11.30am
You’ve got a day to spend in Hong Kong on your stopover, so it’s time to hit up one of the city’s newest, artiest corners. The West Kowloon Cultural District is next to Kowloon Station on the Airport Express Line, and full of culture, food and fun.
12.15pm
A short walk from Kowloon Station, the Xiqu Centre is a homage to the dwindling art form of traditional Chinese opera. You may not have time to catch a show, but do check out the building’s impressive Chinese lantern-inspired design.
88 Austin Road West, +852 2200 0217
1.15pm
For lunch, slurp up traditional Hong Kong cart noodles at Peony Garden on the ground floor of the Xiqu Centre, and then head to Daily Tea Time by Don’t Yell At Me for refreshing drinks from one of Taiwan’s favourite specialist bubble tea makers.
2.30pm
Cycle away those post-flight aches by renting a bike via West Kowloon’s SmartBike rental programme (HK$20 an hour) to explore the Art Park – home to the yet-to-open M+ visual culture museum – and get that must-snap shot of Hong Kong’s skyline.
3.45pm
At M+ Pavilion, view work by the finalists of the Sigg Prize, an award granted to artists based in Greater China. Design products inspired by the works of the artists such as tealight holders are also available at the gift shop.
5.00pm
Head to Ozone on the 118th floor of The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong – the highest bar in the world. Stay for a cocktail, take some photos as the sun sets over Victoria Harbour – but go easy on the bar bites to save your stomach for dinner.
118/F, ICC, 1 Austin Road West, +852 2263 2270
6.00pm
If you’ve planned well in advance, then you should be able to fit in a kaiseki meal at the two-Michelin-starred Tenku Ryugin on the 101st floor of the same building. Its 10-course tasting menu showcasing the best of Japan’s seasonal products is as meticulous as it is mouthwatering: the perfect pre-flight bite…
101/F, ICC, 1 Austin Road West, +852 2302 0222
