Lonely Planet Pocket Hong Kong , livre ebook

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Hong Kong
Top Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Shopping
Activities
Architecture
Traditional Culture
Parks & Gardens
For Kids
LGBT+ Travel
Four Perfect Days
Need to Know
Hong Kong Neighbourhoods

Explore Hong Kong

Central District
Hong Kong Island: Lan Kwai Fong & Soho
Sheung Wan & Northwest Hong Kong Island
Wan Chai, Admiralty & Causeway Bay
Aberdeen & South Hong Kong Island
Tsim Sha Tsui
Yau Ma Tei & Mong Kok
Trip to Macau

Worth a Trip

Po Lin Monastery & Big Buddha
Chi Lin Nunnery
Ping Shan Heritage Trail
Sai Kung Peninsula

Survival Guide

Survival Guide
Before You Go
Arriving in Hong Kong
Getting Around
Essential Information
Language
Behind the Scenes
Our Writers
Welcome to Hong Kong

Legendary for its harbour and iconic skyline, Hong Kong perpetually pushes the boundaries with its architecture, food and shopping scenes. Yet peel back the layers of mega-modernity and there are beguiling pockets to discover – temples wreathed in incense, neighbourhoods clinging to traditions and packed dim sum parlours – framed by lush, protected peaks and surf-beaten beaches.

Man Mo Temple | SANCHAI LOONGROONG / GETTY IMAGES ©
Hong Kong Top Sights

1 Star Ferry
A world-class water ride.

FEDOR SELIVANOV / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Hong Kong Top Sights
1 Victoria Peak
Breathtaking views from a natural skyscraper.

ADRIENNE PITTS / LONELY PLANET ©

Hong Kong Top Sights
1 Man Mo Temple
Hong Kong Island’s biggest temple.

JOSE L VILCHEZ / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Hong Kong Top Sights
1 Tian Tan Buddha
Enormous Buddha in Lantau’s hills.

VINCENT ST. THOMAS / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Hong Kong Top Sights
1 Temple Street Night Market
Food, fun and fortune-tellers.

ASIANDREAM / GETTY IMAGES ©

Hong Kong Top Sights
1 Tai Kwun
Hollywood Rd’s new heritage

PAULWONG / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Hong Kong Top Sights
1 Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade
The best stroll in Hong Kong.

LEE YIU TUNG / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Hong Kong Top Sights
1 Chi Lin Nunnery
Serene complex of Kowloon temples.

KHUNMEE / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Hong Kong Top Sights
1 Ping Shan Heritage Trail
A well-preserved ancient walled village.

GIONNIXXX / GETTY IMAGES ©

Hong Kong Top Sights
1 Hong Kong Park
Hillside oasis of engaging attractions.

MANFRED GOTTSCHALK / GETTY IMAGES ©

Hong Kong Top Sights
1 Ruins of the Church of St Paul, Macau
Macau’s most iconic sight.

H-AB / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Hong Kong Top Sights
1 Sai Kung Peninsula
Home to a Unesco-listed geopark.

SEAONWEB / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Eating

One of the world’s most delicious cities, Hong Kong offers culinary excitement whether you’re spending HK$50 on a bowl of noodles or HK$2000 on a seafood feast. And its food scene is the most diverse in all of Asia.

KENNETH IP / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Dining Local
Cantonese cuisine The dominant cuisine in Hong Kong. Many of China’s top chefs fled to the territory around 1949; it was therefore here and not in its original home, Guǎngzhōu, that Cantonese cuisine flourished. It is characterised by an insistence on freshness, and flavours that are delicate and balanced.
Dai pai dong ( 大牌檔 ) After WWII the colonial government issued food-stall licences to the families of injured or deceased civil servants. They came to be known as dai pai dong (meaning ‘big licence stalls’). Traditionally, they are open-air hawker-style places, but many have been relocated. Dishes run the gamut from congee to seafood and sandwiches.
Cha chaan tang (茶餐廳; teahouses) Cheap and cheery neighbourhood eateries that appeared in the 1940s serving western-style snacks and drinks. Their menus have since grown to include more substantial Chinese and ‘soy sauce western’ dishes. They’re famed for their pineapple buns and French toast.

Best Budget Eats
Kau Kee Pull up a plastic pew at this holy grail for beef brisket noodle soup fans.
Yat Lok Michelin-starred greasy roast goose heaven approved by Anthony Bourdain.
Chi Lin Vegetarian Refined Chinese veggie dishes in an ornamental garden.
Tai Cheong Bakery Serving Hong Kong’s favourite egg tarts for half a century.
Best Midrange
Little Bao Hong Kong’s most raved about fusion invention is this fist-sized Asian burger bao.
Old Bailey Exquisite Shanghainese dishes in an architect-designed space.
Black Salt Creative takes on South Asian food, presented as scrumptious sharing dishes.
Spring Deer This old-timer of Northern Chinese cooking always delivers.
Aberdeen Fish Market Yee Hope Seafood Restaurant Seafood feast inside a wholesale fish market.
Best Fine Dining
Seventh Son Top-notch dim sum and Cantonese fare.
Rōnin Inventive Japanese dishes; counter seating only.
Duddell’s Refined Cantonese cuisine in a cool, gallery-worthy space.
Bo Innovation Michelin-starred molecular Chinese cuisine for foodies.
Best Food Tours
Little Adventures in Hong Kong Guided walks led by food writers and chefs. ( www.littleadventuresinhongkong.com )
Hong Kong Foodie Tour Regular group crawls to local food joints with native guides. ( www.hongkongfoodietours.com )
Humid with a Chance of Fishballs Guided dim sum lunches and craft breweries tours. ( www.humidwithachanceoffishballs.com )

Top Tips
A Most restaurants (midrange or above) take reservations. At popular addresses booking is crucial, especially for weekend dinners.
A Many restaurants in Central have lunch specials.
A Tipping is not a must as every bill (except at the cheapest Cantonese joints) includes a 10% service charge.

Hong Kong on a Plate
Dim Sum

C_YUNG / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Places for Dim Sum
Sun Hing
Yum Cha – Central
Lin Heung Tea House
Tim Ho Wan
Lung King Heen

Dim Sum in Hong Kong
Dim sum are Cantonese tidbits consumed with tea for breakfast or lunch. The term literally means ‘to touch the heart’ and the act of eating dim sum is referred to as yum cha, meaning ‘to drink tea’.
In old-style dim sum places, just stop the waiter and choose something from the cart. Modern venues often give you an order slip. However, as dim sum dishes are often ready-made, the waiters should be able to show you samples to choose from.

Dim sum selection | D3SIGN / GETTY IMAGES ©

Drinking & Nightlife

Energetic Hong Kong knows how to party. You can find any type of bar or pub you want (often hidden inside skyscrapers), but boozing will cost you dearly as alcohol is one of the only things that’s taxed in this city: follow the happy hours, usually between 3pm and 8pm depending on the venue.

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST / CONTRIBUTOR / GETTY IMAGES ©

Dress Code
Smart casual is usually good enough for most evenings out, but patrons wearing shorts and flip-flops will not be admitted. Hong Kong’s clubbers can be style-conscious, so dress to impress! The dressiest area is Central.

Drink Trends
Whisky, sake, gin and craft beer are all having their moment in Hong Kong and a growing number of bars are dedicated to connoisseurship of one particular drink. Expect hand-carved ice, obscure bottles and nerdily expert bartenders – and some of the best cocktail bars in the world.

Best Cocktail Bars
Quinary Justifiably lauded as one of the world’s top bars, with Instagram-ready Asian-accented cocktails.
Old Man Intimate, hidden and serving ground-breaking cocktail concoctions.
Iron Fairies Magical drinking den channelling an old industrial vibe.
Executive Bar Exclusive whisky and cocktail bar with serious Japanese mixology action.
Best Alcohol-Free
Peninsula Hong Kong The most elegant afternoon tea in the territory.
Teakha Wake up and smell the jasmine at this graceful tea lounge.
Lock Cha Tea Shop Antiquey environs and traditional music accompany tea here in Hong Kong Park.
Lan Fong Yuen The classic spot to try Hong Kong’s famous milk tea.
Cupping Room Single-origin brews and a roastery in Tai Ping Shan.
Best Views
Sevva Beautiful people and beautiful harbour views by the HSBC Building.
Skye Bar Magnificent harbour views, hidden on the roof of a Causeway Bay hotel.
Ben’s Back Beach Bar Overlooking a deserted Shek O beach.
Cé La Vi Get right amid the business towers at this rooftop party bar in LKF.
Sugar Dizzying views from atop an Island East hotel.
Intercontinental Lobby Lounge Floor-to-ceiling glass overlooks Victoria Harbour.
Best Vibes
Pontiac American-style dive bar with class and good tunes.
Ping Pong Gintoneria Gin swigging in a former ping-pong hall.
Second Draft Local beers are the star at this comfy neighbourhood gastropub.
Bound Boho Kowloon hang-out with craft beer and art.

Worth a Trip
This town needs…more underground music venues like this. This Town Needs ( www.facebook.com/thistownneeds ; 1st fl, 6 Shung Shun St, Yau Tong; local bands HK$150, overseas HK$200-500; m Yau Tong, exit A2) stages 10 to 15 gigs monthly in a hip warehouse space in the coastal Kowloon ’burb of Yau Tong. Formerly known as Hidden Agenda, it has expanded and rebranded to offer an exhibition space, movie screenings and cafe (noon to 7pm, days vary) as well as a bar during live shows. For up-to-date listings, go to its Facebook page. The entrance is one door to the west of the flashy Ocean One apartment building entrance.

Shopping

Hong Kong is renowned as a place of neon-lit retail pilgrimage. All international brands worth their logos have stores here, but there’s also an increasing number of creative local designers and retail trailblazers. Together they are Hong Kong’s shrines and temples to style and consumption.

DANIEL FUNG / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Clothing
The best places to find global designer brands and luxury stores are the high-end malls around Central, Admiralty and Causeway Bay. Some shops, such as Prada, have discount outlets at Horizon Plaza . Central and Wan Chai have some fabulous local designer boutiques; the streets around Tai Ping Shan St in Sheung Wan