Top Kid-Friendly Attractions in Hong Kong

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Established in 1962, Hong Kong City Hall was the first fully fledged cultural venue in Hong Kong. Consisting of two unmistakeably sixties-styled blocks, the low block houses major facilities such as the Concert Hall, a theatre, an exhibition hall and restaurants, whilst the high block is home to an exhibition gallery, recital hall, committee rooms and a marriage registry. City Hall is conveniently located in Central, and individuals and organisations can hire the venues for cultural and art activities. Right in front of the building's main entrance are Edinburgh Place and Queen's Pier, where many official ceremonies are held.

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If you're a kid or a kid at heart, you'll love Ocean Park, a combination marine park and amusement center. Situated along a dramatic rocky coastline on the island's southern shore, the park is divided into two areas: a "lowland" and a "headland," connected by cable car (and, in 2012 -- after a massive redevelopment that will double the number of its attractions -- an underground funicular). Because of the wide range of attractions, Ocean Park is interesting for children and adults alike. Facilities are first class, and Ocean Park is Asia's first accredited member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

The lowland is subdivided into several areas and attractions. The most popular residents of Ocean Park are An An and Jia Jia, a pair of pandas presented as gifts from China. Kids' World has kiddie rides, playgrounds, remote-control cars and boats, shows geared toward children, and shooting-games arcade. Swimming with the dolphins is available at Dolphin University (applications must be made at least 5 days in advance).

From the lowland, visitors board cable cars for a spectacular 8-minute ride over a hill to the headland, while being treated to great views of the coastline and the...

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No visit to Hong Kong is complete without a visit to the Peak. What is the most authentic way of getting there? The Peak Tram no doubt. Before the Peak Tram opened, hardly anyone travelled to the Peak. Part of the experience is watching the faces of tourists glow with delight as they climb the steepest slopes of Victoria Peak on the Tram. The Tram, which is itself an attraction, dates back to 1888 with new and larger cars installed in 1989. These cars are pulled by 1,500m steel cables wound on drums. Passengers sit back for a literally vertical ride enjoying panoramic views as the car steadily makes its way to the top. The Peak Tram station is located right opposite the Hong Kong US Embassy and the best way to get to the Tram station would be to take the bus. Expect long queues if you go right before 7pm, the peak is a tourist haven and you will be able to take postcard pictures of Victoria Harbour line.

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Hong Kong Park is not just a park: it features an aviary, greenhouse, fountain plaza, lily ponds, playgrounds, artificial waterfall, viewing tower, visual arts centre, museum, restaurant, indoor games hall and even a marriage registry. Some people say it looks anything but natural. Still, it is beautiful in its own odd way, with high-rise buildings on one side and mountain greenery on the other. The aviary houses over 150 species of birds and visitors walk on a suspended wooden bridge around 10m above the ground to look at the birds perched in tropical greenery at eye level.

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Located near the Old Government House, the Zoological and Botanical Gardens is a popular place for parents to bring their children on the weekends. The gardens are divided into two main areas: plants and aviaries in one area and animals in the other. Although the zoo is not that big, it is one of the world's leading centers for captive breeding of endangered species, and thus is worth visiting. It is also a great place to take pictures of the kids with the various spotted, striped and feathered animals on show.

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If you haven't been to Victoria Peak (also known simply as the 'Peak'), then you haven't been to Hong Kong! All visitors to Hong Kong should go to the Peak for panoramic views of the city, which have to be amongst the most spectacular in the world, especially at night. A walk around the Peak reveals further scenic vistas over the greener western parts of Hong Kong Island, and the viewing platforms on top of the Peak Tower and Peak Galleria are a must for anyone with a camera. A tram will get you to the top. You can check the website for specific details.

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The giant bronze Buddha Statue at Po Lin Monastery is the biggest seated, outdoor image of its kind in the world - is Lantau's number one attraction. Despite the hordes and tour buses full of tourists who flock there and the often themepark like atmosphere, it's difficult not to be impressed by the grandeur of standing right next to the Big Buddha. The Buddha is not the fat, jolly Buddha often portrayed in tacky souvenirs. Avoid the weekends, but you can stay overnight at the monastery's dormitories and wander the temple grounds early next morning. Whilst you are at Bid Buddha, why not take some time to tour "Lantau" Island as well?

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Opened in 2005 on Lantau Island, just a 10-minute ride from the airport, this Disney venture was Asia's second (the first was Tokyo Disneyland). Recreating many of the exact features of the original Disneyland in California but on a smaller scale, the 126-hectare (311-acre) theme park contains the usual four Disney themed lands -- namely, Main Street U.S.A., Fantasyland, Adventureland, and Tomorrowland -- along with such classic rides and attractions as Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Tarzan's Treehouse, and the Jungle River Cruise, as well as high-caliber performances and shows, parades, and an evening fireworks extravaganza. Unique to the park is the world's only Fantasy Gardens, where Disney characters hang out to meet their fans. Note that admission is higher during peak times, including weekends, public holidays, summer school vacation (July/Aug), and the so-called Golden Week holidays for mainlander Chinese (May and Oct). You can purchase tickets at the gate, in advance online, or at the Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express counter at Hong Kong Station in Central, open daily 9am to 9pm.

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One of the National Geographic Traveler "fifty places of a lifetime" - crossing the Victoria Harbour in Star Ferry. The Star Ferry has preserved its original looks, feel and smell since the 1960s era when Star Ferries were the main form of transport for Hong Kongers to cross the harbor between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. What is meant by a Star Ferry trip is the main line from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central. Gaze up at Hong Kong's majestic skyline, which is an erratic stretch of skyscrapers, hotels and apartment blocks. The nighttime views, when Hong Kong glitters like a diamond, are a dramatic Red Neon lights and Golden glitter reflected against the lapping waters. As the cheapest therapy in town, few people disembark in anything but the lightest of moods.

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Located in front of The Peninsula hotel on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, the Space Museum is easy to spot with its white-domed planetarium. It's divided into two parts: the Exhibition Halls with their Hall of Space Science and the Hall of Astronomy, and the Stanley Ho Space Theatre. The Hall of Space Science explores the human journey into space, with exhibits on ancient astronomical history, science fiction, early rockets, manned space flights, and future space programs. Several interactive rides and exhibits (most with weight and height restrictions) include a ride on a virtual paraglider, a harness that holds occupants aloft with the same approximate gravity they'd experience walking on the moon, and a multi-axis chair developed for astronaut training that gives the sensation of tumbling through space. The Hall of Astronomy presents information on the solar system, solar science, the stars, and the universe. However, I find the museum, which opened in 1980, rather dated. Come only if you have kids and extra time on your hands, in which case you'll spend about an hour here.

The Stanley Ho Space Theatre presents mostly OMNIMAX screenings with a projection system that produces an almost...

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The mysteries of science and technology come to life here, with plenty of hands-on exhibits sure to appeal to children and adults alike. More than 500 exhibits cover four floors, with sections devoted to the life sciences; light, sound, and motion; meteorology and geography; electricity and magnetism; computers and robotics; construction; transportation and communication; occupational safety and health; energy efficiency; and food science and home technology. Children ages 3 to 7 can have free reign of an area designed especially for them. Visitors can play with different optical illusions, enter a rotating room to learn physics in a noninertial frame, "freeze" their shadows on a wall, pick up remote voices with a large parabolic disc, play with bubbles, navigate a flight over Hong Kong Island or Kowloon at night, watch the mechanisms of an eight-cylinder gasoline engine, and learn about herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. There are exhibits designed to test a visitor's fitness, such as lung capacity, endurance, and blood pressure. The computer section has more than 30 personal computers for guests to learn about computer software, including word processing for children and...

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If you visit only one museum in Hong Kong and you're prepared to spend at least 2 hours, this should be it. Make it one of your first priorities, so you'll have a better understanding of what you see during the rest of your trip. The permanent exhibit the Hong Kong Story is an ambitious attempt to chronicle the city's long and fascinating history, starting with the formation of its natural history and its beginnings as a Neolithic settlement and continuing through its development as a fishing village, subsequent transformation into a modern metropolis, and 1997 handover to China. Through displays that include dioramas, replicas of fishing boats, models, reconstructed traditional housing, furniture, clothing, and items from daily life, the museum introduces Hong Kong's ethnic groups and their traditional means of livelihood, customs, and beliefs. These include fishermen who lived their entire lives on boats, the Five Great Clans who settled in what is now the New Territories and built walled communities, the Hoklo (who worked the territories' salt fields), and the Hakka, primarily rice farmers.

You can peer inside a fishing junk, see what Kowloon Walled City looked like before it became...

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A nature reserve in the unlikeliest of spots in the northeastern New Territories designated a site of special scientific interest in 1983 and a wetland of international importance in 1995. There are over 60,000 water birds have wintered in and around the Mai Po, including endangered species such as Saunders' Gull and a quarter of the world's population of the Black-faced Spoonbill. In addition to the birds, the heart of the reserve is made up of 24 traditionally operated shrimp ponds (locally called gei wai), which are now the only such ponds in Hong Kong, and possibly in southern China.

When the gei wai is drained, the areas of shallow water or exposed mud on the pond floor would provide feeding and roosting habitats hundreds of for fish-eating birds, particularly herons, egrets and the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill. Since this traditional form of gei wai management can contribute to the ecological value of the site, WWF Hong Kong is continuing with the winter drain down of the gei wai on a rotation basis. Access to the Reserve is limited so make a reservation well in advance online.

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Set at the foot of Tai Mo Shan this farm consists of more than just a few fields and some livestock. In the late 1940s, brothers Sir Horace and Lord Lawrence Kadoorie, set up what was to become the current farm and botanical gardens. As well as helping with local and international aid projects, the organisation is involved in pioneering organic farming and educating about the environment. A multitude of displays and refreshment areas, as well as a beautiful location, make this worth a visit for kids and adults alike.

Visitors are requested to book in advance.