(Hong Kong, 20 October 2015) As Asia’s world city, Hong Kong is not just a place for shopping, but there are plenty of exciting tourist and beautiful nature waiting for tourists to discover. A case in point is Lantau. With its unique island charm and idyllic vista, Lantau is a land that boasts some of the best of best in Hong Kong, there are many gems waiting to be discovered, and which will give visitors a brand new travel experience. With this in mind, Lantau Development Alliance (LaDA) is proudly presenting Hong Kong with Lantau Fiesta 2015 - Lantau Adventure, features a plethora of authentic cultural experiences on Lantau, covering more than 10 unrivalled wonders and various exciting seasonal events. Both tourists and locals will relish this adventurous ride through the outlying island.
Lantau – an Island with Many Best of the Best in Hong Kong
A launching ceremony was held today at Auberge Discovery Bay to preview Lantau Fiesta 2015 - Lantau Adventure, jointly organised by several Lantau-based enterprises and local groups with a view to highlighting Lantau’s wonders and local culture. Dr Stella Kwan, the Chairwoman of LaDA Tourism Taskforce and Managing Director of Ngong Ping 360, said: “Lantau is a treasure troves of tourist and beautiful nature. It houses numerous facilities and features that are unique and best of the best in Hong Kong. It is an island with great development potential. With this in mind, LaDA members have joined forces to present more than 10 of the Hong Kong’s prominent features under the theme of Lantau Adventure, taking into account the natural resources and distinctive local culture of the island. We will roll out a series of exciting events to highlight Lantau’s energy and charm, with the aim of giving travellers a variety of travel experiences.”
Though an outlying island away from the urban areas, Lantau account for more than 10 best wonders of Hong Kong. They include The Big Buddha, the largest seated, outdoor bronze Buddha; Discovery Bay, a resort-style residential community with a marked Southern European style; Hong Kong Disneyland, which is designed to bring visitors the most unforgettable theme park experience; Ngong Ping 360, the longest bi-cable ropeway and the most amazing cable car experience; Tai O Heritage Hotel, a heritage hotel with the greatest potential for sustainable development; and Tai O Water Marriage, the most authentic water village wedding tradition.
Dr Kwan added: “LaDA’s members hope that visitors to Lantau – whether they are locals or tourists and regardless of their age – will get to discover the many wonders of Hong Kong in one go. We hope they will appreciate its unique facilities and features, as well as the different face of Hong Kong as a metropolitan. All these are what make Lantau a special tourist destination.”
Today, the transport network linking Lantau to the urban areas of Hong Kong continues to expand. The island is also connected with Macau and mainland China via SkyPier at Hong Kong International Airport. All these, together with Hong Kong’s various best-of-the-best wonders, are set to make the island the “it” place to visit.
Endless Fun -4th Quarter Events
Apart from the best-of-the-best wonders on Lantau, the launching ceremony also unveiled a host of large-scale events that will take place in various interesting parts of Lantau in the fourth quarter. From November onwards, LaDA members will roll out various programmes, including the Tai O Heritage Hotel Open Day, ‘A Taste of Tai O’ Food Expo 2015, Tai O Water Wedding 2015, Ip Man Experience Hall at Ngong Ping 360, Ngong Ping 360 Winter Programmes, Christmas lighting @ D’Deck Discovery Bay, the Discovery Bay Sunday Market, celebration of the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong Disneyland and a series of Christmas events. Meanwhile, AsiaWorld-Expo will bring to Hong Kong a thrilling series of entertainment events: renowned Japanese singer Koji Tamaki and Korean pop group CNBLUE will respectively give a concert; Cirque Adrenaline will give several jaw-dropping acrobatic performances. As the biggest outlying island in Hong Kong, Lantau has culture, nature and entertainment to offer. There is something for everyone, and everyone is guaranteed lots of joy and fun.
Best-of-the-Best Hong Kong on Lantau
There’s something for everyone!
1) Cultural highlights
Hong Kong’s most famous fishing village | Known as the Oriental Venice, Tai O is a famous fishing village that preserves many of its original features, the most unique of which are the stilt houses, which are set on sturdy wooden stilts and are the residences of local fishermen. Set against the beautiful nature of Lantau, the houses make a unique spectacle of the fishing village. |
A heritage hotel with the greatest potential for sustainable development | Tai O Heritage Hotel is a prized example of the melange of Eastern and Western architectural features of the 19th century. Formerly the Tai O Police Station, the complex has been restored and original features of the police station, including the cannons, searchlight and guard towers, have been well preserved. Tai O Lookout, the glass-roofed restaurant on the top floor, serves Chinese and Western dishes that are made with local ingredients and carry a Tai O touch. |
The most authentic water village wedding tradition | As a unique fishing village, Tai O has its own “water wedding” tradition, which is one and only in Hong Kong. On the wedding day, red lanterns are raised on a sampan loaded with heaps of wedding gifts. The groom will ride on one of the boats to fetch the bride. The couple, adorned with gold ornaments and clad in red wedding attire, is cheered on by fellow villagers to the sound of uplifting music. |
The largest seated, outdoor bronze Buddha | The world-renowned seated, outdoor bronze Buddha sits on a three-storey pedestal. With a height of 34 metres, the grand structure weighs over 250 tonnes and took 12 years to complete. Visitors can visit the Remembrance Hall (紀念堂), which houses the Buddha’s relics (舍利子), the most sacred item of in Buddhism. |
2) Entertainment and leisure
The venue with the largest indoor column-free banquet hallAsiaWorld-Expo | Opened in December 2005, AsiaWorld-Expo is a world-class venue for holding exhibitions, conventions and special events. With a rental floor area of more than 70,000 m², it is an ideal place for hosting all sorts of EXPOtainment activities. |
A resort style residential community with a Southern European touch | A car-free, green community, Discovery Bay is marked by a continental European atmosphere. With a vast array of leisure facilities and features, including open-air plazas, parks, a beach and an extensive green area, visitors get to see a tranquil side of Hong Kong. There are also a variety of restaurants, seaside hotels and even horse-drawn carriages. Couples who come to Discovery Bay for a romantic holiday and families for a lovely bonding time are all guaranteed a pleasant, relaxing experience, Southern European style. |
The most Unforgettable Theme Park Experience:Hong Kong Disneyland | With boundless creativity, Hong Kong Disneyland strives to connect visitors with their favourite Disney characters through a host of entertainment facilities, performances, seasonal programmes, merchandise and restaurants. It is a place that stretches people’s imagination, giving everyone plenty of happy and unforgettable memories. |
3) Beautiful nature
The longest bi-cable ropeway and the most amazing cable car experienceNgong Ping 360 | Ngong Ping Cable Car connects Lantau with the city centre of Tung Chung and Ngong Ping. Running 5.7 kilometres long, it is the longest bi-cable ropeway in Asia. During the pleasant 25-minute journey, travellers can take in the stunning view of the South China Sea as well as the panoramic views of the Lantau North Country Park. |
Waters with the most Chinese White DolphinsWestern Lantau and Tai O | White dolphins are often spotted in the western part of Tai O and the outer part of Hau Hoi Wan. Generally friendly to humans, the mammals were born with deep grey skin, which gradually turns pink-ish as they grow up. |
The Longest beach in Hong KongUpper Cheung Sha Beach | The longest beach in Hong Kong, Upper Cheung Sha Beach is located in southern Lantau and is adjacent to Tong Fuk Beach in western Lantau. |
Fourth Quarter events on Lantau run by LaDA
1) AsiaWorld-Expo
Koji Tamaki Premium Symphonic Concert | 13 Nov 15 |
2015 CNBLUE LIVE [COME TOGETHER] IN HONG KONG | 21 & 22 Nov 15 |
THE CLUB PROUDLY PRESENTS CIRQUE ADRENALINE | 22 Dec 15 – 3 Jan 16 |
2) Discovery Bay
Discovery Bay Sunday Market | 8 & 29 Nov 15; 13 Dec 15 |
Discovery Bay Twinkling Christmas | 20 Nov 15 – 3 Jan 16 |
3) Hong Kong Disneyland
Disney’s Sparkling Christmas | 12 Nov 15 – 3 Jan 16 |
Happy Ever After: 10th Anniversary Celebration | Starting from mid-November |
4) Ngong Ping 360
Stage 360 – Ip Man Experience Hall | 27 Nov 15 – 31 Jan 16 |
Ngong Ping 360 Winter Programmes | 3 Dec 15 – 8 Mar 16 |
5) Tai O Heritage Hotel
Tai O Heritage Hotel Open Day 2015 | 7 & 8 Nov 15 |
‘A Taste of Tai O’ Food Expo 2015 | 7 & 8 Nov 15 |
6) Tai O Rural Committee
Tai O Water Wedding 2015 | 6 Dec 15 |
Representatives of Hong Kong Tourism Commision, Hong Kong Tourism Board and LaDA launch the Lantau Fiesta 2015.
Lantau Fiesta 2015 – Lantau Adventure was held on 20 Oct 2015 to present more than 10 Best of Hong Kong’s prominent features.
The Lantau Fiesta 2015-Lantau Adventure will offer various activities for local and overseas tourists