kopia lustrzana https://github.com/thinkst/zippy
376 wiersze
24 KiB
Plaintext
376 wiersze
24 KiB
Plaintext
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What to Do
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Shopping
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Inflation has taken its toll in Hong Kong. While it’s no
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longer the bargain shopping destination it once was, there are still
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some good buys to be had. Since Hong Kong is a duty-free port and
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charges no sales tax, goods are cheaper here than in the country where
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they were made. On photographic equipment, electronic goods, and
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watches, you avoid the luxury tax payable in your home country.
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Specialty goods and souvenirs, often handmade, come from Hong Kong and
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elsewhere in China. Custom-made garments by skillful Hong Kong tailors
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are still much in demand and cost less than elsewhere for comparable
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garments. Note that alcohol and tobacco are both exceptions to Hong
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Kong’s duty-free regime and are subject to tax.
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You’ll find that prices are about the same in Hong Kong
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Central and Kowloon, and somewhat cheaper in Causeway Bay, which caters
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to local shopping. Large shops on the fashionable thoroughfares tend to
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be more expensive than smaller “family” shops tucked away in the side
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streets.
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Stores do not open until 10am or later, but shopping goes on
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into the evening, up to 9:30pm. Most shops are open seven days a week.
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Shops in Central are an exception; they generally close at 6pm and are
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not open on Sunday. The only holiday on which all commerce comes to a
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halt is the Chinese New Year in January or February.
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Buyer Beware. Be aware that name brands, including
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electronics, are sometimes fakes, glass may be sold as jade, and that
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antique you bought may have been made last night. Always ask for a
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receipt that records information about the item, and if you buy an
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antique, be sure to get a certificate of authentication. Needless to
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say, avoid peddlers who approach you on the street and offer to take
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you to wondrous bargains.
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The large department stores have fixed prices, but elsewhere
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you should ask whether there is a discount, especially if you buy
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several items in one shop. Compare prices before you buy any
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significant item. Always ask to see the manufacturer’s guarantee when
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purchasing watches, cameras, and audio-visual and electronic
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equipment.
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Note that when haggling, the merchant assumes you are
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prepared to pay cash. If, after concluding a deal, you try to pay with
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a credit card, he may then boost the price in order to cover the card
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charges.
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It is advisable to shop at outlets that are members of the
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Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA), identified by a red junk logo.
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Membership imposes an obligation to maintain standards of both quality
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and service, and provides dissatisfied customers with an officially
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recognized channel for redressing complaints; the number to call is
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Tel. 2508 1234. Pick up a copy of HKTA’s “The Official Dining,
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Entertainment & Shopping Directory” in which all member stores are
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listed.
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Shipping. Many stores will pack and ship purchases. Ask if
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automatic free insurance is provided. If the goods are very valuable or
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fragile, it is a good idea to buy an all-risk insurance for the
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shipment. Packages sent to the US or to Europe generally take six to
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eight weeks by surface mail, and one week by airmail.
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Shopping Areas. Major shopping areas are Tsim Sha Tsui in
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Kowloon, especially along Nathan Road; Central on Hong Kong Island,
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particularly for upscale designer goods; Causeway Bay for slightly
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better prices; and the Hollywood Road area.
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Department Stores. Look for Lane Crawford Ltd., an upscale
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store with branches at Pacific Place, 70 Queen’s Road, and Harbour
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City; Wing On, one of the oldest in Hong Kong; Marks and Spencer; and
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the Japanese department stores, Mitsukoshi, Sobo, and Seibu.
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Malls. Hong Kong is full of giant malls. Harbour City, just
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west of the Star Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui is one of the largest;
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Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, is Central’s biggest mall, with retail
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outlets and department stores; Times Square is a collection of retail
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outlets in Causeway Bay. In addition, most top-line hotels have upscale
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malls full of designer boutiques.
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Factory Outlets. These stores sell excess stock or factory
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overruns. Hong Kong is no longer a factory outlet center since much of
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its clothing manufacturing has moved elsewhere. There are factory
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showrooms in the Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, in Central.
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Markets. Markets are the places to use your bargaining
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skills. Hong Kong’s most famous and colorful market is the Temple
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Street Night Market near the Jordan MTR stop. Every conceivable kind of
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goods is sold here: clothing, all kinds of electronics, CDs, souvenirs,
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crafts, and jewelry.
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Stanley Market is located on Hong Kong’s southern coast,
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and is well-known for all kinds of clothing, including silk and
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cashmere. Bargain, and carefully examine any merchandise you buy
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here.
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The Jade Market, on Kansu Street in Yau Ma Tei, is known
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for both jade and freshwater pearls. This is not the place to make
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expensive purchases, but it’s great for inexpensive pendants, earrings,
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and gifts.
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What to Buy
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Antiques. Hollywood Road in the Mid-Levels above Central is
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the most famous antiques street in Hong Kong. Look for fine Chinese
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bronzes, embroidery, lacquerware and porcelain, tomb figures, and wood
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carvings, among other possibilities. The experts point out that it is
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not age alone that determines a Chinese antique’s value — the dynasties
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of the past had their creative ups and downs. For serious antiques, try
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Honeychurch Antiques at no. 29 for furniture and silver, Tai Sing
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Company at 122 for porcelain. For fun you can visit the Low Price Shop
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at no. 47 or the Cat Street crafts stores and flea market.
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Brocades and Silks. Fabrics from China are a bargain and
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well worth taking home. Chinese-product department stores stock silk
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fabrics, silk scarves, finely embroidered blouses, and traditional
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padded jackets. Chinese Arts and Crafts is at Pacific Place in Central,
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and in Star House in Tsim Sha Tsui; CRC Department Store is on Hennessy
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Road in Causeway Bay. For fabrics, also try Western Market, Morrison
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Street, in Central.
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Cameras. Photo buffs know that Hong Kong is the place to
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buy some of the world’s most advanced photographic equipment, and there
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are some real bargains around. However, be sure you compare prices and
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models before buying. Two reliable places to start looking in Lan Kwai
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Fong are Photo Scientific in the Eurasia Building and Hing Lee Camera
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Company, 25 Lyndhurst Terrace.
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Carpets and Rugs. Hong Kong is a mecca for Chinese
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hand-knotted wool carpets and silk rugs. Hong Kong’s stores are usually
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able to arrange shipment. Caravan at 65 Hollywood Road and the shops in
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The Silk Road at Ocean Center in Tsim Sha Tsui are good places to start
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looking.
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China (Porcelain). In Hong Kong you can have a plate, or
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even a whole dinner service, hand-painted to your own design. Factories
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in Kowloon and the New Territories, producing traditional and modern
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china, are geared to entertain and instruct visiting tourists; prices
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are appealing. Two of the largest places to go are the Wah Tung China
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Company in the Grand Marine Industrial Building in Aberdeen; and the
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Overjoy Porcelain Factory in Block B of the Kwai Hing Industrial
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Building, Kwai Chung, in the New Territories. In antiques shops, look
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for highly valued porcelains from China. Note that because of the
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duty-free situation, good bargains may be found in European china,
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including Spode and Wedgwood.
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Electronics. The latest gadgets are sometimes available in
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Hong Kong before anywhere else. Before you begin shopping, pick up
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HKTA’s “Shopping Guide to Consumer Electronics. ” Prices on electronics
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have risen in the past two years; check prices at home before you buy
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here. Nathan Road has many electronics shops. Also check out Star
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Computer City in the Star House near the Star Ferry terminal.
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Furniture. The choice ranges from traditional hand-carved
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Chinese rosewood furniture to well-made reproductions of modern Western
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styles. Rattan furniture is highly popular. Hollywood Road has several
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furniture shops. Queen’s Road East in Wan Chai is a furniture
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manufacturing and retail area.
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Jade. “ Good for the health” is just one of the many
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magical qualities that are attributed to these beautiful emerald-green
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or turquoise stones. Real jade is extremely expensive, and you may be
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offered counterfeit jade, which looks exactly like the genuine article.
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Some people say you can test the authenticity by touch — real jade
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feels smooth and cool. Alternatively, you can shine a lamp on the
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stone — real jade shows no reflected light. Better still, go shopping
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with an expert.
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Jewelry. Thanks to the duty-free situation, prices in Hong
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Kong are lower than they are in some other places. You can buy
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gemstones loose or set, or have them made up to your own design.
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Popular purchases include diamonds and freshwater pearls. If you do
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plan to buy jewelry, be sure to consult the “Shopping Guide to
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Jewellery” published by the Hong Kong Tourist Authority to find a
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reputable dealer.
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Kitchen Equipment. Woks and any other gadgets essential for
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Chinese cookery make good purchases. Department stores sell all sorts
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of intriguing kitchen equipment.
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Leather Goods. Leather is not a great bargain in Hong Kong.
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Locally made items do not live up to their European models. However,
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the leather garment industry is growing, and there is a wide range of
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locally produced leather accessories, all at extremely attractive
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prices. For European imports, you will pay top dollar.
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Musical, Audio, and Video Equipment. Hong Kong has a vast
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range of the most high-tech audio-visual, sound, and screen equipment.
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Before purchasing, visitors should make sure of compatibility with
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systems in their own countries. Be sure to look around and compare
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before buying. Whatever you buy, you may be able to work out a
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discount.
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Ready-to-wear Clothes. Hong Kong’s shops carry almost every
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recognizable European and many American labels, from top-end designers
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to the moderately priced or trendy. Nathan Road, Central, and the hotel
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malls are places to look. There are still a great many factory outlet
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stores with reasonable prices. You’ll also find bargain clothes for
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sale at the markets and on push-carts.
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Tailoring. Tailor-made clothes are not as popular in Hong
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Kong as they were in the past, but hundreds of shops still remain.
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Local tailors are experts when it comes to producing custom-tailored
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garments for both men and women, and are also adept at copying
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patterns. The result can be a quality suit at a fair price — but
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made-to-measure clothing is not cheap. In choosing a tailor, look for
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HKTA membership. Many tailors have Web sites or are listed on Web
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sites.
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Tea. Shops all over town will sell you gift tins of exotic
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blends. If you want to learn something about tea, go to the Tea Shop at
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149 Hollywood Road, or the Moon Garden Tea House at 5 Hoi Ping Road,
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Causeway Bay. The owners will brew up a pot so you can taste before
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making a choice.
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Watches. The saying “Time is money” is quite literally true
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in Hong Kong: more is spent on watches and clocks here than on cameras
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and optical goods. An enormous variety of makes and models are on sale.
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Be sure to get the manufacturer’s guarantee stamped or signed if you
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buy a watch.
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Entertainment
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Day and night, the action goes on in this vibrant city. To
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help you choose a nightlife scene, pick up a copy of Hong Kong Tourist
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Authority’s dining and entertainment guide for listings, or just simply
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wander through the maze of neon signs and take your pick. Hong Kong
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Diary published weekly by HKTA tells what’s happening in the arts. Hong
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Kong Life is published by the Hong Kong Standard on Sunday, and the
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South China Morning Post has an entertainment section on Friday.
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Culture buffs are well catered to, and there is always a
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varied program of events, ranging from world-class concerts to local
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amateur dramatic productions.
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A highlight of the arts calendar is the annual Hong Kong
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Arts Festival, a three-week dose of international culture in February,
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with concerts, recitals, plays, jazz, Chinese opera, and innovative
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productions put on by leading talent from both East and West. Tickets
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for the shows must be reserved well in advance. The Festival of Asian
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Arts takes place every other October, bringing to Hong Kong for two
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weeks orchestras, dance groups, opera, and drama companies from all
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over Asia.
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There are more than 30 cinemas in Hong Kong, and the latest
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Western releases are shown in some of the larger ones. English-language
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films have Chinese subtitles. Films with Mandarin dialogue also have
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Chinese subtitles, for the benefit of Cantonese speakers, and sometimes
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subtitles in English.
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The Hong Kong International Film Festival takes place in
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April. More than 200 films from all over the world are shown at this
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two-week event. Ask at City Hall center about advance reservations.
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The Performing Arts
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Performance Venues. The theaters in the Hong Kong Cultural
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Center in Tsim Sha Tsui are the main venues for concerts and opera.
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Other performance centers are the City Hall cultural complex, with
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exhibition halls and theaters that present concerts, plays, and films;
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the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts with two major theaters
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for dance, drama, and concert performances; and the Hong Kong Arts
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Centre in Wan Chai, where both local and visiting groups perform. Other
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centers for concerts, plays, and entertainment are Sha Tin Town Hall
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and Tsuen Wan Town Hall in the New Territories. Larger arenas,
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including the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, the Hong Kong Coliseum, and the
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Ko Shan Theater in Kowloon play host to various concerts, pop concerts,
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sporting events, and variety shows.
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Classical Music. The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra performs
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new and traditional works; a wide assortment of traditional and Chinese
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instruments are featured. The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra was
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founded in 1975. Under its conductor, David Atherton, it offers Western
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classical works and new works by Chinese composers in a
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September-to-June season.
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Chinese Opera. Cantonese opera is alive and well in Hong
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Kong, and the two other forms, Beijing and Kun, are sometimes
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presented. To most foreigners, this unique art form is likely to be
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inscrutable at first exposure, but everyone can appreciate the
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spectacle and the elaborate, glittering costumes. Although the music
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may seem strange to the unaccustomed ear, it certainly won’t put you to
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sleep; cymbals and drums guarantee your alertness.
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Dance. Hong Kong’s three professional dance companies — the
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Hong Kong Ballet Company, the Hong Kong Dance Company, and the newer
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City Contemporary Dance Company — perform regularly, often at the Hong
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Kong Academy for the Performing Arts.
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Theater. The two leading local troupes, the Chung Ying
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Theatre Company and the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, perform in
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Cantonese; there are English-language performances at the Fringe Club
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theaters, 2 Lower Albert Road, in Central.
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Puppet Shows. The classic Chinese puppet is the shadow
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puppet, manipulated behind a screen by three rods, but hand puppet and
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marionette shows are also on offer, often for free at public parks and
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playgrounds.
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Nightlife
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Hong Kong by night can suit any taste — riotous, sedate,
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raw, or cultured. Note that sometimes there is a cover charge of HK$50
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to HK$200 at clubs, which may or may not include a couple of
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drinks.
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There are nightclubs in the principal hotels, with bands,
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dancing, and floor shows. Many restaurants and bars have live
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music.
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Jazz fans will find live jazz presented by international
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artists at the Jazz Club and Bar, 2/F, 34-36 D’Agular, Central; and at
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the Blue Note in the Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. The
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Frin ge Club, 21 Lower Albert Road, Central, is Hong Kong’s best-known
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alternate entertainment venue, with jazz, rock, and other live music,
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in addition to a gallery for visual arts.
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Bars with views and live music include Sky Lounge in the
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Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Tsim Sha Tsui; and Cyrano in the Island
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Shangri-La in Pacific Place. Pubs are numerous. In Tsim Sha Tsui, Ned
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Kelly’s Last Stand on Ashley Road is an Aussie institution; Delaney’s,
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71-77 Peking Road, is one of Hong Kong’s enduring Irish pubs.
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The clubs and bars of Wan Chai, long the center of seedy
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nightlife, have become almost respectable. Joe Bananas, 23 Luard Road,
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is a Wan Chai mainstay for all-night partying. Rick’s Cafe, 78-82 Jaffe
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Road, is a long-time disco that’s still popular. A lot of the raunchy
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action has moved across the harbor to Tsim Sha Tsui East; this is also
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where you’ll find pricey hostess clubs, popular with Japanese tourists,
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but definitely not for those on a budget.
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Today’s trendy spot is Soho (SOuth of HOllywood) around
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Hollywood Road, Elgin, and Stauton streets. Soho, along with the Lan
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Kwai Fong area, is popular with chuppies (Hong Kong yuppies) and has a
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lively bar scene. Causeway Bay also has a variety of bars and clubs.
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TOTT’s, in the Excelsior Hotel, is a restaurant with live music and
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dancing and a harbor view.
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Japanese karaoke bars have now become extremely popular
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with the locals. There are a number of these on Chatham Road South and
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around Cameron Street in Tsim Sha Tsui.
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Nightlife tours are offered by a number of companies. The
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most typical of these are harbor cruises, usually including dinner and
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dancing on board an air-conditioned floating nightclub. There are
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evening bus tours that include visits to a restaurant and night spots;
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some tours combine a Chinese banquet with a visit to an open-air market
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and the panorama from Victoria Peak.
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Sports
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Participant Sports
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Beaches. In subtropical Hong Kong you can swim from April
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to early November. There are more than 40 beaches in Hong Kong that are
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free to the public. Most have lifeguards on duty from April to October,
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changing rooms, toilets, and snack stands. On Hong Kong Island, Repulse
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Bay is the most popular; others are Shek O on the east coast and
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Stanley and Deep Water Bay on the south coast. They are very crowded,
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especially on summer weekends. On the outlying islands, Cheung Chau and
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Cheung Sha are on Lantau, and Hung Shing Ye and Lo So Shing on Lamma;
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inquire about water pollution levels.
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Golf. The Hong Kong Golf Club (Tel. 2812 7070) welcomes
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visitors to its three 18-hole courses at Fanling in the New
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Territories, or the 9-hole course at Deep Water Bay. The Discovery Bay
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Golf Club on Lantau island (Tel. 2987 7273) has an 18-hole Robert Trent
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Jones Jr. course, open to visitors Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. Many
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Hong Kong residents and visitors take the express train to Guangzhou to
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play at the Guangzhou Luhu Golf and Country Club (Tel. 2317 1933 in
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Hong Kong or 020-8350 7777). The 72-par course was designed by Dave
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Thomas.
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Hiking. In the New Territories the famous MacLehose Trail
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stretches 97 km (60 miles) from Sai Kung Peninsula to Tuen Mun. The
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Lantau Trail is a 69-km (43-mile) circular trail on Lantau Island that
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begins and ends at Silvermine Bay. Both trails are divided into smaller
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segments of varying difficulty. Maps of hiking trails are available at
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the Government Publications Center, Low Block, Government Offices, 66
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Queensway in Central. HKTA also has trail maps and sponsors the Guided
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Nature Walks, led by rangers, that include hikes in all the different
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regions of Hong Kong.
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Jogging. Victoria Park has a jogging track in Causeway
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Bay.
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Sailing. Because of the heavy harbor traffic, only sailors
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licensed by the Hong Kong authorities can run pleasure boats in local
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waters. Contact the Hong Kong Yacht Club at Tel. 2832 2817 for
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information.
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Taijiquan (Tai Chi). HKTA offers lessons in these exercises
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that improve concentration and balance at Garden Plaza, Hong Kong Park,
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Admiralty (Tel. 2058 1234).
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Tennis. There are 13 public courts at Victoria Park Tennis
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Centre (Tel. 2570 6168), near Tin Hau Station.
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Spectator Sports
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Horseracing. All levels of society share a feverish
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interest in the Sport of Kings. The racing schedule is September to
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June, and Hong Kong maintains two tracks — the older Happy Valley
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course on Hong Kong Island and the striking Sha Tin track in the New
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Territories. The Hong Kong Tourist Association runs a “Come Horseracing
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Tour,” which includes entry to the Hong Kong Jockey Club visitors’ box
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and members’ enclosure, and a buffet-style meal.
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Cricket. The Hong Kong International Cricket Series, held
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in late September, brings teams from all over the world.
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Rugby. The Rugby Sevens sees teams come together from all
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over the world for 15 matches in March or early April.
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Children’s Hong Kong
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Hong Kong has many attractions that appeal to children of
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all ages. Hong Kong’s many beaches are especially fun for children.
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Children love riding on Hong Kong’s antique trams. A ride on the Peak
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Tram is sure to provide a thrill, and in the Peak Tower they’ll enjoy
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the Peak Explorer ride and Ripley’s Believe it or Not!
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Ocean Park (see page 32) is popular with children of all
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ages. There’s a special Kid’s World that those under 12 can enter free
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when accompanied by a paying adult. The more daring can try out the
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terrifying roller-coaster rides.
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Hong Kong’s state-of-the-art interactive museums will
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interest children of all ages. The Science Museum in Tsim Sha Tsui East
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allows children to get their hands on over half of its 500 exhibits,
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while the nearby Space Museum has regular screenings on an enormous
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Omnimax screen in its Space Theater, making the night sky come
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vibrantly alive.
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For children who love boats, riding the Star Ferry or ferry
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trips to outlying islands will be exciting, and the Dolphin Watch trip
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(see page 113) is certain to appeal. If you plan to visit during May,
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the carnival atmosphere of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, with its high
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bamboo-and-paper towers covered in sticky buns, will fascinate the
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young ones.
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