A skyline dotted
Hong Kong, a global financial hub, has made a splendid contribution to the world’s architectural history with its unique style, which combines elements of East and West
*Please note that the rankings are listed in no particular order. 1. Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbor separating Hong Kong Island in the south from the Kowloon Peninsula to the north. The bay front is lined with skyscrapers, many of which have shopping malls featuring top-notch brands.
When taking a ride on the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour, visitors are presented with a spectacular view of the city’s skyline. At night, the millions of neon lights in the skyscrapers illuminate the sky, creating a dazzling display.
Visitors can also enjoy an audiovisual feast at Victoria Harbour at 8 pm each night with a light display synchronized to the tune of Symphony of Lights.
2. Bank of China Tower
The Bank of China Tower, a glass skyscraper with triangular frameworks, was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei and completed in 1989. The Hong Kong headquarters of the Bank of China is notable for its impressive height and distinctive design. The building is 367.4 meters high, towering 70 floors above ground level, and is the fourth tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong and the first building outside the United States to have broken the 305-meter mark. The architect drew inspiration for the design from bamboo shoots, which symbolize prosperity and strength in Chinese culture.
The building’s distinctive look has earned it appearances in many blockbusters such as Transformers and Star Trek, making it one of Hong Kong’s most iconic landmarks today.
3. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge
As one of the “seven wonders of the modern world”, the 55-kilometer-long Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is the world’s longest sea-crossing bridge and tunnel system.
It took nine years to construct, and consists of three cable-stayed bridges linking Hong Kong, Macao, and Zhuhai. Since its opening, the bridge has significantly reduced the travel time between Hong Kong and Zhuhai/Macao from 3 hours to 45 minutes, making a onehour living circle a reality for residents travelling between cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
4. Hong Kong West Kowloon Station
Hong Kong West Kowloon Station is the terminus of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. The link connects Hong Kong with the Chinese mainland’s high-speed railway network, which is the world’s largest.
Covering about 11 hectares of land, the station is the largest underground railway station in Hong Kong, and its unique architecture makes it a hotspot for visits.
The giant curtain wall comprises over 4,000 irregular glass panels to maximize daylight and conserve energy, and the curved ceiling is made of over 8,000 tons of steel, which is almost the weight of the Eiffel Tower. Nine sets of massive columns support the spectacular structure of the station, and the tallest one rises 45 meters, up to the curved ceiling. Visitors can enjoy the stunning views of Victoria Harbour by taking a walk along the Sky Corridor to the station’s rooftop, making the station an urban oasis.
5. Hong Kong Palace Museum
Located on the harbor front of the West Kowloon Cultural District, the Hong Kong Palace Museum occupies 13,000 square meters and has an exhibition space of 7,800 square meters.
The museum — the first collaborative project of Beijing’s Palace Museum outside the Chinese mainland — is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, resembling many Chinese classic utensils, and the interior is designed in a symmetrical central axis vertically, a tribute to the horizontal central axis of the Palace Museum in Beijing.
The museum will open on July 2 to mark the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland. It will then exhibit about 900 items from the Palace Museum in Beijing.
6. The Peninsula Hong Kong
With a history of more than 90 years, The Peninsula Hong Kong, opened in 1928, is the city’s oldest hotel, and was the tallest building in Hong Kong when it was completed.
This 7-story building is a notable example of Western architecture and the Baroque revival style, reflected in the lobby with a detailed plaster staircase, decorative stained glass, and wool carpets.
It has welcomed countless celebrities and high-profile guests, including Richard Milhous Nixon (who became US president in 1969), NBA star Michael Jordan, and Queen Elizabeth. It is notable for its large fleet of Rolls-Royces painted in the distinctive “Peninsula green”.
It is one of the buildings that participates in the world’s largest permanent light and sound show — A Symphony of Lights — displayed each night at 8 pm on both sides of Victoria Harbour, and featuring many of the buildings along the harbor front.
7. M+
M+, situated in the West Kowloon Cultural District, is Asia’s first global contemporary visual culture museum.
The building features a podium and a slender tower, which are combined to form the shape of an upside-down “T”. The podium includes 17,000 square meters of exhibition space across 33 galleries, three cinema houses, a learning hub, and other facilities. The tower houses the museum’s research center, offices, restaurants, and lounge.
Opened in November 2021, M+ features a vast collection of over 6,000 pieces from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, and other parts of Asia, and highlights three fields — visual art, design and architecture — as well as moving images.
While traditional museums focus on exhibiting, researching and analyzing, M+ houses the Artist Square for creative interaction and social connection, where visitors can interact directly with the contemporary artworks.
8. AsiaWorld-Expo Hong Kong International Airport &
Hong Kong International Airport, completed in 1998, is on the reclaimed island of Chek Lap Kok.
It is the world’s busiest airport for cargo and one of the world’s busiest for passenger throughput, with around 120 airlines serving over 220 destinations worldwide, and located less than five flying hours away from half the world’s population. It has earned recognition as the world’s best airport over 80 times. Since its opening, the airport has consistently been regarded as one of the best and most modern aviation facilities in the world.
As one of the world’s premier exhibition and entertainment venues, AsiaWorld-Expo has over 70,000 square meters of space with 10 ground-level and column-free halls, and has won over 50 major awards since its opening.
Its large versatile spaces, high ceilings, state-of-the-art facilities, and flexible configurations are ideal for every event, from exhibitions, conventions, sports competitions, concerts, and large-scale banquets, to a vote-counting center during elections. It has been in use
Hong Kong has many facets in the eyes of its large and diverse population. To mark the 25th anniversary of the city’s retu
9. Hong Centre Kong Convention and Exhibition
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, located on the waterfront at Victoria Harbour, is an iconic landmark, with its distinctive glass structure of beautiful flowing lines designed to resemble a bird in flight.
Built on reclaimed land in 1988, it has hosted many of the world’s largest and most prestigious events. It was the site of the 1997 Hong Kong handover ceremony, witnessing the end of British rule. It has also been the venue for several chief executive elections, including Hong Kong’s sixth-term CE poll. The highly popular annual Hong Kong Book Fair is also held at the venue.
10. Tai Kwun
Situated in Central, Tai Kwun, the former Central Police Station compound, opened to the public as a cultural and shopping destination in 2018. With a history going back 170 years, the new art and culture center comprises 16 historic buildings and two new modern blocks.
Crowned Hong Kong’s largest ever historic building revitalization project, Tai Kwun gives visitors a glimpse of the city’s streets and life in the late 19th century, including the cramped cells of the police station at that time.
It is dubbed the courtyard at the heart of one of the densest cities in the world.
11. HK Clock Tower in Tsim Sha Tsui
Standing at 44 meters tall, the Hong Kong Clock Tower was erected in Tsim Sha Tsui in 1915 and is the only remnant of the former Kowloon station, terminus of the KowloonCanton Railway, which carried millions of Chinese into the city, many destined for other parts of the world to begin new lives.
The once-bustling station is long gone, but this red brick and granite tower, now preserved as a declared monument, survives as an elegant reminder of the Age of Steam and serves as a continuous witness to the city’s continuous flow of people.
12. Chungking Mansions
Chungking Mansions, which opened on Nathan Road in 1961, is a 17-story, five-block building featuring guesthouses, curry restaurants, African bistros, clothing shops, sari stores, and foreign exchange offices.
The building made a splash when it appeared in the