Star ferry
The Star Ferry's ferry crossings at Victoria Harbour are well-known for being crucial tourist routes as well as an integral part of the commuter system connecting Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The ferry ride was ranked among the top 50 places in The National Geographic Traveler. The ferry voyage is renowned for being one of the most cost-effective tourist excursions in the entire globe.The Star Ferry dates back to 1880, when Parsee cook Dorabjee Naorojee Mithaiwala began a new career. With his steamboat, the Morning Star, he started operating a ferry service across Victoria Harbour. The Kowloon Ferry Company was the name of the young company. According to a local newspaper from 1888, the ferry made the 40- to 1-hour trip between Pedders Wharf and Tsimshatsui at all times. The service was suspended on Mondays and Fridays so that the boat could be coaled. Four single-deck Star Ferries could be found on the Kowloon Ferry by 1890. The ferries eventually got a second deck.During the next ten years, businessman Sir Catchick Paul Chater bought all the boats and in May 1898 the Star Ferry Company, as it is known today, became a public company. Its name derives from the ferries, which all bore the name “Star”. In 1998, the company commemorated its 100th anniversary. Two franchised ferry routes between Tsimshatsui and Central and Tsimshatsui and Wanchai are now served by a fleet of nine ferries. In July 2003, Star Ferry introduced the only authorized harbour tour (Harbour Tour) in Hong Kong in addition to ferry services. A variety of harbor views are available for passengers to enjoy at their leisure throughout the one-hour trip, which departs from Tsimshatsui and travels to Central and Wanchai before returning to Tsimshatsui.Due to the pier relocation for Central Reclamation Phase III, Star Ferry has continued its ferry services at the Central Star Ferry Pier as of 12 November 2006. (Central Pier No. 7). The Central Star Ferry Pier, with its magnificent clock tower, is a replica of a remarkable structure that enhances the Star Ferry's history and character by serving as a significant landmark along the city's new waterfront.
Hong Kong Clock Tower
The ancient Clock Tower, which is 44 meters tall, was built as part of the Kowloon-Canton Railway terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui in 1915. The once-bustling station is now gone, but this red brick and granite tower is still standing as a graceful relic of the Steam Age and is now protected as a Declared Monument. Millions of Chinese immigrants who passed through the terminus on their way to start new lives not only in Hong Kong but also in other parts of the globe have found it to be a memorable monument. The Clock Tower Bell's centennial commemoration chimes can be heard every hour from 8am to midnight.
The Flying Frenchmen Statue
The Flying Frenchman is a bronze sculpture by César Baldaccini took 3 years to complete It was a gift from the artist in 1992 However initially the name was freedom fighter, but HK government rejected it thus the artist did not attend the unveiling ceremony in 1993 You can go at 8 pm at night where it has some music and some lighuiting to make it more fantastic mutely referring to the democracy protests in Tiananmen Square of June 1989
Hong Kong Cultural Centre
With its cutting-edge amenities, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre occupies a superb location on the Kowloon waterfront. The greatest variety of top-notch performances, such as concerts, operas, massive dance and theater productions, experimental theater, and sophisticated musicals, are drawn to it. Additionally, it is perfect for exhibitions, conventions, seminars, and movie screenings.
Avenue of stars
Celebrity handprints and statues commemorate Hong Kong's major entertainment figures along the famed promenade that circles Tsim Sha Tsui's southern border. The promenade was originally modeled after Hollywood's Walk of Fame. The Avenue of Stars, which was extensively redesigned and reopened in 2019 under the direction of landscape architect James Corner, is a celebration of the creative riches and natural beauty of the city.Bruce Lee, a master of martial arts who gave Hollywood of the East's martial arts movies international recognition, is at the center of that idea. The actor and philosopher's 2-meter bronze statue is prominently located on the eastern side of the promenade, and the water flowing beneath his feet serves as a reminder of his famous adage, "Be formless, shapeless, like water." Similar insight seems to have guided Corner's remodeling, which creates an intimate visual connection with Victoria Harbour through its physical presence. Corner describes his favorite feature of the Avenue of Stars as "I adore our huge, wooden railing, which is perfect for leaning on to absorb in the view and also rolls up and down like a curved ribbon along the water's edge."Lee's statue is not the only one present. Anita Mui, known as "the Daughter of Hong Kong," a singer, actress, and undeniable superstar who was well-known in Chinese communities all over the world, joins him. She was a strong female force in Hong Kong music and cinema, known for her refinement, independence, and originality. Visitors can interact with Lee and Mui and take pictures with them thanks to augmented reality technology.A third statue honors the well-known animated figure McDull, a juvenile pig who appeared in Brian Tse and Alice Mak's comic strips as an unexpected hero. McDull later transitioned from the Ming Pao newspaper to the big screen to the Avenue of Stars as an ambassador for the Hong Kong animation industry. The fourth figure honors the Hong Kong Film Awards, which have honored the city's film industry since 1982. It is a woman encased in celluloid film holding a pearl that she extends to the sky.
Hong Kong Museum of Art
HKMoA was founded in 1962 and is the city's first public art museum. It is currently the guardian of a collection of approximately 18,800 works of art that showcases the distinctive cultural history of Hong Kong's connections to cultures throughout the world. We want to revitalize ways of viewing heritage and make art relevant to everyone, resulting in new experiences and understanding by curating a diverse universe of contrasts, from old to new, Chinese to Western, local to international.
Hong Kong Space Museum
The Hong Kong Space Museum, which is strategically situated along Tsim Sha Tsui's waterfront, started building in 1977. Project primary architect was Mr. Joseph Ming Gun LEE from the Public Works Department. The Hong Kong Space Museum opened its doors in 1980. It is the first planetarium in the area dedicated to popularizing astronomy and space science. The 8000 square meter museum, with its distinctive egg-shaped dome, has become one of Hong Kong's most well-known sights.The Museum is divided into east and west wings. The former, which forms the core of the planetarium, is surrounded by an egg-shaped dome. The Space Theatre, the Hall of the Cosmos, an OMNIMAX projector room, workshops, and offices are located underneath it. The offices, Lecture Hall, Gift Shop, and Hall of Space Exploration are all located in the west wing.A 23-meter-diameter hemispherical projection dome is located inside the Space Theatre. The Museum is the first planetarium in the world to have a fully automatic control system at its Space Theatre, and it also boasts the first OMNIMAX film projector in the Eastern Hemisphere. The Museum develops the digital planetarium projection system's Sky Show each year and brings Hong Kong the best overseas OMNIMAX movies and 3D Dome Shows.The Hall of the Cosmos and the Hall of Space Exploration are the two themed exhibition rooms in the museum, located on the first and second floors, respectively. The exhibitions, which are mainly interactive, give visitors the opportunity to learn through a variety of fun and instructive activities.Not to mention, the Museum organizes a ton of extracurricular activities every year, such as Stargazing in a city flooded with light, Starry Wonderland, entertaining astronomy seminars, lectures, and astronomy film shows, as well as observation programs for unique celestial events, etc. The Museum's webpage has a wealth of information about stargazing, fundamental astronomy, astronomical news, and educational materials.
Hong Kong Peninsula Hotel
founded by members of the rich Kadoorie family of Hong Kong, who are descended from Baghdad, Iraqi Mizrahi Jews. The Peninsula was intended to be "the best hotel east of Suez" when it was completed.The Peninsula hosted Sunday concerts, nightly meals on the terrace, and twice-weekly dinners in the Rose Room after the hotel's 11 December 1928 grand opening. Every night there were dinner dances, and there were also frequent afternoon tea dances. The Peninsula soon developed into a well-liked gathering spot for the entire neighborhood. It also developed into a location to see celebrities. The Hollywood stars of the 1930s classic Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard, were among the hotel's visitors.At the Japanese HQ on the third floor of The Peninsula, British colonial authorities under the command of the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Aitchison Young, personally surrendered on December 25, 1941, marking the end of the Battle of Hong Kong.A 30-story tower with a similar architectural design as the current structure was added to the hotel in 1994. A helipad is located on top of the brand-new Peninsula Tower. It is used to take dignitaries to the seven-minute flight away Hong Kong International Airport.
ChungKing Mansion
In Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, a building known as Chungking Mansions can be found at 36-44 Nathan Road. Despite the fact that the structure was intended to be residential, it is now filled with numerous independent, low-cost motels, stores, and other businesses. The building's kiosks serve wholesalers sending items to South Asia and Africa in addition to the general public.] Some people have linked the building's peculiar ambience to that of the former Kowloon Walled City.Guesthouses, curry restaurants, African bistros, apparel boutiques, sari stores, and foreign exchange offices can be found in Chungking Mansions. It frequently serves as a significant hub for gathering for several of Hong Kong's ethnic minorities, mainly South Asians (Indians, Nepalese, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Sri Lankans), people from the Middle East, Nigerians, Europeans, Americans, and many other nationalities. According to CNN's Peter Shadbolt, the facility serves as Hong Kong's "unofficial African district."When the structure was finished on November 11th, 1961, the majority of the residents were Chinese. After more than 50 years of operation, the complex now houses about 4,000 residents.
Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre
The Hong Kong Regiment founded the Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Center in 1896. It was initially built to accommodate the Indian Muslim British Army men stationed at the neighboring Whitfield Barracks, which is now the location of Kowloon Park.The underground work done for the Mass Transit Railway in the late 1970s caused structural problems with the building. A new mosque was erected and inaugurated on May 11, 1984, on the present site at 105 Nathan Road, with funding supplied by MTR Corporation and donations from the neighborhood's Muslim population.Currently, the mosque mostly accommodates Muslims from Indonesia and South Asia. Additionally, many of them reside in Tsim Sha Tsui, where ethnic minorities have made their homes. This also explains why it is significant to Hong Kong's non-Chinese Muslim community as a cultural site.Near the Kowloon Mosque, vendors selling South Asian goods can be found in Chungking Mansions (opposite the mosque, across the road)
Hong Kong Kowloon Park
With a former battery (Kowloon West II Battery) in the park's northwest corner, the Whitfield Barracks of the British Army once stood where the park now stands.In 1970, the Urban Council transformed the area into Kowloon Park.For the park, more than 70 buildings had to be destroyed. On June 24, 1970, Sir David Trench, the governor of Hong Kong at the time, formally opened the park's first phase. The Tai Hang Tung Primary School PM Session children performed a lion dance and a folk dance to commemorate the opening. The First Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers' band played music. Kowloon Park was opened by Sir David after a plaque in honor of the event was unveiled. Out of a total of 26 acres, 18 acres were included in the first phase. A government official described it as "a reminder of Hongkong's eclectic cultural history" and said it included a floral clock and a Chinese garden set amid an English environment.However, from 1975 to 1978, a portion of the property was used to build a MTR rapid transit line (originally the Kwun Tong line, now the Tsuen Wan line). This was the reason given for the delay in completing the remaining three sections of the park for recreational purposes. The Urban Council also attributed some of the blame to the development of Kowloon Park Drive, which was forced through a park corner by the government.The 1982 Executive Council approval of proposals for a strip of retail space fronting Nathan Road to be carved out of Kowloon Park's slope was met with criticism for the government. When the Barracks were transformed into a public park in 1970, the idea was initially put forth and caused considerable criticism. The Muslim neighborhood, whose mosque stood nearby, as well as the Urban Council were also against it. For $218 million, the rights to construct the 5,410 square meter strip were sold to a New World Development company in February 1983. "Park Lane Shopper's Boulevard" is the name of the shopping district. Due to the grade adjustment, the gardens and shop roofs are level with Kowloon Park's ground. In 1980, an aviary was established. The park was built for $300 million between 1987 and 1989 with funding provided by the former Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club. The sports complex and swimming pool complex were erected, and the park's size was "doubled" by enlarging to the north and south.
