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Hong Kong · Mysteries & legends

Ghosts, oaths and feng shui at dusk

As evening falls, Sheung Wan and Central show another face: temples where the souls of the kinless are venerated, alleys used by fleeing revolutionaries, gas lamps that light themselves and glass towers that, according to feng shui masters, hurl knives and cannon fire at each other. At every stop this walk separates what is documented from what tradition says, and it ends in Central, close to good places for dinner.

  • 6 stops
  • 2.1 km
  • 1 h 50 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Gate of Man Mo Temple with white pillars topped by small green-tiled roofs, red inscriptions and a green-tiled roof

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Kwong Fook I Tsz, the temple of soulsA shrine for those who died far from their homeland, on the street where the 1894 plague broke out.
  2. 2 Man Mo TempleThe temple of the god of literature and the god of war, where oaths were sworn by cutting off a chicken's head.
  3. 3 Pak Tsz Lane, the revolutionaries' hideoutA hidden courtyard where plots were hatched against the Qing dynasty, next to the spot where a revolutionary was murdered; his grave bears only a number.
  4. 4 Duddell Street Steps and Gas LampsHong Kong's last gas lamps and the name of a merchant linked to the mass poisoning of 1857.
  5. 5 HSBC Building and its lionsTwo bronze lions that survived the war and a rooftop of «cannons» behind a feng shui legend.
  6. 6 Bank of China TowerThe skyscraper feng shui masters compare to a knife, built where a building once stood that had to be exorcised.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Ghosts, oaths and feng shui at dusk

Temples of souls and oaths

A shrine for those who died far from home and the temple where colonial courts accepted Chinese oaths.

Unsolved crimes

The mass poisoning of 1857 and the murder of a revolutionary buried under a simple number.

The feng shui war

Lucky lions, «cannons» on a rooftop and a tower likened to a knife: how much truth is in each story.

Keep exploring

More routes in Hong Kong

Back to Hong Kong
HistoryFrom the 1841 flag to the 1997 handover MixedFrom the Star Ferry to Temple Street: Hong Kong highlights

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Hong Kong?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Hong Kong in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Hong Kong in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Hong Kong in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary