7 of the Most Photogenic Spots in Hong Kong

choi hung estate, hong kong

Last Updated on April 23, 2024 by snaphappytravel

Our unique list of the top seven Instagram spots in Hong Kong! We were lucky enough to spend five days in this cosmopolitan city. Here are what we believe to be the most Instagrammable spots in Hong Kong.

Dare I say it; Hong Kong is my favorite city in Asia. Now, that’s a big statement, considering there are so many great cities on this continent, like Hanoi, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur.  I went to Hong Kong not expecting a whole lot and left well, I left not wanting to leave. It’s a mad city with crazy-busy streets, sky-high buildings, stinking humidity, and Michelin-starred restaurants on every corner.

At night, the city comes alive it almost bursts with energy. This energy radiates from the pavements, and you can’t help but embrace the fast-paced nature of the city. As I’ve said, I love Hong Kong, and hopefully, this piece will make you fall in love with it, too.

Hong Kong is instagram’s darling with many of the cities landmarks swarmed with selfie-taking tourists, in this piece I’ll show you a couple of off-the-beaten track spots that will be sure to up your Instagram game! Whether you’re spending 2 days in Hong Kong or longer you’re sure to fit some if not all of these awesome places into you itinerary!

Here’s the list of our seven best Instagram spots in Hong Kong (scroll down for more information):

  1. Choi Hung Estate, Choi Hung
  2. Monster Building, Quarry Bay
  3. Harbour City Carpark
  4. Lok Wah South Estate
  5. Nathan Road
  6. Markets in Kowloon
  7. Hong Kong red taxi

Most Instagrammable Spots in Hong Kong

1. Choi Hung estate, Choi Hung

choi hung estate, hong kong
Choi Hung Estate in Hong Kong is definitely Instagram-worthy!

Okay, so this one isn’t so off-the-beaten-track. Choi Hung estate and, in particular, its colourful basketball court is one of the most popular Instagram spots in all of Hong Kong. The buildings are actually council flats, and back in the 70s, the council decided to paint them all different colors to lift the resident’s spirits. I wonder did they foresee how popular it would become with tourists?

But mostly, I wonder how the residents feel about the hoards of tourists photographing their homes. If you do visit, please respect the fact that people live here. Be mindful of the local residents and try not to intrude on their privacy!

choi hung estate, hong kong
It’s so colorful!

How to get here (from Jordan station) –

Hop on the Tsuen Wan Line (the red line) to Mong Kok station. Change to Kwun Tong Line (green line) to Choi Hung. Take exit C4 and then walk for 7 minutes to Choi Hung estate. Luckily, they have little signposts now pointing you in the right direction.

You will see a car park, go up the stairs next to the car park. The basketball courts are on top of this car park.

2. Monster building, Quarry Bay

yick cheong building, quarry bay, hong kong
Yick Cheong Building in Quarry Bay. Wow!

Recognize this place? If you’ve seen Transformers: Age of Extinction, this building will look familiar. This is certainly one of the best Instagram spots in Hong Kong! And a lot less crowded than I expected.

Yick Cheong Building, or the Monster Building, as it’s been nicknamed by locals, isn’t actually a single building but a complex composed of five connecting structures. They were built during a population boom in the 60s to offer government-subsidized housing for low-income residents.

As amazingly-cool as it is this has been a little bit tricky for me to recommend as the locals have banned photographers from snapping here without a permit. They have even put banners around the shops on the ground floor. FYI – these had been taken down when we visited but they may be back up again. Just be warned if you do visit here soon, you may not be able to take photos. As always, be respectful of the locals – this is their home.

yick cheong building, quarry bay, hong kong

How to get here (from Jordan station) –

Hop on the Tsuen Wan Line (red line) to Admiralty Station, then hop on the Island Line (blue line) to Tai Koo Station. Get off at Tai Koo and take Exit B. The buildings are but a four-minute walk from here.

3. Catch the sunset from Harbour City carpark

harbour city, hong kong
Harbour City shopping centre, Hong Kong is a great spot to catch the sunset!

On the right evening Hong Kong’s sunsets can be spectacular. And one of the best places to catch a glimpse is Harbour City mall in Tsim Sha Tsui. Right by the Victoria Harbour. There are many vantage points from Harbour City to capture the approaching dusk but our favourite was from the roof of the multi-storey car park. It’s also a great place to watch the Hong Kong light show.

light show, hong kong

4. Lok Wah South estate

lok wah estate, hong kong
How cool! Photo credit Pixabay

Just off Chun Wah Road in Kwun Tong is Lok Wah South Estate, a series of public rental housing estates that are not much to look at save for a few fun & quirky elements. The colorful children’s playground has proven to be an excellent stomping ground for curious Instagrammers. And the roof of the parking garage is Lok Wah’s most photographed asset. The roof hosts turquoise-colored concentric circles that serve as both a bizarre subject and a fascinating backdrop.

How to get here (from Jordan station) –

Walk to Tsim Sha Tsui police station from here and get the 213x bus. Get off at Lok Wah South estate. Walk two minutes to the car park (at 70 Chun Wah Road)

5. See the neon signs on Nathan Road

neon lights nathan road, hong kong
Nathan road at night! So pretty!

No visit to Hong Kong would be complete without a snapshot of the city’s famous neon lights. Apparently, in the next few years the shops of Hong Kong are slowly making the transition to LED lights, which do not have the same magic as neon. Other than Nathan Road, you can photograph the glimmering lights of Hong Kong on Jordan Road, Tung Choi Street, and Lockhart Road.

6. Check out the various market stalls across Kowloon

Temple Street Night Market [Aerial view], Hong Kong
Photo: Temple Street Night Market

There are hundreds if not thousands of market stalls scattered across Hong Kong. They remain a staple in everyday Hong Kong society and the locals use them to buy anything from meat to beauty products. Watch with fascination as locals and stall-holders barter over the price.

At night, you will get the best photos of these colourful and brightly lit stalls. Our favourite markets to photograph included Ladies Mile and Temple Street Night Market.

7. Hong Kong’s famed red taxis and buses

hong kong red taxi
Hong Kong’s buses lined up!

Again, no visit to Hong Kong could end without a photograph of the city’s famed red taxis. Oh, and the city’s oh so colorful buses. Catch both of these treasures throughout the city. FYI – photographing the taxi’s at a crossing when they’re all lined up seems to have the coolest effect for Instagram.

traffic hong kong
The traffic here is crazy!

Thanks for Reading!

Phew, and that’s it, my top picks for the best instagram spots in Hong Kong! If you’ve visited Hong Kong what did you think? Would you add anywhere else to the list? I’d love to hear them – let me know in the comments below.

While you’re here, you may want to check out my other South East Asia blogs, like –

The Most Photogenic Places in Sri Lanka (A Unique Itinerary)

Our Honest Opinion of Sri Lanka (and the Best Things to Do)

The Ultimate One Month Itinerary for Vietnam!

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Introducing 10 of what we believe to be the best instagram spots in Hong Kong. Let us help you up your instagram game in the cosmopolitan Hong Kong!

25 thoughts on “7 of the Most Photogenic Spots in Hong Kong

  1. I love when a city exceeds expectations! I can certainly see why you loved just even from the photos. I’ll definitely head to all these spots when I make it to Hong Kong myself (especially the market stalls at Kowloon).

  2. That’s the second time I’ve seen Choi Hung Estate mentioned in a photography post just this week – it is quite the hotspot! Hong Kong looks like a super cool place!

  3. Choi Hung estate Is my favorite spot that you photographer – no wonder it’s so popular, it’s so colorful! I have never been to Hong Kong but it is definitely on my list.

  4. Great list and great pics! Saw a documentary the other day explaining how Hong Kong has the most expensive real estate in the whole world and how people live in really cramped spaces. Sad that very interesting places hold tragic truths.

  5. I have seen so many photos of nices spots in Hong Kong via Instagram and I really find it charming to see these appartment location it’s not that something that I would say “Wow” but it really gets your attention to look at it differently. By the way I love all your photos!

  6. Great list of places we often see on Instagram but people usually never post where to find them in Hongkong 🙂 Saving this post for when I visit!

  7. I’ve never been to Hong Kong for more than just a brief airport stopover, but I hear the shopping is amazing! I love that photo of all the circles in the walls!

  8. I love this post! Your photography is beautiful and you’ve outlined some great spots! Thanks so much for sharing this! I’ll make sure to visit these places on my upcoming trip to HK!

  9. Love looking at photos of Hong Kong. Some good tips here! It’s one of my most favourite places in the world, if only I could afford to live there :’)

  10. You’ve done a really great job capturing some of the most artistic shots in Hong Kong. Really great job. I’d love to see some of those mega apartments myself.

  11. This couldn’t have come at a better time! I’m heading to Hong Kong in November and have some of these on my list and added a few more. Love that you added the directions, so often it’s hard to actually find these places but now it will make things easier. Thanks for sharing!

  12. Thanks for sharing these great spots for photo ops. We have yet to make it to Asia, but I sense it’s in the future!

  13. Very cool list! I tried to visit a few of these spots when I was in Hong Kong in June. One morning we set off by bus for Chi Lin Nunnery, and found ourselves in Choi Hung Estate! It just happens to be the closest bus stop if you’re walking up the hill. But we didn’t realise where we were, so we missed out on the class court photos. Haha!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.