What makes Star Ferry remarkable?
The Star Ferry has been shuttling passengers between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island since 1888, making it one of the oldest continuously operating ferry services anywhere in the world. Each green-and-white double-decker vessel churns across Victoria Harbour in roughly eight minutes, threading between cargo ships, junks, and high-speed hydrofoils while a wall of glass and steel rises on both shores. The fleet still relies on diesel engines that rumble beneath wooden-slatted bench seats, and deckhands still catch mooring ropes by hand at each pier. For the price of a bottled water, riders get a front-row seat to a panorama that travel magazines have spent decades trying to capture: the jagged skyline of Central and Admiralty backed by the green flanks of Victoria Peak, all reflected in the harbour's dark, busy water. The Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront promenade on the Kowloon side extends from the ferry pier past the Avenue of Stars, where bronze statues of Hong Kong film legends line the railing. Every evening at 8:00 PM, buildings on both shores erupt into the Symphony of Lights laser show, and the best free seats in the house are right here on this promenade. A crossing on the Star Ferry pairs naturally with a night of street food at Temple Street Night Market, just a short walk north from the Kowloon pier, or with a day trip to Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island. Visitors exploring further afield across China often find the harbour ride a fitting bookend to trips through Shanghai's Bund waterfront or Guangzhou's Pearl River. For official information, see Star Ferry official site.