Tsing Yi used to be a place for dumping rubbish but since it’s been cleaned up, the island has flourished. Over the last few years the official shopping centre, named Maritime Square, has been a strong attraction for tourists, visitors and even Hong Kongers. The main entrance to the mall – where, remnants of the festive season, a family of snowmen welcomes visitors from a platform above the reception – is next door to the Tsing Yi MTR station. In keeping with the theme, the reception desk is in the shape of a ship’s prow – which doesn’t prepare you for the massive snowman towering over shoppers and a small festive town in the middle of the mall: the town’s toy soldiers and electric blue trees don’t look as though they’d have a snowball’s chance in Hades against the big white fellow leering down on them.
Navigate around the giant and you’ll find the mall’s theme is continued in the Steak Expert restaurant with its scaled-dow n model of a submarine and life-size plastic sailors. This is only one of the 25 eateries that make Maritime Square a foodie’s paradise. No matter what your favourite cuisine, you’re bound to find it here among the Japanese, Thai, Chinese (yes, really!), Shanghai, French, European, and American (of course) eating houses.
Nor will you be disappointed if you are more fashion than food conscious. I.T., Hoso Place, 2% and Icefire all stock individual ranges of the latest in body drapery, while a number of beauty parlours are just too ready to match ladies’ looks to their lovely new accoutrements – or give them a relaxing facial after a hard day’s shopping.
And for those who think shopping is as much fun as joining a lemming migration, either the 1.2km walk through Tsing Yi park with its Prunus garden, pebble walk and children’s play areas or the seaside stroll along the esplanade is a pleasant way to avoid consumer overload. Or, of course, even more calming, a leisurely browse through the extensive collection of Tsing Yi’s library. |
