text
stringlengths 1
593
⌀ | label
float64 0
3
|
|---|---|
The Festival of Asian Arts takes place every other October, bringing to Hong Kong for two weeks orchestras, dance groups, opera, and drama companies from all over Asia.
| 1 |
There are more than 30 cinemas in Hong Kong, and the latest Western releases are shown in some of the larger ones.
| 3 |
English-language films have Chinese subtitles.
| 0 |
The Hong Kong International Film Festival takes place in April.
| 1 |
More than 200 films from all over the world are shown at this two-week event.
| 2 |
Ask at City Hall center about advance reservations.
| 1 |
The Performing Arts
| 1 |
Performance Venues.
| 0 |
The theaters in the Hong Kong Cultural Center in Tsim Sha Tsui are the main venues for concerts and opera.
| 1 |
Other performance centers are the City Hall cultural complex, with exhibition halls and theaters that present concerts, plays, and films; the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts with two major theaters for dance, drama, and concert performances; and the Hong Kong Arts Centre in Wan Chai, where both local and visiting groups perform.
| 1 |
Larger arenas, including the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, the Hong Kong Coliseum, and the Ko Shan Theater in Kowloon play host to various concerts, pop concerts, sporting events, and variety shows.
| 1 |
Classical Music.
| 1 |
The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra performs new and traditional works; a wide assortment of traditional and Chinese instruments are featured.
| 0 |
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1975.
| 1 |
Buyer Beware.
| 2 |
Under its conductor, David Atherton, it offers Western classical works and new works by Chinese composers in a September-to-June season.
| 0 |
Be aware that name brands, including electronics, are sometimes fakes, glass may be sold as jade, and that antique you bought may have been made last night.
| 3 |
Chinese Opera.
| 3 |
Cantonese opera is alive and well in Hong Kong, and the two other forms, Beijing and Kun, are sometimes presented.
| 0 |
To most foreigners, this unique art form is likely to be inscrutable at first exposure, but everyone can appreciate the spectacle and the elaborate, glittering costumes.
| 0 |
Although the music may seem strange to the unaccustomed ear, it certainly won’t put you to sleep; cymbals and drums guarantee your alertness.
| 0 |
Hong Kong’s three professional dance companies — the Hong Kong Ballet Company, the Hong Kong Dance Company, and the newer City Contemporary Dance Company — perform regularly, often at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts.
| 3 |
Theater.
| 2 |
The two leading local troupes, the Chung Ying Theatre Company and the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, perform in Cantonese; there are English-language performances at the Fringe Club theaters, 2 Lower Albert Road, in Central.
| 0 |
Puppet Shows.
| 3 |
The classic Chinese puppet is the shadow puppet, manipulated behind a screen by three rods, but hand puppet and marionette shows are also on offer, often for free at public parks and playgrounds.
| 1 |
Nightlife
| 2 |
Hong Kong by night can suit any taste — riotous, sedate, raw, or cultured.
| 1 |
Note that sometimes there is a cover charge of HK$50 to HK$200 at clubs, which may or may not include a couple of drinks.
| 2 |
There are nightclubs in the principal hotels, with bands, dancing, and floor shows.
| 0 |
Always ask for a receipt that records information about the item, and if you buy an antique, be sure to get a certificate of authentication.
| 3 |
Jazz fans will find live jazz presented by international artists at the Jazz Club and Bar, 2/F, 34-36 D’Agular, Central; and at the Blue Note in the Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui.
| 1 |
The Frin ge Club, 21 Lower Albert Road, Central, is Hong Kong’s best-known alternate entertainment venue, with jazz, rock, and other live music, in addition to a gallery for visual arts.
| 1 |
Bars with views and live music include Sky Lounge in the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Tsim Sha Tsui; and Cyrano in the Island Shangri-La in Pacific Place.
| 1 |
Pubs are numerous.
| 0 |
In Tsim Sha Tsui, Ned Kelly’s Last Stand on Ashley Road is an Aussie institution; Delaney’s, 71-77 Peking Road, is one of Hong Kong’s enduring Irish pubs.
| 0 |
The clubs and bars of Wan Chai, long the center of seedy nightlife, have become almost respectable.
| 1 |
Joe Bananas, 23 Luard Road, is a Wan Chai mainstay for all-night partying.
| 2 |
Rick’s Cafe, 78-82 Jaffe Road, is a long-time disco that’s still popular.
| 1 |
A lot of the raunchy action has moved across the harbor to Tsim Sha Tsui East; this is also where you’ll find pricey hostess clubs, popular with Japanese tourists, but definitely not for those on a budget.
| 0 |
Today’s trendy spot is Soho (SOuth of HOllywood) around Hollywood Road, Elgin, and Stauton streets.
| 0 |
Causeway Bay also has a variety of bars and clubs.
| 1 |
Needless to say, avoid peddlers who approach you on the street and offer to take you to wondrous bargains.
| 2 |
TOTT’s, in the Excelsior Hotel, is a restaurant with live music and dancing and a harbor view.
| 0 |
Japanese karaoke bars have now become extremely popular with the locals.
| 1 |
There are a number of these on Chatham Road South and around Cameron Street in Tsim Sha Tsui.
| 2 |
The most typical of these are harbor cruises, usually including dinner and dancing on board an air-conditioned floating nightclub.
| 1 |
There are evening bus tours that include visits to a restaurant and night spots; some tours combine a Chinese banquet with a visit to an open-air market and the panorama from Victoria Peak.
| 0 |
In subtropical Hong Kong you can swim from April to early November.
| 1 |
There are more than 40 beaches in Hong Kong that are free to the public.
| 0 |
Most have lifeguards on duty from April to October, changing rooms, toilets, and snack stands.
| 1 |
On Hong Kong Island, Repulse Bay is the most popular; others are Shek O on the east coast and Stanley and Deep Water Bay on the south coast.
| 3 |
They are very crowded, especially on summer weekends.
| 2 |
On the outlying islands, Cheung Chau and Cheung Sha are on Lantau, and Hung Shing Ye and Lo So Shing on Lamma; inquire about water pollution levels.
| 0 |
The large department stores have fixed prices, but elsewhere you should ask whether there is a discount, especially if you buy several items in one shop.
| 3 |
The Hong Kong Golf Club (Tel. 2812 7070) welcomes visitors to its three 18-hole courses at Fanling in the New Territories, or the 9-hole course at Deep Water Bay.
| 1 |
Many Hong Kong residents and visitors take the express train to Guangzhou to play at the Guangzhou Luhu Golf and Country Club (Tel. 2317 1933 in Hong Kong or 020-8350 7777).
| 1 |
The 72-par course was designed by Dave Thomas.
| 1 |
Hiking.
| 0 |
In the New Territories the famous MacLehose Trail stretches 97 km (60 miles) from Sai Kung Peninsula to Tuen Mun.
| 3 |
The Lantau Trail is a 69-km (43-mile) circular trail on Lantau Island that begins and ends at Silvermine Bay.
| 3 |
Both trails are divided into smaller segments of varying difficulty.
| 3 |
Maps of hiking trails are available at the Government Publications Center, Low Block, Government Offices, 66 Queensway in Central.
| 1 |
HKTA also has trail maps and sponsors the Guided Nature Walks, led by rangers, that include hikes in all the different regions of Hong Kong.
| 1 |
Jogging.
| 3 |
Victoria Park has a jogging track in Causeway Bay.
| 1 |
Sailing.
| 3 |
Contact the Hong Kong Yacht Club at Tel. 2832 2817 for information.
| 3 |
Compare prices before you buy any significant item.
| 1 |
Taijiquan (Tai Chi).
| 3 |
HKTA offers lessons in these exercises that improve concentration and balance at Garden Plaza, Hong Kong Park, Admiralty (Tel. 2058 1234).
| 3 |
Tennis.
| 0 |
There are 13 public courts at Victoria Park Tennis Centre (Tel.
| 1 |
Horseracing.
| 0 |
All levels of society share a feverish interest in the Sport of Kings.
| 3 |
The racing schedule is September to June, and Hong Kong maintains two tracks — the older Happy Valley course on Hong Kong Island and the striking Sha Tin track in the New Territories.
| 0 |
Always ask to see the manufacturer’s guarantee when purchasing watches, cameras, and audio-visual and electronic equipment.
| 3 |
The Hong Kong Tourist Association runs a “Come Horseracing Tour,” which includes entry to the Hong Kong Jockey Club visitors’ box and members’ enclosure, and a buffet-style meal.
| 3 |
Cricket.
| 0 |
Rugby.
| 3 |
Hong Kong has many attractions that appeal to children of all ages.
| 1 |
Since Hong Kong is a duty-free port and charges no sales tax, goods are cheaper here than in the country where they were made.
| 3 |
Hong Kong’s many beaches are especially fun for children.
| 1 |
Children love riding on Hong Kong’s antique trams.
| 1 |
A ride on the Peak Tram is sure to provide a thrill, and in the Peak Tower they’ll enjoy the Peak Explorer ride and Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Ocean Park (see page 32) is popular with children of all ages.
| 0 |
There’s a special Kid’s World that those under 12 can enter free when accompanied by a paying adult.
| 1 |
The more daring can try out the terrifying roller-coaster rides.
| 2 |
The Science Museum in Tsim Sha Tsui East allows children to get their hands on over half of its 500 exhibits, while the nearby Space Museum has regular screenings on an enormous Omnimax screen in its Space Theater, making the night sky come vibrantly alive.
| 1 |
Note that when haggling, the merchant assumes you are prepared to pay cash.
| 3 |
For children who love boats, riding the Star Ferry or ferry trips to outlying islands will be exciting, and the Dolphin Watch trip (see page 113) is certain to appeal.
| 2 |
If you plan to visit during May, the carnival atmosphere of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, with its high bamboo-and-paper towers covered in sticky buns, will fascinate the young ones.
| 0 |
If, after concluding a deal, you try to pay with a credit card, he may then boost the price in order to cover the card charges.
| 3 |
It is advisable to shop at outlets that are members of the Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA), identified by a red junk logo.
| 1 |
Membership imposes an obligation to maintain standards of both quality and service, and provides dissatisfied customers with an officially recognized channel for redressing complaints; the number to call is Tel. 2508 1234.
| 0 |
Pick up a copy of HKTA’s “The Official Dining, Entertainment & Shopping Directory” in which all member stores are listed.
| 0 |
Shipping.
| 0 |
Ask if automatic free insurance is provided.
| 3 |
If the goods are very valuable or fragile, it is a good idea to buy an all-risk insurance for the shipment.
| 3 |
Packages sent to the US or to Europe generally take six to eight weeks by surface mail, and one week by airmail.
| 3 |
Shopping Areas.
| 1 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.