The island’s main settlement lies along the narrow strip of land connecting the headlands to the north and the south. The waterfront is a bustling place and the maze-like streets and alleyways are filled with old Chinese-style houses and tumbledown shops selling everything from plastic buckets to hell money and other combustible grave offerings. The streets close to the waterfront are pungent with the smell of incense and fish hung out to dry in the sun.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
8.49 MILES
Po Lin is a huge Buddhist monastery and temple complex that was built in 1924. Today it seems more of a tourist honeypot than a religious retreat,…
9.57 MILES
This cable-hauled funicular railway has been scaling the 396m ascent to the highest point on Hong Kong Island since 1888. A ride on this clanking tram is…
8.74 MILES
Standing at 552m, Victoria Peak is the highest point on Hong Kong Island. It is also one of the most visited spots by tourists, and it’s not hard to see…
9.32 MILES
One of Hong Kong’s oldest temples and a declared monument, atmospheric Man Mo Temple is dedicated to the gods of literature (‘Man’), holding a writing…
High Island Reservoir East Dam
24.51 MILES
Handsome architecture, the South China Sea, and 140-million-year-old volcanic rocks make this one of Hong Kong's most breathtaking places. High Island…
11.45 MILES
Prepare to be whisked through millennia of Hong Kong history at this extraordinary museum, starting with prehistory (don't linger, the best is yet to come…
26.35 MILES
Part of Hong Kong Global Geopark, 400-year-old Lai Chi Wo is Hong Kong's best-preserved Hakka walled village and has an intact woodland. With 200 houses,…
11.45 MILES
When night falls and neon buzzes, Hong Kong's liveliest market rattles into life. Covering multiple city blocks from Man Ming Lane in the north to Nanking…
Nearby Outlying Islands attractions
0.14 MILES
You'll find plenty of dried seafood, plus staples such as vegetables, rice and meat, at this traditional food market.
0.15 MILES
Tung Wan beach, east of the ferry pier, is not Cheung Chau’s prettiest beach but it’s the longest and most popular. The far southern end of Tung Wan is a…
0.2 MILES
This colourfully restored temple from 1783 is the epicentre of the annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival, held in late April or early May. The most important…
0.3 MILES
This small temple houses a 2.5m statue of the god Kwan Kung, a Han dynasty general, made from a whole camphor tree.
0.4 MILES
East of the ferry pier and just south of Tung Wan beach is Kwun Yam Wan, a quiet spot popular with windsurfers. Go up the footpath and look for the sign…
0.42 MILES
This small temple is dedicated to Kwun Yam, the goddess of mercy. A footpath uphill from the southeastern end of Kwun Yam Wan will lead you here.
0.8 MILES
Peak Rd is the main route to the island’s cemetery in the southwestern part of the island; you’ll pass several pavilions along the way built for coffin…
0.82 MILES
In Sai Wan, there's a Chinese village gate with a Canadian flag and the word 'Care'. It's the entrance to one of Cheung Chau's three Care Villages. In the…