Hong Kong, China

HONG KONG: Overview

OVERVIEW

Hong Kong is located on China’s south coast and is well-known for its bright, colorfully lit skyline and its beautiful harbor, known in English as “Fragrant Harbour.” Hong Kong offers a variety of things to do for people with mobility challenges, and the city has worked extremely hard to provide a sophisticated, wide assortment of transportation options for people with disabilities to easily access and tour the city.

LANGUAGE

The official languages of Hong Kong are Chinese and English.

CURRENCY

The official currency of Hong Kong is Hong Kong Dollar.

QUICKLINKS

LOGISTICS: Air – Water – Ground
ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels – Resorts
ENTERTAINMENT: Tours – Activities – Restaurants & Nightlife
EMERGENCY SERVICES: Hospitals – Medical Equipment
ABILITYTIPS: Precautions

HONG KONG : Logistics

AIR TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORT

Hong Kong International Airport: The Hong Kong International Airport is very expansive and generally welcoming for People with a physical disability. The airport is very open and easy to maneuver and has elevators located throughout with seemingly no barriers. The Hong Kong Airport provides loaner wheelchairs and help to those who need assistance. There are signs for special assistance and a customer service counter. The bathrooms of the airport have accessible stalls, but no family/companion bathrooms exist at this time. Remember to always talk with your airline prior to traveling about special assistance at the Hong Kong airport to ensure your trip goes smoothly.

Wheelchair accessible transportation to and from the airport is available. However, it must be booked in advance. See below for more detail about booking accessible transportation through the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation.

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FERRY

The Ferries in Hong Kong and sister islands are relatively accessible for people who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility. The piers have grooved ramps which offer non-slip access onto the ferry and there are also call bells for assistance. Keep in mind there are different types of ferry systems, and not all are accessible, however most of the licensed and franchised companies are fairly wheelchair accessible. Typically an entire boat is not accessible and there are stairs to upper or lower levels, however most ferries have wheelchair areas or seating.

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GROUND TRANSPORTATION

TAXI

There are three taxi cab companies which are identified by color, red with a silver top services the Urban Hong Kong area, green with white top services New Territories, and blue with a white top services the Lantau Island domain. The taxis are a typical sedan style vehicle. Most of these vehicles are equipped with Braille for taxi registration information and many are also equipped with a talking taxi meter. We have not been able to locate any wheelchair accessible taxis with a ramp or lift system.

For people who use crutches, or other mobility aides such as foldable wheelchairs, these devices can be stored in the cab for no extra charge as long as they fold and can fit into the appropriate area.

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SHUTTLE (Tramway)

Hong Kong Tramways, Limited: The Hong Kong Trams run along the Northern Shore of Hong Kong, and are fixed to a track, much like a double-decker trolley system. This mode of transportation is feasible for people who have a visual impairment or a slight mobility challenge. However, it is not recommended for wheelchair users or people who can’t climb stairs.

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BUS

The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation: HKSR offers transportation to and from the airport, to and from hotel, and for sightseeing use. This service is not the public bus service, but rather a non-profit organization. They society offers a variety of transportation options depending on services needed. One type of service is the “Rehabus Service” – this service has over 100 various wheelchair accessible vehicles in its fleet. The vehicles are equipped with wheelchair lifts for easy access and are equipped with wheelchair safety restraints. There are dial-a-ride services, car pool services, or scheduled routes in place. This service must be booked in advance by visiting their website or calling. For out of area visitors call +852 8100 8655 or email rehabus@rehabsociety.org.hk for more information.

 

There are also five different franchised bus companies in Hong Kong and we have listed a few below who have some accessible buses in their fleet; note that not all buses have accessible features.

 

 

Kowloon Motor Bus Company: KMB offers an easy access bus service for wheelchair users. Some of their buses are equipped with the following accessible equipment: lowered floors with ramp for easy access, lowered board call button, handrails painted in bright colors, onboard announcement system for next stop, and Braille plates which provides information about the bus license number and route information. The website provides an accessible bus route and fare information in a PDF file for quick trip planning, and also provides pictures of the accessible features.

 

 

Long Win Bus Company Limited: Offers bus services to north Lantau and the Airport. It consists of 18 routes with around 155 air-conditioned buses.

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TRAIN

Mass Transit Railway (MTR): The MRT is working hard to accommodate not only people with disabilities, but also people traveling with small children who need easy access, and baby boomers. Overall the MTR is very accessible and they are planning to make future projects even better. The MTR website offers a list of accessible facilities for customers with special needs. Click here for more details about accessible features.

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HONG KONG : Accommodations

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HONG KONG : Entertainment

SIGHTSEEING TOURS

The Star Ferry Company, Limited: The Star Ferry Ride in Victoria Harbor is a great way to see Victoria Harbor and the fabulous views of the city. The Ferry is mostly wheelchair accessible by ramps and the lower deck of the ferry is accessible for wheelchair users. Note that there is not a restroom on board the ferry. Senior citizens 65 or older are allowed to travel free by presenting an I.D. or a senior citizen card before entering the yellow turnstile. There are other Ferry Rides to the outer islands – Hong Kong is a collection of islands and there are accessible ferries to get to all of them – most ferries board by ramps.

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ACTIVITIES

Hong Kong Disneyland:” Hong Kong Disneyland is reachable via subway, similar contents to the Los Angeles Disneyland but about ¼ of the size. The  subway and resort were both fully accessible with elevators, disabled bathrooms, etc.  Of course certain rides in the resort are not appropriate for people with disabilities, but there are many other options like shows, parades, restaurants, and shopping.” Feifei, 1/1/2010

Shopping: Shopping and eating at several commercial center areas of Hong Kong (e.g., Causeway Bay, Central, Meng Kok, TST), most large department store buildings are fully accessible, but stores in small streets sometimes have limited accessibility (e.g., no elevator, very small bathrooms).  Feifei, 1/10/2010

 

 

The Peak: Victoria Peak is the highest spot in Hong Kong with beautiful views of the city and the harbor. It is amongst the top 10 places to visit, but pollution and general haziness often decreases the quality of the view. There is an inaccessible tram to the top – but you can take a private car, taxi, or prearranged wheelchair transport to compensate. Once at the peak the observation decks are accessible. The experience provides one with a great perspective on the city and gives maps to highlight key buildings.

Lantau Island: Is the largest island in Hong Kong, and is accessible by ferry, subway and bus or car. One can easily take the ferry one way and then the cable car / subway the other. There is an accessible cable car that provides beautiful views of the island. Visitors can ride it either up or down from the subway station to the base of the village or use it as a full round trip.

Located on Lantau Island is the Big Buddha, which is the largest outdoor seated Buddha statue in the world. The Buddha is a big attraction on the island. The top of the Buddha is not wheelchair accessible, but the bottom is, and the views are just as magnificent.

Po Lin Monastery: The Po Lin Monastery is located on Lantau Island and is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible. The rest of the village in Lantau Island is accessible with one major street, cute shops and restaurants.

Stanley: Stanley is a town and tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It is a peninsula on the southeastern part of Hong Kong Island, which can be accessed by bus or taxi. There is an open air market to visit that is largely accessible but there are parts that unfortunately have stairs or other obstacles. Another major site to see is the Tin Hau Temple. Unfortunately, it is largely inaccessible but there are many open plazas and areas with great views of the interior.

Temple Night Market: Temple Night Market is an open air market located in Kowloon. The market is accessible by subway, bus or taxi. The market is garnished with a variety of gifts, crafts and other misc treasures.

Victoria Harbor Light Show: Everyday at 8pm there is a light show that is viewable from either Hong Kong island or Kowloon island. Watching it from the Avenue of the Stars (similar to the one in Hollywood) is a great way to see the show – it is free and accessible.

Museum of Contemporary Art: The museum is located in Kowloon and is fairly new. The museum is accessible with some permanent and special exhibits. We went to see a Louis Vuitton exhibit which was great. Entrance to access the building for people using wheelchairs is at level G/F. A wheelchair passenger lift provides access to each floor. The museum website provides a floor map which illustrates where the restrooms are located for people with disabilities. The museum also offers wheelchairs for use during a visit if needed and are located on level 1/F at the information counter.

Cheung Chau: Cheung Chau is another outlying island, which is accessible only by ferry. The island sports many beaches, a few temples, cafes, and lots of little shops. The main paths are accessible, but there are a lot of stairs throughout parts of the town. The streets of Cheung Chau are very narrow, so the cars are quite compact.

Malls: There are countless malls in Hong Kong, and each one is relatively new and equipped with elevators.

Avenue of the Stars: Like Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, this is a water front path in Kowloon that is very pleasant to walk and is very accessible. You can click through the photos at the top right of this page to see Bruce Lee’s star.

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RESTAURANTS/NIGHTLIFE

Tea at the Peninsula Hotel: High tea is a tradition in Hong Kong and the Peninsula is located in Kowloon and is a favorite spot to relax. The hotel is accessible and the tea is served in the front lobby.

There are countless restaurants in the various malls around the city so that is the safest and most accessible option. A few examples (there are hundreds more)

-IFC

-Time Square

-Lee Garden

-Elements

“Many restaurants along the street have doorsteps and no ramp. Some restaurants on the second floor only have stairaccess but no elevator. Restaurants in large department store buildings are usually fully accessible with elevators, e.g., Lei Mo Tai building at Causeway Bay has many floors of restaurants.” Feifei, 1/10/2010 

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HONG KONG : AbilityTips

PRECAUTIONS

Most of the streets are pretty new and have curbs that are accessible. However, remember that ADA laws do not apply in many countries around the world, including Hong Kong. Hong Kong can also be very hot and humid, oppressively so. Bring plenty of bottled water when touring the city and a spray bottle if needed.

“The city is in general very crowded, should avoid taking the subway or buses at rush hours (7-9am, 4-7pm).” Accessible taxis are not usually readily available on the street, would be best to ask hotel/restaurant staff to arrange before you go.”  Feifei, 1/10/2010