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New is the possibility to visit the “Chi Lin Nunnery”:
Spanning an area of more than 33’000 square metres, this nunnery features Tang style wooden temples in a balanced seven-hall layout. The entire complex is held together with wooden tenons instead of nails and is a fine embodiment of ancient Chinese architectural and artistic skills.

Address: 5 Chi Lin Drive, Diamond Hill, Kowloon, Hongkong
Open: (nunnery) 09.00-16.00 (Wednesday closed)
(gardens) 07.00-19.00
Admission: free

Teresa Teng’s Residence: The original furnishing is kept, including the garden, living and dining rooms and her bedroom. There is a showroom displaying her awards, handwritten scripts, costumes, a photo gallery and a souvenir shop.

Address: 18 Carmel Road, Stanley, Hong Kong
Open: 09.30-16.30 (closed every Wednesday afternoon)
The Residence will be open for the public until May 2001.
Booking: Appointment should be made two days in advance for all visits.
Admission: HK $20.00 per person including a souvenir pin.
½ price for age over 60 and children under 12.

There are other new attractions scheduled to be open later this year, including Museum of Coastal Defence, Hongkong Heritage Museum, Madame Tussaud’s and Murray House in Stanley.

Not new is the Stanley Market, Victoria Peak, Aberdeen, Jade Market, Wong Tai Sin Temple, Po Lin Temple on Lantau.......

Hongkong has a subtropical climate with distinct seasonal changes. Typhoon season is May to September and in this term it is very hot and humid with heavy rainshowers. The rest of the year the climate is quite comfortable for activities like sightseeing and shopping. From December to February it can be even cool, it is recommended to bring some warm clothes.

It is very safe to travel in Hongkong, the police force has made the place to one of the safest cities in the world. It is very seldom to hear a tourist was robbed by local people.

It is recommended to avoid the backside streets in the night time.

Hongkong allows visa free stays up to one month to most foreign nationalities, but all visitors must be in possession of a valid passport. Custom formality is not necessary. All kind of drugs are strictly forbidden.

Tourists can travel freely in Hongkong. Be nice to the people, so you will get back a polite kindness. Don’t do anything against the law. Be careful also taking pictures from old people in the villages, some of them are very superstitious, they may think, you will take away their soul.

Most of the foreign currencies in cash or traveller cheques can be changed in the bank or changing offices. The most accepted currency is US Dollars, except in some small shops. Hongkong Dollars are a must for all kind of transportations.

English and Chinese are the official languages; Cantonese is the most widely spoken Chinese dialect.

For tours, guides in other languages can be provided.

Everyone in good health can travel to Hongkong, except those with infectious diseases. There are no vaccinations for foreign visitors required.

You can find Cantonese, Szechuan, Shanghai, Peking, Chiuchow, Indonesien, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Malaysia, Indian, Japanese, Mexican, European.....you see everything! Don’t miss the “Harbour Cruise” incl. Dinner, its one of the highlights.

At the heart of Hongkong lies CENTRAL district. Here the worlds of high finance, brand-name shopping and haute cuisine meet. With more than 20 flagship stores, a great selection of dining options and some of Hongkong’s most interesting buildings, Central has a great deal to offer both tourists and locals alike.

Shopping in Hongkong’s street markets can be a real new experience. From speciality markets (only flowers, birds or lady clothes) to ones that sell almost everything (such as the Temple Street Night Market), these are full of surprises and great bargains.

Whatever you are looking for, you can probably find it in Hongkong, where people like to shop from early morning to late at night. From Jade, Jewellery & precious goods to Chinese Arts & Antiques, from silks, carpets, Chinese medicine & herbs, to electronic and the newest fashion.

The Nathan Road is the most famous shopping boulevard in Kowloon, you will rarely leave it empty-handed.

The tips are actually your decision, is depending on your satisfaction of the service.

Generally, most hostels and restaurants add a 10 per cent service charge on their bill. About five per cent tip is then enough. If there is no service charge included a tip of about 10 per cent is acceptable. Small tips may also be given to service staff in hostels. For taxi drivers, round up the fare to the nearest dollar.

Hong Kong hostels, is located in the Far East, just south of the Tropic of Cancer. Hong Kong Island is 32km (20 miles) east of the mouth of Pearl River and 135km (84 miles) southeast of Canton. It is separated from the mainland by a good natural harbour. The area of Boundary Street to Shenzhen River and a group of 260 islands, now known as the New Territories, were leased to Britain in 1898 for a period of 99 years. The New Territories (plus the 260 islands) comprise 891 sq km (380 sq miles).

Hong Kong IslandHong Kong Island hostels, the harbor lodged between its northern coast and the peninsular of Kowloon jutting out from the mainland was nearly perfect. This 45 sq. km of harbor was thought to be the best deep-water port in the entire region. After many colonial governors later, the value of Hong Kong has gained much clarity.

Wan ChaiWan Cha hostels, the legendary nightlife center of Hong Kong that was featured in the film The World of Suzie Wong, which was about the life of a benevolent Chinese prostitute. By day, Wan Chai is a bustling commercial center as the rents are quite expensive in neighboring Central. Near the waterfront are the Academy for Performing Arts and the Hong Kong Arts Centre, two of the most popular venues for theatrical and cultural performances in Hong Kong. The Art Centre also houses a few galleries, rehearsal rooms, and restaurants that promote the views of the harbor. On the right of the harbor is the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. A HK$4.8 billion convention center extension was completed expeditiously in line with the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China. The extension covers over 16 acres of newly reclaimed land, adding an extra 38,000 sq. meters of function space to the existing convention center.

LantauLantau, among all the outlying islands, the greatest in size and possibly in atmosphere is Lantau. With a land mass twice that of Hong Kong Island, Lantau is still rather traditional, keeping with its rural village lifestyles. The place is tranquil and its serenity has attracted many beleaguered urban dwellers. Lantau is also suitable for the building of many Christian and Buddhist monasteries. Although the island is larger than Hong Kong Island, its population is only about 25,000 people, thus space and peace is guaranteed. The island's calm atmosphere is only disrupted on weekends or public holidays by visitors seeking relief from their hectic schedules.

KowloonKowloon hostels, bearing the meaning 'Nine Dragons', which is only a few square kilometers, is one of the world's most densely populated urban areas with both residents and tourists. It is a peninsula on the north side of the harbour. The southern tip, Tsim Sha Tsui, is a major tourist area, and has seemingly endless blocks of shops and hostels. The areas further north and west are filled with residential and commercial towers and industrial zones that include some of the most cramped and dingy parts of Hong Kong. Boundary St, which cuts across the middle of the peninsula, marks where the British-Chinese border was before Britain snatched the rest of Kowloon along with the New Territories in 1898.

Hung Hom BayHung Hom Bay, this stretch of reclaimed land is congested with hostels, offices and shops. The Kowloon-Canton Railway Station, built in 1975, the trains depart for China and the New Territories from this station. West of the station is the Cross-Harbour Tunnel that links Kowloon to Hong Kong. A 10 minute walk from the station is Hung Hom Ferry Pier, which offers services to Central, Wan Chai, and North Point.

TsimshatsuiTsim Sha Tsui hostels (pronounced 'jim sa joy'), lies at the very tip of the Kowloon Peninsula. About 1 sq krn of shops, restaurants, pubs, topless bars, fast- food places and camera and electronics shops are clustered on either side of Nathan Rd. Among Tsim Tsa Tsui's many run-down guesthouse blocks, the Chungking guesthouses are more prevalent. The guesthouses feature a labyrinth of guesthouses, curry messes, sweat-shops, and sari stores. Most of its residents are from India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Africa. Budget travelers may prefer to stay at the guesthouses because of its affordable room rates.