HONG KONG GUIDE HONG KONG AT A GLANCE. Geography. Population & Language. Currency. Voltage. Weather

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1 HONG KONG AT A GLANCE Geography Covering an area of 1,104 sq km (or 426 sq miles), Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region of the People s Republic of China) is a former British colony located at the south-eastern tip of China with a population of approximately 7.24 million inhabitants (from 2014 census). Hong Kong is divided into five distinct parts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories, Lantau and 262 Outlying Islands. Population & Language With a population of approximately 7 million, 95% of Hong Kong s inhabitants are of Chinese descent; the remaining population is a diverse mix of western and non-western expatriates. English and Chinese are the official languages with Cantonese being the most widely spoken dialect and Mandarin gaining more prominence since the reunification with China in Currency The Hong Kong Dollar is the region s currency. Banknotes are issued by three banks: HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank and The Bank of China. The face values are: HK$10, HK$20, HK$50, HK$100, HK$500, and HK$1,000. Coins are issued by the government with 10 cents, 20 cents and 50 cents, HK$1, HK$2, HK$5 and HK$10. Voltage There are mainly two types of electrical sockets (outlets) in Hong Kong Type G and Type D supplying electricity at between 220 and 224 volts. Weather Hong Kong has a tropical monsoon climate with two seasons dominating the year. One is consistently hot, wet and humid (the Southern Monsoon between March and September) and the other is cool and dry (the Northern Monsoon between October and February). Typhoons (tropical cyclones) may be expected between May and November of each year.

2 Transportation The city has a very efficient public transportation system and taxis, buses, trams, trains and ferries are all easily accessible. The local subway system is the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) with different ticket options for passengers such as a Single Use Ticket or an Octopus card that may be used for payment for multiple modes of public transport, pay parking or even the convenient store. TOP THINGS TO DO IN HONG KONG The Peak While in Hong Kong, a visit to The Peak is a must for one reason: the view. Take the Peak Tram funicular up from the Garden Road tram station to Victoria Peak. Beginning in 1888, the Peak Tram has been taking passengers up the mountain in an exhilarating 12 minute ride at steep 45 degree angles. Once at the upper terminus, visitors may choose from different dining and shopping options or take in the views of the city along the 45-minute Peak circle walk or explore the various nature trails. Hong Kong Street Markets To feel the city s vibes and experience local culture, one must visit a street market in Hong Kong. Some popular markets are found in Mong Kok and Temple Street (both are in Kowloon and the latter has a lively night market) where hawkers and stalls line narrow streets and selling clothes, electronic gadgets and kitschy souvenirs to name a few. Other popular street markets can be also found on Hong Kong Island in Wanchai and Stanley. For food enthusiasts, the wet market along Bowrington Road, Wanchai is a government-operated food market in Hong Kong. Similarly in the nearby Wanchai Market, vendors sell live and frozen seafoods, meat, vegetables, fresh fruits, cut flowers and dried goods. The food shopping experience in local food markets differs immensely from western style supermarkets and the first time shopper should note that products are weighed by the catty (pronounced gan in Cantonese) and is approximately equivalent to 600 grams.

3 Hollywood Road A popular destination for art lovers and antique seekers, Hollywood Road is lined with antique shops and art galleries offering merchandise from pricey old pieces of objets d art to collectible curios. While visiting Hollywood Road, take a moment to pause at the Man Mo Temple, a place of worship built in 1847 and dedicated to the Gods of literature and war. The Big Buddha & Ngong Ping Cable Car From Tung Chung on Lantau Island and via a 25-minute cable car ride on Ngong Ping 360 offering spectacular vistas of the Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok and traversing the South Lantau Country Park, visitors will come upon the world s second tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha at the Po Lin Monastery. Temples and prayer halls are open to visitors and a restaurant offers vegetarian meals and snacks. There is a steep climb up 268 steps to reach the Buddha and visitors may also take a leisure stroll on different paths and hiking trails. For temple and Buddha visiting hours, please go to: Happy Valley Racecourse Developed from a swamp in 1845 as a racecourse by the British government for British residents, the Happy Valley Racecourse is located in Happy Valley, a modern day affluent residential area and the site of six cemeteries. Historically, it is also the site of the worst fire accident in Hong Kong history in which a fire at a temporary grandstand killed over 590 people in Today, the Happy Valley Racecourse is a multi-million dollar business and provides thrills to race attendees during the race season (September to mid-june) on most Wednesdays and Saturdays. Note: a second racecourse in Shatin in the New Territories opened in Theme Parks: Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland Opened in 1977, Ocean Park Hong Kong is the largest marine-life theme park in Hong Kong covering an area of 915,000 square meters on two mountains on the south side of Hong Kong Island and linked by a scenic cable car ride and funicular train system. The park offers animal and marine mammal exhibits, thrill rides, and shows with a focus on nature education and conservation. For park information, please visit:

4 A second major theme park in the city, Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005 and is located on reclaimed land on Lautau Island. The park covers 499,000 square meters and offers visitors with different themed areas, thrill rides and shows and hotel accommodation. For more information, please visit: EXPLORING THE NEIGHBOURHOODS Central Central is the main business and financial district in Hong Kong. Situated on the north shore of Victoria Harbour across from Tsim Sha Tsui, Central is where many international financial institutions have set up their headquarters and consulates are located. The nearby residential areas of Mid-Levels is a stone s throw away and Central is conveniently accessed by the city s different modes of transportation and the Central-Mid-levels Escalator system, the world s longest covered outdoor escalator walkway. Lan Kwai Fong & SOHO Considered by local residents as an entertainment and dining area of choice, Lan Kwai Fong is located in Central and features bars, restaurants and clubs. Historically occupied by hawkers in the 1930s, the area became a trendy spot for nightlife in the 1980s. The entertainment area gradually extended west over to Staunton and Elgin Streets and bordering Sheung Wan with upmarket shops, art galleries, antique shops, bars, nightclubs and restaurants and SoHo (south of Hollywood Road) came into being. Wanchai Once considered the red light district of the city after WWII, Wanchai has developed into a busy commercial area and further land reclamation with Wan Chai North has added more office towers, hotels and an international convention and exhibition centre. The old area now sees a mix of traditional markets, local stores and trendy restaurants.

5 Causeway Bay Adjacent to Wanchai is the shopping district of Causeway Bay. Here, visitors can find international luxury fashion houses in upmarket department stores or shopping malls, mid-priced brand names, hawkers and clothing stalls in outdoor markets and a wide selection of restaurants serving cuisines from all over the world. EXPLORING FURTHER Stanley Located in the Southern District of Hong Kong, Stanley was once a quiet fishing village that has developed into a small town with a market of small shops and street stalls well known for bargain fashion and souvenirs, a beach, and restaurants. Getting to Stanley is easy; aside from taxis, Stanley is served by several buses such as numbers 6, 6A, 6X, 66 and 260 (Citybus) from Central (Exchange Square). Shek O Shek O is a beachside village also located in the Southern District of Hong Kong and is serviced by bus route number 9 from Shau Kei Wan. It has a beautiful beach with changing room facilities and offers visitors a wide selection of restaurants in the small village. Nearby Big Wave Bay offers some of the best surfing in Hong Kong. The Outlying Islands (Lamma and Cheung Chau) Hong Kong has 262 outlying islands offering ideal weekend getaways for local residents. Both Lamma Island and Cheung Chau are popular island choices. Lamma Island is the third largest island in the southwest part of Hong Kong with a population of about 6,000 residents. It is a mere 30 minutes away from Central by ferry. The island has two main villages - Yung Shue Wan in the north and Sok Kwu Wan in the east connected by a footpath that takes approximately one hour to walk and each having its own ferry service to Central. Yung Shue Wan is the more populated area while Sok Kwu Wan consists mainly of seafood restaurants and fish farms. Cars are prohibited on the island. Cheung Chau Island is in the southwest part of Hong Kong and about 1 hour away by regular ferry from Central (or 30 minutes by high speed ferry). The island has a population of over 22,000 inhabitants and is host to the yearly Cheung Chau Bun Festival with float parades and a race up the tower to collect buns.

6 FUN IDEAS Beaches Deep Water Bay Beach and Repulse Bay Beach are two popular beaches on the southern shores of Hong Kong Island accessible by car or public bus. Both beaches are popular among local residents and tourists for swimming and the beautiful sea views. Changing rooms, shower facilities and barbecue pits are available and the Repulse Bay Beach also has a good selection of dining venues and retail arcades. Venturing further is Cheung Sha Beach on the southern part of Lantau Island. The beach stretches 3 kilometers and can be reached by ferry from Central Pier 6 to Mui Wo on Lantau Island and continue by Bus 1 and 2 to Cheung Sha Beach. Note: the fast ferry takes about 40 minutes and the regular ferry takes about 1 hour, and the bus takes approximately 25 minutes. Museums The Hong Kong Science Museum is located in Tsim Sha Tsui East in Kowloon and has over 500 exhibits on permanent display. The museum focuses on science-themed topics such as sound, motion, light, electricity, meteorology, computer, food science and energy. Featured displays at the museum is Cathay Pacific s first DC3 airliner and the world s largest Energy Machine a 22-metre-high twin-tower that illustrates how energy is created from a dropped ball and converted into other energy forms. For more information, please visit: The Hong Kong Museum of History is located next to Hong Kong Science Museum in Tsim Sha Tsui East in Kowloon. The museum retraces and presents Hong Kong s historic and cultural heritage from the past to the present. The museum collection includes natural history, archaeology, ethnography and local history. For more information, please visit: The Kong Space Museum is an unique egg-shaped building that has become a landmark on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Kowloon. The Museum was commissioned in 1980 and it is the first local planetarium dedicated to the sciences of astronomy and space. More museum information is available at:

7 The Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware displays ceramic art and holds regular lectures to celebrate China s tea drinking culture. The museum is a former office and residence of the commander of the British Forces in Hong Kong built in the 1840s and is a colonial style building located in Hong Kong Park near Central in Hong Kong Island. Museum hours and information may be found at: Parks and Zoo The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens first opened in 1871 and is located in the Mid-levels near Central. It is an urban oasis of greenery and features wildlife zoological exhibits with about 300 birds, 70 mammals and 20 reptiles in about 40 enclosures. With more than 900 species of plants on the gentle slopes beneath Victoria Peak, the gardens offer 56,000 square meters of nature and tranquility amidst the bustling city. Visitors may find more information at: Opened in 1991, Hong Kong Park offers visitors with 80,000 square meters of green space with ponds and waterfalls, a greenhouse exhibiting exotic plants and an enclosed aviary with over 80 species of birds living in a tropical jungle setting. The park is located near Central and visitors may find more information at: Victoria Park is located in Causeway Bay and is the largest park on Hong Kong Island covering 190,000 square meters. The park has different sporting facilities and the tennis courts in the park is the venue for the Hong Kong Open and other international tennis events. Other facilities in the park include a swimming pool complex, bowling greens, a jogging track, basketball courts, a central lawn, a model boat pool and children s playgrounds. Park information is available at: Hiking Trails Opened in 1985, the Hong Kong Trail on Hong Kong Island spans a total of 50 kilometers from Victoria Peak to Big Wave Bay in Shek O in the south. The trail traverses 5 different country parks and offers visitors with eight sections with a variety of walks of different lengths, difficulty and character. Trail information is available at:

8 SHOPPING IDEAS Malls and Department Stores The mall at IFC (International Finance Centre) is conveniently located in Central and situated atop Hong Kong MTR station, bus terminals and within easy access to the Central Ferry piers. The mall offers a fine selection of international luxury brands, dining venues, fitness club, gourmet grocery store and a cinema. The mall is connected to the Four Seasons Hotel and Four Seasons Place Serviced Apartments. Situated atop the MTR Kowloon Station in West Kowloon is the Elements shopping mall at West Kowloon. The mall is divided into 5 Chinese elements zones (wood, water, fire, earth and metal) and offers patrons over 120 shops along with an ice rink and a cinema. The mall is linked to the International Commerce Centre the tallest building in Hong Kong with the Sky100 Observation Deck and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Hong Kong on the top floors. The Harbourview Place Serviced Apartments and W Hotel are also connected via the mall. Founded in 1850, the Lane Crawford is a retail group with stores specializing in luxury goods from designer clothing labels to high end home furnishings. The group has three department stores in Hong Kong and Kowloon and two home furnishing and lifestyle stores and an online store. For more information, please visit: The Wing On Department Store was founded in 1907 and offers shoppers with clothing, jewellery, household appliances and food merchandises. Stores are located in Hong Kong and Kowloon and at Discovery Bay on Lantau Island. For more store information:

International Coastal Rowing Beach Sprints

Discovery Bay Beach Festival 2015 International Coastal Rowing Beach Sprints Discovery Bay, Lantau Island Hong Kong 29th November, 2015 Bulletin Beach Rowing Organizing Committee Chairman: Allan Bell Members: