Hong Kong for autumn 2007

Interested in visiting Hong Kong this year? Here is all the latest news including new restaurants, bars, hotels and attractions to discover, along with some important dates for your diary.

Olympic equestrian venues in Hong Kong now complete

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has announced the completion of its 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic equestrian venues.

The HKJC’s Sha Tin race facilities have been used as the foundation for the Olympic and Paralympic venues. Additional competition and training facilities have been incorporated into the Hong Kong Sports Institute, the Jockey Club Beas River Country Club and the adjacent golf course.

Environmentally friendly materials have been used in the construction where feasible. These include recycled rubber 'crumbs' used for internal equine walkways and old telegraph poles used for jumps. In the stabling complex, lighting and air-conditioning systems offer energy savings of up to 30 per cent on conventional installations.

Penfold Park to become Hong Kong equine tourist attraction post Olympics

Penfold Park in the centre of Sha Tin Racecourse will be turned into an interactive equine park for the public, creating a lasting legacy for Hong Kong post Olympics 2008. Details of the new attraction will be announced nearer the time.

Tickets to Beijing 2008 Olympics equestrian events in Hong Kong available now

Tailor made packages including the 2008 Olympics and Paralympics equestrian events in Hong Kong, are now available exclusively in the UK from Sportsworld. Gold, silver and bronze packages offer different grades of accommodation.

Prices per person start from £1,250 including entrance to the eventing competition, five nights accommodation with breakfast, airport transfers and meet and greet, official Olympics merchandise, a welcome drinks reception, transfers to and from Olympic venues and a pre-trip information pack. Flights are sold separately.

Brochures including full details are available by download from the website Sports world.co.uk.

Winners of Hong Kong Olympic horse jump design competition announced

Traditional Chinese operatic and folk art, dim sum and tea drinking have inspired the three winning horse jump designs that will be used in the Olympic show jumping arena in 2008.

The competition netted a total of 2,093 entries from five different continents in the Junior (under 16), Senior (16 and above) and Professional (trained designer and design students) categories.

A 15-year-old Hong Kong student’s design featuring bauhinia flower, chopsticks and noodles motifs was judged best Junior entry. From the Senior category a 22-year-old Beijing student won with her ‘Flying Horse and Startled Swallow’ entry. In the Professional category a Hong Kong design student took home the prize with his image of a bamboo steamer containing dim sum – a delicacy in teahouses across China.

For the actual Olympic jumping events, around 50 fences will be produced with 15 to 17 fences used on each competition day.

Visit equestrian2008.org for more information.

OTHER NEWS

New MP3 Mobile Host service launched by the Hong Kong Tourism Board

The Hong Kong Tourism Board’s “Mobile Host” service is now also available for MP3 users. Visitors can download and listen to vivid commentaries on 42 key attractions in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. MP3 guides are available free of charge from: Discoverhongkong.com/mobilehost/eng/audio_index.html

Hong Kong Mobile Host downloads and services are also available for PDA and mobile phone users.

New Golf Course opens at Hong Kong International Airport

The new Nine Eagles nine-hole golf course, located next to Hong Kong International Airport’s Terminal 2 and adjacent to Asia World Expo (AWE), has opened on Lantau Island.

The facility comprises seven par three holes and two par four holes, against the backdrop of Lantau’s green hills. The complex also features a clubhouse complete with a Thai restaurant, function rooms, a foot massage area, a pro-shop and a golf academy.

The golf course is open to airport passengers and staff, airport hotel staff and workers, guests or visitors of Asia World-Expo.

Enhanced Nature Kaleidoscope programme starts September 2007

Discover Hong Kong’s hidden treasures from September 2007 to February 2008 with Traway Travel’s new tour of the undeveloped Northeast New Territories.

Largely inaccessible by road, the island hopping tour departs from the Ma Lui Shi Public Pier. The Tolo Channel fault line offers a fascinating insight into the geology of the area en route to the Yan Chau Tong Marine Park. Literally translated as “double heaven” the tranquil conservation area was used by The Royal Yacht Britannia as a mooring place.

A 400-year-old walled Hakka village and nature trail at Lai Chi Wo and Crooked Island, site of 100-year-old Tin Hau Temple and an ancient Banyan “tree of love”, are further highlights. The tour concludes with a light lunch at Grass Island - where Tanka people still farm fish – in a traditional restaurant.

The six and a half hour trip costs HK$380 (around £24.30) with Traway Travel Ltd as part of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) Nature Kaleidoscope Programme. Other new tours include the free Long Valley Eco-tour hosted by the Conservancy Association and the Mai Po Wetland Experience hosted by the WWF, which costs HK$120 (£7.60)

For more information, visit DiscoverHongKong.com.

TRANSPORT – New links with Mainland China

New ferry service between Hong Kong International Airport and Zhuhai

A new ferry service between Hong Kong International Airport and Zhuhai on the mainland was launched on July 10, 2007.

Benefits to travellers include the reduction in immigration and customs and procedures at SkyPier, a luggage transfer service from SkyPier to Jiuzhou Port, Zhuhai an onward, transfer service to other ports in the area such as Jiangmen, Toishan, Kaiping, Xinhui and Guangzhou.

Log on to cksp.com.hk to find out more.

Newly opened Shenzhen Bay Bridge enhances links from Hong Kong to Mainland

The newly opened 5.5 km long Shenzhen Bay Bridge now makes travel from Hong Kong to Mainland China even more convenient. Work started on the colossal engineering project in August 2003.

The striking new landmark, formed of elevated viaducts and cable-stayed bridges, connects Ngau Hom Shek in Hong Kong’s New Territories with the boarder crossing in Shekou into the Shenzhen region of China. Initially, the bridge is expected to accommodate an estimated two-way vehicle flow of around 29,800 per day, rising to 60,300 in 2016.

Hong Kong’s Lok Ma Chau Spur Line inaugurated

The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) has commenced services of the new Lok Ma Chau Spur Line of the East Rail.

The 7.4-kilometre spur line, diverging from the mainline north of Sheung Shui Station, provides an alternative crossing for East Rail passengers to Shenzhen. Operating at 10 to 12-minute intervals, the journey from East Rail’s southern terminus at East Tsim Sha Tsui Station to Lok Ma Chau Station takes about 45 minutes, without any interchange.

For more information, visit kcrc.com.

HOTEL NEWS

Langham Hotel Hong Kong undergoes US$22 million renovation

Hong Kong’s Langham Hotel will complete the first phase of a US$22 million (approx £11 million) renovation in October 2007. Second and third phases will begin in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

The project, managed by Andy Tait of LRF Design, will transform 495 guestrooms. Rooms will undergo a total redesign and be equipped with all new furniture, ornate bathrooms, linens, drapery, artwork and state-of the-art technology. One hundred and fifty guest rooms will be turned into ‘Grand Rooms’. Langhamhotels.com.

Eaton Hotel Hong Kong’s US$18 million makeover nears completion

With state-of-the-art technology and comfortable urban design features, the Eaton Hotel will offer business travellers and conference and meetings organisers stylish yet cost effective facilities on completion of its US$18 million upgrade.

Decorated in calming earth tones, guest rooms, furnished with comfortable Eaton Easy desk chairs and luxury linens, will have broadband Internet access and iHome IH5WB technology - a stereo clock radio that connects to iPods.

Its new high tech 3,000 sq metres Eaton Hotel Banquet and Conference Centre, has a flexible configuration and can accommodate up to 550 people. In addition, a new E-club executive floor concept offers business travellers a space to work, meet and relax in. Eaton-hotel.com.

Hotel Panorama by Rhombus opens in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui

With its panoramic view of Victoria Harbour, Hotel Panorama by Rhombus opened in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong earlier this year. It features 324 contemporary guest rooms including 12 spacious suites.

The hotel has excellent transport links to every part of Hong Kong via nearby Airport Express Link, MTR subterranean railway, KCR train and local bus routes. Hotelpanorama.com.hk.

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

Start of the Hong Kong 2007/ 08 horse racing season, September 9, 2007

The opening day of Hong Kong’s horse racing season kicks off at Sha Tin Racecourse with the first race commencing at 10am. During the season, riders and horses compete for prizes of up to HK$2,300,000, around £164,300. Hkjc.com/english/racing/fixture.asp

Best of the Best Culinary Awards, September 19, 2007

Now in its seventh year, the 2007 competition takes on a different format with two new categories. Best All-Round Chinese Chef and Hong Kong Signature Dish have been added to the awards which take place at the Chinese Cuisine Training Institute. The resulting guidebook, detailing the winners and the best of the rest, is an essential companion for those looking taste the real Hong Kong.

Mid Autumn Lantern Celebration, September 23 – October 7, 2007

Residents celebrate the harvest moon every year with a festival of moon cakes and candle lit lanterns. In the parks and on the high points of the islands families gather in their thousands to catch a glimpse of the season’s full moon and eat sweet cakes with moon shaped centers.

This year’s celebrations will encompass a colourful parade, and spectacular lantern display as well as a magnificent 67-metre fire dragon dance.

National Day Fireworks, Hong Kong, October 1, 2007

Hong Kong is holding a fireworks display over the Victoria Harbor to celebrate the 58th anniversary of the foundation of the People's Republic of China.

The display under the themes of "Unity" and "Joyfulness" will cost around HK$3 million and have 12 scenes lasting around 23 minutes. The ninth scene, "One World One Dream", will be Olympics themed. Lcsd.gov.hk/eo

Hong Kong WinterFest, November 30, 2007 – January 1, 2008

Experience the exhilarating build up to Christmas when boulevards and buildings are festooned with colourful lights and decorations. Winter sales start in December with up to 70 per cent off – perfect for Christmas bargains.

For further information on travelling to Hong Kong visit Discoverhongkong.com.