road has stuck with for more than a century, making it a must-see destination on the tourist trail along with adjoining Upper Lascar Row, better known as Cat Street. Visitors flock here to experience the ‘old’ Hong Kong atmosphere and peruse Ming Dynasty furniture and kitsch Mao iconography. The road is also famed for the Man Mo Temple, built in 1847 as a place to jointly worship the Gods of Literature (Man Tai) and War (Mo Tai). Over the last 20 years or so, however, Hollywood Road has slowly been reinventing itself as a centre for arts and culture, with many small galleries and chic eateries opening up along its length. These include spaces such as Para/Site (www.para-site.org.hk), a not-for-profit organization devoted to contemporary art housed in an old shophouse; and Classified (www.classifiedfoodshops.com.hk), a European-style bistro replete with sidewalk seating and artisan cheeses. If you’re visiting town during March, you might want to consider signing up for the annual Hong Kong ArtWalk (www.hongkongartwalk.com), a charity event with a society slant. Over the course of an evening, paying participants visit as many of the area’s galleries as they can, remarking upon the fine art hanging on the walls while sipping on cocktails and wine and nibbling delicate finger food—behaviour which, admittedly, does sound rather like Hollywood, USA.
Opening Times N.A.
Address Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Getting There Central MTR, Exit D1, walk along Queen's Road Central to the Mid-Levels Escalator, ride up until Hollywood Road exit
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily); www.discoverhongkong.com
Admission Fee Free
12 Lamma Island
Take some time out on Hong Kong’s most chilled island
Hong Kong’s third largest island takes its name from two Chinese characters pronounced in Cantonese as laam and ah. Roughly translating as ‘southern branch’ or ‘tree’, the name refers to Lamma’s distinctive ‘Y’ shape. Located directly south of heavily populated Hong Kong Island, Lamma is most famous for being the birthplace of superstar actor Chow Yun-fat and for its preponderance of hippies. Due to the laws of the time, before 1997 British citizens did not require a visa to stay or work in the colony. During the 1960s, this meant that Lamma became a rest station for travellers on the Asian hippie trail, attracted by the 13.5 sq km isle’s comparatively cheap housing and its easy access to Central. In the years running up to the Handover, the island saw an additional influx of low-skilled workers and gap-year students who came to witness the last days of colonial rule, picking up low-paid jobs as barmen, bouncers and construction workers, many of whom acquired permanent residency and decided to stay. As a result, Lamma has a laid-back, multicultural vibe that you won’t find anywhere else in Hong Kong. Buildings more than three storeys tall are prohibited, as is all vehicular traffic except for the small VVs (Village Vehicles) used to transport goods. As the only way to reach the island is by boat, your journey begins at the Central Ferry Piers (located, as the name suggests, north of Central), from where it’s a 25-minute sail past the western edge of Hong Kong Island before docking at Yung Shue Wan, Lamma’s main settlement. As the village’s narrow streets can fill up with local day trippers on weekends, the best time to visit is during the week, when you can take your time browsing the chilled cafes, neighbour-hood bars and bohemian fashion shops. Once you’ve had your fill, follow the signs to Hung Shing Yeh Beach, a pleasant 15-minute stroll that takes you past overgrown rice paddies, over a small hill and past the power station that supplies Hong Kong Island with almost all of its electricity. Sitting on the quiet, sandy shore, it’s hard to imagine that you’re in the heart of an Asian metropolis of 7 million people. Other island attractions include the seafood restaurants of Sok Kwu Wan, supposed Japanese-built WWII ‘kamikaze’ caves, and views from the top of the 353-m-high Mount Stenhouse.
See: www.lamma.com.hk
Opening Times N.A.
Address Lamma Island, New Territories
Getting There Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry run regular services from Central Ferry Piers to the Lamma villages of Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan (www.hkkf.com.hk)
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily); www.discoverhongkong.com; see also www.lamma.com.hk
Admission Fee Adult: Mon–Sat $16.10, Sun & Public Holidays $22.30. Child (under 12): $8.10–$11.20
13 Hong Kong’s Trams
Ride the city’s oldest and most beloved transportation
Without a doubt, the best way to see the city is from the top of a tram. Each day, a fleet of 161 double-deckers slowly trundle their way along the north shore of Hong Kong Island, carrying more than 230,000 passengers. Founded in 1904, Hong Kong Tramways forms an integral part of the territory’s comprehensive transport system, its 118 tram stops (spaced on average about 250 m apart) allowing people to travel short distances quickly. In fast-paced Hong Kong, where people even walk up the escalators because they move too slowly, this is of vital importance. Of course, for visitors with more time on their hands, trams offer a scenic way to travel through the heart of the busy city (not to mention great photo opportunities) from Kennedy Town in the west to Shau Kei Wan in the east. Unlike buses, trams are boarded from the back and exited from the front, where you pay the driver the grand fare of $2 (senior citizens and children pay $1). It is this affordability, added to convenience (during peak hours they run every 1.5 minutes), that explains Hong Kongers’ ongoing love affair with their trams. This happy relationship was put under strain in 2009 when French transport firm Veolia bought the company. Despite fears the new owner would raise prices and scrap the iconic, if dated, design—for a while there was talk of replacing the historic double-decker trams with modern European single-decker models—Hong Kong’s beloved trams continued to trundle on their merry way. Indeed, with three new lines (the first for decades) being proposed (a north Island route connecting Western Market in Sheung Wan with the Wan Chai Convention Centre via the Star Ferry Pier in Central, and separate tracks in the new West Kowloon Cultural District and Kai Tak redevelopment), the future of the trams seems stronger than ever. Like Hong Kongers, you will still have to hurry on board to grab your seat up top.
See: www.hktramways.com
Opening Times 5 am–midnight
Address N.A.
Getting There N.A.
Contact +852 2548 7102; enquiry@hktramways. com; www.hktramways.com
Admission Fee Adult: $2.30.
