The Top Five Tourist Attractions in Hong Kong

Every year, around Christmas time, my family and I would fly over to Hong Kong and stay for around a month. While Hong Kong is probably one of the busiest places on earth and the locals always seem to be in a rush (especially when changing trains), Hong Kong to me is a place where I can relax and just forget about the pressures of work, uni and the future.

While most of my time in Hong Kong is spent visiting family friends and consuming dangerous amounts of siu mai, my favourite part of the month-long stay is going to the various tourist destinations. So here are my top 5 tourist attractions in Hong Kong:


1. The Peak

The Peak Galleria. The Sky Terrace is located at the top of this weirdly-shaped thing.

Located at the summit of Victoria Peak, the Peak Tower is one of Hong Kong's most popular tourist destinations.

The Sky Terrace at the top of the Peak Tower offers a spectacular 360 degree panoramic view of the Hong Kong skyline and Victoria Harbour and is the highest viewing platform in Hong Kong. If you are going during the day, make sure that the sky is clear, otherwise the skyscrapers below will all be covered in fog.

The view of Hong Kong from The Sky Terrace. Not bad.

There is also a Madam Tussuad's located in the Peak Galleria where you can take photos with wax figures of famous celebrities. However, last time I went they didn't allow visitors to take photos of the Jackie Chan figure at the front of the museum. The only way you can get your photo taken with the kung fu superstar is by paying their official photographer. But you can happily snap away at other prominent figures like Angelina Jolie, Barack Obama and Albert Einstein.

The most popular method of reaching the The Peak Tower is by catching the historic Peak Tram. This 120 year old artifact carries passengers up the mountain at a steep incline of up to 27 degrees.

When you are going up the mountain using the Peak Tram, it feels like the buildings are slanting since you are travelling at such a steep angle.

2. Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland finished construction in 2005 and is comparatively smaller than its cousins in the other parts of the world. For some reason the locals seem to hate it; in fact most Hong Kong people have never been to this Disneyland. This is probably due to the contagious cynicism that seems to permeate Hong Kong people so don't be put off by criticisms of HK Disneyland because it's still a really magical place.

The Hong Kong version is still in its infancy and is expanding almost every year. The main themed areas are there - Main Street, Tomorrowland, Adventureland and Fantasyland. You can catch popular rides such as Space Mountain and the Jungle River Cruise, although fan favourites such as Pirates of the Caribbean are notably absent.

It is the smallest Disneyland, which means that you can explore the whole themed park in a day. After catching the rides in the morning and watching the shows in the afternoon, you can finish the day by witnessing the spectacular Disney in the Stars Fireworks.

Another highlight is catching the Disney-themed MTR train from Sunny Bay MTR Station to Disneyland Resort Station. The train features Mickey-shaped handles and windows as well as bronze statues lining the inside of the carriage.

I recommend that you avoid going to Disneyland during the peak periods (such as Christmas and Lunar New Year) as the park will be packed with tourists from mainland China and it will take ages to line up for each attraction.

Whether it's in America, Japan, Paris or Hong Kong, Disneyland is still the happiest place on earth.

3. Ocean Park

If you have no time for talking mice with high-pitched voices, fairytale princesses and goofy characters (pardon the pun), perhaps the aqua-themed Ocean Park will be more to your liking.

Like Disneyland, Ocean Park also has a variety of rides for thrillseekers. But the great thing about Ocean Park is that it is half a zoo/half amusement park. You get to check out jellyfish aquariums, see dolphins perform and get up close and personal with cheeky little penguins. There's also a Giant Panda exhibition which is a bit random and has nothing to do with the ocean, but I guess they want to add a 'Chinese feel' to the theme park.

Panda says hi

The Park is divided into two parts: The Summit and The Waterfront. The two areas are separated by a mountain so you would need to catch a cable car to reach the other side.

The Ocean Park Cable Cars are a bit small and frequently stop mid-journey but at least you get a nice view of the sea.

4. Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade

 The Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, which is located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront, offers stunning views of Hong Kong island and is the perfect place to watch the Symphony of Lights every night at 8pm. This is a synchronised light and laser display with 44 buildings lighting up simultaneously.

While you're on the Promenade, be sure to visit The Avenue of Stars, which honours outstanding contributors to Hong Kong's film industry. Here, you can find handprints of famous actors and singers like Andy Lau as well as Hollywood directors like John Woo.

Jackie Chan has very small handprints.

The Promenade is also a popular track for casual runners. The air is a bit polluted and the stench from the harbour can be quite nauseating at times, but apart from that it's a really beautiful place to go for a morning jog.

5. The Big Buddha + Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car

Located on Lantau Island, the Big Buddha (also known as the Tian Tan Buddha) stands at a massive 34 meters and weighs a mighty 250 tons. On a clear day, it can be seen from as far away as Macau.

You can reach the Big Buddha by catching the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car from Tung Chung Station. The journey takes about 25 minutes and takes you over Tung Chung Bay and up the mountain to the Big Buddha.

There have been a couple of malfunctions in the past but the cable car felt quite safe and sturdy when I caught it two years ago. During peak times you may be asked to share a cabin with other people which can be a bit awkward, especially since it's really quiet inside the cabin. Or you can hire a Private Cabin but those cost a mammoth HK$3,000 (around $350 in Australian dollars) and only the most lovestruck couples would want to fork out that amount of money for a 25 minute trip.

For the brave souls who are not afraid of heights, you can take the Crystal Cabin which has a see-through glass bottom floor. 

The Crystal Cabin is not for the faint hearted.

Once your cable car arrives at Ngong Ping Village, you can explore traditional Chinese architecture and attend mini movie theatres that showcase animated short films of The Monkey's Tale. The village itself is quite small so you can pretty much skip it and go straight ahead to the Buddha.

The Big Buddha is, well, big. You have to take a short flight of stairs to reach the base of the Buddha. But since the statue is so gigantic, you probably have to stand at the foot of the stairs if you want a photo of the whole Buddha.

These are my top 5 holiday destinations in Hong Kong but there are plenty of other great tourist places to go. Check out the official Discover Hong Kong website to find out more.