greetings, Author at Hong Kong Greeters

Family Friendly Hong Kong Restaurants

Posted on 21 May 2019 by greetings

Hong Kong is a dining Mecca, offering every conceivable cuisine with something to suit all tastes and all pockets. However, finding truly family friendly restaurants is not always a straightforward task. As parents we know that hungry children do not make for a good day our, so together a list of fun and family friendly Hong Kong restaurants in town to make your time here go smoothly.

Family Friendly Restaurants Hong Kong Island

Zuma

Not to be confused with either the Spanish word for juice or the former South African president, this Zuma offers Japanese food. The best time to go is for Sunday brunch. There’s a soft play area and kids under 10 eat free.

Zuma, Landmark Level 5 &6, 15 Queen’s Road, Central +852 3657 6388

The Flying Pan

Hong Kong’s The Flying Pan has two locations. Hearty all day breakfasts and generous portions are their calling card. You kids will go bananas for their pancakes and quirky retro decor. Grown-ups, you’ll surely appreciate their bottomless coffee to get you through a day of wrangling your kids whilst exploring Hong Kong.

Find them at:

G/F 9 Old Bailey Street, Central or 1F/L David House, 27-39 Lockhart Road, (Enter on Fenwick), Wan Chai

Dan Ryan’s Chicago Grill

This one’s a crowd-pleaser, with American style dining and three locations across Hong Kong. High chairs and balloons are readily available. The Kowloon Tong branch at Festival Walk has a train track, and buffalo on the wall, easily missed by adults but always spotted by the kids!

Locations include: Tsim Tsa Shui, Kowloon Tong and Hong Kong Island.

Dragon Noodles Academy

Watch your dragon noodles being hand pulled in the open kitchen. Quite literally a feast for the eyes. The kung-fu decor is eye catching and families are welcome.

Des Voeux Road Central, Central

Izumi

Although this is a chain of Japanese curry restaurants, you’ll find the food at Izumi is not too spicy. Kids will love the anime themed decor and the generous portion sizes should fill the hollowest of legs.

Crystal Jade

Hong Kong and dim sum are intimately connected. Dim sum is Cantonese for ‘touch the heart’ offering small portions of delicious treats. Traditionally, eating dim sum is a family affair here in Hong Kong and is often a leisurely group dining experience washed down with plenty of tea. Crystal Jade is a popular dim sum chain operating in a number of locations throughout Hong Kong. Check out their restaurant locator to find your nearest branch.

Bubba Gump

Famous for shrimp and award winning baby back ribs, these guys have got surf and turf down pat. With 44 locations world wide and loosely themed on the Forest Gump movie, it’s not going to be an authentic Hong Kong experience. However, the big draw has to be the location. Perched on the Peak, be sure to book early to bag a window seat with panoramic views over Victoria Harbour. There is a dedicated kids menu, but you’ll find the adult menu will appeal to older kids with bigger appetites.

Bubba Gump, Shop 304 & 305, Level 3, The Peak Tower, The Peak, Hong Kong

Family Friendly Restaurants Kowloon

We’ve already detailed Izumi, Crystal Jade and Dan Ryan’s in the Hong Kong Island section, but all have outlets in Kowloon.

Yum Cha

There are various locations across Hong Kong, with two restaurants in Kowloon. This restaurant is famous for their iconic buns with facial features which are just a small selection of the novelty dim sum available at Yum Cha,. Kids will also devour the pineapple pastries shaped like birds and served in bird cages, piggy shaped char siu buns and hot dogs, as well as a delicious a la carte menu. For added fun, guests can put on giant “bao” heads for optimal photo taking opportunities!

Locations include: Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, Central and Causeway Bay.

Hutong

Hutong is renown for excellent views and great food. If you’re looking for family friendly dining, their weekend Feng Wei brunches are a great option. In addition to delicious Chinese food, Hutong offers brunchtime activities that will keep the kids occupied. The activities vary from week to week and could include anything from dim sum making to calligraphy or from fan painting to puppetry. Although this is best suited to families with older children, it’s worth noting that under 12’s dine free.

28/F, One Peking, Tsim Sha Tsui +852 3428 8342

Dockyard

The beauty of dockyard is that it’s cashless and there is something for everyone. Download the app and then select what you want from the various food kiosks. Kids want burgers? No problem. You want Thai food? No problem. Your friend wants a salad? Easy. Everything will be delivered to your table, basically it’s an upmarket version of a food court with table service. If you don’t want the hassle of working out how to split the bill with other families, you order independently from your app and it’s all done automatically. Highchairs are available. If there is live music, choose seats away from the stage so that you can still enjoy conversation. After you’ve had a bite, catch the nightly light show from the Hung Hom promenade outside.

Dockyard, Level 1, 38 Hung Luen Road, Hung Hom Bay, Kowloon +852 2252 5228.

Family Friendly Dining New Territories

Zak’s, Discovery Bay, Lantau

This family friendly restaurant offers sea views and plenty of space for growing legs to run around. Additional bonus is that you can redeem a free ferry ride back to Hong Kong Island. If you’re there at the right time, you should be able to see the Disneyland fireworks.

Zak’s, Shop G04, Block A, Discovery Bay Plaza, Discovery Bay, Lantau Island +852 3018 0189.

Sai Kung Square, Sai Kung

Hong Kong’s seaside town of Sai Kung has a small central square dotted with restaurants. Older children can dip in and out of eating and play in the square. There will always be someone to play with, a new friend to make, leaving parents to enjoy a more leisurely dining experience.

TikiTiki Bowling Sai Kung

With a range of dining and drinking options combined with family-friendly bowling, you’ll be bowled over by this fun option. Probably unsuitable for small babies due to noise levels. For further information on the myriad options available, visit TikiTiki’s website.

Meraviglia, Science Park

Hidden away in Science Park, Meraviglia offers Italian food. It’s on the pricey side, but does have a nice play areas (both indoor and outdoor). Small children will need to be supervised as the play area adjoins an artificial lake. The restaurant is close to the cycle path that runs between Shatin and Tai Po, there is also a lovely wide promenade to take a stroll after lunch. Look out for the Guan Yin statue across the harbour.

Meraviglia, S040 G/F Lakeside 2, No. 10 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park, Phase 2, Pak Shek Kok, Shatin, New Territories +852 2210 7168.

The Salted Pig, Shatin

Hidden away on the top floor of New Town Plaza, the Salted pig serves up generous portions and family friendly sharing platters. With a couple of quirky plastic pig murals on the wall and silly porcine themed plates, the one that states “I like pig butts and i cannot lie” is sure to raise a titter from older kids.

Opposite the restaurant is a rooftop garden. It’s closed during bad weather, but otherwise it’s a handy option for kids to let off some steam while their waiting for their food. We even spotted a rooftop miniature golf course, but we think you’d need to bring your own clubs and balls.

After lunch take a stroll through Sha Tin park, head to the Heritage museum or if you have tots, drop by Snoopy World, a small and free theme park just outside New Town Plaza mall.

In addition to the Sha Tin location, you can find The Salted Pig at Tsim Sha Tsui, Soho East and Lai Chi Kok.

Food Tours and Family Tours of Hong Kong

Did you know that here at Hong Kong Greeters we offer some great foodie tours. We’d love for you to get in touch and find out more. We offer street food tours to small intimate groups and also a Vegetarian Food and Culture tour which can accommodate more guests. We also run walking and car tours of Hong Kong. Our tours are primarily family friendly and the majority of our tour guides are all parents and know what it’s like to travel with young kids. Even better – under 16’s go free on our walking tours. Let us introduce you to family-friendly Hong Kong.

Guan Yin, Hong Kong’s Gigantic Hidden Gem in Tsz Shan

Posted on 29 April 2019 by greetings

The Big Buddha ranks highly in all Hong Kong guidebooks. Rightly so, he is a splendid sight sitting atop his mountain welcoming thousands of visitors from all over the world. We regularly visit him as an integral element of our popular Lantau Tour. However, did you know that there is another equally fabulous statue further North? It’s at Tsz Shan Monastery in Hong Kong’s New Territories? Continue reading “Guan Yin, Hong Kong’s Gigantic Hidden Gem in Tsz Shan”

Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong Opens on a High Note

Posted on 26 March 2019 by greetings

Front of Xiqu Centre Hong Kong Looks like Theatre Curtains Parting — Curtain Up at Hong Kong’s new Xiqu Centre

When you visit Hong Kong, consider taking in a show at the Xiqu Centre. Xiqu means Chinese Opera and that’s exactly what they offer. This newly opened performing arts hub houses a Grand Theatre seating just over 1000. Also, there is a more intimate Tea House theatre accommodating up to 200 guests. Read on to find out why you will undoubtably enjoy a performance in the Tea House Theatre.

Chinese Opera

The first reason you should go is to experience Chinese opera. It is an art form with a rich history, a history interwoven with Chinese culture. The singing, spectacular costumes and on-stage acrobatics are fantastic. However, with storylines based on Chinese myths and fables, operas performed in Cantonese or Mandarin have previously left international audiences in the dark.

Subtitles

A second reason to visit is this is seemingly the only place in Hong Kong that has made it’s opera more accessible to international audiences. In a stroke of genius, previously impenetrable Opera has become more widely accessible because it is subtitled in English. Billed as ‘A contemporary gateway to Chinese Opera’ the subtitled performance welcomes a much wider audience. International customers can now appreciate the narrative and more fully enjoy the Opera experience.

Dim Sum

Enjoy Dim Sum at the Xiqu Centre’s Tea HouseThe third and final reason to visit Xiqu’s Tea House is the dim sum. The Tea House performance lasts for 90 minutes. The icing on the cake, or in this case the dim sum in the basket, is that you will enjoy tea and dim sum in the interval. You don’t even need to leave your seat. We think this is a thoroughly authentic Hong Kong experience

The dim what?; we hear you ask. If you’re not familiar with dim sum it’s delicious. Steaming morsels are served in small woven baskets. These may include delights such as vegetarian spring rolls, pork filled buns or shrimp dumplings. The word dim sum translates from Cantonese as ‘touch heart’ or ‘heart’s delight’. That’s exactly what dim sum is, delicious hugs of hearty food.

Architecture

The Xiqu Centre building is designed by Revery Architecture and Ronald Lu & Parnters. It’s a design inspired by Chinese lanterns. The building’s entrance evokes the opening of curtains on a stage.

Revival

So many of Hong Kong theatres and stages closed down over the years. Let’s hope that the Xiqu Centre marks a revival in this treasured art form. From us it’s certainly a huge thumbs up for the Tea House Cantonese Opera performance.

Ceiling of the Atrium on the Xiqu Centre, Hong Kong — Ceiling in the Atrium of the Xiqu Centre, Hong Kong

You will find the Xiqu Centre in the recently established West Kowloon Cultural District. It’s an ambitious development. According to a quote on their website it is slated to become: “one of the world’s largest cultural quarters, blending art, education and public space.”

Our Verdict of the Xiqu Centre

Consider an evening at the Tea House. It works as a great ad-on to one of our day trip tours. Spend the day touring Lantau with us or join us on one of our Walking Tours. Next, head on out for a evening of culture and culinary treats. Please get in touch with us at info@hkgreeters.com for more information. We’d love to help you make the best of your time in Hong Kong.

See Off the Beaten Track Hong Kong

Posted on 14 January 2019 by greetings

If you are new to Hong Kong or have been here a while, there are some great places to explore beyond the main tourist attractions. We have compiled a list of experiences which are worth checking out. Here are our favourite off-the-beaten-track outings.

Canal Road Villain Hitters

This quirk of Hong Kong is compelling. You have probably seen the ladies sitting under the noisy Canal Road flyover. Off the beaten track, they sit surrounded by statues, prayer papers, candles and incense. Their offer is to dispel negativity from anyone who has caused you harm. Their services cost around HK$50. The process includes hitting a small piece of paper with an old shoe. Could this be the worst insult you could have thrust upon your enemies? Regardless, what is most appealing about these ladies is their willingness to listen. They are all over 70 and have heard a lot of stories. So, if you are looking for a pragmatic way to get something or someone out of your thoughts and feel better, this is a fabulously cathartic way to do it.

Noon Day Gun

Think loud! Even though you know the exact time this 3 lb gun goes bang, you will still jump out of your skin! The Noon Day Gun has been fired by an employee of Jardine Mathesons since the 1860’s. Except for a brief gap during the second world war that is. This salute should have been reserved for senior naval officers when entering the harbour. However, the Jardine Matheson private militia would salute their own Taipans when they arrived from sea. As a penalty they were given the task of firing the noon day gun in perpetuity. The gun used to be louder. In fact, the 6 lb version was replaced in 1967 and sits outside the former Marine Headquarters, Hullet House in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The Best of the Rest

Check out the rest of our recommended off the beaten track Hong Kong outings in the HK Hub article we wrote here. You will discover more about the Old Tai Po Police Station, T-Park, Lau Fau Shan, Sai Yuen Farm and Monkey Mountain. These are all even further off the beaten track in Hong Kong than the Canal Street Hitters and the Noon Day gun, as they will take you out of the city.

Avoid Tourist Mistakes in Hong Kong

Posted on 2 September 2018 by greetings

Arriving somewhere new, you are bound to make mistakes. However, forewarned is forearmed. Hence, we have rounded up some of the most common mistakes tourists make in Hong Kong, so that you can avoid them.

First Hong Kong Tourist Mistake

Thinking that the most iconic and well known sites are not worth visiting.

They are very much worth visiting, it just means doing it a bit smarter than everyone else.

Take Victoria Peak for example. Arguably, it is of the best vistas in the world. If there is one thing you should definitely do if you’ve never been to Hong Kong, is to go see the view from Victoria Peak. Ignore the locals who say it’s not worth it, or an aunt who visited last year and lined up for hours for the Peak Tram. Instead, make your own way up by taxi or 15 bus and avoid the lines and the tram completely.

*Don’t be swayed by buying tickets for skipping the line at the tram station, these don’t save time due to the number of people purchasing them.

If you have time once you’re at the Peak, take a stroll along Lugard Road. That’s where this image was taken. You’ll be rewarded with the best panoramic (and free) view of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories. On a really clear day, you can even see as far as Shenzhen in mainland China.

Second Hong Kong Tourist Mistake

Thinking that a restaurant is only truly authentic if it is full of local people

Bear in mind Hong Kong is 94% ethnic Chinese. Therefore it is extremely likely that you will be the only tourist in the restaurant.

Third Hong Kong Tourist Mistake

Not buying an on-loan Octopus card

The on-loan Octopus card can be used on all public ferries, buses, trains and trams. It costs HK $150 per adult, which includes $100 of loaded credit and a $50 deposit. They can be purchased from any MTR station with Hong Kong currency (cash only). When you are finished with the card you can return it for any outstanding credit and your deposit (minus $9 admin charge if handed back within 90 days).

You can also use this card in most outlets for payment of small purchases. For example, in many coffee shops, 7–11 stores, bakeries. It’s super useful. Anywhere you see the sign at the cashier you can use it.

We would advise NOT to buy the Airport Express Travelpass or Tourist Day pass as these work out more expensive. They also limit which types of transport you can use. We have done many calculations on this!

It can also be used on the airport express train (but would only advise using it if you’re in Hong Kong for less than 24 hours – details on the best tickets for the airport express train below).

Forth Hong Kong Tourist Mistake

Not using the in-town check-in and airport express train

Hong Kong has two stations where you can check your luggage in in-town. They are:

Hong Kong Station
Kowloon Station

You can take your luggage and get your boarding passes at any of the stations, meaning there is no need to haul your luggage all the way out to the airport. Some airlines will do this up to 24 hours in advance. The train stations are equipped with check-in desks and luggage belts. In fact it looks just like the airport. It takes 24 minutes to get to the airport from Hong Kong using the train.

Image: Hong Kong Extras

Now there are some limitations for checking in your luggage here with some airlines, so it’s best to check here to see if you can do it for your flight. All long-haul carriers offer this service.

If you are coming from / to the airport in a group, it is better to ask for the GROUP tickets (one-way) for better discounts available for group travel, more information here.

The Airport Express also provides complimentary shuttle busesfrom Hong Kong and Kowloon Stations to most of the major hotels in those districts, more information here.

Here is a link to our post for all you need to know about getting into the city from Hong Kong Airport.

Fifth Hong Kong Tourist Mistake

Listening to your hotel concierge and booking on a coach tour

I would estimate that most hotels will recommend a coach tour to you. Why? Because they run regularly, the route is tried and tested (it’s been the same one for 40 years) and they are affordable.

What are the downsides?

Enforced shopping in the jewellery factory.
Insufficient time at each interesting location.
Hours of picking up and dropping off from every hotel at the beginning and end of the tour.

Why Book a Private Tour?

Do a bit of research, there are many local private tour companies like ours in Hong Kong who can help you with a comprehensive tour, or one of specialist interest…. with no enforced shopping. This can help you avoid common mistakes that tourists make when visiting Hong Kong and make the absolute best of your time here.

Here are just a few of the excellent options Hong Kong Greeters can offer you:

Perhaps you’d enjoy a day exploring Lantau Island with us? Home of the Big Buddha and Tai O fishing village, a rare stilt village that has for the moment escaped concrete urbanisation.

We also offer a specialist Jewish Heritage tour and a Vegetarian Food tour. We created these two tours specifically to meet growing interest and enquiries from our clients.

If you’ve already planned your time in Hong Kong, but fancy hopping across the water to neighbouring Macau. There you’ll find a fascinating melting pot of Chinese and Portuguese history. There are also casinos galore.

We can customise most of our tours to meet your requirements. We offer both walking tours and car tours. Under 16s go free on the walking tours. Lets’ chat, contact us to see how we can help you.

Top Hong Kong Family Outings!

Posted on 6 July 2018 by greetings

Summer is in full swing, so we have put together some top trips and Hong Kong family outings to keep everyone happy and busy. Please feel free to email us directly for any queries or suggestions.

Family Outing, Peak to Piers

Join a Hong Kong Greeters group tour. Hong Kong Island Peak to Piers is great for newbies. We offer an overview of the Island, skip-the-line access at the Peak, a tour of the food markets with a small snack. We also explore Old Town Central and Man Mo Temple.

Family Bicycle Fun

Active littlies will enjoy a trip to one of the many road safety bicycle training parks around town. Hire bikes in Sha Tin Park and pick from two parks – beginners will enjoy Sha Tin Bicycle Safety Park while advanced riders will love Shatin Adventure Cycling Arena. You can also hire bikes with child seats in Shatin Park. If you’re interested in a cycling tour. Please get in touch.

Hong Kong Beach Barbecue

Hit the water at Lower Cheung Sha beach. There are changing facilities, shallow waters for petit paddlers and plenty of restaurants to choose from. We love the Lantau Grocer, who can prepare a BBQ on the beach for you. Please note, advanced booking is required.

Hong Kong is blessed with a multitude of beaches. Consider visiting one of Hong Kong’s outlying islands where there is beach life aplenty.

Camping and Adventure Park

For a full-day (and night) of adventure, set sail from Central Ferry Piers for Cheung Chau island. Sai Yuen Farm has camping and an adventure park. We loved their tree- top canopy walk and their Segways.

Summerfest will be back in the Central Harbourfront event space for sports and family fun activities. We are hoping for the inflatable waterside again in 2019.

Hong Kong Family Outings For Nature and Ocean Explorers

The World Wildlife Fund in Hong Kong is running summer educational courses for children aged six to nine in a number of their venues. To find out more about their upcoming events, click here.

Mix culture and craft with a visit to Lai Chi Kok Park (Mei Foo MTR) for its Chinese gardens. Don’t forget paper and crayons for the brass rubbings.

As featured in July’s edition of Expat Parent Magazine

Explore the Jewish Heritage of Hong Kong on a Private Tour

Posted on 28 June 201825 July 2022 by greetings

We have found that a number of our guests who visit Hong Kong expressed interest in Hong Kong’s Jewish heritage. For that reason we have explored Hong Kong’s various Jewish heritage sites and found ways to weave them into our tour itineraries.

Hong Kong’s Jewish Population

Hong Kong’s total population is close to 7.4 million people. Despite there only being an estimated 4,000 Jews in Hong Kong, their impact on the city has been substantial. The earliest Jewish traders set up in Hong Kong, Macau and Canton as China opened up to international trade in the mid-1800’s. Although most are of Iraqi decent, nowadays, approximately half of the Jewish population of Hong Kong originate from overseas. It seems that they now hail from many countries including the US, the UK, France, Australia, South Africa, Israel and Canada.

Jewish Heritage Sites

We have two synagogues in Hong Kong. The first is the Ohel Leah next door to the Jewish Community Centre is pictured above. The magnificent Ohel Leah synagogue in Central is often a surprise detour for guests. The second is Kehilat Zion in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Both have kosher restaurants and will deliver food locally. Additionally, there is the Shuva Isreal Restaurant in Central, Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Greeters is able to provide a specialist tour itinerary to include the Jewish heritage of Hong Kong. This enables our guests to discover more about Jewish influence and heritage in Hong Kong.

Your itinerary can include:

The Ohel Leah Synagogue, Midlevels
The Jewish Cemetery, Happy Valley
The Peninsula Hotel and Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
The Verandah restaurant, Repulse Bay

Please let us know on the booking form, what you are interested in seeing. Our guide Nadia is the perfect guide for these tours, as her mother was Jewish.

How we can Tailor you Tour

Hong Kong Greeters provides customised private tours for visitors to Hong Kong. We can tailor our Jewish Heritage itinerary to include other sites that interest you. Perhaps you would like to head up the Peak and admire the famously expansive view. If shopping is on your agenda, there are plenty of markets to explore, either for souvenirs or to see how locals shop. There are many beautiful temples, which would contrast neatly with a synagogue visit. Equally, there are lots of unique buildings, statues and other quirks of Hong Kong life, peppering the streets.

We e are able to offer this itinerary in the comfort of a private, air-conditioned, 8-seater vehicle. Please select below, and confirm the date of your visit by email to info@hkgreeters.com.

Hong Kong Greeters enters TripAdvisor Hall of Fame

Posted on 27 May 2018 by greetings

Here at Hong Kong Greeters we have been purveyors of the Hong Kong guided tour for six years. We are delighted to share with you that we have entered the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame!! We have received the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellent FIVE years in a row.

Thank you to everyone who chose us and trusted in us to make their Hong Kong guided tour experience memorable and special. It has been enjoyable, educating and rewarding to meet all of you. We couldn’t have done it without you!

When I started Hong Kong Greeters six years ago, I had no idea we would get here. We have grown into a wonderful team of four amazing guides. We are all doing something we love are most passionate about – Hong Kong! Thank you, thank you, thank you and thank you once more. Here’s to the next six years.

A Little More about What we Do

Hong Kong Greeters private tours provides customised walking tours and car tours in and around Hong Kong. We are a team of guides with a knowledge and passion for this great city! To book your very own Hong Kong Private Tour, please get in touch today at info@hkgreeters.com.

Learn About Hong Kong

If you’re planning a trip to Hong Kong, find out about various Hong Kong’s outlying islands, which are away from the hubbub of the main city here. Avoid some of the common pitfalls tourists encounter here. Discover once and for all what the difference is between Peking and Cantonese Duck here.

Three of our most Popular Hong Kong Guided Tours

Our Hong Kong guided tours can be somewhat customised to meet your requirements, but please read on to find out more about some of our most popular private tours. Our new Vegetarian Food Tour is proving to be a hit and Lantau Island, home of the Big Buddha and Tai O fishing village is a perennial favourite with our clients. We also offer a specialised Jewish Heritage Walking Tour which combines one or two Jewish Heritage stops combined with some of our more general Hong Kong must sees.

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Storytelling in Repulse Bay with ISTA

Posted on 15 April 2018 by greetings

Private Group Tour, Hong Kong, Lifeguards' Temple, Repulse Bay — Lifeguards’ Temple, Repulse Bay

Our latest group tour was to Repulse Bay. Although Hong Kong Greeters offers customised private tours in and around Hong Kong, we can also accommodate larger groups. In fact there is no greater pleasure than nurturing the growing minds. Our recent outing did just that as we hosted a group of students from ISTA.

ISTA

Hong Kong Greeters were asked to help with a visiting school group of students from the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA). ISTA has member schools in over 100 countries and counts over 4000 members worldwide. It was our very great pleasure to introduce them to Hong Kong’s Repulse Bay.

As is quoted on their website: “Life isn’t measured in the breaths we take, but in moments that take our breath away.” Hopefully, we took their breath away with our private tour in Repulse Bay. We explored the stories we tell through the landscapes we create. Also what stories the landscapes tell us.

Lifeguards’ Temple

The festival focused on the students’ dramatic responses to different landscapes. We think there is nothing more dramatic than the Lifeguard’s Temple at Repulse Bay.

We shared stories of pirates, Tin Hau the Goddess of the Sea, Yuet Lau the God of Matchmakers (modern day Tinder). They heard the legend of Longevity Bridge and the good things that come to those who walk across it. Everybody also tried to toss coins into the mouth of the lucky Goldfish of Prosperity statue.

More of the students stories and responses can be found here on their YouTube channel.

Repulse Bay

Repulse Bay is located on the Southside of Hong Kong Island. It is one of the most popular beaches in Hong Kong. The Lifeguards Temple is always worth a visit. You can also enjoy al fresco dining at The Pulse or swimming at one of the cleanest beaches on the island. If you want to go old-school, visit The Verandah, part of the former Repulse Bay Hotel and belonging to the Peninsula Hotel.

Here at Hong Kong Greeters we want you to have a fabulous time in Hong Kong. Find out more about Junk Trips here, New Year’s Eve Firework Cruises here or Cantonese Opera here.

Hong Kong’s Land Supply Crisis and Tube Homes

Posted on 13 February 2018 by greetings

Could Tube Homes be part of the solutions to Hong Kong’s housing crisis? Hong Kong is a crowded city with a population exceeding 7 million and still growing. The average size of a Hong Kong apartment for a family of 3 is just shy of 500 square foot.

Tube Homes

I’m afraid you can’t (yet?) buy one of these quirky tube homes. The tube homes were recently exhibited on the Kwun Tong waterfront space, Hong Kong. It was exploring the utilisation of space in a city that has a huge problem with future land and housing supply.

These conceptual nano homes are the brainchild of architect James Law. By repurposing large concrete pipes and stacking them, he has designed low-cost homes. They could fit into otherwise unusable spaces each providing around 100 square foot of living space. Each unit provides private living, cooking and washing space without having to share facilities with your neighbours.

What do you think of these tube homes? Do you like the idea? Do you think you could live in one of these tubes?

The crisis of land supply in Hong Kong

The crisis is real. With living spaces already compact, it’s thought that we will come up 3,000 acres short over the next thirty years. It’s a real head scratcher for the Hong Kong Government with no easy solutions.

Hong Kong, Guided Tours, Tube Homes — Tube Home Exhibit in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong

Image: businessinsider.com

Small Spaces

To put Hong Kong’s small living spaces into perspective, if you were considering buying a starter home or micro-flat in Hong Kong, you might be surprised at what you get (or don’t get) for your money. A property offering around 179 square feet in size would set you back somewhere in the region of 3.5 million HKD which is approximately ($450,000 USD). To give you a visual comparison, 179 square feet is similar to the size of a car parking space.

Tube homes at 100 square feet would offer just over half the area of a parking bay.

Featured image: dezeen.com