Hong Kong Promenade a special way to see the most spectacular skyline in the world
Fantastic views of Victoria Harbour along the Hong Kong promenade
The new East Coast Boardwalk near North Point
Hong Kong Promenade
It is possible to walk the Hong Kong promenade all the way from Kennedy Town to North Point.
Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour is a fantastic amalgamation of man-made and natural beauty. It features a continuous flow of marine traffic, with views of 100-plus-story skyscrapers, historic stone buildings, a cable-stayed bridge, jagged mountains, and subtropical forests.
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The harbour is visible from seventy-three kilometres of waterfront property and is the singular most enduring source of collective pride for Hong Kong people. It is what makes Hong Kong’s landscape unique.
Western District Promenade
I have been walking sections of Hong Kong’s harbourfront for years, but only recently has it become this connected.
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What started as research for this article turned into three September walks. That is what it took to explore what has been built to create the Hong Kong promenade along Victoria Harbour’s northern shore.
Western District Promenade
The route stretches eleven kilometres from Kennedy Town to North Point.
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The latest section was completed in January 2025 when the first section of the East Coast Boardwalk opened beneath the Island Eastern Corridor (the second section is expected to open later this year).
Sections all along the route are regularly being added and renovated.
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I started my first walk at Kennedy Town MTR Station. Within five minutes, I reached the Kennedy Town Waterfront Sitting Out Area.
The priceless view
Men fishing at Kennedy Town Waterfront Sitting Out Area
Men with fishing rods occupy shady spaces under trees, swapping fish tales and enjoying the priceless view.
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The path leads east to Belcher Bay Promenade. This section opened in 2020 as the government’s first test of Harbourfront Shared Space management.
The concept removes traditional park restrictions. People bring dogs on a leash. Families spread picnic blankets on wooden boardwalks. Children ride balance bikes.
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I walked around the Western District Public Cargo Working Area next. Trucks unload bamboo scaffolding and construction materials here.
The contrast is striking. One moment you’re in a leisure park.
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The next time you’re observing forklifts in an active port, a reminder that not all sections of the promenade have been wrestled away from commercial concerns.
Central and Western District promenade
Large cement pipes provide unusual perches for relaxation along the Central and Western District Promenade
The Central and Western District Promenade follows. This section opened in April 2018 and separates visitors from the Western Wholesale Food Market with steel fencing and planted screens.
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The designers positioned benches in shaded spots that frame harbour views. Large cement pipes provide unusual perches for relaxation.
Mothers push prams along the smooth paths. Domestic helpers mind toddlers in the playground as joggers flow by.
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The Fung Wu Road Waterfront Open Space came next, though construction barriers hide new renovations to the space. The path connects to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park.
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park
This park boasts basketball courts, a football pitch, a reflecting pond and a swimming pool. Its prime attraction is the Memorial Lawn.
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This flat, expansive green grass space attracts Tai Chi enthusiasts, sunbathers, and, of course, picnickers on blankets, lounging the afternoon away.
The wide, smooth promenade encourages everything from inline skating to boxing and badminton.
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My second walk started in Sheung Wan. The promenade features an off-leash dog area, covered sections where fitness instructors hold outdoor classes, and a Chinese wooden junk, ideal for both imaginative play and creative photography.
A classic Chinese wooden junk good for both imaginative play and creative photography
For relief from the summer heat, I walked through the air-conditioned mall at Shun Tak Centre, and on the other side, I was rewarded with an artist drawing the Central Fireboat Station.
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Central Pierside Corridor provides access to Piers 1 through 10. Each pier serves different ferry routes to the outlying islands.
An artist drawing the Central Fireboat Station near Shun Tak Centre
Talented buskers with voice and instruments frequently perform for the Friday night commuters on their way home to Discovery Bay at Pier 3.
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This impromptu live entertainment has created an optimum place to hang out with friends and stay for drinks.
A custom designed manhole cover on the Central Pierside Corridor
It also creates a bit of an obstacle course for the nighttime joggers. Pier 3 also has a rooftop bar and sitting-out area.
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Pier 7 hosts the Star Ferry terminal and organic farmers’ markets on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons.
Central promenade
Fishing from Central Pier 9
Pier 8 houses the Maritime Museum and Café 8, a social enterprise which provides vocational training in food services. The café’s terrace overlooks the sixty-metre Hong Kong Observation Wheel.
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I continued past the wheel and the PLA’s Central Military Dock to reach Tamar Park in Admiralty.
The Legislative Council Complex in Admiralty
This park opened in 2011 with manicured lawns, benches, an off-leash dog park, toilet facilities, and boardwalk areas that are frequently used for yoga and other sports classes.
Yoga practitioners with a harbourfront view at Tamar Park
The most unusual area is the recreational fishing facilities, complete with rod holders, benches, and a sink for cleaning.
The promenade in front of Tamar Park
The path continues to Wan Chai’s waterfront areas, which incorporate fence-free designs discarding traditional waterfront barriers in favour of stepped seawalls and low kerbs.
Jogging Wan Chai’s waterfront
If you visit, explore the Wan Chai Ferry Pier. The covered entrance pathway is designed for Instagram shots, and a public garden is located on the pier’s rooftop.
The covered pathway to the Wan Chi Ferry Pier is designed for Instagramers
My third walk covered the newest section from Wan Chai to North Point.
Wan Chai Ferry Pier Rooftop Garden
The East Coast Park Precinct in Fortress Hill opened in 2021 with Hong Kong’s first public breakwater.
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You can walk 100 metres into Victoria Harbour on this fenceless structure, which hides a bypass ventilation shaft I initially mistook for a decorative sculpture.
People enjoying the sign in East Coast Park Precinct near Fortress Hill
At sunset, this is a favourite hangout for photographers.
Hong Kong’s first public breakwater, you can walk into Victoria Harbour which hides a bypass ventilation shaft
The East Coast Boardwalk, located beneath the Island Eastern Corridor, was completed in January 2025 and connects to the North Point Promenade.
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This pet-friendly 1.1-kilometre boardwalk is designed for walking, jogging, and cycling. It has cascade seating and glass fencing for unhindered viewing of the harbour, a play area, fitness equipment, and a fishing platform.
Exercise playground on the East Coast Boardwalk
The development of these connections has been underway for over 20 years. The Harbourfront Enhancement Committee began in 2004 and became the Harbourfront Commission in 2010.
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Their vision of the Hong Kong promenade treats the harbour as a public asset rather than industrial infrastructure.
Fishing off the East Coast Boardwalk
Walking the complete route reveals this vision. The Hong Kong promenade connects distinct neighbourhoods while preserving their character. Kennedy Town retains its fishing culture.
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Central buzzes with ferry commuters. North Point attracts families to its playgrounds and covered spaces.
The Harbourfront Shared Space concept encourages flexible use. People create their own activities instead of following prescribed rules.
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Dog owners, joggers, fishermen, and picnickers share the same spaces. The design of the Hong Kong promenade accommodates everyone without segregating activities.
Wan Chai’s waterfront area
Each section of the Hong Kong promenade offers different harbour perspectives. Kennedy Town frames container terminals and Tsing Yi Island. Central showcases the Kowloon skyline.
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North Point provides views towards the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. The walking route becomes a harbour tour that changes with each district.
A sitting area on the East Coast Boardwalk
Plans are in place to extend the boardwalk to Shau Kei Wan. Few world cities offer this length of accessible harbour walking. Singapore’s Marina Bay covers three kilometres. Sydney Harbour provides fragments, not continuous access.
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Hong Kong has built something extraordinary along the northern shore of Victoria Harbour. Eleven kilometres of harbourfront promenade exist now, ready for discovery.
Photographers capturing the sunset at the East Coast Park Precinct
It took me three walks to understand the scope of the Hong Kong promenade. I invite you to give it a go and enjoy this spectacular feature of the city.
Text and photos Martin Wray
