This was published 6 years ago
Hong Kong's hidden gems: The places your guidebook won't include
Don't miss one of Hong Kong's oldest temples, Man Mo.Credit: iStock
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In a city the size of Hong Kong, it should come as little shock to find that there are numerous hidden treasures, hundreds of locals-only secrets throughout this buzzing metropolis that the guidebooks have yet to uncover. These treasures range from the quirky to the quaint, the brilliant to the bizarre – pirate hideouts and ancient temples, laneway bars and bargain-basement markets.
Hong Kong has a culture of innovation that will always surprise you: the home carrier, Cathay Pacific, has its own fragrance, called Parfums de Voyage, a fragrance that gives you a sneak peek into Hong Kong's hidden gems; the city has a shopping mall in a permanently moored boat; there's a nightclub that doubles as a hair salon. The fun, of course, is in the discovery.
Cheung Po Tsai Pirate Cave
Cheung Po Tsai was one of the Orient's most notorious pirates, a former fisherman who went on to command a fearsome fleet of 600 ships and a private army of 20,000 men. And of course, every pirate has treasure. Cheung Po was said to have hidden his in a cave on Cheung Chau Island, a spot about 10 kilometres off the coast of Hong Kong that today is accessible by ferry.
Visage One
Is it a hair salon, or a live music venue? Visage One, a small space in an alleyway behind Hollywood Road in Central, is actually both – a place to get a fashionable haircut by day, and to listen to extremely fashionable tunes by night. Visage One has no website, and no social media presence. The best way to discover what's going on there is to call in and ask.
Lin Heung Teahouse
Hong Kong is littered with family-run teahouses, but this might just be the most enjoyable: a shabby, unremarkable little place in Central that serves up some of the best dim sum around. Lin Heung opened in 1926, and it's kind of a riot, with diners chasing food carts and waving stamp cards. One smell of the food, however, and you'll know you're in a good place.
Jaabar
Right next to the creative design hub PMQ lies Jaabar, a speakeasy-style bar serving up some of the best drinks in Hong Kong. Drinkers will have to step through the bustle of the surrounding alleyways (and the Central wet market) to find this intimate, dark little space, where Hong Kong locals come to soak up the Moulin Rouge vibes and drink classic cocktails.
Chungking Mansions
In this towering maze of shops, booths, outlets and hawker stands you'll find absolutely everything you have every wanted – plus about a million things you have not. Chungking Mansions, in Kowloon, is a riot of cut-price consumerism, the sort of place you could get lost for days staring at electronics, cosmetics, homewares, and some very cheap food outlets.
The Whampoa
The Whampoa is a luxury cruise liner that's nowhere near the water: this huge vessel is actually a shopping mall, and it's plonked right in the middle of a private housing estate in Kowloon. What you'll find inside is a Japanese supermarket, a gym, and several restaurants, the likes of which you'll want to wander into as soon as you smell what's cooking inside.
Man Mo temple complex
Amid the towering skyscrapers of Hong Kong's financial district you'll find this tiny throwback to older times, a beautiful temple complex built in the mid-1800s. A perfumed sandalwood scent permeates the air at Man Mo temple, where worshippers gather to honour Man Tai, the god of literature, and Mo Tai, the god of martial arts, as incense spirals gently smoke from the ceiling above.
Beatniks
Shoppers, rejoice. Though Hong Kong is hardly short of places to give the credit card a workout, Beatniks is something special. Hidden down an alleyway behind Staunton Street in Central, the shop focuses on vintage clothing, accessories and collectables, much of it from the Beatnik era of the 60s and 70s. There's also a collection of old toys and antique homewares, much of it sourced direct from the USA.
Djibouti
The suburb of Wan Chai might seem like a heaving mess of bustling streets and narrow pavements, but there's succour to be found here, and it comes in the form of an alley called Landale Street that runs off busy Lockhart Road. It's here you'll find Djibouti, a plush hideaway that serves up Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, as well as some of the city's best cocktails.
Li Yuen Street Market
Sadly you won't be able to find Cathay Pacific's Parfums de Voyage here at Li Yuen – that's only available onboard the plane – but you will find almost anything else that takes your fancy, including cheap clothes, accessories and unique homewares. You could spend an entire day wandering this bazaar-style warren of outlets and stalls and never become bored.
This article is produced in association with Cathay Pacific.
Cathay Pacific in collaboration with Australian fragrance specialist Samantha Taylor, has created a new fragrance to evoke the scents of Hong Kong. The fragrance, Parfums de Voyage, will be offered on select Australian flights with the airline.
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