Entertainment Guide:
Hong Kong is a city that never sleeps; there is always something to do and some form of entertainment to enjoy. There are a wide range of nightclubs, bars and restaurants that cater to tourists, expats and locals. The most popular areas for bars and lounges are SoHo, Lan Kwai Fong and Wan Chai. SoHo and nearby Wyndham Street offer the most up-market venues and you can generally expect to pay in the region of HK$60 for a pint of beer and HK$50 for a glass of wine. LanKwai Fong is a popular tourist area and prices here are very similar to SoHo. Wan Chai is notorious as an area where strip clubs and massage parlors can be found, but there are also a number of very popular bars that offer live music and entertainment well into the early hours.
Karaoke
Karaoke is a very popular form of entertainment among the locals and there is no shortage of venues throughout Hong Kong where you can sing-along to your musical favorites while enjoying drinks and snacks. The majority of the venues have television and cable and they have become popular spots for people to enjoy televised sporting events with their friends. Popular karaoke outlets are listed below:
Neway
Various venues
http://newaykb.com
Penthouse Skylounge
29/F, Silver Base Centre, 200 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, tel +852 2833 9992
My Favourite Bar
2/F, The Wave, 184 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel +852 9834 0777
The Derby
Shop G-1, G/F Valley Centre, 80-82 Morrison Hill Road, tel +852 2893 9123
Concerts & Musicals
Hong Kong attracts a great deal of concerts and musicals and many famous names visit the city on their world tours. Up-to-date listings of events can be found in the HK Magazine (http://hk-magazine.com), a free weekly magazine that is published every Wednesday and is distributed at coffee shops and bars throughout Hong Kong. Alternatively, you can download the application for the magazine and have all the information with you before the print edition hits the stores on Fridays.
A music festival is also held annually in Hong Kong. Currently the largest outdoor music and arts festival in the city, Clockenflap, is a two-day event incorporating international and local live music, installation art, digital arts and animation. For information on the next festival, visit http://www.clockenflap.com.
Cinemas
Cinemas are another popular form of entertainment and Hong Kong has no shortage of these. There are more than 100 cinemas across Hong Kong, and the majority are modern and comfortable. International films are shown in the original language with Chinese subtitles or may be dubbed into Cantonese. Sometimes, the same movie may be available in both the original version and a dubbed version playing in the same cinema at the same time. Cinemas in the city districts generally screen more English-language movies, and cinema listings usually state the language the film will be shown in and which subtitles are available. For more information, check the “Culture” page under the “Cinemas” section.
Museums
There are a number of excellent museums to choose from in Hong Kong and a weekly museum pass is available from the Leisure and Services Department, which allows visitors one week of unlimited access to their museums for HK$30. Admission to several museums in Hong Kong is waived on Wednesdays. Tickets can be purchased at the participating museums listed below:
Hong Kong Heritage Museum
1 Man Lam Road
Sha Tin, New Territories
Tel: 2180 8188
http://www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk
Museum of Coastal Defense
10am to 5pm daily with last admission at 4.30pm.
Closed on Thursdays and the first two days of Lunar New Year.
175 Tung Hei Road
Shau Kei Wan
Tel: 2569 1500
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Coastal/index.html
Hong Kong Museum of Art
Mon-Wed, Fri-Sun: 10am-6pm
Closed on Thu (except public holidays) and the first two days of Lunar New Year.
Closed at 5pm on Lunar New Year’s Eve.
10 Salisbury Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2721 0116
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Arts
Hong Kong Museum of History
Mon, Wed-Sat: 10am-6pm,
Sun & Public Holidays: 10am-7pm
Closed on Tue and the first two days of Lunar New Year.
Closed at 5pm on Christmas Eve and Lunar New Year’s Eve.
100 Chatham Road South
Tsim Sha Tsui East
Tel: 2724 9042
http://hk.history.museum/en_US/web/mh/index.html
Hong Kong Science Museum
Mon-Wed & Fri: 1pm-9pm,
Sat, Sun & Public Holidays: 10am-9pm
Closed on Thu & the first two days of Lunar New Year.
Closed at 5pm on Christmas Eve and Lunar New Year’s Eve.
2 Science Museum Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2732 3232
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Science
Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum
Mon-Wed and Fri-Sat: 10am-6pm;
Sun & Public Holidays: 10am-7pm.
Closed on Thu and the first 2 days of Lunar New Year.
Closed at 5pm on Christmas Eve and Lunar New Year’s Eve.
7 Castle Road, Central
Tel: 2367 6373
http://hk.drsunyatsen.museum
Sporting Events
Hong Kong runs a number of sporting events throughout the year. These include the Rugby Sevens, Cricket Sixes and Dragon Boat Racing. Further details of these events can be found at the “Culture” page underthe “Sporting Events” section.
Theatre & Dance
Although Hong Kong isn’t particularly renowned for its theatre scene, they do show a number of Broadway-style musicals each year. Past events have included The Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music and Saturday Night Fever. Upcoming events can be found at the Tourism Board’s website: http://www.discoverhongkong.com/.
Chinese Opera
Chinese opera is a highly respected art form in Hong Kong and performances are staged on a regular basis. Details of current performances and ticketing details can be found on the Leisure and Cultural Services Department’s website: http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/.
