New sights tradition vultures ought to pay a visit to

The revitalised neighbourhood of West Kowloon, among others, claims a host of new cultural and eating encounters for holidaymakers to Hong Kong.

The Pearl of the Orient may be off-restrictions to worldwide travellers for now, but she is significantly from hibernating. House to a resilient, innovative and entrepreneurial people today, Hong Kong is constantly buzzing with modifications and new launches, significantly in the F&B and art scenes. Holidaymakers can count on to expertise a reinvigorated town with a established of enjoyable new hotspots.

We spherical up a few of these sights for your holiday getaway itinerary, even though getting a leaf from the minimal black books of two Hong Kong-centered expats who are also “Hong Kong Tremendous Fans” – a phrase coined by the Hong Kong Tourism Board to explain a neighborhood of properly-travelled persons who adore the metropolis.

Kowloon Island

West Kowloon, which spans Jordan and Yau Ma Tei on the Kowloon Peninsula, has constantly been a hotbed of tradition and heritage. The neighbourhood is rich in historical architecture websites, time-honoured merchants and standard craftsmanship. Now, West Kowloon is set to develop into even more vivid with the new West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD). Sitting on 40ha of reclaimed land, the WKCD will be 1 of the biggest cultural initiatives in the earth as soon as it is thoroughly opened.

As its identify indicates, artwork and society will be the concentration right here. Five of the 17 new cultural spaces are previously open up, despite the fact that the spaces can be devoted to a wide range of uses. The centrepiece below is the M+, a museum of visual artwork with a hanging, inverted T-shaped composition created by Herzog & de Meuron, the Swiss architecture agency powering London’s Tate Present day. Just opened on November 12 to a great deal fanfare, M+ now hosts six thematic exhibits.

Out of the quite a few spaces to check out in WKCD and nurture one’s adore for the arts, Indonesia-born and raised artist and designer Lie Fhung states that her favourite location is the West Kowloon Art Park. “I enjoy how everyone can truly feel free to loosen up on a broad expanse of eco-friendly surrounded by trees and creative vitality from the art spaces around,” adds Fhung.

Singaporean chef Barry Quek of Whey restaurant who has been based there since 2017 names the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade as his favourite spot in WKCD for a stroll “to get away from the hustle and bustle and to see the sunset”. Quek adds that the bordering parts are really worth exploring as they are entire of heritage eateries.

There are also numerous F&B newcomers in WKCD that foodies must check out out. FAM, which is located within just the Art Park, is suggested for its delectable Chinese cuisine with a present-day touch. For the traditionalists, dim sum staples are on the menu of program, but FAM would make eating entertaining with its vibrant and eclectic interiors, a quirky tunes playlist and light art installations. A fantastic alternative for the spouse and children and a hugely instagrammable location, FAM also delivers the most incredible views of the lush Artwork Park and the wonderful Victoria Harbour.

Two dining places that have not long ago opened in M+ deserve sussing out also. Mosu Hong Kong is the first international outpost of Mosu Seoul, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in South Korea, even though Increase+ which stands for “All Working day Dining” boasts a cafe and comprehensive-assistance bar clad with avant-garde decor, as well as a grab-and-go portion.

A bit to the southeast of WKCD is Tsim Sha Tsui, house to the Hong Kong Museum of Artwork. Even though it opened in 1962 and is a effectively-known establishment, the two Fhung and Quek choose out the museum as a perennial will have to-visit for its assortment that spans the previous and new, regional and intercontinental. “TheBookshop in the museum carries neat, thoughtfully designed guides on Hong Kong’s art, design and style and lifestyle, as perfectly as imaginative and inspiring children’s textbooks,” delivers Fhung. Just five minutes away on foot from the museum is the Avenue of Stars on the scenic Victoria Harbour waterfront, which is another of Quek’s suggestions for sightseeing.

Hong Kong Island

Throughout the Victoria Harbour from the Kowloon Peninsula, a fantastic number of new dining establishments and bars have popped up on Hong Kong Island in the course of the pandemic. Head in excess of to Penicillin in Central if enjoying a fantastic cocktail is as essential to you as saving the planet. Founded by Agung Prabowo and Roman Ghale, formerly of Hong Kong’s The Previous Guy bar, Penicillin hosted an on the web “Sustainable Cocktail” masterclass as component of the virtual functions organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board during the month-very long Hong Kong Wine and Dine Pageant 2021 in November.

The turnout was phenomenal, for the winner of Asia’s 50 Best Sustainable Bar Award for 2021 has presently founded a title for by itself for its artistic and eco-conscious concoctions. The uber-chic watering hole is also Hong Kong’s “first closed-loop cocktail bar”, which only employs regionally sourced or upcycled ingredients for its drinks and foodstuff. In its mission to be “scrap-less”, nothing – from pores and skin to seed – is wasted listed here, although the odds and finishes of fruits and veggies are fermented for other employs. States Probowo, “When individuals arrive to Penicillin, we want to give them a message that they can come to be ambassadors for sustainability, so that they can begin performing it in their daily lives – not just comply with a trend.”

As a lot more persons come to be acutely aware of their environmental footprint, Slowood would interest locals and vacationers alike for the breadth of sustainable nevertheless interesting items it provides. Since its Kennedy Town flagship store’s opening in January 2019, the zero-waste thought grocery and way of life retail outlet has introduced a few a lot more shops in Hong Kong.

There’s anything here for design afficionados also, considering the fact that Slowood’s ethos also encompass residence furnishing. The lampshades, chairs, and components of the tables readily available for retail are made from recycled Styrofoam, picket wine crates and even mushrooms. For one thing you can fly home with very easily, glance to the back of the keep for housewares from Japanese brand name Wasara, which makes compostable, disposable tableware.

It’s under no circumstances much too early to approach the itinerary of your upcoming Hong Kong holiday vacation. Visit discoverhongkong.com for extra of the city’s most recent information and sights.

(Primary and showcased image: West Kowloon Cultural District by Virgile Simon Bertrand of Herzog de Meuron all photos courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board)