Hong Kong is a bustling Asian Mega-City of over 7 million people. It was a former British colony up until the transfer of sovereignty to China back in 1997. It’s a financial hub with many of the worlds banks proclaiming itself as Asia’s World City. While it’s considered a concrete jungle by many there are actually plenty of amazing things to do for nature lovers as well, just a short drive away. I only had about 24 hours to spend there before moving on to Macau but I loved it and I’m sure I’ll be back again at some point. If you find yourself in a similar situation here’s a list of a few things to do in a 24 hour time frame. I probably would have tried to do more but crossing the International Date Line always hits me pretty hard in the jet lag department.
- Take the Subway/Public Transportation Everywhere
The public transportation is so efficient in Hong Kong! You can use google maps to find any destination you need and it will have up to date pick up times for any buses or subway trains you need. It will even tell you the correct exit to take out of the subway station!
The busses are great too and definitely the most inexpensive way to get around.
2. Kowloon Walled City Park
Kowloon Walled City was a giant megastructure of some 503 interconnected buildings housing approximately 50,000 people near Kowloon Bay. Due to the close proximity of all the residents and the inability to navigate the structure, the British colonial government found it extremely hard to police the area which had become rampant in illegal activities. After discussions with the Chinese government it was decided to demolish the city, all the residents were replaced and the city was demolished in 1993. In 1994 they built a beautiful park where it once stood. In the park there are some interesting relics to see that have been left over from the original city.
There is an amazing miniature model of the city you can look at to get an idea of what it was once like.
There’s also still part of the original South Gate entrance to the city.
In addition to these relics there’s also an interesting museum of sorts that has a pretty detailed history of the city that exists in the Yamen.
3. Stay in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Tsim Sha Tsui is a vibrant neighborhood on Kowloon with some of the most affordable accommodations I could find. There is very little space so expect to basically be in a shoe box! I stayed In one of the many hotels in Harilela Mansion but there are also many in the Chungking Mansions on Nathan Road as well. It’s very close to the subway, but its also cool to walk around the neighborhood and take in the sights.
4. Montane Mansion, Quarry Bay.
The Montane Mansion can be found in the Quarry Bay neighborhood of Hong Kong. It’s about the closest thing, still standing that you can find to Kowloon Walled City. This “Monster Building” is five interconnected towers built in the 1960’s. All the apartments are stacked one on top of the other and people still live here so be polite if you plan to have a look. There are local businesses that line the bottom level as well so If you decide to go make sure to buy something.
5. Mong Kok Flower Market
This is a cool spot to see in the Mong Kok neighborhood. Flower Street is lined with vendors selling all sorts of different flowers, from roses to orchids and everything in between, and it’s perfect for anyone with an interest in either horticulture or people watching!
6. Victoria’s Peak
The last place I went to, which is an absolute must see is Victoria’s Peak. Also known as Mount Austin, Victoria’s Peak is the tallest mountain on Hong Kong Island and it just so happens to have the best view of the city. I highly recommend going a little before dusk so you can get some day and night time shots of this beautiful city. You can take a taxi or public bus to Victoria’s Peak mall and then it’s about a 30 minute hike up to the top. It gets pretty foggy up there sometimes and unfortunately it was too foggy for much of a view when I was at the top.
This was my view from the top:
Luckily on the way back down I got below the clouds enough to get some pretty excellent shots. It’s super hot and humid so bring plenty of water and expect to be wet.
I definitely enjoyed my time in Hong Kong and plan to return at some point. 24 hours is definitely not enough time, but then again you gotta do what you can with what you have. There have been some pretty extreme protests happening in the city recently but somehow I managed to miss those. The next morning I hopped on a ferry and sped off to Macau, and the adventure continues….
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