Are you ready for new experiences in this old favorite?
As one of the last popular destinations to fully lift restrictions, Hong Kong is now ready to accept tourist—including Filipinos, many of whom count it as their first foreign city—without all the restrictions. If you’re a frequent visitor of the city, you may be surprised to find that not only has Hong Kong added attractions to lure more tourists, it’s also upgraded its mainstays.
The next time you book a flight to HK, be sure to include these in your itinerary
M+
Do you know that one of the world’s largest museums of modern visual culture is in the West Kowloon Cultural District? Opened only on Nov. 21, 2021, and highly anticipated by art enthusiasts all over the world, M+ spreads across 33 galleries, with displays featuring around 1,500 works from M+’s pre-eminent collections of visual art, design and architecture, and moving images from Hong Kong, Greater China, Asia, and beyond. You can also enjoy shopping and dining, as well as take in Hong Kong’s amazing skyline at the Roof Garden. For its first anniversary, the museum is exhibiting Yayoi Kusama, known for her whimsical pumpkins, dots, and mirrored spaces. “Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now” is the largest Yayoi Kusama retrospective outside of Japan. The exhibition also introduces three new works to audiences for the first time at M+.
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Xiqu Centre
Have you watched a traditional Cantonese opera performance? If you haven’t, stop by Xiqu Centre, an award-winning venue that has been built to preserve and showcase the traditional art form of Cantonese opera. There are two theaters here—Grand Theatre, which features performances by the best troupes in the region, and the smaller, more intimate Tea House Theatre, home to the Tea House Theatre Experience, a narrated performance of Cantonese opera perfect for newer audiences still familiarizing themselves with the art form.
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The Mural Clusters
Very few tourists from the Philippines are familiar with the mural clusters—sad because HK has some of the most vibrant in the world, with both local and international artists working on the wall arts. There’s a non-profit organization called HKwalls, which aims to help local and international artists get their work out there through street art, so from time to time expect some wall art pieces to be changed and refreshed. From the passageways of Peng Chau Island to the murals of Wan Chai and the artlane at Sai Ying Pun, expect a literally differently colored Hong Kong when you get back.
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Hong Kong Disneyland’s Castle of Magical Dreams
Remember the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle in Hong Kong Disneyland? Well, it’s no longer there. On Nov. 21, 2020, as part of the HKDL’s 15th anniversary celebration, a new castle was unveiled in its place. The Castle of Magical Dreams is the new centerpiece of the theme park, redesigned to pay tribute to the 12 Disney Princesses and two Frozen queens, including Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Moana, Anna and Elsa. It is the third attraction to open as part of the park’s multi-year expansion from 2018 to 2023.The castle features a jewelry shop, Enchanted Treasures, and a meet-and-greet attraction, The Royal Reception Hall. The castle forecourt features a show stage and viewing area for the new daytime and nighttime spectacular, Follow Your Dreams and Momentous. The castle area consists of the castle itself, the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Storybook Shoppe and the Snow White Grotto.
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K11 MUSEA
Opened in August 2019, or the last few months of normalcy before the pandemic hit so there’s a huge chance you haven’t been here yet—this mall, sorry, retail landscape, is considered a cultural centerpiece. It is designed by James Corner, the landscape architect of the High Line in New York City, who reimagined a harborfront walkway to highlight Hong Kong’s skyline. This $2.6 billion development was created by 100 architecture and design namedroppables, and features 250 retailers, 70 restaurants, 40 artist installations, and has stores like McQueen, Chanel, Cartier, and Gucci. There are installations by Rem Koolhaas and Katharina Gross, and there’s an urban farm, butterfly garden, and a 30-foot-tall slide in the shape of a peacock. There’s also a campus here, for L’Ecole School of Jewelry Arts, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, and partnership with Le Corden Bleu.
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Kam Shan Country Park
Very few go to Hong Kong for their parks, but Kam Shan Country Park is popular among locals for a reason. If you and your kids are tired of the malls, visit one of the oldest country parks. This 3.37-square-kilometer pocket of green in HK is a woodland, replete with barbecue sites, picnic tables, easy trails, which make it a pleasurable place to spend a chill afternoon in. There are plenty of beautiful things to see in Hong Kong that do not require you to whip out your credit card, and this country park is one of them.