Kowloon Things to Do

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I was thinking of putting this tip into the shopping section, but, first, I greatly dislike the setup of the shopping tips, and second and more importantly, Harbour City is as much a tourist attraction as it is a shopping centre. This complex is a massive collection of stores and restaurants. Of course, there are plenty of locations around the world where you find hundreds of stores, many of them high end. What makes Harbour City unique is the sheer size of Louis Vuitton, Prada, D&G and other luxury brand's stores. The square footage is easily comparable to that of a department store in Canada or the United States. This is unlikely to be a tourist attraction for anyone who find commercialism to be painful or annoying, but it is still a fun means of experiencing the hedonism that is HK. Also, there's a great bookstore on the third floor that has an incredible collection of architecture and art books from all over the world.

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Chungking Mansions takes euphemism to a new height. The term mansion is a translation of the Chinese tang, and clearly someone got a bit carried away with the connotations of this Chinese term. In reality, Chungking Mansions are three apartment buildings that offer short and long-term housing at very low rates. They are inhabited largely by migrants from the Indian subcontinent and Africa, although there are also some other nationalities represented. If you're not staying here as a guest, you might still decide to come on in to see what is truly a Hong Kong establishment. The ground floor of this and other "mansions" is a small shopping complex, with money changers and plenty of booths selling cell cards and long distance phone cards. There are also plenty of sari and shalwar kameez shops, Indian and Pakistani food stalls and, occasionally, electronics or shoe shops. The shopping area is undoubtedly sleazy, but that's why people come to visit. This is a microcosm of the flip-side of Hong Kong's good fortune: thousands, if not millions of people who flock to the city for the chance at entrepreneurial opportunity. It's a great lesson in Hong Kong society, and a stop that shouldn't be missed on any tour of the territory.

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The Hong Kong Public Pier is not exactly a tourist attraction in and of itself, but it should be. This is a place where small private crafts are able to dock when they go between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. I imagine that it was quite popular at one time, but with the subway connection between the two sections of the city, and the availability of relatively cheap ferries, there are few passenger boats that come here. Nevertheless, visitors should serious consider visiting this part of Tsim Sha Tsui, because it affords some spectacular views of the Harbour and of Hong Kong Island. On a nice day

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The Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower, or the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, as it is colloquially known, is a Hong Kong landmark that predates much of the surround buildings and harbour. Built between 1913 and 1915, the Clock was part of the Kowloon-Canton railway, and operated continuously from the 1920s until the present, except during the hardships of Japanese occupation. The Tower is constructed from red brick and granite, which gives it a uniquely British feel, a great contrast to the grey concrete of the Cultural Centre and the Museum of Art, both of which were completed in the 1980s. The Railway Station no longer stands near the Tower, as it was moved to Hung Hom (the eastern section of Kowloon) after this section was reclaimed from the sea. You can't go into the Clock Tower, but it nevertheless provides a great subject for pictures, particularly because of the the spectacular views of the Harbour and the pier.

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The completion of the massive 80's cultural complex on the southern edge of Tsim Sha Tsui, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre provides a venue for numerous musical, theatrical and artistic events. The complex has a concert hall, a studio and an exhibition gallery, although I would imagine that the last venue provides space only for less famous exhibitions, as the Centre is right across from the Hong Kong Museum of Art, which has more exhibition space. I'm sure that the acoustics and seating in the Cultural Centre are both impressive and allow for wonderful shows, but the exterior of the building leaves much to be desired. Indeed, the entire complex is a reminder of the architectural atrocities of the 1980s, and leave one wondering if this is a gathering space for those who love the arts or a bunker for those escaping Philistines. In either way, I'm sure that it draws people more for the artists it features than for any sort of architectural appeal.

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As a place that has attracted migrants and merchants of all extractions for almost two centuries, Hong Kong has a truly diverse and vibrant demographic. In addition to the blend of Christianity and Chinese beliefs that arose during British colonization, the territory has a considerable Muslim community. It was originally comprised of Muslim Indians brought by the British to Hong Kong as labourers, but today includes a fair number of Indonesians, Malaysians and Muslim Africans, all of whom are attracted to the territory because of the work and business opportunities. In order to service the community, the Kowloon Mosque was built in the 1980s at the edge of Kowloon Park, overlooking the bustling commercial section of Nathan Road. The Mosque is more of an Indo-Pakistani design than anything else, and the interior has the cool but intricate trappings of something from the subcontinent (rather than the rich design of a Turkish mosque or the austerity of something from the Arabian Peninsula). Crowds can gather outside of the building before prayer times, especially during the month of Ramadan, as well as during Friday prayers. Crowds also attract those looking for zakat (alms), including Uyghurs soliciting for the preservation of Muslim sites in one of the PRC's troubled regions.

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Temple Street and the area around it was so called because, when Kowloon began to develop as an entrepot and trading hub under British rule, the Chinese migrants who came to the area set up temples for worship close to where they lived and worked. Of course, the commercial nature of the district largely overran any other usage of the land, and the various temples were soon crowded in by markets and businesses, but this particular temple has been preserved and remains in operation even today. In order to be respectful to those who come to worship, photography in the temple is not permitted, but visitors are allowed to enter the temple and admire the beautiful red and gold decorations put up by the caretakers and worshippers. The temple is a place to revere the god to which it is dedicated and, until 1955, it was also used as a study hall for monks. When I visited, it was under renovations, making it a bit difficult to get good pictures of the exterior, but it is still a great place to visit to get a sense of the continuity of Chinese identity in perhaps the most cosmopolitan city on the planet.

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I spent 3 hours in the Hong Kong Museum of Art and could have spent more. The museum has an amazing collection of Chinese art through the ages, from the bronze age through the Tang, Yuan, Ming and Xing dynasties. There are 5 floors and a basement level. The museum's invaluable permanent collection is displayed in five galleries, while the other two galleries are dedicated to special exhibitions. Ceramics, sculptures and figurines, paintings and gold artefacts are all special, varied and captivating. There are extensive English explanations in all galleries.

During my visit there was an exhibition of the 20th century painter Wu Guanzhong, each and every work of art a true masterpiece.

The museum's location, at the tip of Tsim Sha Tsui, offers magnificent vistas of the Victoria Harbor and Hong Kong Island through the huge glass walls.