Hong Kong doesn’t really do parks well – this is the city that didn’t really get the idea. Where you’d expect sports, an expanse of green grass, and a picnic table or two, what you’ll find in Hong Kong is fenced off with pools, plazas, and concrete. Its not cute.
Green grass green of Victoria park
Fortunately, Victoria Park at Causeway Bay is one of the few parks in Hong Kong that defies the trend and has its own green field. It may not sound like much, but in Hong Kong, it’s a miracle. Keep in mind that there is still a long list of things you can’t do, like flying kites, playing with balloons, and playing music.
Weed is also in demand, particularly on weekends, especially Sundays, when you can hardly see the weed for the bodies. However, the fact that there is grass that you can access makes this the best park in central Hong Kong.
Victoria Park Sights
As you can see, we are most excited about the grass, but there is a bit more to Victoria Park. The park got its name thanks to Queen Victoria, whose statue still stands near the park’s main entrance, removed from its place in the statue squares in the 1950s. It is a blackened Victorian-era statue that is not would look out of place in the pages of a Dickens novel. Just outside the park is another colonial relic, the Noon Day Gun, which still fires its cannons every day at noon and spawned the phrase that only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
Victoria park facilities
Back in the park, there are a number of public leisure facilities, including a bowling alley, soccer fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, and an outdoor swimming pool. Tennis courts are often used to host international matches between the sport’s biggest stars. All facilities can be booked through the LSCD website.
More uniquely, there is a model lake boating where you can watch aspiring daredevils speeding up their model speedboats for a trip around the lake. That’s almost as exciting as it is for the kids, as the playground is small and disappointing.
Victoria Park as a public space
Victoria Park has been one of the most iconic public spaces in Hong Kong. It is here that every year thousands of protesters gather to march on the Legislative Council in protest at the lack of action taken by the Chinese government on Tiananmen Square. It is also where many marches against Beijing’s interference in Hong Kong affairs were started. The park’s public and political role is underlined by the weekly recording of the Public Forum radio show, which regularly draws pro-Beijing protesters who try to yell at pro-democracy lawmakers.
Less dramatically, Victoria Park is also a popular spot for dozens of Tai Chi practitioners and its peaceful and unified movements make a sunrise visit highly recommended. Equally worthwhile is the flower market held here on Chinese New Year; A bustling, colorful market filled with families searching for the perfect kumquat tree.
How to get to Victoria Park
Victoria Park is on Causeway Bay and as always the best way to get to the park is by MTR and get off at Causeway Bay. The park is well signposted.
