9 Must-Visit Photo Spots in Hong Kong Known Only to Locals📸｜Rainbow Housing Estate, Monster Building, Seaside Wooden Bridge – Collect These Hidden Gems from Locals in One Place📷✨

Hong Kong's urban skyline, colorful housing estates, and seaside scenery are like a natural photo studio. This time, we've selected 9 of the most popular photo spots among Instagram users and locals. Each spot has a unique background and is relatively off the beaten path, making them definitely worth saving ❤️!! 1️⃣ Choi Hung Estate 🌈 ① Key Information - English & Chinese: 彩虹村／Choi Hung Estate - Location: Wong Tai Sin District - Popularity: A must-visit spot for international media and travel platforms for years; many music videos and fashion photos have been shot here. ② Highlights Choi Hung Estate is famous for its colorful, layered exterior walls and rooftop basketball court. With its saturated colors and clear lines, it is one of Hong Kong's most representative colorful buildings. Highlights and Features: - The rainbow-colored exterior walls resemble a giant palette. - The basketball court and symmetrical composition make for eye-catching photos from every angle. - Details like clotheslines, water pipes, and windows add a touch of everyday life. - Rich colors make it perfect for portraits and fashion photography. ③ Reasons for Recommendation Rainbow Village has remained popular for years because of its "extremely high success rate for photos": saturated colors, clean backgrounds, and ample natural light from the rooftop make it easy to capture postcard-perfect shots, from portraits to street photography. No professional equipment is needed to create layered and textured images. ④ Tips It's recommended to visit in the morning or at dusk for softer colors and the best photographic results. 2️⃣ Quarry Bay, Hoi Shan Building (Monster Building) 🏙️ ① Key Information - Name (English & Chinese): Hoi Shan Building (Monster Building) - Location: Quarry Bay - Popularity: Became a sensation after being featured in *Transformers 4*, consistently ranking high on the "Must-Take Photos of Hong Kong" list. ② Features Composed of several closely connected old residential buildings, the central courtyard offers a unique "urban canyon" view with its dense array of windows and air conditioners. Highlights: - High-density stacked exterior walls create a strong sense of oppression. - Shooting upwards from the central courtyard allows for a "sky-frame" composition. - Different atmospheres day and night: The twinkling lights at night add to the narrative. - Ideal for urban and sci-fi photography. ③ Recommendation Reasons Tourists and photographers alike love this place because it captures the most authentic microcosm of Hong Kong—a dense, three-dimensional, and layered architectural language. The photos have a distinctive style and are highly representative of Hong Kong. ④ Tips This is a private residential area. Please keep quiet and follow the on-site notices when taking photos. 3️⃣ Sai Wan Pier Instagram Pier 🌅 ① Key Information - English & Chinese: Sai Wan Pier (Instagram Pier) - Location: Sai Wan waterfront, Hong Kong Island - Popularity: Once one of the most popular sea view photo spots; although closed, it remains a "legendary" attraction. ② Highlights Containers, the sea, and the sky form a solid industrial line, making it one of Hong Kong's most cinematic seaside scenes. Highlights: - Open sea view + island mountain shadows - Colorful containers create an industrial feel - Beautiful sunset light and shadow, perfect for silhouette photography - Irregular landscape details tell a story ③ Reasons for Recommendation Many Hong Kong people have a strong emotional attachment to Instagram Pier because it offers the most balanced view of "city and sea": both rugged industrial elements and soft sunset tones, making it one of the most classic visual memories of western Hong Kong Island. ④ Tips Currently closed, but you can take photos along the nearby waterfront, focusing on a "nostalgic" perspective. --- 4️⃣ Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts 🧱 ① Key Information - Location: Central - Popularity: The most representative art and architecture photo spot; the spiral staircase and red brick walls are frequently featured on photography lists. ② Highlights Revitalized from a former police station, courthouse, and prison, the interplay of old and new buildings creates a unique urban landscape. - The spiral staircase has smooth lines, making it ideal for portraits. - Red brick walls and arcades highlight the historical feel. - The glass canopy and old buildings create multiple layers of light and shadow. - The plaza has a strong sense of space, perfect for street photography. ③ Reasons for Recommendation Tai Kwun has consistently been popular because "every corner can tell a story": it has history, design, and light and shadow. It's suitable for both fashion photography and artsy styles. ④ Tips It's recommended to avoid peak times, as you're more likely to see the spiral staircase just before it closes. --- 5️⃣ Sai Wan Swimming Shed 🌊 ① Key Information - Name (English & Chinese): Sai Wan Swimming Shed - Location: Mount Davis - Popularity: Recommended by the Hong Kong Tourism Board as the "best sunset spot," and also the last remaining traditional swimming shed. ② Highlights A slender wooden bridge extends into the sea, paired with a green bamboo shelter, creating one of Hong Kong's most storied seaside scenes. - The wooden bridge extends deep into the sea, with strong lines. - Long exposures of the waves can create a "cotton-like" sea effect. - The golden sunset light spills onto the sea, creating a beautiful atmosphere. ③ Reasons for Recommendation The swimming shed has a nostalgic feel of "returning to old Hong Kong," and combined with the sea breeze and the sound of the waves, it offers opportunities for very soothing photos. Photographers especially love capturing the changing tides and light here. ④ Tips The wooden bridge can be slippery when the waves are high; check the sea conditions before taking photos. --- 6️⃣ Lok Wah South Estate, Kwun Tong - "Blue Circles" ① Key Information - English & Chinese: Lok Wah South Estate Car Park Rooftop - Location: Kwun Tong - Popularity: Popularized by its pink and blue circular opening walls; filming location for the K-pop group GOT7's MV ② Highlights The pink and blue cement walls and circular openings create a visual tunnel effect, very stylish. Highlights: - Strong composition with continuous circular openings - Cool pink and blue tones create a literary and artistic feel - Clean background, allowing the subject to stand out Suitable for fashion and dynamic photos ③ Recommendation Reasons Many people come specifically to shoot fashion photos with a strong sense of "perspective." The circular openings can frame the subject, making the image more rhythmic. ④ Tips In summer, with strong light, you can use hard light to create a striking contrast. --- 7️⃣ Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Jockey Club Innovation Tower 🌀 ① Key Information - English/Chinese: Jockey Club Innovation Tower - Location: Hung Hom - Popularity: A futuristic building designed by Zaha Hadid, a rare international-level photography location in Hong Kong ② Highlights The flowing lines of the exterior resemble a white sculpture, while the interior space is constructed with curves, glass, and concrete. - The curved lines of the exterior walls are highly futuristic. - The white corridors offer clear light and shadow. - The staircases and platforms offer varied angles. - Suitable for architectural photography and minimalist styles. ③ Reasons for Recommendation The appeal of the Innovation Tower lies in its endless photographic possibilities: the same corridor can offer ten different visual effects, making it perfect for those who enjoy abstract compositions. ④ Tips Be aware of campus restrictions and avoid entering enclosed spaces. --- 8️⃣ Lai Tak Tsuen, Wan Chai 🏛️ ① Key Information - Name: Lai Tak Tsuen - Location: Tai Hang - Popularity: Hong Kong's only cylindrical public housing estate; its courtyard design is highly favored by photographers. ② Highlights The cylindrical courtyard creates a giant circular sky above, resembling a "vertical tunnel" from a movie. Highlights: - The circular courtyard is visually striking. - The triangular corridors and staircases have clean lines. - The old housing estate has a soft color palette and a nostalgic feel. - Suitable for black and white, cool-toned photos. ③ Reasons for Recommendation Many architectural photographs are taken here because simply looking up allows for highly geometric and dynamic images, making it one of Hong Kong's most unique housing estate landscapes. ④ Tips Photography is prohibited in some areas; it is recommended to take photos in public spaces. 9️⃣ Nam Shan Estate, Shek Kip Mei ① Key Information - Name: Nam Shan Estate - Popularity: Classic housing estate layout, retro pink and green facade is loved by hipsters ② Highlights - The U-shaped building surrounds the central platform, and the aviary park downstairs evokes childhood memories. - Layered balconies form symmetrical geometry - Pink and green facade with a retro feel - Children's park elements add a story to photos ③ Recommendation Reasons Compared to the popular Rainbow Village, Nam Shan Estate has a more "slow-paced" feel, suitable for lifestyle and retro Hong Kong film style photos. ④ Tips This is an everyday community space; please keep quiet after taking photos. 🔍 Hong Kong itself is the best backdrop ✨ #hongkongtravel