Hidden Gems in Hong Kong — The Attractions Tourists Miss

Cheung Chau (Hong Kong's quirky island)

Cheung Chau (長洲, 45 minutes by ferry from Central): a car-free island 10km off the coast of Hong Kong. The island has the Mini Great Wall (a hiking trail with views), the Hung Shing Yeh beach, and the annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival (May, with bun-tower climbing competition). The island's main street has excellent seafood restaurants and the Wedding Card Street (bachelor pads and wedding gift shops from the 1960s). Eat at Sea View Restaurant or the Watson's House (formerly a 1930s seawater desalination plant, now a café).

The Blue House ( Wan Chai)

The Blue House (藍屋, 72 Stone St, Wan Chai) is the last surviving tenement building in Hong Kong: a four-story residential building from 1880s, built with a veranda (called tong lau) for ventilation. It is painted blue (obviously) and now houses a community museum and a café. The Yellow House and Orange House nearby are the other surviving tenement blocks. The neighborhood (Wan Chai) is the oldest Western settlement in Hong Kong — older than Central.

Hong Kong Space Museum dome (Tsim Sha Tsui)

The Hong Kong Space Museum (1973, Owen To design) has the most recognizable dome in Hong Kong: a 23-meter hemispherical dome that has appeared in thousands of photographs. The museum is closed for renovation until 2025, but the dome and the surrounding Salisbury Garden (the vantage point for the best night photographs of the Hong Kong skyline) are still accessible. The view from here across Victoria Harbour to Central is the most photographed view in Asia.

Sai Ying Pun and the old neighborhood

Sai Ying Pun (西營盤) is the old Western District: the street grid is based on the 1842 grid plan, the oldest in Hong Kong. The Sai Ying Pun Market (high street, open from 6am): live fish, dried seafood, and vegetables. One Fullerton's: the neighborhood bar with the best view of the Western District. The Western Market (西港城, built 1906): the oldest surviving market building in Hong Kong, now a fabric and silk market. Walk the Possession Street (水坑口街): the exact spot where the British landed in 1841 and Hong Kong's history began.

Lantau: The Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery

The Tian Tan Buddha (天壇大佛, Ngong Ping, Lantau Island) is the largest seated bronze Buddha in the world (34 meters high, 250 tonnes, built 1993). The approach is via the Ngong Ping 360 cable car (25 minutes, spectacular views of the South China Sea and the island). Po Lin Monastery (寶蓮禪寺, founded 1906) is one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Hong Kong. The Wisdom Path (心經簡林, 38 wooden steles inscribed with the Heart Sutra) is a 15-minute walk from the monastery, free, and more moving than the Buddha itself.