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Hong Kong Attractions

A major world-city you'll find that Hong Kong is packed full of interesting attractions, from theme parks to big city shopping, from fantastic views to historic buildings, quiet beaches and country parks. Take a break from Sham Shui Po and strike out to one of these destinations around the region.
 

Theme Parks

Now with two major theme parks there are more things to do with the family every day in Hong Kong, try the ever popular mouse attractions at Disneyland Hong Kong or explore the aquatic themed locally developed Ocean Park. Both are a great day out, and are easily accessible via public transport  from Sham Shui Po.  Disneyland is a simple MTR ride away, while for Ocean park the MTR to Admiralty then the dedicated air conditioned double decker 629 coach takes you to Ocean Park in about 20 minutes. Try them both to get two different views of Hong Kong entertainment for families!

Sights

You haven't visited Hong Kong if you haven't tried The Peak or Victoria Peak as it is properly known, taking the 100 year old cable car ride from the city up to the residential peak area, exploring the shops and displays of the Peak Tower including Madam Tussauds, then taken a quiet walk on the Circular Walk to see both north and south views of the Island, or enjoyed a picnic in the Mount Austin Road playground with its rare public green lawns. While the Walled City of Kowloon is long gone it has been replace with a traditional Chinese style public garden which is not to be missed.

Rural life

Explore some of the rural life in parts of Hong Kong that are less developed than the city centre, you won't find tower blocks on Cheung Chau fishing island, nor in the country parks of Tai Mo Shan Country Park with its ruins of tea growing terraces from the 17th century!  Check out the delights of Lamma or Lantau, two outlying islands with a quiet laid back lifestyle. On Lamma eat a seafood dinner, on Lantau visit the Big Buddha giant statue at Po Lin Monastery, and try some traditional Buddhist vegetarian foods.

Museums

Visit the Space Museum in TST, and beside it the Art Museum, both with permanent displays and often special exhibitions. Or the Science Museum and History Museum which face one another across a plaza as they display the future and the past of Hong Kong. Strike out to the less inhabited parts of Hong Kong islands to view the Museum of Costal Defense based in an old fort complex overlooking the sea, or right in the middle of Central visit the Maritime Museum where views of the busy harbour merge with the displays about the impact of shipping on Hong Kong in historic as well as present days.

Visit the Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware or the Dr Sun yat Sen Museum not just for the exhibits but for the interesting buildings containing them, a British Colonial mansion in the first case and a modern Chinese merchants mansion in the latter.

History

Populated for at least 2000 years according to archeological evidence the history of Sham Shui Po is long and deep but poorly documented. Having been a poor area for much of the 20th century little attention was given to it but now that has become developed and busy, though still not as prosperous as some other parts of Hong Kong, people have begun to seek it's history.

Originally a coastal settlement before reclamation brought it inland it was close to the important peninsular of Tak Kok Tsui with it's Cosmopolitan Dock, now since long gone of course. The last of the connection with the sea disappeared in the 1970s when the Nam Cheong Street nullah, or concrete stream, was covered over and today all that remains of it is the wide street which now runs past the open green park.


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