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Top Things To See

• See the country’s oldest Chinese temple, Man Mo Temple on Hong Kong Island, which honours the gods of literature (Man) and war (Mo).
• View the incredible density and scale of the city from Victoria Peak. The view here has been further enhanced by the Peak Tower, a seven-story, futuristic-looking building, incorporating a viewing area, restaurant and entertainment centre. Reached by the Peak Tram, that rises 386m (1266ft) up the mountainside within eight minutes, the summit offers an exceptional panorama, whether by day or night. In the New Territories, the Waterfront Park in Tai Po has a futuristic Lookout Tower that provides breathtaking views across Tolo Harbour.
• Observe glimpses of Hong Kong’s colonial past, such as Government House, the residence of 25 British Governors from 1855 until Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997. Other vestiges are seen in St John’s Cathedral, thought to be the oldest Christian church in the Far East.
• Go to the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, located in Hong Kong Park; the museum is an imposing colonial-style building housing ancient Chinese artefacts used in tea-making.
• See Hong Kong’s tallest building, the impressive 78-storey Central Plaza. Visitors can view the city from the Sky Lobby on its 46th floor. After 1800 each day, neon lights upon the building’s rooftop change colour every hour to denote the time of evening.
• Visit the pristine beach of Repulse Bay , overlooked by the Tin Hau Temple. Lantau Island has the white sandy beach, Cheung Sha, and the amazing Shek Pik Reservoir Dam. Day trips to Lantau and tours can be arranged from Hong Kong Island.
• In Kowloon, look at the time at the old Clock Tower near to the star ferry pier, the remaining piece from the Kowloon-Canton railway station that was re-located to Hung Hom in 1975.
• For a more spiritual retreat, visit either the Chi Lin Nunnery, a spectacular Tang Dynasty-style complex, or Wong Tai Sin Temple, built in honour of a shepherd who earned immortality. Many fortune-tellers congregate here.
• Mingle with the crowds at Mong Kok, thought to be the world’s most densely populated urban area, which heaves with selling and buying. Exotic fish and amphibians are sold at the Goldfish Market, and near the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden, intricate bamboo birdcages and songbirds can be purchased.
• Venture up to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in the New Territories, situated in the hills above Sha Tin, which actually houses around 13,000 small Buddha statues, and is well worth visiting.
• Whilst in the New Territories, amble around a beautifully designed complex, located in Tuen Mun, which features pavilions, bonsai trees, lotus ponds and a Taoist temple that contains lanterns from Beijing’s Imperial Palace.
• See Hong Kong’s only historic pagoda, the Tsui Shing Lau Pagoda built in 1486 in the Yuen Lang district.
• On the border with China is the fantastic Fung Ying Seen Koon Temple, built in the traditional Taoist style with a double-tiered roof of orange tiles.
• On the Outlying Islands, Lantau Island is famed for its Giant Buddha that sits upon Ngong Ping Plateau at the Po Lin Monastery. At 26m high and weighing in at 202 tons of bronze, it is the world’s largest seated outdoor Buddha. Ngong Ping 360 (opened in early 2006) is a 5.7km (3.5-mile) cable car ride to the Giant Buddha.

Hong Kong Q & A

Q: When is the best time to visit Hong Kong?
A: Hong Kong is an all-year-round destination. It enjoys a mild climate from the middle of September to the end of February, while the weather from May to mid-September is rather warm and humid. Eighty per cent of Hong Kong’s precipitation occurs between May and September, with August registering the highest rainfall. For a detailed weather forecast, please visit Hong Kong Observatory website.

Q: Do I need a visa to visit Hong Kong?
A: Visitors from most countries can enter Hong Kong without a visa for periods of seven days to six months, depending on nationality. Check with any Chinese embassy or consulate for the latest status.

Q: Where is the best area to stay?
A: Hong Kong is compact, so visitors are never too far from shopping and major sights. Hong Kong also has an excellent transportation system so visitors can easily reach other areas, no matter where they stay. Most hotels are located in the heart of the city, in Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island and in Tsim Sha Tsui and Tsim Sha Tsui East in Kowloon. There are also a growing number of resort-style hotels in the New Territories that offer relaxing alternatives.

Q: Is local transportation easily accessible?
A: Public transportation via bus, ferry or train is efficient, relatively inexpensive and user-friendly. The system covers extension areas of Hong Kong with signs in English and Chinese.

Q: Will I be expected to pay tips?
A: Most restaurants will levy a 10 per cent service charge but waiters will expect to be given some loose change. Restaurants that don’t add a service charge will expect a 10 per cent tip. However, tipping is left to your discretion. Bellboys, porters, restroom attendants and taxi drivers will happily accept loose change.

Q: Will I be able to use my electrical equipment in Hong Kong?
A: The standard electrical voltage in HK is 220 volts AC, 50HZ, so you will need an adaptor for your 100-volt appliances and electrical equipment.The majority of electrical outlets in Hong Kong take a three-pronged plug. You can buy an inexpensive adaptor for your equipment when you arrive in Hong Kong.

Q: Where can I get Internet Access in Hong Kong?
A: Most hotels have Internet access. You can also access the Internet for free at many coffee shops, large shopping malls, major MTR stations and public libraries in town. For people bringing their laptops to Hong Kong, Wireless Broadband service is common at major shopping malls and coffee shops. If you use a modem, note that the BT system using in Hong Kong will gradually be replaced by the RJ system. If you are still using the BT plug, you can buy a BT–RJ adaptor in Hong Kong to solve the connection problem.

Q: Is Hong Kong safe for the visitor?
A: Yes, Hong Kong is one of the safest cities in the world even at night, when people may walk alone with confidence.

Q: Is English widely spoken?
A: Very widely spoken. There will be no problems in communicating with people in most hotels, restaurants and even some taxis.

Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board in the USA

Business Hours

Normal office hours are 9am-5pm on weekdays, and 9am-1pm on Saturdays. Major banks are open 9am-4:30pm on weekdays, and 9am-12:30pm on Saturdays. Closed Sundays and public holidays.

English and Chinese are the official languages The vast majority of shops are open every day throughout the year, some only closing during the Chinese New Year holiday. Generally, opening hours are 10am-7pm. However, many stores in busy retail areas like Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui stay open until 9:30pm or even later, particularly on weekends. Shops in Central close as early as 7pm.

With effect from 1 July 2006, the HKSAR Government is adopting a five-day work week for civil servants. Operating standards are being maintained through extended hours for certain weekday counter services and use of alternative means of government dealings. Emergency and essential services are not affected.

Travel and Business Information

The U.S. Department of State’s Consular Information Program provides Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements. Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on entry requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country.

Public Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau of Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system: 202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are available on the Consular Affairs Internet home page: http://travel.state.gov. Consular Affairs Tips for Travelers publication series, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are available on the Internet and hard copies can be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.

Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained from the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For after-hours emergencies, Sundays and holidays, call 202-647-4000.

The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State’s single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer service representatives and operators for TDD/TTY are available Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.

Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. A booklet entitled Health Information for International Travel (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.

Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency and customs regulations, legal holidays, and other items of interest to travelers also may be obtained before your departure from a country’s embassy and/or consulates in the U.S. (for this country, see “Principal Government Officials” listing in this publication).

U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are encouraged to register their travel via the State Department’s travel registration web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov or at the Consular section of the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a country by filling out a short form and sending in a copy of their passports. This may help family members contact you in case of an emergency.

References / Links

Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at the Department of State web site provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service posts and more.

Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads, free export counseling, help with the export process, and more.

STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides authoritative economic, business, and international trade information from the Federal government. The site includes current and historical trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank.

Lonely Planet Guide to Hong Kong

Hong Kong Tourism Board
115 East 54th Street, Second Floor,
New York, NY 10022-4512, USA
Tel: (212) 421 3382.

U.S. Department of State Background Note – Hong Kong