a billion dollars is considered a lucky omen in Hong Kong.
And just to the east, the triangular, glittering glass roof of the Bank of China tower changes its color depending on the time of day. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is located in one of the three giant Exchange Square towers, and The Center is the first building in Hong Kong with a computer-controlled exterior lighting system capable of reproducing more than a million different colors. Even among this splendor, the tallest building in Asia, Central Plaza, stands out, with an observation deck with absolutely futuristic views on the forty-sixth floor. This is a must-see part of Hong Kong.
In addition to state-of-the-art bank buildings, luxury hotels and branded stores are concentrated here. Most excursions to the sights of colonial British architecture begin from here, and a ferry departs from the pier to Kowloon– the mainland part of the Hong Kong urban area.
I tell you in great detail about all the sights of Hong Kong on the website. www.hongkong.su/to-see/
Alex iurlov tour guide in Hong Kong, Macau and China
Car transfers, yacht charters.
+85268553629 (WhatsApp, Telegram, Wechat)
Wechat id: iurlov
info@hongkong.su
www.hong-kong.su
www.tour.hong-kong.su
www.yachts.hong-kong.su
www.alphard40.hk
www.yurlov.com – my personal web site
