Hong Kong’s Jewish Population

Hong Kong’s total population is close to 7.4 million people.  Despite there only being an estimated  4,000 Jews in Hong Kong, their impact on the city has been substantial.  The earliest Jewish traders set up in Hong Kong, Macau and Canton as China opened up to international trade in the mid-1800’s. Although most are of Iraqi decent, nowadays, approximately half of the Jewish population of Hong Kong originate from overseas.  It seems that they now hail from many countries including the US, the UK, France, Australia, South Africa, Israel and Canada.

Jewish Heritage Sites

We have two synagogues in Hong Kong.  The first is the Ohel Leah next door to the Jewish Community Centre is pictured above.  The magnificent Ohel Leah synagogue in Central is often a surprise detour for guests. The second is Kehilat Zion in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Both have kosher restaurants and will deliver food locally. Additionally, there is the Shuva Isreal Restaurant in Central, Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Greeters is able to provide a specialist tour itinerary to include the Jewish heritage of Hong Kong.  This enables our guests to discover more about Jewish influence and heritage in Hong Kong.

Your itinerary can include:

• The Ohel Leah Synagogue, Midlevels
• The Jewish Cemetery, Happy Valley
• The Peninsula Hotel and Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
• The Verandah restaurant, Repulse Bay

Please let us know on the booking form, what you are interested in seeing. Our guide Nadia is the perfect guide for these tours, as her mother was Jewish.

How we can Tailor you Tour

Hong Kong Greeters provides customised private tours for visitors to Hong Kong.  We can tailor our Jewish Heritage itinerary to include other sites that interest you.  Perhaps you would like to head up the Peak and admire the famously expansive view.  If shopping is on your agenda, there are plenty of markets to explore, either for souvenirs or to see how locals shop.  There are many beautiful temples, which would contrast neatly with a synagogue visit.  Equally, there are lots of unique buildings, statues and other quirks of Hong Kong life, peppering the streets.

We e are able to offer this itinerary in the comfort of a private, air-conditioned, 8-seater vehicle. Please select below, and confirm the date of your visit by email to info@hkgreeters.com.

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Have you considered exploring Hong Kong’s islands?  They are just as rewarding as the busier parts of Hong Kong and the best way to explore them is on foot. You can take a stroll along the boardwalks of Tai O or the beaches of Cheung Chau.  Or, you can admire the fauna and flora of Lamma Island, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

We love guiding our visitors on day trips and have a huge soft spot for Cheung Chau.  Here visitors enjoy the unexpected contrast from the busy metropolis, chat with local residents, understand their history and experience the local traditions and foods which are harder to find in the urban areas.

Our private guides love handling unusual requests and giving an insider’s perspective – especially when helping our customers to explore the further reaches of Hong Kong’s outlying islands. This goes for visitors and local residents who want to get to know more about the city they live in. Here is a list of our favourite places to visit and why:

Yim Tin Tsai

This tiny dot of a place was once a hub of salt production for the small Hakka community.  However, it was largely abandoned in the 1980’s. Its heritage has since been revived with help from the local community.  On weekends you can visit the old salt pans, a Catholic church and try some of the homemade Hakka snacks.  One such snack is glutinous rice cakes filled with peanuts or red beans.

Yim Tin Tsai is reached via a 15 minute boat ride from Sai Kung Pier.  Many private tour operators will take you there and back from around HK $50 per person.

Cheung Chau

Cheung Chau is a vibrant island with pirate caves, scenic beaches and family-friendly walking trails. It has become a hub for new-starter boutique businesses.  These include arts and crafts, cafes and gift stores.  They are all located in the traditional shop-house buildings.

We love to go and stay overnight with our family in one of the many Bed and Breakfast accommodations, or you can book yourself into the number one hotel on the Island.  Well, it’s the only hotel! It’s called The Warwick and it does a great dim sum menu.

To summarise, Cheung Chau is a great place to enjoy the scenery, food and water activities. Ferries leave every 30 minutes from Central Pier 5.  Alternatively you can catch the Inter-Island ferry from Mui Wo, Peng Chau or Chi Ma Wan.

Tai O, Lantau Island

Technically Tai O is part of the largest island in Hong Kong, Lantau.  However, this tiny enclave has a fishing history centuries long and is a world away from the rest of the island. It was in a key position to take advantage of the economic activity in the Pearl river delta prior to the signing of the lease for the New Territories in 1898, and was only reachable by road in the 1970’s.

There is a huge sense of community spirit and everyone is friendly and welcoming to visitors. We were lucky enough to make some great acquaintances there last summer when running our in depth group tours of the village.

The residents of this unique village have worked hard to retain its unique identity, despite many a plan from the government to redevelop the wooden stilted fishermen’s houses along the creek. It has a great street food scene too.

This place may not be around in thirty years, so it is definitely a must-see if you are visiting Lantau. Ferries leave from Tung Chung New Development Pier every 2 hours.  Alternatively, take bus 11 from Tung Chung Town Centre.

It is advisable to purchase your return ferry tickets upon arrival, especially at weekends.  This is because there is limited space and it is a very limited service. They will run extra services on Sundays. Allow around 2 hours of travel from Hong Kong Island.

Further Island Information

Find out more about Hong Kong’s islands in a recent article we were featured in for Hong Kong Business publication, part of the Hong Kong Development Council:  Settle Down into Island Time

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All tour guides need a break sometimes! Usually we are busy guiding our clients around Hong Kong and know well the benefits of hiring a professional.  So when we were lucky enough to spend a week in Bali with our family, naturally we did our research to find a great family tour guide in Bali.

We find especially when we have children in tow, taking a family tour smooths the way to a happy holiday.  Children can easily get tired, hungry or bored.  By booking a family tour guide in Bali, we were able to ensure that our children enjoyed all the activities did and sights we saw.

Our Recommended Family Tour Guide in Bali

Huge thanks to Gede and Ketut from Bali Taxi Driver and Tour Guide for making our stay so terrific. We would 100% recommend their service to anyone wanting a driver or guide when they visit Bali.

Family Friendly Accommodation

No holiday is possible without a place to lay your head after a busy day at the beach or exploring the other delights of the island.

We stayed at the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa and give it a huge thumbs up.

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Yuen Po Bird Garden, also knows as the Bird Market

This friendly cockatoo came to say “hello” to Michelle on our tour of the Yuen Po bird garden Hong Kong today. The garden and market is located between Boundary Street to the north and the Flower Market to the south.  It has many bird species and bird paraphernalia to purchase, including anti-depressant bird feed for when your bird is not in full song!

Even if you’re not looking to buy a bird, the bamboo cages are quite striking and could be repurposed to make unusual lighting features for example.  If you are particularly interested in birds, do read our post about bird watching in Hong Kong.

The Flower Market

This consists of approximately two blocks of flower shops. A fragrant riot of colour will meet you.  If you want to enjoy this in peace, drop by in the morning.  It gets busier as the day goes on and is busier yet at weekends.  In the days leading up to Chinese New Year when it feels as if the entire population of Hong Kong comes to this small area to shop for plants and flowers for their homes.  So depending on your point of view this can be the best or worst time to visit.

The Ladies Market

This doesn’t really get going until around midday.  Mongkok’s Ladies Market is your one stop shopping street for cheap and cheerful souvenirs.  It’s a bit of a misnomer as it certainly not ladies-only.

From magnets, to t-shirts, chopsticks to tea sets and all sorts of quirky items, you can surely find a little something suitable for your nieces and nephews or your parent and friends.  Be sure to check the quality of glue, stitching etc as once bought you’ll struggle to find where you bought it.  Friendly haggling is encouraged, especially if you are the first customer of the day.

The Goldfish Market

Whether you just want a run of the mill goldfish or something more exotic, this is the place to come.  Even if you’re not in the market for a fish, terrapin or crab, it’s a interesting sight.  Small shops display their wares in clear water filled bags.  There are also tanks, fish food and all manner of decorations (from plastic castles to small water plants) to customise your fishy friends’ home.

Boundary Street

Okay, so this isn’t a market, but we thought it was worth a mention.  It’s a ruler straight street just beyond Mongkok’s bird market, delineating the boundary of land ceded to the British 1860.  South of the street was ceded in 1860 under British Colonial Rule, and land leases exist for up to 999 years. North of Boundary Street (what was termed New Kowloon and the New Territories), they will all expire on July 1, 2047, when the Basic Law’s “one country, two systems” arrangement is set to end. This seems to present a bit of a land crisis as this date draws nearer!!

So as you can see Mongkok’s markets offer a wide range of goods and all are family friendly. 

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A Trip to Remember

A Hong Kong helicopter tour must be the ultimate way to truly appreciate our city.  Getting such a bird’s eye view is both thrilling and incredibly special.

This lucky family got to see Hong Kong from this unique perspective, and what a great day for it! Happy 70th birthday grandad!!

Hong Kong HeliServices

Our guests used Hong Kong HeliServices who operate from the famous Peninsula Hotel in Tsim Tsa Shui, Kowloon. You may see the helicopters landing every so often above the 28th floor.

… if you’re feeling frivolous and fearless and want a truly unique view of Hong Kong, you can book your helicopter tour via Hong Kong HeliServices website here.  Alternatively, please don’t hesitate to contact us to see how we could work this thrilling experience into a complete itinerary for your stay in Hong Kong.

Alternatives Ways to View Hong Kong

Helicopter Tours are of course both pricey and not for the faint of heart.  But don’t worry, there are plenty of other wonderful ways to see Hong Kong.  If you want to get close to a bird’s eye view, head up the Peak to take in a more earth bound, yet impressive panoramic view of our city.  Stroll along the promenade in Tsim Tsa Shui or hop on the iconic Star Ferry to cross the harbour.  Both of these options offer a splendid view of our famous skyline.  If you’re feeling active, Hong Kong also has abundant hiking trails, many with stunning vistas.  The Lion Rock hike in Kowloon offers a great escape from the buzzing city with alternative far reaching views.

Alternative Hong Kong Tours

A helicopter tour only lasts 15 minutes, but the memories will last a lifetime.  However, if you have a little more time to fill, we offer a wide variety of tours here at Hong Kong Greeters.  Our private walking tours are popular, but we understand that it can be hard going, so we offer tours by car.  You’ll be happy to know that our outings can be customised to accommodate your interests and are family friendly.

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