5 Unusual Things You Can Try in Hong Kong

From canyoning to cartoon-themed dim sum, Hong Kong is full of unusual things to do. Read on for the top quirky things to do during your stay in Hong Kong, and discover the city beyond its tourist hotspots.

# Dine at a cartoon restaurant

Japanese cartoon characters have been hugely popular in Hong Kong since the 1960s. So great is Hongkongers’ love for these characters that they have even made it onto the city’s food scene. Many restaurants cater to cartoon fans, but the most famous is undoubtedly Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine. At this almost painfully cute dim sum restaurant, everything bears Hello Kitty’s face and trademark pink bow – down to the very last custard bun and shrimp dumpling.

# Watch classic Hong Kong movies

The Hong Kong Film Archive hosts regular screenings of Hong Kong cinema’s timeless gems, including many silent and black-and-white films. The screening schedule rotates through the classics, but you can often catch a film on legendary martial arts master Wong Fei-hung. There are also screenings of modern documentaries as well as foreign films.

# Visit an enormous replica of Noah’s Ark

Hong Kong isn’t exactly a thriving hotspot of Christianity, even if its British colonial history means that it has a far higher proportion of Christians than mainland China. This is why it’s all the more bizarre that the city possesses one of the world’s largest models of Noah’s Ark. The 450-foot-long behemoth is situated in a biblical theme park in Ma Wan, built by the property tycoon Thomas Kwok and his wife after their conversion to Christianity. Inside the ark, you will find exhibits on biblical themes, a hotel, and even a small zoo.

# Try stinky tofu

Stinky tofu’s odour may be extremely unappetising when you encounter it for the first time, but don’t let that stop you from trying one of Hong Kong’s best-loved street food delicacies. Popular throughout China, stinky tofu is fermented in a brine of vegetables, milk, meat and herbs. Hong Kong’s version differs in that it’s eaten either with a sweet or spicy sauce. This dish can commonly be found at Mong Kok’s abundant street food stalls, especially in and around the Ladies’ Market.

# Visit the Bird Market

A visit to Hong Kong’s Bird Market, also known as Yuen Po Bird Garden, offers insight into a very traditional hobby: keeping songbirds. It was built in the ’90s to house the relocated bird market that was formerly in the centre of Mong Kok. In the surroundings of a traditionally landscaped Chinese garden, hawkers sell birds, hand-crafted bamboo cages and souvenirs. You’ll see many kinds of beautiful and exotic songbirds here, as well as locals who have come to take their birds out for a ‘walk’ as they socialise with other bird enthusiasts.