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Instagrammers, amateurs and professionals alike will agree that Hong Kong is an incredibly photogenic city. There’s the intense buzz and quirky corners, the visual contrast of the old and the new, as well as the impressive city skyline and serene nature. A photo walkabout in Hong Kong is a very rewarding experience. Bookmark these places and get your cameras and phones out!
The Peak
Image Credit: Wikimedia
This literally tops the place as the best spot to capture Hong Kong in its full splendor. This is one of the few places in the world where harbor and skyscrapers come together so beautifully to give you a breathtaking view. The observation platform is a great place to capture this glorious scene, but the views from Luggard Road at sunrise or at night are absolutely stunning and will probably be less crowded.
Temple Street Night Market
Image Credit: Wikimedia
This buzzing night market is teeming with life and draws both locals and tourists. Curios, food, clothing, souvenirs, opera singers and fortune tellers come together in the evenings and what you have is a sensory overload that leaves no visual gaps. That makes for a great night out with the camera. To get a shot of the length of the market, go up the Yau Ma Tei multi-storey carpark on Kansu Street.
Cheung Chau Island
Step away from the skyscrapers and hoards of people and give yourself a break on Cheung Chau Island. This laid-back little island also happens to be a great place for photography thanks to its mix of culture and nature. Have an alfresco lunch at Pak She Praya Road where you can kick back or photograph the fishing boats which are still in use today. You can also stay till sunset and make your way up to the North Lookout Pavilion, the highest point on the island.
Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery
Image Credit: Wikimedia
Apart from the skyline along the Victoria Harbour, the Big Buddha is perhaps one of Hong Kong’s most iconic landmarks. Visit the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island where you can take your shot of the 34-metre high statue before making you way up 268 steps to the base of the statue amidst a beautiful backdrop of mountains and the sea. The Po Lin Monastery is also a work of art that features architectural designs of the Ming and Qing dynasties, which make for stunning images.
If you have more time on your hands, consider spending the night at Lantau so that you can climb Lantau Peak, the second-highest summit in Hong Kong. The sunrise from the peak is sublime.
Nathan Road
Image Credit: Flickr
Nathan Road is the quintessential Hong Kong that appears on travel magazines. Jam-packed with people, traffic lights, cars, one neon sign stacked on top of the other, and buildings that have seen better days. Nathan Road is a pleasure for the camera lens and for the eyes, if you’re so photographically inclined. Whether it’s night time when the neon lights come alive, or in the day, this is one of the best places to capture a somewhat Wong Kar Wai-ish scene of Hong Kong that’s somewhere in between nostalgia of decades past, yet still absolutely current.
Victoria Harbour
The Peak gives you Hong Kong the skyline from the top while going to the Victoria Harbour itself lets you capture the pulse of one of the busiest ports in the world, complete with a stroll along the skyscrapers that best encapsulates the city that never sleeps. What might give your shot the distinct Hong Kong flavor is when a traditional Chinese junk cruises past, giving a historical context to Hong Kong’s undisputed place in the world of trade.
Western District Public Cargo Pier
With the nickname Instagram Pier, you know that this is not a place to visit unless your smartphone has battery and memory space. There’s a good reason why it’s so popular, and that’s because after a rainfall you get a perfect reflection of the sky, almost like in Salar de Uyuni. As you can imagine, there will be tons of people giving contemplative poses around the pier, so join in the fun and take your best #nofilter shot ever.