HONG KONG
Hong Kong – a fusion of Chinese tradition and Western influence. The seven-million-metropolis has been on my travel list for a number of years. This summer, I finally got the chance to visit as part of my summer trip to Asia. Read along for my Hong Kong Top Instagram Spots.
Before heading to Singapore (find the Journey post on Singapore here) I spent almost two weeks in Hong Kong. Although I have experienced the 2019 summer demonstrations and protest, I will not include my thoughts on that matter in this Hong Kong Architecture Photography post. Instead, I want to give you a list of 13 Hong Kong Best Instagram Spots and show you how to possibly include a person in the composition.
| Impressions |
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| Hong Kong Photography Spots |
I spent roughly one and a half weeks in Hong Kong and prepared a photography route for most of those days. Since public transport is super easy to use, it’s very convenient to just get an Octopus Card to travel within the city. I decided to stay in Wan Chai, a district in the center of Hong Kong Island. From there it was quite easy to get anywhere by subway or bus.
The following list of Hong Kong Best Instagram Spots will take you from West to East – from North to South. Many of these places are not located in the touristy city center but in residential districts on the outer rings of the city. As usual, spots are listed in no particular order but include some personal insight on what I have experienced there.
1. Choi Hung Estate
Look at all these vivid colors. Who wouldn’t want to play basketball at this iconic sports court in Hong Kong? Did you know this basketball court is located on top of a car park surrounded by public housing? That’s what I call using space effectively. I just wish Germany had more of those colorful sports grounds for me to photograph. Definitely one of the top spots in Hong Kong.
Time spent here: 2 hours
2. Pan Pacific Hotel
Located at the top level of a shopping mall this hotel complex is an architecture dream. Perfect symmetrical lookup shots and glass facade reflections are found everywhere when walking around.
Time spent here: 1 hour
3. Xiqu Centre
Located at the eastern edge of the West Kowloon Cultural District, the Xiqu Centre is Hong Kong’s new venue for Cantonese opera and other forms of Chinese traditional theatre (called Xiqu). Even if you don’t want to experience the shows yourself, this huge open place is worth visiting for its stunning architecture. In contrast to the modern-looking interior a little tea house represents how old traditions still play a central part in modern Hong Kong.
Time spent here: 2 hours.
4. Lok Wah Estate
Probably the bluest circle in the world. This iconic IG spot has been on my wishlist for soooo long. Once I got there you first get surprised by how small and basic everything looks there. However, it’s so much fun playing around with depth and perspective here.
Time spent here: 1 hour.
5. Innovation Tower / Polytechnic University
Designed by Zaha Hadid, this concrete complex offers so many great angles to shoot from. Unfortunately, it became a place of protest in Fall 2019 with demonstrators being held there by surrounding police for days. I hope study life has somewhat become normal again there.
Time spent there: 1 hour.
6. Quarry Bay
Widely known from the “Transformer” movie, Quarry Bay is a little hidden backyard of an apartment building. There are actually two very similar looking backyards next to each other so you want to check out both since they are slightly different in color. To be honest I was expecting a bit more from this place.
Time spent here: 2 hours.
7. Space Museum / Arts Centre
I randomly stumbled upon this long pathway while walking along the river. If you enjoy leading lines in your image, this place might be something to stop by.
Time spent here: 0.5 hours.
8. Victoria Park Center Court
This tennis court was one of my personal favorites and biggest surprises when visiting Hong Kong. The fact that you can book a stadium tennis court for an hour (or more) for a fair price is great by itself. In addition, I am amazed by how easy and unproblematic it is to use my drone in Hong Kong – they even encourage you to do so. Oh and before I forget: This Hong Kong sign is real and not edited – isn’t that sick?
Time spent here: 1.5 hours
9. Lai Tak Tsuen
Built in 1975, it is one of the first public housing developments in Hong Kong. It was the second self-funded rental project of the Hong Kong Housing Society. Today, it is the last housing complex with a circular design left. Getting inside can be quite tricky since photography is not allowed there because of the overwhelming amount of people just visiting for their own needs instead of respecting the residents. That being said, you can reach out to security and ask kindly for a short time frame to shoot.
Time spent here: 0.5 hours
10. French International School of HK
One of the first international schools in Hong Kong is known for its vivid window colors. Although you can’t get inside the school complex, the window facades make for a nice minimal look.
Time spent here: 20 minutes
11. Ping Shek Estate
Have you noted that public housing estates in Hong Kong are very unique? Here’s another one well-known for its infinity lookup. The white lines contrast so well with the dark red wooden panels. Again, please make sure to respect residents living here. Fun fact: The elevator goes up by 4 levels each time and you have to take the right one to get to a specific level.
Time spent here: 1 hour.
12. Wai Yip Street
With so many busy main streets in Hong Kong it can be quite difficult to get to the other side of a street. Luckily, there are some elevated crossing pathways like the one above. Because of its length it creates a wonderful depth of view.
Time spent here: 0.5 hours.
13. Taikoo Place
This commercial building complex is not just great for air conditioning but also for capturing busy daily office life. There is even a designated worker to direct the crowds of people coming from the 12 elevators. Yeah, it took me a lot of time to get this empty shot – well maybe you spotted the woman who tried to hide from me.
Time spent here: 0.5 hours.
More Spots to visit
Even though I have been to Hong Kong for 10 days, I still want to come back in April 2020. I will revisit some of my 13 Hong Kong Best Instagram Spots mentioned above as well as exploring new ones.
- various colorful sports courts
- Hong Kong Design Institute
- Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre
- Drone Shots
- Tai Kwun Contemporary
- Sham Shui Po
- Suicide Cliff Kowloon Peak
- Tuen Mun
- Hong Kong Remote Harbour
- West Kowloon Station
- Sai Wan Swimming Shed
- Po Lin Monastery
- Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car
- Lugard Road
- Chi Lin Nunnery
Final thoughts
I could easily include another set of photographs for this Hong Kong Architecture Post but I will leave that for a future update. Hong Kong was on my travel list for so long and I am glad I will return in April 2020.
I’d especially like to thank Hong Kong local Thomas Fung (IG handle: @thomas_fung) for inspiring me and pointing me to some spots I couldn’t figure out.
