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© AForestFrolic

Hong Kong travel tips for art lovers are all about being in the town at the right time and finding the events that are not widely advertised. Most art fairs and auctions in Hong Kong are open to the public, and in a city that can only offer tepid museum options these places are where the real art action is at.

At the end of May, for example, art lovers can catch two excellent art events during the same week as the spring auction previews form the Christie's auction house and the Hong Kong International Art Fair coincide at the Convention and Exhibition Center connected to the Grand Hyatt. Auction houses typically stage large free exhibitrs during the days leading up to the sales. As long as you dress decently you should feel comfortable attending these events. This season Christie's will offer artifacts from Imperial China, including historic paintings, ceramics and calligraphy in addition to modern and contemporary Asian art.

© HeroicLife

The following are some important Hong Kong travel tips that a tourist should keep in mind. A few Hong Kong travel tips on dining would be to book seats at popular restaurants during lunch (1-2pm) and evenings so as to ensure that one gets a seat. Many hotels and restaurants add a 10% service charge on the bill, but tipping is at one's discretion. One of the main Hong Kong travel tips would be to keep in mind that smoking is prohibited in all indoor areas, as well as some public areas such as beaches, swimming pools, transport terminals and so on. For those that wish to use taxis, a few Hong Kong travel tips would be to remember that there are extra charges for tolls and luggage handling. The law expects passengers to wear seat belts.

© robinvanmourik

A trip to Hong Kong would not be complete without a visit to the Giant Buddha which sits serenely atop Ngong Ping plateau among the stunning mountain scenery of Lantau Island. The eyes, lips, incline of the head and even the right hand (raised to deliver a blessing to all), combine to lend great depth of character and dignity to this extraordinary statue.

The magnificent figure of the seated Buddha was cast in China and took 12 years to complete. It was unveiled in December 1993 in the midst of deeply religious ceremonies. Visitors can climb more than 200 steps to reach the platform where the Buddha is seated.

Besides attracting Buddhists from all over Asia, the magnificent figure with its compelling presence almost instantly transformed the remote Po Lin Monastery with its devout monks into a must-visit on tourist schedules. The Po Lin Monastery is set amongst spectacular mountain scenery on the Ngong Ping plateau.

Besides admiring the massive statue there is also much to see and do at the monastery itself with its various figures of gods and other colorful manifestations of aspects of the Buddhist religion. You can even enjoy a vegetarian lunch.