Explore West Kowloon
20/05/2018
Tags
One of Hong Kong’s most alluring districts, the area spanning Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok, offers culture, heritage and shopportunity galore. Here’s a guide to West Kowloon’s best bits.
Begin at Hong Kong’s emerging West Kowloon Cultural District. Though still a couple years from completion, this vast Harbourside estate for the arts is already one of the city’s most prominent, and ideal for a morning amble. Most of the heavyweight attractions – including a theatre, museum and arts venue – are mid construction, but architectural M+ Pavilion is on hand to showcase temporary exhibits of C.20th-21st art along with the blueprints for the development.
From West Kowloon, hop on the MTR – or hail a taxi – to Sham Shui Po to catch a fascinating glimpse of fast-disappearing Hong Kong. If you’re feeling pecking, power up for the impending jaunt with steamy, Michelin-starred morsels at dim sum diner Tim Ho Wan.
Hunger sated, frolic onwards to Apilu Street where shoppers can snap up an assortment of cooking apparatus, electronics, hiking gear and knick-knacks at bargain prices from the street-lined stalls. Next, head to Yu Chau St where budding Cocos can rifle through reams of fabrics and ribbons, then continue northeast to what was originally the North Kowloon Magistracy and is now Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
One of Hong Kong’s first nip/tucked heritage buildings, the SCAD campus marries neoclassical architecture with contemporary design; visitors can pop along to guest lectures or arrange a tour to see the impressive granite staircase, courtroom-turned-lecture hall and even the original detention cells.
Post history tour, beeline back to the Pen via Mong Kok’s vibrant Flower Market, home to a medley of plant and gardening shops that are all-day long – the vast collections of orchids and potted plants are all available to buy wholesale. Bloomin’ marvellous.
West Kowloon Cultural District/ Yau Tsim Mong / +852 2200 0217 / 6am-11pm daily / westkowloon.hk
Tim Ho Wan/ 9-11 Fuk Wing St / Sham Shui Po / +852 2788 1226 / 10am-9.30pm Mon-Fri, from 9am Sat-Sun
Savannah College of Art and Design/ 292 Tai Po Rd / Sham Shui Po / +852 2253 8044 / scad.edu
Flower Market/ Flower Market Rd / Mong Kok / 9.30am-7.30pm daily / flower-market.hk
Begin at Hong Kong’s emerging West Kowloon Cultural District. Though still a couple years from completion, this vast Harbourside estate for the arts is already one of the city’s most prominent, and ideal for a morning amble. Most of the heavyweight attractions – including a theatre, museum and arts venue – are mid construction, but architectural M+ Pavilion is on hand to showcase temporary exhibits of C.20th-21st art along with the blueprints for the development.
From West Kowloon, hop on the MTR – or hail a taxi – to Sham Shui Po to catch a fascinating glimpse of fast-disappearing Hong Kong. If you’re feeling pecking, power up for the impending jaunt with steamy, Michelin-starred morsels at dim sum diner Tim Ho Wan.
Hunger sated, frolic onwards to Apilu Street where shoppers can snap up an assortment of cooking apparatus, electronics, hiking gear and knick-knacks at bargain prices from the street-lined stalls. Next, head to Yu Chau St where budding Cocos can rifle through reams of fabrics and ribbons, then continue northeast to what was originally the North Kowloon Magistracy and is now Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
One of Hong Kong’s first nip/tucked heritage buildings, the SCAD campus marries neoclassical architecture with contemporary design; visitors can pop along to guest lectures or arrange a tour to see the impressive granite staircase, courtroom-turned-lecture hall and even the original detention cells.
Post history tour, beeline back to the Pen via Mong Kok’s vibrant Flower Market, home to a medley of plant and gardening shops that are all-day long – the vast collections of orchids and potted plants are all available to buy wholesale. Bloomin’ marvellous.
West Kowloon Cultural District/ Yau Tsim Mong / +852 2200 0217 / 6am-11pm daily / westkowloon.hk
Tim Ho Wan/ 9-11 Fuk Wing St / Sham Shui Po / +852 2788 1226 / 10am-9.30pm Mon-Fri, from 9am Sat-Sun
Savannah College of Art and Design/ 292 Tai Po Rd / Sham Shui Po / +852 2253 8044 / scad.edu
Flower Market/ Flower Market Rd / Mong Kok / 9.30am-7.30pm daily / flower-market.hk