8 beautiful Hong Kong waterfronts that are not Victoria Harbour

This stretch of promenade is interesting because it has been designed with a little recycling and sustainability in mind. The entire site used to be a container port, and a nod to this history remains in the promenade’s stand-out landmark: a blocky tower illuminated with multi-coloured lights, which took its inspiration from the huge amounts of compressed recycled paper that were once stacked up in the old cargo area. Looking out from the boardwalk will grant views of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and a post-industrial landscape of cranes and container barges, with sections of Whampoa, Quarry Bay, and North Point in the distance.

How to get there: Ngau Tak Kok MTR station is located closest to the Kwun Tong Promenade, but it’s also easily accessible from Kwun Tong MTR station as well.

Due to its proximity to the Shun Tak Ferry Terminal, the Central and Western District Promenade overlooks what is possibly Hong Kong’s busiest section of Victoria Harbour. There are always boats and vessels passing by, on their way to Macau or the various outlying islands in our territories.

Running the length of the waterfront all the way from Sheung Wan to the HKU and Shek Tong Tsui area, the promenade includes several sections that jut out from the boardwalk proper and extend out to sea, with play areas, grassy sections, work-out stations, and seating. These really do make for excellent spots to simply kick back and gaze out to sea. Of course, the promenade is also connected to the excellent Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park, with its well-appointed green spaces, sports centre, ball courts, and swimming pool.

How to get there: Exit A2 of Sai Ying Pun MTR station will bring you closest to the Sun Yat-sen Park, which marks the start of the Central and Western District Promenade, but it’s also super easy to get there from Exit D of Sheung Wan MTR station—Shun Tak Centre—as you’ll be on the right side of the highway flyover.

Though really quite small in size, Stanley Promenade is one of Hong Kong’s most picturesque waterfronts. The crescent-shaped bay is lined with a good range of bars and eateries with outdoor seating—usually frequented by dogs and their owners—which lends the whole place a distinctly laid-back holiday vibe. The boardwalk itself is lined with trees and benches, with the sea cordoned off by a breakwater.

Do note that while the neighbourhood of Stanley is generally very dog-friendly, furry friends are not allowed on the boardwalk. It’s ever so pleasing to look out and be able to see Murray House and Blake Pier on one end, and rocky boulders outside Shui Sin Temple on the other, all in one glance. Stanley Back Beach—one of Hong Kong’s few dog-friendly beaches—is also just a stone’s throw away from the southern end of the promenade.

How to get there: From Exchange Square in Central, hop onto buses 6, 6A, 6X, 73, and 260 to Stanley.

Tuen Mun sounds like a rather unlikely area to visit if you’re looking for pretty waterfronts, but you’d be surprised. Stretching from Butterfly Beach to the mouth of Tuen Mun River, the majority of the promenade is a quiet paved path lined on one side with small shops, and on the other by the cordoned off waters. In the distance, you might be able to see our airport in Chek Lap Kok, as well as lots of cranes and barges along Tung Wan and Castle Peak Bay.

How to get there: The closest station is the Tuen Mun Ferry Pier MTR Light Rail stop. You could also take the ferry, and alighting at Tuen Mun Ferry Pier will put you in the middle of the promenade’s length.