Hong Kong Park (Admiralty), Hong Kong

If you need some recovery from the overwhelming impressions of Hong Kong's shopping and business districts, I recommend a short trip to Hong Kong Park.

Small lakes, a waterfall, greenhouse, aviary, fountain and museum.
In addition, a wonderful view on HK's architecture.
Definitely worth a visit!

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Quite lovely park under Victoria peak in HK Island, Central! Just a few steps from business district and you can already watch birds and turtles in ponds as well as see just married couples at photo session (yes, it's Marriage registrar right next to park, at Cotton tree drive).

If your time permits you can visit zoo and/or botanical gardens – which we didn't so I cannot comment on that part.

The rest of park is somehow squeezed under the slope and there are diverse sections and paths with fountains and artificial lakes and even artifical waterfalls. What man needs in city… it makes him create all that very close to him… to mimic the nature they say..
The ponds will have quite a lot of tortoises and fish, in the nice setting in shade and dark warter. The rocks and artificial waterfall seems to serve as the curtain background on young couples photos. You may walk in the upper elevation to catch more views or just walk at lower paths, both are fine. Further along the way you will get to fountain which extends through the park and connects different features and programs – and it ends into cascading steps, another waterfall design, yet here it looks less natural and more urban.

Park was opened in 1991 in place what used to be garrison site – before known as Victoria Barracks - and takes some 8 hectares of the area. Number of former garrison buildings from between 1842 – 1910 were preserved and were incorporated into park and nowsadays serve public purposes. In one of these you can visit Tea ware museum, while others were turned into park offices and marriage registrar and art centre.

Open from 6 am to 11 pm latest. Relate to other facilities for their working hours from parks website.

The Hong Kong Zoological & Botanical Gardens is located on N slope of Victoria Peak with highest point at 100 metres & lowest point of 62 metres above sea level. It occupies 5.4 hectares & was founded in 1871. Construction of the Garden started in 1860 and the first stage was opened to the public in 1864.

Over 600 birds, 70 mammals and 40 reptiles are being housed in about 40 places. There are also over 1000 species of flora, arranged to show their true beauty.

It is a really pretty place to visit & enjoy!

Hong Kong Park is located next to Cotton Tree Drive, right above Pacific Place.

It is located on a slope, & beautifully adorns the surrounding landscape. Looking towards Victoria Harbour, you could see the many office skyscrapers of Central. If you turn a 180 angle, you would see the summit of Victoria Peak & the affluent Mid - Level condominiums.

It is so beautiful that my parents decided to take their marriage photos here..._?_yrs ago...

In the park, there are many beautiful gardens & paths set out for the public to enjoy. My personal favourites are the waterfall & the fountains. There is also a conservatory, a Games Hall, a Squash Centre, a Garden Plaza, a landscaped garden & a Tai Chi Garden.

Operating Hours:

Conservatory and Aviary : 9.00am - 5.00pm
Outdoor facilities 6.30am - 11.00pm

Built in the 1840s, Flagstaff House originally served as the office and residence of the Commander of the British Forces in Hong Kong. It was converted to the Museum of Tea Ware in 1984.

This museum houses one of the biggest teaware collections I had ever seen. They are mostly artifacts from Imperial China, with some made in Ming & even Song Dynasty.

The museum also holds public presentations to promote Chinese tea drinking culture.

Many of the treasures were actually donated by Dr. K S Lo, so a wing was named after him in 1995.

It's the birds' paradise as they can enjoy flying freely inside. You enter the aviary from almost at the tree top level, so it's quite easy to spot the birds. Then the path gradually slopes down towards the exit, so you can enjoy watching the birds at different heights.

These are well worth a visit, and totally different to what you would expect to see in the middle of Hong Kong.

The Zoological Gardens were first established in 1864, and the collection of birds, plants, shrubs, animals were interesting. Please see the travleogue for more photos....but we were amazed by the tranquility in the middle of such a hectic city!

Admission was free.

We visited the Hong Hong Park the same day......it is one apparently one of the most unusual parks in the world, due to its design.

Its centrepiece is the aviary....however....I have a real phobia about birds, particularly flapping above my head....& as we couldn't find me a way around the aviary, all I can say is that most of the time I had my eyes closed....with a very annoyed Stuart trying to coax me forward!!!!!!! He said that it was very good though!

Apparently, you are about 3m above the ground on a wooden bridge - so that you can see into the trees - on this one I'll have to believe Stuart!!!!!

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Hong Kong Park lies between Admiralty and Central. You can enter it by taking the MTR to Admiralty, going into Pacific Place shopping mall then taking the escalators up towards the British consulate. The park is surrounded by tall buildings, but it is still a very pleasant spot for a visit.

On the park grounds there is a large open aviary; a conservatory showcasing the flora of different climatic zones such as desert, tropical; there is a teaware museum housed in Flagstaff House the oldest existing colonial building in Hong Kong, an art gallery also housed in an old colonial building and a large lake with a waterfall feature, fish and turtles.

The park is open from 6am to 11pm daily and is free entry.

The aviary and conservatory are open from 9am to 5pm and are also free entry.

There is a children's play park with a much loved huge slide at the top end of the park.

The park also contains a restaurant which is pretty good and in a lovely setting. Management of the restaurant changes a lot. The current restaurant is Italian and Thai. Open 11am to 10,30pm.