Classic Hong Kong City Tour

Our guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel and take you to visit Victoria Peak, which used to be called Xianglu (incense burner) Peak. With an altitude of 554 meters, it is the highest peak on Hong Kong Island. We will take the oldest cable car in Asia, Peak Tram, up the peak and then you can find the Peak Tower designed by British architect Terry Farrell here. From here, you can take a panoramic view of the sea nearby and the whole peak. Besides, there are many famous restaurants providing delicious food and snacks. For example, the Pacific Coffee Company also has operated a branch here, at which you can enjoy a cup of coffee while appreciating the beautiful scenery outside. There are many interesting stories about Victoria Peak. One among them is said that in 1809, the pirate Zhang Baozai occupied Hong Kong Island, set-up camps at the foot of Victoria Peak, and set-up a lookout tower at the top of the mountain. Each time when he saw a commercial ship passing by, he would shake a flag to inform camps at the foot of the mountain to rob the ship. So Victoria Peak is also called Che Qi Shan, which means pulling up and shaking the flag. Later, the local government sent the troop to suppress Zhang Baozai and his accomplices. Zhangbaozai was hopelessly outnumbered and finally surrendered. The local residents thought the area would be peaceful from then on, so they called the mountain Tai Ping Shan, Tai Ping refers to peace and Shan refers to the mountain. And its English name is Victoria Peak.

Then we will head to Man Mo Temple. Built in Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), it is one of the earliest Chinese temples in Hong Kong. Man Mo temple is a group of temples, and it is composed of three main buildings, Man Mo Temple, Liesheng Gong (Temple of Various Saints), and Kung So (assembly hall). Among them, Man Mo Temple is mainly dedicated to Wenchang, God of Literature, and Guan Yu, God of martial arts; Liesheng Gong is used as a place to worship saints and immortals; and Kung So is a place for people to discuss and resolve local issues. And they are separated by two alleys.

After lunch, you will be transferred to the Stanley Market, located at the southern end of Hong Kong Island, which is also a classic attraction in Hong Kong. There are many western bars popular among foreigners. And you can find various souvenirs with distinct oriental or western characteristics, such as hand-woven slippers and bags, old letters, garments, silk products, and oil paintings. If you like shopping, you can choose carefully some cost-effective and high-quality products for your friends and relatives while enjoying the fun of bargaining. Besides, there are many western bars and restaurants with elegant decorations, showing a strong European air and offering delicious dishes that are a combination of Chinese and Western food. It is a good choice for you to choose one bar to enjoy the beautiful sea while sipping iced beer.

The next attraction for today is Repulse Bay, which is located in the south of Victoria Peak in the shape of a crescent, near the mountain and by the sea. It is recognized by people as the first bay in all the land and known as the oriental Hawaii. It is said that its name, Repulse Bay, is derived from a British royal warship, which used to station here to prevent piracy. With magnificent sea, clear sky, and soft sand, the bay is always filled with joyous people. You can also find many bars, restaurants, and supermarkets around the bay, so you can find a good place to watch the sunset and the breakers against the shore while tasting a cup of delicious tea. At the southeast end of Repulse Bay, there is a building full of ancient Chinese characteristics, the Zhenhai Building (Suppressing sea) with its roof decorated with flying dragons. It is the place where the Hong Kong Life Saving Association locates. In the Zhenhai-Building Park, which is built based on the Zhenhai Building, statues of Mazu (Goddess of the Sea) and Guanyin Bodhisattva more than 10 meters high stand facing the sea. Beside them are statues of such auspicious figures as Dragon King of the Sea, Yellow River God, Maitreya Bodhisattva, and gods of felicity and longevity, so as to bless the local people and swimmers. After visiting, you will be escorted to the hotel to take a good rest.

Free Time Suggestion:

If you are still energetic from today’s itinerary, you can continue to pay a visit to Cat Street, which can be seen as a collection of antiques. It is divided into the Upper Lascar Row and the Lower Lascar Row. Many Indian sailors and soldiers used to gather here to sell goods. Now it has become a junk market. And you can find expensive works of art, antique electrical appliances, old toys, old postcards, posters, and other groceries here. If you are a nostalgic person, it is a good place for you to start your classic tour. The origin of its name is also interesting. Because there are so many goods with unknown sources, and such goods are called “rat goods” in Hong Kong, local people use the cat to describe customers squatting in front of a stall who are ready to buy rat goods.

Then you can go to the Hong Kong Central Mid-Way Level Escalator. Built in 1993, it is used by over 80 thousand people every day, most of which are residents and commuters nearby. The whole length of the escalator is 800 meters, with a perpendicular height of 135 meters. It is comprised of covered sidewalks, freeway overpasses, 20 one-way automatic armrest elevators that can turn direction up or down, and 3 automatic sidewalks. As the longest outdoors covered armrest elevators in the world, it takes 20 minutes to experience the whole system. And many frequent users usually walk for a while to save time.

After experiencing the elevator, you can go to the Lan Kwai Fong, a street full of bars and restaurants. It is highly welcomed by local young people, foreign people, and visitors. It is said that at first, an Italian operated an Italian clothing store and a restaurant here for many yuppies working nearby to chat and relax. You can choose one to enjoy your beautiful night. Bars offer peanuts, figs, and other snacks. You can sip a glass of beer while enjoying performances, including Saxophone performance, western song playing and singing, and vigorous dance. Most waiters and waitresses will talk with you in English, so you don’t need to worry about communication and just enjoy yourself.

Victoria Peak

Peak Tram

Today we will drive west for about forty minutes to Lantau Island, which is an important attraction in our classic tour from Hong Kong. Covering an area of 147 square kilometers, it is the largest island in Hong Kong, nearly twice the area of Hong Kong Island, the second largest island in Hong Kong. Lantau Island is high in the southwest and low in the northeast. And its main peak, Phoenix Mountain, is 935 meters above sea level, the second highest peak in Hong Kong. We will take the Ngong Ping 360 cable car up the mountain. Ngong Ping 360 cable car has the largest cable car system in the world. And it has a standard cabin and crystal cabin for visitors to choose from. We will arrange a standard cabin for you. But if you want to take a crystal cabin to better enjoy the scenery, you can contact us and tell us your needs.

When we arrive at the top of the mountain, we will visit the Polin Monastery. It was first built in 1906 by three great masters. You can see the Main Shrine Hall and the Hall of Heavenly Kings stand majestically here. Besides, there is the Hall of Guanyin Bodhisattva, side halls, and other halls, most of which are open to visitors to take a rest. Besides, the vegetarian food here is highly appreciated by visitors, so you can enjoy it. At the top of Muyu Mountain (Muyu refers to wooden fish, a percussion instrument used by Buddhist priests to beat rhythm when chanting scriptures), which is directly opposite to the memorial archway of the monastery, you can admire the newly-built bronze statue of Sakyamuni. The statue is called the Big Bronze Buddha, and with a total height of nearly 34 meters, it is the world’s largest bronze statue of Sakyamuni. You can see the Buddha sitting on a lotus, which implies coming out of mud unsoiled. You can find a smile on Buddha’s face with his big and thick ears drooping over his shoulder. One of his hands droops over his feet, and the other hand is put in front of his chest with the center of the palm out. 

Then we will head to visit Ngong Ping Village, which connects Ngong Ping 360 cable car, Polin Monastery, and Big Bronze Buddha. The village is mainly comprised of memorial archways, Puti Road (Puti refers to Bodhi, supreme wisdom or enlightenment), terraces, and some Chinese-style buildings. Besides, there are many shops and stores offering amazing snacks, such as Cantonese dim sum, local sweet and sour noodles, as well as fish balls. And you can buy some souvenirs here for your family, relatives, and friends, such as Ngong Ping handwritten letter, T-shirt, Chinese chopsticks, statues of Big Bronze Buddha, and some products with Hong Kong features. Also, you might see buffaloes lay lazily on the grass. If you are lucky, you can see street performances such as Kung Fu, variety shows, or Cantonese opera. You can take photos and share them on your Facebook, which will win you many likes.

Free Time Suggestion:

It’s also worth visiting the Avenue of Stars. It is a fantastic attraction built in 2003 to award the outstanding people in the Hong Kong film industry, modeling the design of the Walk of Fame. The names and palms of the outstanding people have been printed on the special commemorative plaques in chronological order. And the Avenue of Stars is enough to accommodate 100 plaques. You can find the plaque of Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-fat, Sammo Hung, Ti Lung, Chor Yuen, Patrick Tse, and many other famous people. Besides, there are many statues of famous films and entertainers. If you are interested in Chinese films, you can take photos here and share them with your family and friends.

Then you can go to Harbor City, which is one of the largest malls in Hong Kong. Covering an area of nearly 222 thousand square meters, it is comprised of over 50 restaurants, 2 large cinemas, and about 700 retail stores. Moreover, it has some areas for performance and exhibition. And on each Saturday and Sunday, the mall will invite a band and hold an interesting activity, Music in the City. Especially in such festivals as Christmas, and Lunar New Year, the mall will be elaborately decorated so that each visitor will be touched by the festival air. If you are lucky, you may participate in one activity, which will impress you. The goods here include beauty products, brand clothing, and leather products, audio-visual equipment, household appliances, children’s toys, sporting products, etc. You can also buy some gifts for your family, relatives, and friends.

Lantau Island

Polin Monastery

Author: Zhang Xuelei