Hong Kong Hurrahs!

Come evening and Hong Kong wears a totally new look. Tourists, after a extensive day of sightseeing, shopping and other activities, head towards the dazzling mesh of pubs, casinos, karaoke, bars and nightclubs. Residents get rid of the yoke of the day and set aside the night for partying. Night Park in Tsim Sha Tsui is well known for its elegant look.

 

Hong Kong's fun night areas can be divided into three main areas - Wan Chai which has Hong Kong's oldest pubs, Lan Kwai Fong known as Hong Kong's party central, Knutsford Terrace - the place where the locals and expats mix.

 

Wan Chai's streets can be securely booked under the charges of hedonism and have been the wreck of many a fine man. The locale has had a name for naughtiness since the 1940s. However, it was only after World War II when American soldiers on leave from the Korean and Vietnam Wars came down to Hong Kong that the notorious girlie bars and nightclubs sprang up around the streets of Lockhart Road and the place truly made its reputation.

Modern-day Wan Chai is somewhat tamed since its earlier wild days but nevertheless the area retains a far more down to earth feel to it than Lan Kwai Fong and with quite a few girlie bars still available, the sleaziness has not entirely gone. The area houses a number of British-style pubs, and bars, which are patronized by a more sober drinking crowd of expats than Lan Kwai Fong. Bars here close when you leave, with most serving 24 hours a day.

 

Lan Kwai Fong has become the home of the Hong Kong party and is a den of streets packed with bars, clubs and restaurants. The weekend crowd bulges with expats and tourists spilling out onto the surrounding streets with an irresistible buzz. Nightly fun carries on well into the morning.

Some essential spots to check out are Dublin Jack, a sleek Irish pub in which the owner knows his patrons by name; Hong Kong Brewhouse features some of the best local brews; Drop features a financially solvent crowd; while Stormies is the focal point for drunken antics. If it's clubbing you're after, Lan Kwai Fong hosts the city's best.