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Check out Humans of Hong Kong, our newest video series focused on telling Hong Kong stories!
Copyright © 2022 LOCALIIZ | All rights reserved
Check out Humans of Hong Kong, our newest video series focused on telling Hong Kong stories!
Header image courtesy of Paul Wong (Shutterstock)
Originally published by Gigi Wong. Last updated by Beverly Ngai.
Originally a collection of villages, Tsuen Wan has become one of the city’s most buzzing neighbourhoods over the years. It is home to a dazzling array of restaurants, a comprehensive latticework of shopping malls, and incredible things to do. All linked by the Tsuen Wan Town Footbridge Network, the collection of the longest elevated walkways in Hong Kong allows you to reach different parts of the community without having to run against traffic and rain.
Coupled with all kinds of public transportation systems (and ferries!), what you get is one of Hong Kong’s most colourful satellite towns. If you’re getting a bit fed up with Hong Kong Island, dive into our guide for things to do, what to see, and where to eat in the Tsuen Wan neighbourhood—there’s a weekend’s worth of activities, guaranteed.
The Mills is an exciting arts and culture destination, lovingly revitalised from the Nan Fung Cotton Mills. As the cornerstone of the historical Nan Fung Textiles company during Hong Kong’s manufacturing heyday, the former factory has been transformed into a design hub, celebrating the city’s industrial history and creative future.
Its three-story atrium boasts everything from a contemporary art studio space and a ton of stylish cafés and bars for you to unwind, to the plentiful Instagrammable spots, such as a series of murals, the mottled stairs, and the verdant rooftop park. This beautifully-restored building also houses many tech start-ups like Unspun, which produces customised and made-to-order denim jeans. Be prepared to spend an artful and invigorating day there.
The Mills, 45 Pak Tin Par Street, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 3979 2300
Located in the heart of Tsuen Wan, Discovery Park is the ideal destination for families with kids and infants. With an area of over 630,000 square feet, the renowned family-friendly mall is equipped with excellent facilities, such as well-decorated nursery rooms with separated diaper-changing areas to allow multiple families to use simultaneously, as well as partitioned breastfeeding rooms designated for mums.
Unmissable for children is the enormous (and free!) indoor playground on the ground floor atrium. Children are welcome to run, jump, climb, crawl, and slide with their peers on the shoe-free rubber mats. And if your little ones have a penchant for films, Candy Park by Cinema City is a good place to go. As the first-ever kids’ cinema in Hong Kong, it has launched connected parent-child seats for you to cuddle up with your kids during the films.
D Park, 398 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 2940 2822
Make the most of your visit to the fringes of New Territories and take in some tranquil scenery. If you’re up for a stroll, Tsuen Wan Park awaits. Stretching across four hectares, Tsuen Wan Park is located along the coastline, blending in maritime themes into its design. Aside from recreational facilities like a gateball court (seriously, why?), it also contains children’s play areas, tennis courts, cycling tracks, an amphitheatre, and plenty of fountains, gardens, and lakes, as well as a newly-opened four-storey Tsuen Wan Sports Centre. Tsuen Wan Park also extends down to the Tsuen Wan Riviera Park by way of the waterfront promenade for a seaside ramble.
Tsuen Wan Park, 59 Wing Shun Street, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 2408 9592
Dragon Bowling in Tsuen Wan is tucked away in an unsuspecting residential area. Note the glaring and gigantic bowling pin facing towards the main traffic road at Tsuen Wan Garden and you’ll know you’re on the right path.
Boasting a staggering total of 32 lanes, it welcomes players of all ages with no discrimination toward your bowling proficiency level. Up to eight players’ scores can be recorded per lane, so whether it’s a group get-together or some much-needed “me time” to unwind, Dragon Bowling is the place to go.
Sessions are $80 per hour from Mondays to Fridays and $100 on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. Just bring yourself and your pals—their shoe rentals are free!
Dragon Bowling, 1/F, 15–23 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 2494 7383
If the hectic life in Hong Kong has worn you out, going to a cat café and getting some emotional support from feline buddies may help. As the largest cat café in the 852, The Cats Tea Room in Tsuen Wan boasts 1,600 square feet of space and houses 30 adorable furry kitties, 11 of which were strays around Hong Kong.
Incorporating low tables and pouffes, the tearoom encourages guests to interact and engage as much as they can with kitties, all the while contributing to promoting animal welfare and adoption—the mission they commit to helping. You can even buy feline snacks from the café to give them a good treat.
The Cats Tea Room, 1/F, 45 Tai Ho Road, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 2149 6261
Plunge into the hidden depths of the underwater world at the latest talk-of-the-town marine attraction! Integrating real-life marine life displays, interactive multimedia games, and a slew of educational activities into a 10,000-square-foot marine education centre, Cube O Discovery Park is a veritable wonderland for families and aquatic enthusiasts alike. Visitors can immerse themselves in a simulated underworld environment and learn about their favourite oceanic creatures through fun games, or let off some steam with their little ones at the ocean-themed family playhouse. Before you leave, be sure to check out the adjoining Cube O Café and treat yourself to an Instagrammable animal-themed ice cream cone!
Cube O Discovery Park, 8/F, Plaza 88, 88 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 3897 7388
Tsuen Wan is probably Hong Kong’s best-kept foodie secret, and we don’t bandy that honour around lightly. From Sichuan, Taiwanese, and Japanese to Indian, Malaysian, and more, what your hearts desires, you shall find in this eclectic neighbourhood. We’ve highlighted only a small number of our favoured eateries, and we would strongly recommend keeping your options open to grazing and exploring when you’re feeling peckish.
Beans is a homegrown café that opened in Tsuen Wan in late 2015, instantly winning over patrons with their artisanal brews and Western all-day dining format. Even after its consequent expansion to other Hong Kong districts, we still like the original location best for its floor-to-ceiling windows and expansive street views.
Its expansive menu covers all of your favourite brunch offerings of eggs royale ($89), eggs Benedict ($79), and full English breakfast ($112), but we personally like this bustling and social café for their creative twists on breakfast staples. Tuck into a caramel banana breakfast with waffles ($78) for a sweet start to your day that is best accentuated with an acidic cup of joe, or go all-in with a Peking duck bun ($112) or lobster roll ($172). Additionally, their soft-shell crab black truffle spaghetti ($98) is not to be missed and remains a popular item.
Beans, G/F, 99 Hoi Pa Street, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 2777 7006
Sitting in the heart of Tsuen Wan, Magic Touch is a Japanese restaurant that allows patrons to order their favourite foods by tapping away on an iPad. Dishes are then delivered via a mini-replica of the Shinkansen bullet train. As human effort is minimised, it offers a one-of-a-kind Japanese dining experience.
Serving a diverse array of quality sushi, sashimi, fried foods, desserts, and donburi at an affordable price, it takes merely 30 seconds for all of these delicacies to be sent from the kitchen and straight to your table. The restaurant also updates and launches new sushi and afternoon sets from time to time, so stay tuned for specials!
Magic Touch, Shop 1-03, 1/F, Tai Hung Fai Centre, 55 Chung On Street, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 2246 3900
As unpretentious as it gets, Holly Restaurant is a neighbourhood favourite when it comes to dim sum. Spanning across two floors, you rarely have to queue up for a table, even during peak hours and weekends. Its interiors are nothing to write home about, but you’ll instantly feel at ease within its lively atmosphere.
Holly Restaurant offers an expansive set of scrumptious Chinese cuisines that range from dim sum and side dishes to stir-fried delicacies. Must-try dishes include the red braised bean cured ($78), a meatless take on the classic red braised pork dish, as well as the deep-fried Hiroshima oysters ($128), which are cooked with port wine and fried to crispy perfection.
Holly Restaurant, 1 Cheong Tai Street, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 2492 8165
Hidden in an old-style mall near the Tsuen Wan MTR station, this well-loved café has retained a fierce group of loyal customers, always resulting in a long queue outside the diner during peak hours. Kitchen Corner serves Western classics that range from burgers and fries to shakes. For its popularity and fine quality, dishes are offered at quite reasonable prices—just try comparing it to the cafés in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Perhaps one of its most notable dishes is the Aussie Burger ($62), but we kind of like its Chinese name better: the Hot Guy Burger! Much like the name, it’s a hot item and a must-order when visiting the café for the first time. The sweet beetroot slices, sunny-side-up egg, and grilled meat patty match up surprisingly well and cut down the over-greasiness of conventional burgers. The peanut butter milkshake ($37) is another standout that’s replete with the tantalising aroma of peanut butter, sweetened with the creaminess of the milk and cream.
Kitchen Corner, Shop 66, G/F, Cheong Ning Building, 202–216 Sai Lau Kok Road, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 5488 7124
As a coveted food street in Tsuen Wan, Lo Tak Court is foodie heaven, packed with endless stalls and restaurants serving up Chinese, Indian, Korean, and Japanese cuisines. While we do recommend stopping at anything that catches your fancy to make the most of your trip, you cannot miss the grilled meat skewers at Stand Up Eating. Juicy, tender, and dripping a flavourful homemade sauce, they make for a divine afternoon snack!
If you’re looking for dessert, the soft and tender tofu pudding ($3) at Ya Yu is an ideal choice, and it comes at a steal, so best knock back a few more bowls while you can. Of course, these are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to mouthwatering street food in Lo Tak Court. Wander around the eatery hub and see what you can find.
Stand Up Eating, Shop A1, On Foo Building, 25 Tsuen Hing Path, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 2405 3838
Ya Yu Tofu Pudding, Shop 5B, G/F, Cheong Tai Building, 6 Tsuen Hing Path, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 2718 8198
Truly, the better question is, where not to shop? In Tsuen Wan, shopping centres bristle in great numbers. With a slew of upscale malls tapping into the niche family-friendly market, Tsuen Wan has gradually transformed into one of the most convenient places to live in Hong Kong—especially if you have little ones in tow. With no shortage of retail options for you to choose from, we’ve selected just a few of the best to get you started.
If you’ve ever wanted to see what a war of the shopping centres would look like, Tsuen Wan is the place to go. Among those competing for the honour of being crowned one of the largest retail destinations in the district is Tsuen Wan Plaza, a shopping mall that was constructed on reclaimed land from the old Tsuen Wan Ferry Pier. It houses a Broadway Circuit cinema and over 130 different restaurants and shops, ranging from sportswear, accessories, and fashion to home furnishings, personal care, tech, appliances, and more.
Tsuen Wan Plaza, 4–30 Tai Pa Street, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 2417 1709
Would you believe us if we told you that Citywalk is the first “green” shopping centre in Hong Kong? Catering to Tsuen Wan’s growing middle-class residents, this retail development focused heavily on incorporating natural elements into its design, resulting in a vertical garden in the heart of the mall, landscaped water features in the piazza, and a hybrid chiller to improve air quality within the mall, all whilst recycling wastewater!
When it comes to its retail options, you can delight in 140-plus different outlets, making for a well-rounded shopping experience. Global fashion brands are covered, as well as beauty and cosmetics, home furnishings, jewellery and accessories, supermarkets, and more. There’s even a cinema to cater to your entertainment needs!
Citywalk, 1 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 3926 5700
If you’re looking for furnishings and household items in the Tsuen Wan area, then you’ll have to make a beeline for 8½, as its biggest draw is Swedish furniture and minimalistic lifestyle giant Ikea. Its ready-to-assemble home accessories remain a top choice for small-space living in Hong Kong. Aside from Ikea, don’t be fooled into thinking that 8½ is just a one-trick pony; there are also plenty of other retail outlets, such as Philips, DeRucci, Farbe, Sinomax, Magic Living, and Emmas, all geared towards improving your home living experience.
8½, 388 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan | (+852) 2498 1551
Styling itself as the “largest waterfront shopping mall” in Hong Kong, OP Mall—sat above the Tsuen Wan West Station—is an improbable home to a surprising amount of internationally recognised brands, promising residents a one-stop shopping destination. From retail giants like Don Don Donki and Tom Lee to dining options like Ruby Tuesday and Feather & Bone, OP Mall boasts 420,000 square feet of unlimited living essentials.
OP Mall, 100 Tai Ho Road, Tsuen Wan
Last but not least, Skyline Plaza is the neighbourhood go-to for a comprehensive shopping experience. Home to department store Aeon and several large supermarkets, its location within a private housing estates guarantees an affordable way of living for working families and young couples in the Tsuen Wan area. While it’s certainly smaller and older compared to other shopping centres, it offers plenty to cater to your creature comforts.
Skyline Plaza, 88 Tai Ho Road, Tsuen Wan
From Hollywood blockbusters to indie flicks, Gigi loves just everything about films. Aside from rock & roll, she is also partial to jazz and vintage music. You can find her indulging in all sorts of books, eating out, discovering vinyl albums, and playing Blu-ray movies on her TV.
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