Hong Kong’s Nightlife – Hong Kong is popularly known for its cosmopolitan culture and nightlife. Its dynamic nightlife is from the dice games to the swanky bars and speakeasies – each on has its own character. Thus, whether your intentions and reason to visit the country is business or personal or travel & leisure – the nightlife has to be on the charts. Like mine, it was a business visit but I made sure I had my share of nightlife in Hong Kong.
There are 3 things what I found while roaming around in Hong Kong and would highlight a few below:
Hong Kong is a compact country but you’ll find ample options for nightlife which are even deeper and concentrated. The narrow streets and insider hidden bars and massage parlours are in the majority. These massage parlous and bars are legal in the country. Not just the massage/spa but they are the female parlours who look for their potential customers on the side of the road and narrow market streets. For my surprise, it was legal as I mentioned above and you would get what you want. Ahah! Well, not creepy it is sensational.
The vast majority of sky-bars, clubs and restaurants are located around the Central area of Hong Kong main island. And please see that you can cross the harbour on a boat and make your way up one of Kowloon’s highland and sexy growing list of rooftop bars too! For more on nightlife read here
“Another thing that you would find is – across these streets there are awesome pubs where people come after their hectic office schedule, have a drink or two and move on to their respective places. There are a lot of places where you can have a drink without being disturbed by anyone” (from a blogger who’s my friend)
Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo are the two most widely held areas for drinking and nightlife in Hong Kong, proposing a variety of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Lan Kwai Fong is in the eventful and flamboyant Central Business District, while SoHo is a bit more erudite, located just south of Hollywood Road (hence the name).
Trouper drinkers often treat Lan Kwai Fong as a drawn-out warm-up before faltering into the Wan Chai area (Hong Kong’s red light district) later in the night. If it’s bludgeoning you’re after, Lan Kwai Fong hosts the city’s best dance floors and red light area. Read below my experience
Lan Kwai Fong hosts some of the city’s best dance floors and is the go-to starting point for a big night out in Hong Kong.
Other than this, there are nightlife districts in Hong Kong such as:
Temple Street Night Market – Yau Ma Tei Kowloon
Nightlife in Kowloon brags a whole host of rooftop bars and clubs that take the full lead of awe-inspiring views crossways the bay to Hong Kong Island. Bars like Ozone is the ‘highest bar in the world’, Aqua spirit, Eyebar and many more. You will find sky-bars and site of the red light area as well.
Causeway bay actually does not have many late night clubs and bars but if you looking for clam and relaxes speakeasies and bars this place is the best for you in Hong Kong. Causeway Bay’s proclivity for delightful vantage points and some friendly local bars will lure you to get integrate yourself into some lively bar-room conversation.
This place is a den for clubbing – you will find hidden bars, underground style clubs with underground clubs and local bars dotted along the streets popular with expats and locals alike and many local style bars dotted around the side on the streets with plenty of drinking spots for expats. Places like – PLAY, Dragon-I and Volar they all assure erotic and exciting night of dancing, and love. Meanwhile, there’s morpmarket Bungalow and this gay-institution of Propaganda and hi-so hangout at Hong Kong Beijing Club. Must visit place for (a bit costly though – to enter you will have to pay to range between – HK$ 120 to HK$ 350). You can ask any local for gay-institution of Propaganda clubs – they refer it “PP”.
Hong Kong nightlife ranges from fashionable art and after-dark shopping to all-night smashing clubs and high-octane entertainment. For me, I have read a lot about Hong Kong but these weird and unusual things about its nightlife were never talked about. And the most surprising thing is they quite easily available here without any fear of police or administration (with all women safety in mind) making it legal still it’s not much being gabbed about.
What Hong Kong Nights Actually Feel Like
I’ll be honest — I went to Hong Kong on a business trip, not a holiday. But Hong Kong pulls you out into its streets whether you planned for it or not. The moment the sun goes down this city shifts into a completely different gear. The neon signs light up, the streets fill with people, the energy just lifts — and suddenly you’re wide awake at midnight wondering where the evening went.
If you’re visiting Hong Kong for any reason at all, here’s what I think is genuinely worth your night.
The Rooftop Bar Experience — Don’t Miss This
If there is one thing Hong Kong does better than almost anywhere in the world, it’s rooftop bars. The skyline from a rooftop here is one of the most dramatic views you will ever see — the harbour, the towers, the lights reflecting off the water. Ozone at the Ritz Carlton in Kowloon holds the title of highest bar in the world and the views genuinely live up to it. Aqua Spirit is another favourite with great cocktails and incredible views across to Hong Kong Island. If you want something less touristy, the rooftop bars in Sheung Wan have a quieter, more local energy that I personally preferred.
The Symphony of Lights — Free and Unmissable
Every night at 8 PM sharp, Hong Kong puts on the Symphony of Lights — a free show where the skyscrapers on both sides of the harbour light up in a choreographed display. Watch it from the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront promenade in Kowloon for the best view. It lasts about 13 minutes, costs nothing, and is the kind of thing that makes you genuinely glad you went out that evening.
Temple Street Night Market
If you haven’t done Temple Street Night Market you haven’t done Hong Kong. It comes alive after dark — fortune tellers, street food, bargain stalls, Cantonese opera performers tucked between the crowds. It’s loud and chaotic and completely wonderful. Go hungry because the food stalls here are some of the best street eating in the city.
A Few Practical Things For the Night
The MTR runs until around midnight on most lines — plan your evening around this if you’re relying on it. After midnight, taxis are reliable and metered. Hong Kong is genuinely one of the safest cities in Asia for solo travellers and women travelling alone — well lit streets, always people around, relaxed atmosphere even late at night. Carry some Hong Kong dollars as smaller bars and street food stalls are often cash only. And eat before you start — the late night dim sum at a local restaurant will be one of the best things you eat on the entire trip.
Read all about Hong Kong to know more about this stunning country