ART & PARKS IN HONG KONG
By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Excitement runs like a live current through the packed streets and towering skyline of Hong Kong, a city synonymous with fast-paced fun. After almost three years of restrictions for outsiders, Hong Kong (officially called the Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China) is again open for exploration. Dive into the fascinating museums, lush parks, and legendary waterways of one of the most dynamic cities in the world.
Credit: bushton3
Parks
Surround yourself with gardens, lily ponds, and splashing fountains in the heart of the bustling city at Hong Kong Park. Stretching at 8,610 square feet, this green oasis features Hong Kong’s largest aviary, a greenhouse that hosts plant exhibits, and a conservation corner for dragonflies.
Once a 16th-century garrison fort, Kowloon Walled City Park features the Garden of Four Seasons, filled with natural attractions such as bonsais, rock displays, floral paths, waterfalls, ponds, and the Chinese Zodiac Garden. At Nan Lian Garden, you can enjoy a garden designed in the Tang Dynasty style featuring traditional Chinese structures and water features. The garden offers a peaceful and serene atmosphere in the heart of a big city.
Waterways
Perched on the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong is nicknamed the Pearl of the Orient, and there are lots of waterways to support this jewel’s allure. Surrounded by the South China Sea -— which Victoria Harbor sits upon — Hong Kong is home to more than 200 rivers and streams. The largest harbor in China/Hong Kong and the third largest in the world, Victoria Harbor commands plenty of attention with panoramic skyline views.
At Golden Bauhinia Square, a gleaming bauhinia sculpture rests on a promenade with ferries, barges, and aquatic taxis gliding along the waterfront. Visitors can hop on the Star Ferry service line for a picturesque, one-hour ride between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. The ferry is also the best place to enjoy the Symphony of Lights, Hong Kong’s signature laser light show. The narration for the show is set in English on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
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Museums
Discover the beauty and complexity of Chinese art at the city’s varied collection of museums. Start your journey at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, which boasts 18,800 art pieces. As the city’s first public art museum, the institution provides intricate displays of cultural art forms, including calligraphy, tea ware, snuff bottles, and paintings. Overlooking the Kwun Tong Promenade along the waterfront, the Sun Museum showcases Chinese and Hong Kong art, focusing on the cultural impact of different traditions.
Curious about the artistic legacy that forms the hallmark of Chinese culture? You can learn about it at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Art Museum, browsing works that date from the Shang Dynasty to contemporary times. For a virtual journey through the Forbidden City of Beijing, you can view treasured artifacts at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, whose collection includes golden objects studded with jewels, figure paintings from the Ming Dynasty, art from other parts of the world, and more.