Kowloon Things to Do

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The Symphony of Lights is a light & laser show, accompanied by a narration in alternating languages, starts daily at 8 p.m. The best place to watch it is Along the Avenue of Stars (as well as in some restaurants and hotels with a view), a recorded narration names 18 key buildings of Hong Kong which will "present" themselves in their best colours or with green and white skybeams when called. In addition, the two narrators praise Hong Kong as a city of innovation and renewal. On special days, fireworks are lighted in addition. The narration is in English on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, in Mandarin on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and in Cantonese on Sunday.

The Show comprises five major themes:
The first scene "Awakening" begins with flashes of laser lights that give life to a nucleus of light-energy which gradually illuminates participating buildings using an array of dancing lights and rainbow colour. This scene symbolizes the genesis and powerful growth of Hong Kong.

The second scene "Energy" is represented by the display of rising colour patterns and the sweeping of the lasers and searchlights energetically across the night sky, signifying the vibrant energy of Hong Kong.

In the third scene "Heritage", traditional lucky red and gold colours are displayed across buildings on both sides of the Harbour, complemented by the introduction of music using Chinese musical instruments, symbolizing Hong Kong's colourful heritage and rich cultural traditions.

The fourth scene "Partnership" features a display of laser beams and sweeping searchlights scanning across the Harbour, representing an illuminated connection with the opposite side. Beams reach out to symbolically connect the two sides of the Harbour into one greater and unified partnership.

The finale "Celebration" brings out a powerful rhythmic display of swirling, kaleidoscopic patterns of lights and beams dancing lively across the Harbour. The exciting final scene signifies the celebration of the close partnership between the two sides of the Harbour.

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This infamous ghetto-like structure, once a haven for gold smuggling, has some of the cheapest rates in town, making it a legendary haunt for backpackers and budget travellers in search of adventure. Although not the place for families or comfort seekers, this place offers excitement for those seeking Hong Kong's underground. The higher up you go in the building the higher the rates. Night can be a bit interesting as you might run into everything from rowdy youth and raiding police to persistent street peddlers at the outside shopping arcade. Cheap curry restaurants also line the lower floors.

The building is well-known as nearly the cheapest accommodation in Hong Kong with a single bed of US $8 one night. Though the building is supposedly residential, it is made up of many independent low-budget hotels, shops, and other services. The strange atmosphere of this building is sometimes called by some "the scent of Kowloon's Walled City". Chungking Mansions features a labyrinth of guesthouses, curry restaurants, African bistros, clothing shops, sari stores, and foreign exchange offices. It often acts as a large gathering place for some of the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, particularly Indians, Middle Eastern people, Nepalese, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, Nigerians, Europeans, Americans, Pakistanis, and many other peoples of the world. The building was completed in 1961, at which time Chinese residents predominated. Now, after more than four decades of use, there are an estimated 4,000 people living in the Mansions.

Of Hong Kong's rock-bottom establishments, none is more notorious than Chungking Mansion. Although it occupies a prime spot at 40 Nathan Road, between the Holiday Inn Golden Mile and the Sheraton in Tsim Sha Tsui, Chungking Mansion is easy to overlook; there's no big sign heralding its existence. In fact, its ground floor is one huge maze of inexpensive shops called the Chungking Express (I go here since it is near Golden Mile Holiday Inn, Imperial Hotel, Guangdong and Marco Polo, my former hotels)

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If you happen to wake up early in the morning and wonder what to do, head down to Yin Chong Street Market and experience what the locals do for their daily marketing.

You will find all kinds of food and fruits available for sale, from dried food to fresh ones. My mum bought quite a bit of salted vegetables back because she found them cheap and nice to eat.

This is the place for cheap food and fruits!

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It is a 44m high clock tower (1915), once a part of the southern terminal of the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR). Operations moved to the modern train station at Hung Hom to the northeast in late 1975. The station was demolished in 1978, though you can see a scale model of what it looked like if you visit the Hong Kong Railway Museum in Tai Po in the New Territories.

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It is the largest Islamic house of worship in Hong Kong.

The present building with its dome and carved marble was completed in 1984 to serve the territory's 70,000 odd Muslims, more than half of whom are Chinese and can accommodate 2000 worshippers. It occupies the site of a mosque built in 1896 for Muslim Indian troops.

Muslims are welcome to attend services but non-Muslims should ask permission to enter. Remember to remove your shoes.

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Yau Mau Tei Jade Hawker Bazaar opens daily from 0900 to 1800hrs. It is near Gascoigne Road overpass just west of Nathan Road and split into two parts by the loop formed by Battery Street, has some 400 stalls selling all varieties and grades of jade from inside two covered markets.

There are top grade to cheap glass trinkets. Genuine jade can range in colour from a milky white to a deep translucent green. Fault lines or specks lower the value and the best stones are uniform in colour and cool to the touch. Jade has many imitations so, unless you are an expert, do not worry about intrinsic worth and stick to pieces which you like for their decorative value.

Be prepared to bargain hard and compare prices or unless you really know your nephrite from your jadeite, it is probably not wise to buy any expensive pieces here.

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This is really four temples in one. Tin Hau is worshipped in the large temple behind the main entrance, with spirals of incense suspended from the ceiling, an ornate altar with golden effigies and fanciful Chinese lanterns. Fortune tellers ply their ancient trade at the south end of the complex. Old men play cards and board games in the park outside.

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Thousands of songbirds are displayed in intricately fashioned bamboo or elaborate wooden cages (which are also for sale and make great souvenirs) from some 70 stalls. The birds are valued not so much for their appearance but for their singing abilities. The bird garden opens daily from 0700 to 2000hrs.

This market is a wonderful place to visit, if only to marvel at how the Hong Kong Chinese (especially men) fuss and fawn over their feathered friends. The Chinese have long favoured songbirds as pets. You often see local men walking around airing their birds and feeding them tasty creepy-crawlies with chopsticks. Some birds are also considered harbingers of good fortune, which is why you will see some people carrying them to the racetrack.