Part III
Victoria Harbour, Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, Symphony of lights and the Avenue of Stars
Victoria Harbour , harbour between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon offers panoramic view of the Hong Kong high rises and one can truly appreciate why Hong Kong is known as the city of sky scrapers. The Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade is one of the best places from where one can view the Victoria Harbour. The promenade is also from where one can view the beautiful and stunning spectacle of the Symphony of Lights, with beautiful music and narration. It starts at 8:00 PM daily. The Guiness World records names this as the World’s largest permanent light and sound show.
Nothing can capture the beauty of the Symphony of lights show
Avenue of Stars
The Avenue of Stars made on lines of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui and honours celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry. A 2.5-metre bronze statue of Bruce Lee at the Avenue of Stars is a very popular photography spot.
The Clock Tower
Located on the Star Ferry Pier, the Clock Tower stands tall and majestic at 44 metres. It looks stunning at night with all the lights around and the dazzling fountains. It is made of red bricks and granite and is listed as a declared monument.
Since all these places are almost next to each other, it makes sense to visit in the evening and spend at least a couple of hours here.
However, in case you have small kids, which I have, there are a couple of more attractions near by which surely the kids will enjoy a lot.
Hong Kong Space Museum is located on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront and has a unique dome shaped structure. It has 2 planetarium shows and has a lot of activities related to astronomy and space science for both adults and kids.
The Hong Kong Museum of Arts and HK Cultural Centre is located next to the Hong Kong Space Museum. It has a great collection of 15000 art objects, especially Chinese art and is famed for its wealth of art and history.
In case you decide to visit all the places, do make sure that you take some time to explore.
How to reach : Take the MTR line and get down at the Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) MTR station. Take the Exit E to get off the station and cross the road, walk 150 meters to Salisbury Road and then use the subway to cross Salisbury Road. Once you exit the subway, walk along the Salisbury Garden until you reach Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. You can also take the ferry from Central Hong Kong Star Ferry Pier to TST Star Ferry Pier.
Stanley and Repulse Bay
Just a 45 minute ride away from the buzz of Central Hong Kong or Central as it is known, is this serene and beautiful village that goes by the rather sweet name of Stanley :-). Stanley is known for its vibrant market which is known for selling bags, souvenirs, artefacts etc. But that is just one aspect. The surroundings of Stanley are what makes the place truly unique. We took the bus to Stanley from the Exchange Square Bus Terminal near Central Station. Bus numbers 6, 6X, 66 and 260 ply till Repulse Bay and Stanley. The entire journey is very picturesque and it sometimes feel like one has come to some European beach city. Its best to get the bus seats at the front on the top level of the double decker bus to truly appreciate the view.
Once done with the shopping, it would be a sin to miss strolling along the Stanley promenade and waterfront mart. There are some interesting dining options along the waterfront and many of them serve continental cuisine. Its a nice and relaxing time one can spend on the waterfront. My kids love the Pizza Express there.
If time permits, you may visit the Murray House, one of the oldest surviving buildings of Hong Kong which also houses the Hong Kong Maritime Museum (open from 10 AM to 6 PM from Tuesdays to Sundays). Since we went to Stanley in the evening time, we missed the opportunity of visiting Murray House.
Other attractions in Stanley are Blake Pier which is near the Murray House, the Stanley Plaza which has some interesting shopping places and Stanley Piazza which is between the Murray House and Stanley Plaza and houses restaurants and coffee shops. Remember that the Stanley market closes by 6:30 PM.
Repulse Bay is near Stanley and has a pretty beach with clean sand. It is very popular amongst locals and its a nice place to spend a day doing nothing and just lazing around. Repulse Bay is also known for its expensive real estate and has many uniquely designed buildings. You can also visit the Tin Hau temple which is dedicated to the protectors of the fishermen. It has two huge statues of Tin Hau and Kwun Yum and has nice Chinese Garden which leads to the beach. There is a little longevity bridge which is said to increase your life by 3 days every time you cross it so make sure you cross it many times :-).
To be continued….
Read the first part here : Part I
Read the second part here : Part II