ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION

Hong Kong is a vibrant mix of East and West, old and new, where the abacus is almost as prevalent as the pocket calculator, and high-tech architecture soars above ancient temples.

VENUES OF ENTERTAINMENT

Located in the Tsimshatsui area of Kowloon, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre can easily be reached by the Star Ferry or by the MTR (Mass Transit Railway). Programs at the Cultural Centre feature famous names in the world of music with operas, symphony concerts and recitals.

The Academy of Performing Arts in Wanchai is just 10 minutes from the hotel by car. It offers a variety of arts performances including ballet, Western and Chinese concerts as well as plays.

City Hall is across the street from the hotel and hosts smaller cultural events such as movie screenings, recitals and concerts. Shatin Town Hall (Shatin) and Tuen Mun Town Hall (Tuen Mun) feature Chinese opera, ballet and musicals.

SPECIAL EVENTS

All Chinese holidays follow the lunar calendar and therefore, exact dates cannot be given.

Chinese New Year falls anywhere between late January and the middle of February and is the most colourful and joyous of the Chinese festivals. Marketplaces are full of plum blossoms, red azaleas, oranges and tangerines while bright red paper couplets expressing good fortune are prominently displayed in shops and homes. Hong Kong observes Chinese New Year with a four-day public holiday at which time families and friends celebrate together and many businesses close.

Guests can enjoy a stroll through the Flower Market on Chinese New Year's Eve and view the fireworks over Victoria Harbour on the second day of Chinese New Year.

Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese feast day celebrated in late May or early June that involves teams who race each other in brightly painted and decorated boats and celebrates with glutinous rice filled with a variety of beans, fruits, salted egg, meats, or walnuts and wrapped tightly in bamboo or lily leaves. The festival commemorates a loyal minister in the third century B.C. who tried to advise the king on how to keep peace with neighbouring states, but his advice was rejected and he was banished from the kingdom. Later, he learned the capital city had been overtaken in the war and in a fit of despair, threw himself into the river and drowned. People got into boats and raced to find him, but to no avail. Realizing he had drowned, they threw rice wrapped in leaves into the river so his soul would not starve.

Dragon Boat races are held all over Hong Kong, many of which are corporate teams competing against each other for a prize.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Harvest Moon as it is known in the United States, is a celebration of the full moon, usually in early to mid-September. Chinese legend surrounding the mystery of the moon involves a lady of the court and her husband, a master archer employed by the emperor, who was assigned the arduous task of shooting down nine out of ten suns that appeared one day and burned so fiercely that the very existence of all living creatures on earth was threatened. The archer was rewarded for his bravery with an elixir of immortality and hid it away. His wife, however, found the elixir and swallowed it. She suddenly rose into the air and flew all the way to the moon where she resides today. "Moon" cakes which are sold during this time are made of flaky pastry and filled with an assortment of date paste, egg yolk, or lotus seed paste and are a modern version of the traditional offerings made to the Lady of the Moon.

Parents take their children to buy colourful paper or plastic lanterns and head for the beaches to view the moon, so many people opt to barbecue outdoors so friends and family can also enjoy the view.

SPORTING

Horseracing is a favourite pasttime of Hong Kong people. Two racetracks, one in Happy Valley and the other in Shatin, hold alternate races on Wednesdays and Saturdays from the months of September to Tune. General admission fees apply.

Guests can enjoy the use of public tennis courts at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. Advance bookings need to be made in person as they require proper identification (passport, i.d. card) to register. Nominal fees apply.

Two 18-hole golf courses open to the public are located in Deep Water Bay (30 minutes from the hotel) and Clear Water Bay (1 hour from the hotel). Both courses accept cash only and three-day advance tee times can be booked through the hotel concierge.

Other sporting opportunities include:

• Hong Kong Stadium - Generally hosts large events
• Victoria Park - Hosts Marlboro Tennis Open and Salem Tennis Open
• Beaches
• Water-skiing
• Windsurfing
• Horseback riding

HISTORIC/CULTURAL

Located on Hollywood Road, Man Mo Temple is dedicated to the Taoist gods of literature (Man) and Martial Arts (Mo) who sit side-by-side on the main altar where huge incense coils suspend from the ceiling.

The Museum of Tea Ware is one of Hong Kong's oldest surviving colonial-style buildings and houses a wide selection of teapots, cups and utensils. Within walking distance from the hotel in Hong Kong Park. Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Bird Market, off Prince Edward Road in Kowloon, offers hundreds of songbirds for sale. The prices reflect the birds' singing ability, rather than their plummage. A charming garden features a pavilion with rest area as well as 70 bird stalls which offer for sale cages and other paraphernalia for bird owners. Open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Street markets are a lively aspect of Hong Kong. The stalls at the Ladies' Market in Mong Kok sell everything from inexpensive ladies' clothing to bags and accessories. Open daily from noon to 10:30 p.m.

Another popular Mong Kok street market is Temple Street where impromptu Cantonese opera performances and fortune-tellers provide an eclectic mix against the background of inexpensive street stalls. Open from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m daily.

One of the most famous ferry rides is also the shortest (eight minutes). The Star Ferry, which runs from Central to Tsimshatsui, has been chugging across Victoria Harbour since 1898. Operates daily from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Lantau Island is home to the world's largest, seated, outdoor bronze Buddha. Situated 520 metres above the Po Lin Monastery, the monastery is a vast complex of religious inscriptions and statues of Buddha. Lantau can be reached by taking the outlying island ferry to Silvermine (Mui Wo) from the pier in Central.

Other historical/cultural opportunities include: