Places to visit in

Hong Kong

Ngong Ping 360 is a major tourist attraction on Lantau Island that opened in 2006. It links Tung Chung with the Ngong Ping plateau, providing access to the Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha) and Po Lin Monastery. The ride showcases Lantau's mountainous terrain, South China Sea vistas, and the Hong Kong International Airport area, making it important for both scenic appreciation and cultural pilgrimage.

Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha) is one of Hong Kong's most important cultural and religious landmarks. Completed in 1993 and located at Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, the large bronze seated statue symbolizes the harmonious relationship between people, nature, and faith. It sits near the historic Po Lin Monastery (founded in 1906), forming a major pilgrimage and tourist destination that blends Buddhist spirituality with scenic natural surroundings.

Po Lin Monastery (寶蓮禪寺) is one of Hong Kong's most important Buddhist sites, founded in 1906 on Lantau Island. It has grown from a small rural temple into a major center of Buddhism and pilgrimage, known for its peaceful monastery complex and the nearby Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha). The site combines religious significance, traditional Chinese Buddhist architecture, and impressive natural scenery on the Ngong Ping plateau.

Wisdom Path is a contemporary outdoor installation on Lantau Island near Ngong Ping, adjacent to the Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha). It blends Buddhist philosophy with landscape art, offering visitors a reflective trail that complements the spiritual atmosphere of the area. The site highlights Hong Kong's ability to combine natural scenery with cultural and religious expression, drawing both pilgrims and tourists who seek contemplation, photography, and connection with nature.

Tai O Fishing Village is one of Hong Kong's most iconic traditional fishing communities, known for its stilt houses (pang uk), centuries-old fishing culture, and unique tidal estuary ecology. The village preserves aspects of the Tanka and boat-dwelling lifestyle, traditional seafood processing (salted fish and shrimp paste), and local temple worship tied to the sea. The surrounding mudflats and mangroves support diverse birdlife and provide habitat for the endangered Indo-Pacific humpback (Chinese white) dolphins often seen on boat tours.

Cheung Sha Beach (長沙泳灘) is the longest stretch of natural sandy shoreline on Hong Kong's Lantau Island — roughly 3 kilometres when Upper and Lower Cheung Sha are combined. It is valued for its natural coastal landscape, relatively low development compared with urban beaches, and scenic views of the South China Sea and Lantau Peak. The beach and surrounding villages reflect Lantau's fishing and rural heritage and offer a quieter contrast to the city's busy waterfronts.

Pui O Beach sits on the southern coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong and is one of the island's longest sandy shorelines. It is valued for its relatively natural setting compared with built-up city beaches — with adjacent low-lying wetlands, tidal flats and small rural villages — offering a glimpse into Lantau's traditional coastal life. The beach's sand contains darker minerals (often described as "black sand" in local references), giving it a distinctive appearance. The area supports coastal birdlife and is part of the broader Lantau South Country Park landscape, contributing to local conservation and recreation.

Sunset Peak (Tai Tung Shan) is the second‑highest mountain on Lantau Island and one of Hong Kong's most celebrated ridge walks. It sits inside Lantau South Country Park and is valued for its open grassland ridges, extensive sea and island panoramas, and relatively unspoilt upland habitat. The peak is an important recreational site for hikers and nature lovers, and the surrounding slopes support seasonal silvergrass meadows that are a notable natural spectacle. Culturally, the peak and nearby trails form part of Hong Kong’s hiking tradition and connect to nearby rural communities such as Tai O and Mui Wo.

Lantau Peak (Fung Wong Shan) is the second-highest mountain in Hong Kong (approximately 934 m). It is a prominent natural landmark within Lantau South Country Park, prized for its dramatic granite ridgeline, panoramic sea and island views, and frequent sea-of-clouds phenomena. The peak sits near culturally significant sites—most notably the Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha)—creating a strong blend of natural and spiritual tourism.

Hong Kong Disneyland opened on 12 September 2005 and is the first Disney theme park in China and one of the smallest Disney resorts worldwide. It plays a major role in Hong Kong's tourism industry as a family-oriented attraction combining global Disney storytelling with regional cultural touches, boosting local jobs and hospitality. The resort also serves as a cultural bridge—adapting Disney entertainment to Cantonese and bilingual (Chinese/English) audiences and incorporating occasional local festivals and themes.

Ocean Park Hong Kong is one of the city’s most iconic attractions, combining an amusement park, aquarium and zoological conservation facilities. Opened in 1977, it has played a major role in Hong Kong’s leisure and tourism landscape for decades, offering family-focused entertainment, education and wildlife conservation programs. The park is also a hub for local conservation research and public education about marine and terrestrial species native to the region and beyond.

Repulse Bay Beach is one of Hong Kong's most famous and frequented beaches, known for its wide golden sand crescent, calm swimming waters and scenic views of the South China Sea. Located in the affluent southern district of Hong Kong Island, the beach and its surroundings form an attractive mix of natural coastal scenery and upscale residential and leisure development, making it a popular destination for both locals and overseas visitors.

Deep Water Bay Beach is a long-established public bathing beach on the southern shore of Hong Kong Island. It is valued as a quieter, more residential alternative to the busier Repulse Bay, frequented by families and local residents for many decades. The beach contributes to Hong Kong's coastal leisure culture and coastal ecology as part of the island's southern bay system.

Shek O Beach is one of Hong Kong Island's most popular public beaches, located on the southeastern coast of Hong Kong Island near the quaint Shek O Village. It combines natural scenic value — a sheltered bay with golden sand and rocky headlands — with cultural interest as a former small fishing village turned weekend getaway for Hongkongers and visitors. The area is valued for coastal views, accessible outdoor recreation, and proximity to the famous Dragon's Back ridge hike.

Natural and recreational significance: Dragon’s Back is part of Shek O Country Park on Hong Kong Island and is one of the territory’s most famous urban hiking ridges. Praised by international media (e.g., Time magazine) as one of the world’s best urban hikes, it provides accessible coastal scenery, important green space for wildlife, and an everyday escape for residents and visitors seeking outdoor recreation close to the city.

Stanley Market sits in the seaside village of Stanley on the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. Once a small fishing village, Stanley grew into a popular seaside resort during the colonial era and the market remains a living example of Hong Kong's blend of Cantonese village culture and colonial-era tourism. The market is an important cultural and commercial hub for visitors seeking traditional crafts, clothing and souvenirs, and it sits within a precinct that includes historic sites such as Murray House and the Tin Hau Temple.

Stanley Promenade and Murray House are significant for their blend of natural seaside charm and preserved colonial architecture. The promenade forms part of Stanley, a historic fishing village on Hong Kong Island known for its relaxed waterfront, seafood restaurants and market culture. Murray House is a restored Victorian-era building originally constructed in the 19th century as officers' quarters for the Murray Barracks in Central; it was dismantled in the 1980s and reconstructed in Stanley in the late 1990s as a high-profile conservation and adaptive-reuse project. Together they showcase Hong Kong's coastal lifestyle, colonial history, and modern conservation efforts.

Sai Kung Town is the principal town and service hub for the Sai Kung Peninsula in Hong Kong’s New Territories. Historically a small fishing village and market town, it developed into a gateway for boaters, hikers and nature lovers exploring the surrounding country parks and islands. The area is notable for its strong fishing and seafaring heritage, traditional temples (notably Tin Hau temples), and as the access point to parts of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark.

Sai Kung East Country Park is one of Hong Kong's most important natural areas on the Sai Kung Peninsula, celebrated for its rugged coastline, pristine sandy beaches and outstanding geological features. The park contains parts of the High Island Reservoir East Dam and associated coastal rock formations that form part of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, making it significant for geology, coastal ecology and outdoor recreation. It also preserves traditional coastal villages and habitats for diverse marine and terrestrial wildlife.

Geological importance: High Island Reservoir East Dam Geopark is part of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark (Sai Kung Volcanic Rock Region) and showcases spectacular columnar jointed volcanic rocks formed during the Late Cretaceous period (~140–120 million years ago). The hexagonal basalt columns and coastal cliffs provide outstanding evidence of ancient volcanic activity and cooling of pyroclastic flows, making it a key site for earth science education and geomorphology.

Engineering and historical importance: The East Dam (together with the West Dam) created the High Island Reservoir in the 1970s to secure Hong Kong's freshwater supply—a major engineering project of that era. The site therefore combines natural geological value with mid-20th-century infrastructure history.