Hong Kong Landmarks and Monuments

(Hong Kong, China)

History enthusiasts and visitors with a fondness for interesting architecture and man-made landmarks will find plenty to please their eyes in Hong Kong. The territory's best-known landmark, Victoria Peak, offers the best views over the city, and so is a must on any sightseeing itinerary.

The Big Buddha at Ngong Ping Plateau and the Wong Tai Sin temple are among the most popular religious landmarks on offer in Hong Kong. The unique Jardine House, Hong Kong's first skyscraper, also attracts crowds with its round-shaped windows.

Victoria Peak

Address: 1 Lugard Road, Hong Kong, China, CN
Tel: +852 2849 7654
One of the most famous of all the landmarks in Hong Kong, the top of Victoria Peak is connected by the regular Peak Tram, which offers a particularly scenic trip along the way. However, from the very top, the views are nothing short of spectacular. From the viewing platform, it's possible to see Kowloon and Victoria Harbour, and across the length of the central business district. If you are feeling energetic, you can make the ten-minute walk to the top of the peak, from where even better views are possible.
Open hours: daily - 07:00 to 24:00 (operational hours of the tram)
Admission: charge

Victoria Harbour

Address: Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, China, CN
Tel: +852 2807 6543
Hailed as one of the world's deepest container ports, Victoria Harbour is also one of Hong Kong's most popular attractions, offering some spectacular views on all sides. The mighty Victoria Peak hogs the skyline from one perspective, while the Tsim Sha Tsui shoreline encompasses the greater part of the view on the opposing side. The harbour is a busy area with hundreds of vessels coming and going throughout the day, including tour boats offering cruises.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Big Buddha

Address: Ngong Ping Plateau, Hong Kong, China, CN
Tel: +852 2508 1234
You need to take a combination of ferry and bus or ferry and skyrail to reach this epic Hong Kong landmark, although few visitors viewing this huge religious icon would say that the journey was not worth the effort. The work of monks on Lantau Island, the Big Buddha statue took several years to complete, but when you see it, it's not hard to grasp why. Built in the early 1990s at the cost of almost US$70 million, this figure is created in steel and bronze, and decorated with gold amalgam, and is unquestionably the finest Buddha statue in the territory.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Wong Tai Sin

Address: 2 Chuk Yuen, Wong Tai Sin Estate, Hong Kong, China, CN
Tel: +852 2327 8141
The most famous Taoist temple in the territory is located at the far north end of Kowloon and is the focus of pilgrimages for followers of Taoists, Buddhist and Confucianist philosophies. This structure is less than a century old, but is built to the traditional architectural style favoured for Chinese temples for thousands of years. The five elements of geomancy (metal, wood, water, fire and earth) are represented respectively by the archives hall, the fountain, the Yue Heung Shrine and the earthen wall of the Wong Tai Sin.
Open hours: daily - 07:00 to 17:30 (temple), 09:00 to 16:00 (garden)
Admission: free but a small donation is expected on entry to the temple

Tsing Ma Bridge

Address: Tsing Yi Island, Hong Kong, China, CN
Tel: +852 2508 1234
The Tsing Ma Bridge was opened by former British Prime Minister, Baroness Margaret Thatcher, on April 27 1997 and since then has firmly established itself as one of Hong Kong's most distinctive landmarks. At a length of 1,377 metres / 4,518 feet, Tsing Ma is among the longest combined road and rail bridges in the world. The bridge towers stand a lofty 206 / 676 feet metres high and the lengths of suspension cabling used would circle the planet four times if laid out end to end.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Jardine House

Address: Connaught Place, Hong Kong, China, CN
The mighty structure that is Jardine House is situated close to the Star Ferry pier and was the first skyscraper in Hong Kong, gracing the skyline since 1973. Standing 52 storey high, this silver landmark was originally called the Connaught Centre, but the locals frequently refer to it as the 'House of a Thousand Orifices', while the area's expatriate community call it the 'Porthole Building' - both names resulting from the 1,700 or so round windows that are an integral feature of its appearance.
Open hours: daily - external viewing only
Admission: free