Hong Kong Island Attractions Heung Keung
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Top Tourist Attractions in Hong Kong Island
The Central District of Hong Kong Island is the official capital of Hong Kong. Most of the population on the island is clustered along the north shore. The lush hills of the interior are guarded from development by parks.
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is the highest point on the island of Hong Kong. A tramway takes visitors to the top where there are incredibly views over the city and beyond.
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Central District (Victoria)
The Central District / Victoria area consists of towering, businesses and commercial buildings, with only a few remaining colonial buildings.
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Wan Chai
Wan Chai is a pleasant place to stroll, and shop in the small market lanes. At night it is entertainment central with bright neon lights attracting tourists and locals alike.
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is a growing business and residential district east of downtown. It is the home of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.
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Happy Valley
Inland, south of Wan Chai, is the Happy Valley, with its large sporting complexes, including one of Hong Kong's two racecourses.Interesting evidence on local history is provided by four cemeteries - one Persian, one Catholic, one Muslim and one from the colonial period - along the road beyond the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Lovers Rock
Standing 9m/30ft high, this pointed rock is known as Lovers Rock by the local inhabitants and is visited daily by many people, since it is said to possess magic powers. It is particularly popular with those seeking advice and help regarding romantic and marital problems. In order to propitiate the gods lotus flowers, joss sticks and other devotional objects are brought as offerings.Visits are made especially on those days specified in the Chinese lunar calendar, namely the sixth, sixteenth and twenty-sixth days of each lunar month. Then soothsayers and palm-readers will, for a fee, give an insight into the future. Every August the Maidens' Festival is held at Lovers Rock, when unmarried girls ask for good fortune in their lives - and a suitable husband.
South Side
The South Side of Hong Kong Island offers a more rugged coastline and is less developed than the northern shore. Historically the South Side was one of the more important areas of Hong Kong, with many small settlements, including Stanley, the largest and most well known.
Aberdeen
A weekend destination and growing residential area on Hong Kong island is Aberdeen. This lovely area is known for its great swimming at Repulse Bay and Ocean Park.
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Repulse Bay
Repulse Bay is Hong Kong's most popular beach, often attracting over 20,000 visitors at weekends. Because of the increasing pollution of the sea, however, most visitors come to sunbathe or laze on the beach rather than to swim.In place of the old Repulse Bay Hotel - one of the few reminders of the early colonial period until it was pulled down - there now stands a modern building with a spectacular hole built into it which contains apartments, shops and an excellent dim sum restaurant.
Stanley Peninsula
At the southernmost tip of Hong Kong Island is the colony's main prison, which served as an internment camp during the Japanese occupation in the Second World War. The market - selling mainly textiles - in the former fishing village of Stanley is a favorite spot with visitors. The bathing beach which was once so popular was extended by reclamation from the sea and built over. One feature of interest is the Tin Hau Temple, which dates from 1767.In recent years Stanley Peninsula has become a residential area favored by prosperous citizens of Hong Kong. The modest houses which once stood here have given place to luxury apartment blocks.From Stanley there are attractive hiking trails running through the southern parts of Hong Kong Island (for example a route northward, offering fine views, to the Tai Tam reservoir).
Ap Lei Chau Island
The island of Ap Lei Chau ("Duck's Tongue") provides natural shelter for Aberdeen's harbor. On it are a large power station and boatbuilding yards, in which visitors can watch junks and sampans being constructed by the old traditional methods.The island is linked to Aberdeen by a bridge, and can be reached on foot (20 minutes) or by sampan or taxi.
Map - Hong Kong Island
