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ENTERTAINMENT |
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Hong Kong sometimes seems to have more nightlife than the rest of
China put together, though a lot of it - particularly where heavy
drinking and riotous behaviour is concerned - is expatriate rather than
Chinese. In the pubs and bars you'll sometimes find live music and
dancing .
Bars, pubs and clubs
The most concentrated collection of bars is in the Lan Kwai Fong area on
Hong Kong Island. A stroll along Lan Kwai Fong Lane, and neighbouring
streets, will take you past any number of possibilities for late-night
carousing, with drinkers spilling out on to the street. Just up the hill
from Lan Kwai Fong, the bars of SoHo are also becoming increasingly
popular, and are slightly less raucous. Wanchai is another busy area
after dark, though not so convenient for browsing as the various
locations are more thinly scattered. Tsimshatsui is not generally known
for its nightlife, though in fact there is something of a scene here,
too, catering for both travellers and expats. Hart Avenue and Prat
Avenue, west from Chatham Road South, are the best places to look for a
drink, with several alternatives very close together. For up-to-the-minute
listings consult the latest issue of HK Magazine or other listings
publications.
Some venues charge an entrance fee on certain nights (generally Fridays
and Saturdays), which ranges from around $50 to as much as $200 in the
flashest clubs. In the early evening, on the other hand, a lot of places
run happy hours - some lasting several hours - serving two drinks for
the price of one. Opening times often extend well into the small hours.
Live music , and sometimes even raves , can be found if you look hard,
though they are unlikely to match what you're used to back home. For
details, consult HK Magazine. The gay scene , while hardly prominent, is
at least more active than in other Chinese cities, given that laws on
homosexuality are more liberal here than on the mainland.
Shopping
Visitors are still coming to Hong Kong to go shopping despite the fact
that the cost of living in the territory has risen above that of most
other countries in the world. The famed electronic goods of Nathan Road,
for example, are by no means cheap any more and when you consider the
high possibility of some form of rip-off, you are probably best advised
to buy your cameras and other gadgets at home. What is special about
Hong Kong, however, is the enormous range of goods on offer - and all in
such a tiny area of land. And some things are indeed cheap, particularly
clothes , silk , jewellery , Chinese arts and crafts , some computer
accessories and pirated goods . Many of these are made in the People's
Republic. As a general rule you'll find that the farther you are from
touristy Tsimshatsui, the cheaper your shopping becomes. Shops stay open
late and are open daily. In Tsimshatsui, Causeway Bay and Wanchai,
general hours are 10am-10pm; in Central it's 10am-7pm. For more detailed
shopping listings, consult the HKTA shopping guide.
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