LITMIR.BIZ

      Opening Times Daily 10 am–5.30 pm

      Address Po Lin Monastery, Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, New Territories

      Getting There Take Lantau Bus No. 23 at the bus station outside Tung Chung MTR Station to Ngong Ping Bus Terminus; take Ngong Ping Cable Car at the Cable Car Station outside Tung Chung MTR Station; take First Ferry from Central Pier to Mui Wo, and take Lantau Bus No. 2 to Ngong Ping Bus Terminus

      Contact +852 2985 5248; [email protected], plm. org.hk (Po Lin Monastery); +852 3666 0606, [email protected]; www.np360.com.hk (Ngong Ping 360)

      Admission Fee Po Lin Monastery free; Ngong Ping 360 Adult: $125 return, $86 single. Child (age 3–11): $62 return, $44 single

      5 Kowloon’s Temple Street

      Shop, dine and watch opera at this evening market

      Squeezed between the old Kowloon districts of Jordan and Yau Ma Tei, Temple Street is most famous for two things: fashion and food. Sometimes labelled as Men’s Street to differentiate it from Ladies Street further to the north in Prince Edward, the shop and restaurant-filled thoroughfare is named after the Qing Dynasty-era temple to Tin Hau that sits towards its northern end. While it may seem odd to have a place of worship devoted to the Goddess of the Sea so far from the water, in fact the shoreline used to be only a stone’s throw from here, but numerous land reclamations since have put the harbour almost 1 km away to the west. While the Cantonese Opera performances at the stage next to the temple draw small audiences, tourists really flock to the area for the night market (open daily), when the narrow road is occupied on both sides by tiny stalls selling everything from ‘I’m Lost in Hong Kong’ T-shirts and kitsch Chairman Mao souvenirs to DVDs, phones, watches and all types of fashion. And that’s not all; behind the many stalls lie rows of shops selling the same, where better bargains can often be found. While there is certainly good shopping here (just make sure you’re prepared to haggle and don’t be afraid to walk away if they won’t match your price), the most fun to be had is arguably pulling up a plastic stool at one of the many restaurants that line the street and enjoying a fine meal of Cantonese cuisine while people-watching. One of the most popular establishments is Temple Street Spicy Crab, located at the southern end closest to the Jordan MTR station, where you can order up a variety of seafood for reasonable (in Hong Kong, at least) prices. Don’t dally though; unless you’re eating, drinking or waiting for an order, you’ll be asked to give up the table for the next hungry customer.

      See: www.discoverhongkong.com

      Opening Times 4 pm–midnight

      Address Temple Street, Jordan-Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon

      Getting There Yau Ma Tei MTR Station, Exit C: turn on to Temple Street at Man Ming Lane. Jordan MTR Station, Exit A: turn right on to Jordan Road and then take another right on to Temple Street

      Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily); www.discoverhongkong.com

      Admission Fee Free

      6 Happy Valley Horse Racing

      Join in the fun at the track—a true local obsession

      It’s no exaggeration to say that Hong Kongers are obsessed with horse racing. Ever since the first race was run in December 1846, citizens of all classes have come together to place bets and cheer on their chosen combination of rider and steed. The attraction, as with the city at large, is the opportunity to make big money. Racing in Hong Kong is run under the auspices of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, or HKJC (the former Royal prefix was dropped prior to the city’s 1997 handover to China), a non-profit organization that donates the majority of its proceeds to charitable causes. On average, more than HK$1 billion per year is given to the areas of sports and culture, education and training, community services, and medicine and health, with the HKJC also the largest taxpayer in the territory. As well as clubhouses and other facilities for its 20,000 or so members, The Jockey Club has two racecourses. The newer of the two is Shatin, a state-of-the-art track in the eastern New Territories with capacity for 85,000 punters. At its centre sits Penfold Park, a public space for residents of the surrounding town. However, the true home of Hong Kong racing is Happy Valley. Founded in 1845 (a mere three years after the island had been ceded to the British in perpetuity by the Chinese), it was quickly embraced as the heart of the new colony’s social life, although the local rice farmers moved to make way would probably disagree. Once surrounded by barren hillside, today the racecourse has been hemmed in by the ever-growing city, making for a stunning setting when the regular Wednesday night races take place. Best approached by tram, which has a branch line that runs around the track delivering punters to the entrance, a cacophony of cheers and curses envelops ‘The Valley’ during race time, the betting a mere part of the carnival atmosphere that includes beer stands, outlandish costumes and a whole lot of fun.

      See: www.hkjc.com

      Opening Times Wednesday evenings (see web-site for schedule)

      Address 2 Sports Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong

      Getting There Walk from Causeway Bay Station, Exit A; catch a taxi or hop on a tram marked Happy Valley

      Contact +852 1818; [email protected]; www.hkjc.com

      Admission Fee $10 (you must be 18 or above to enter the racecourse)

      7 Stanley Village

      Soak up the seaside charm at this former pirate lair

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