Causeway Bay (銅鑼灣)
Causeway Bay is Hong Kong Island's busiest shopping district, a grid of department stores, malls and side streets packed with noodle shops, three MTR stops east of Central. Locals come here to shop and eat, and for a first visit it is one of the simplest places to stay: the MTR, the trams and the airport bus all stop within a few minutes of your hotel.
A first day here needs no planning. Have a coffee near Times Square, watch the old women 'beating the villains' under the Canal Road flyover, and be at the Noonday Gun by the harbour when it fires at 12 sharp. In the late afternoon, Victoria Park fills with joggers and football games. At night, ride a double-decker tram west to Central — it is the cheapest sightseeing ride in the city.
The honest downside: the pavements around the MTR exits are crowded almost all day, and rooms are small for the price. The Peak and the Star Ferry are 15–20 minutes away, not on the doorstep.
Local picks
For First-Time Visitor- 1Morning coffeeThe Coffee AcademicsStart with a coffee roasted on the premises, a short walk from Times Square. There is a little outdoor seating if the weather is kind.
- 2Local ritualVillain hitting under the flyoverUnder the Canal Road flyover, elderly women beat paper figures of your enemies with a shoe for a small fee. It is busiest in early March around the Jingzhe festival, but you will usually find someone at work.
3Must seeTimes SquareThe mall with the giant screen outside is the district's meeting point. Even if you do not shop, it is useful: clean toilets, air conditioning and restaurants on the upper floors.
4At noonNoonday GunWalk north to the harbour and through the pedestrian tunnel under Gloucester Road to watch the gun fire at exactly 12 o'clock. It takes a minute, but it is one of Hong Kong's oldest traditions and costs nothing.
5AfternoonVictoria ParkThe biggest park on the island, with lawns, a jogging track and football pitches. It is a good place to sit in the shade and watch local life before the evening rush.- 6DinnerThe Red PepperA long-running Sichuan restaurant on Lan Fong Road, known for spicy dishes. Tell them how much heat you can take — they mean it when they say spicy.
7Late snackTsui Wah RestaurantHong Kong's best-known cha chaan teng chain, with milk tea, crispy buns and noodles on an English menu. This branch is open until 2 am, so it works for jet-lagged hunger too.- Getting aroundCauseway Bay · tramsCauseway Bay station is on the Island line: Central is three stops west, with the Peak Tram a short walk from there. The trams on Hennessy Road and Yee Wo Street are slow but cheap, and the A11 bus runs to the airport.
- Where to stayCauseway Bay has everything from big international hotels facing Victoria Park to small budget hotels hidden in office towers. Rooms are compact, so check the size in square metres, and pick a hotel within five minutes of an MTR exit.
Did you know?
| A park on an old typhoon shelter Victoria Park opened in 1957 on land reclaimed from the old Causeway Bay typhoon shelter. |
| A gun fired every day at noon Jardines has fired the Noonday Gun at midday since the 1860s, as a penalty for an unauthorised salute. |
| Times Square since 1994 The Times Square shopping and office complex opened on 13 April 1994. |
| Named after a gong The Chinese name, Tung Lo Wan, means 'copper gong bay', after the round shape of the old bay. |
