A Symphony of Lights

The neon-clad skyscrapers which are creeping ever closer to each other on both sides of Victoria Harbour are to Hong Kong what the Statue of Liberty is to New York. They are the sight most people have in mind when they think about coming here, and nearly every guidebook carries their image on their covers.

The ingenious folks at HK tourism are well aware of this, and after days locked in a meeting room deciding how they can make this awe-inspiring sight of glass, steel and neon even more, well, awe-inspiring, the conclusion they came to seemed kinda obvious...stick even more lights on the buggers!!!

But that wasn't enough. Not content with more lights that flash and laser beams that shoot out from over 70 stories high across the harbour sky, it was decided for the thing to be really spectacular it should be set to cheesy music.

And so every night at 8pm (barring a Typhoon or Rainstorm warning at any time that same day) the skyline from Causeway Bay to Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island and from Tsim Sha Tsui to Hung Hom on the Kowloon side dances to the Symphony of Lights - a 15-minute laser and light show choreographed around the themes of "Awakening", "Energy", "Heritage", "Partnership", and "Celebration".

It's cheesy as hell, but well worth seeing, as the skyline is impressive enough by itself but really comes to life with the addition of flashing lights and laser beams. The top spots to go and see the show are The Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, by the Wan Chai Exhibition Centre next to Wan Chai ferry pier on Harbour Road, and from Victoria Peak.

At the first two places you'll get the musical accompaniment, and in all three you'll have to sharpen your elbows and nudge your way into a good spot among the crowds. The Avenue of Stars is where you'll get the classic view of the Central skyline (as shown in my photo), whereas the Wan Chai spot gives you an all-round harbour view. The show from the Peak can be a bit of a letdown, as some of the lights on the front of the buildings can't be seen.

An alternative to these three places (and the first of your LostInHK mega tips!) is to head to a rooftop garden near the Central ferry pier. Exit the IFC mall next to the CitySuper supermarket and follow the walkway past the escalators and round to the left. There's a small garden next to bar from where you can see all the lights in Central, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Shui and there are absolutely no crowds. There's a bar up there, which often has live music (much better than the cheesy stuff served up for the show!) and you could even grab a cheeky Ben and Jerry's ice cream right by the exit to the IFC! Nice!

http://www.tourism.gov.hk/symphony/english/details/details.html