Kowloon Things to Do

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Moving around Hong Kong gives one sights on magnificent achitecture that is common among tiger economies. We cannot undermine the functional purpose of each one but these are almost works of art that is as unique as the country they are built on.

- suspension bridges
- wide open highways snaking around the city
- tunnels and highway structures
- the Hong Kong port

Victoria Harbour is home to most of the port facilities of Hong Kong, making Hong Kong amongst the world's busiest.
On a nice day, attractions include local arcades and museums and nice views of the Island, with plenty of tourists buzzing round.
Plenty of places to eat and stay for a while,
Whilst I was here, they had a display and interesting walk for the Beijing Olympics, just along the pier is Hong Kongs version of the Hollywood Stars walk with handprints from people like bruce lee, chow yun fat, and Jet Li and a good history of film in HK.

The Kowloon Park is a large public park in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong. The park is managed by local Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
Free entry and plenty of interesting characters here, including tai chi being performed throughout the day and plenty of other activities, for singles and families alike,
Personally the art display was quite a surprise.
Easy access to the city shops from the rear exit of the park.

Facilities include
Tree walk
Stone Wall Trees
Museums
Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre
Health Education Exhibition and Resources Centre
Sporting facilities
Other facilities
History BIT
Kowloon Park was officially opened on 24 June 1970 by the then Governor, Sir David Trench. In 1989, the park was redeveloped at a cost of $300 million, which was funded by the then Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The park includes 13.47 hectares.

My very first visit to a Ripley's Museum was at Hongkong's branch of Believe it or Not!

The kids were still young but they still enjoyed what they saw and were truly entertained! Things bizarre and unusual they got it here!

It was actually at Victoria Peak in Hongkong! I shall have a separate page on Victoria PEak.
(Sadly though according to one site, it is now closed!)

Don't fail to visit the spectacular OCEAN PARK too! This is a huge theme park cum zoo cum giant aquarium so prepare a whole day to explore and enjoy all the things this place has to offer, believe me, it is humongous!

For the first time, I saw escalators up hilly areas up the seemingly mountainous terrain there! It was amazing! Around three levels of escalators to take you to the top! 9When we were there years ago when the kids were little!)

Animals from all over the world are on exhibit as well as the awesome rides for all ages! Itis similar to SEAWORLD in my opinion but with a bigger dimension!

The three main attractions are Marine Land, Headland Rides and Adventureland. of course plenty of restaurants and opportunities for shopping for souvenirs and other products!

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It is hard to believe there are still patches of nature at the heart of this bustling metropolis! The bonus is- you DON'T have to pay any entry FEES! It is still free admission all these years!

Kowloon Park is one such place. When we were there, we were surprised to find a cool and peaceful greenery in the heart of Kowloon!

This place, aside from the colourful flowers has children's play equipment everywhere, the usual amenities, plus different types of sporting/fitness areas for the public to use!

As we're there several years ago, these days, according to one travel guide-

There is an abundance of scenic spots and enough establishments for tourists to enjoy themselves.

The lovely attractions include Bird Lake, Bainiao Garden, the pretty birds and flowers of which make a visual feast for visitors. We thoroughly enjoyed going there!

The establishments include a children's amusement park, a mini-sized football playground, a swimming pool and a gymnasium, among which the swimming pool is one of the best equipped in Hong Kong and can hold 1,500 people

. There is also a labyrinth, banyan courtyard, and an open air sculpture exhibition. When night falls, shadows thrown by lamps make these artistic sculptures more charming.

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The Cantonese phrase Dim Sum means literally "touch the heart" or "order to your heart's content". It may be derived from yat dim sum yi, meaning "a little token". Though the English word "dim sum" refers to the Cantonese variety, the idea of a wide variety of small dishes for lunch also holds for other regions of China.

Dim-Sum is one of the most well known Chinese words amongst Westerners. Traditionally, Chinese housewives would serve tiny, steamed dumplings as breakfast to their husbands (or houseguests). They said these dumplings were made with great love and care for the husband, visitors or for restaurant patrons and they called these dumplings "Dim-Sum" or literally translated, "from the heart". Another not so well known name for this favorite Chinese treat is" Yum-Cha" which in Cantonese, means to "drink tea." Chinese people like to start the day with a cup of Chinese tea and even today, some tasty dumplings or "Dim-Sum.

It's eaten primarily for breakfast or lunch, or as an afternoon snack with tea. On weekends, restaurants offering dim sum (mostly Cantonese restaurants) are packed with local families. On weekdays, they're popular with shoppers and businesspeople. Prices are low and you order only as much as you want. Simply look over the steaming baskets being pushed around by trolley and choose what appeals to you. Fancier restaurants, particularly those in hotels, offer dim sum from an English menu rather than carts; they claim that since the food is cooked to order, it is fresher, but the prices are also higher. In most restaurants that offer dim sum, one pays by the basket, and each basket usually contains two to four items of dim sum; the average price is about HK$20 to HK$30 (US$2.60-US$3.90). The prices given below, unless otherwise specified, are per basket; expect to spend HK$60 to HK$100 (US$7.80-US$13) per person for a light meal.

A restaurant that might be ho hum in all-round meals can be a standout in dim sum. The Best Dim Sum in HK is in fook lam moon.

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The ferry service was originally founded by a prominent Persian, Dorabjee Nowrojee, in Dec. 1888, under the name of the Kowloon Ferry Company. Some reports say it was about ten years later, upon acquiring the total assets from Nowrojee, that the Star Ferry Company as we know it today. Plying across the heart of Victoria Harbour, the ferry service in its early days charged five cents per person, came into existence.

Its principal routes carry passengers across the Victoria Harbour, between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The fleet of twelve ferries operates four routes across the harbour, carrying over 70,000 passengers a day, or 26 million a year. Even though there are now other ways to cross the harbour (by MTR and road tunnels), the Star Ferry continues to provide an efficient, popular and inexpensive mode of crossing the harbour. The company's main route runs between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, which is what most people mean by "the Star Ferry" in common parlance.

This route is also popular with tourists, and has become one of the icons of Hong Kong heritage in the eyes of tourists. The ferry itself, and the layout of the Kowloon pier are completely recognizable in the 1961 film The World of Suzie Wong. From the ferry, one can take in the famous view of the harbour and the Hong Kong skyline. It offers a memorable and scenic boat trip across one of the most-photographed harbours in the world for just HK$2.2 to $5.3 for the upper deck, depending on the route.