Is the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong Worth It?
Short answer: the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong is worth it if you're already walking the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, which most visitors are. It costs nothing, takes 20 to 30 minutes to walk end to end, and gives you one of the best sightlines in the city onto Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong Island skyline. It's not a destination you plan a whole afternoon around, but as a stop on the way to or from the Star Ferry, it earns its spot.
What the Avenue of Stars actually is
It's a 440-metre harbourfront promenade in Tsim Sha Tsui, running along the water in front of the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Modelled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it honours Hong Kong film industry figures with plaques set into the wooden handrails along the walkway. More than a hundred stars and directors are represented, from silent-film-era actors to Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Maggie Cheung. Some of the older plaques carry actual handprints and autographs cast in cement; newer ones are digital, with QR codes linking to the star's biography and film clips.
It opened to the public on 28 April 2004, funded and built by the New World Group in partnership with the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, then handed over as public land. The whole promenade closed in 2016 for a three-year rebuild and reopened on 31 January 2019, redesigned by James Corner Field Operations, the same landscape architecture firm behind New York's High Line. That's why the current version has more shade, more seating and a noticeably different paving pattern from older photos you'll see online.
The statues and what to actually look for
The two most photographed spots are the Bruce Lee statue, a 2.5-metre bronze erected in 2005, and the Anita Mui statue, added in 2014. Both sit near small water features that tie into the "be water" and "life written in water" lines associated with each star. There's also a newer McDull statue (Hong Kong's cartoon pig) and a 4.5-metre replica of the Hong Kong Film Award statuette at the Salisbury Garden end, where most people start their walk. Budget 15 to 20 minutes if you're just doing photos at the two main statues and a few plaques; closer to 30 if you're reading the biographies as you go.
Cost and hours
There's no admission fee. It's an open public promenade, not a ticketed attraction, so there's no gate and no fixed opening or closing time. In practice, most people walk it any time from early morning to around 10pm. Mornings before 10am are the quietest if you want photos without other tourists in frame; the crowds build through the afternoon and peak in the evening as people gather for the skyline view and, historically, the light show.
What's happening to the light show
For most of the past two decades, the Avenue of Stars has doubled as the best viewing spot for "A Symphony of Lights," Hong Kong's nightly harbour light-and-sound show, staged at 8pm and running about 15 minutes. The Hong Kong government confirmed in its 2026-27 budget that the show will be retired during the second half of 2026, replaced by shorter, rotating light festivals at different tourist spots instead of one fixed nightly show. No exact final date had been announced as of this writing. If you're planning a trip around it, check the current status closer to your travel dates rather than assuming it's still running nightly.
How to get there
By MTR: East Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Exit J, then a few minutes on foot. By Star Ferry: cross from Central or Wan Chai and walk along the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade to reach it, which is the approach most people end up taking anyway since the ferry pier sits right next to the avenue. If you haven't ridden it yet, our Star Ferry guide covers routes and fares. By bus: get off near Salisbury Garden, East Tsim Sha Tsui Station, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre or the Star Ferry bus stop; a long list of routes stops nearby, including 1, 2, 6, 7, 8A and 9. The Big Bus hop-on hop-off tour also has a stop close by if you're already using a day pass. There's no public parking at the Avenue of Stars itself; the nearest paid parking is at K11 MUSEA.
What's nearby
The avenue sits at the centre of the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront cluster: the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and its clock tower are a short walk one way, K11 MUSEA and Harbour City mall are close by, and the Star Ferry pier itself is essentially attached to it. Across the harbour on the Hong Kong Island side, the skyline you're looking at includes Victoria Peak; if you want to see that view from the other direction, we've written up whether the Peak Tram is worth it. Closer to the water on the Island side, the Hong Kong Observation Wheel is a lower-key way to see the same harbour from across the water. If you're building a harbourfront afternoon, this is the connective stretch, not a standalone stop.
Quick answers
Is the Avenue of Stars worth visiting? Yes, if it's on your route along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. It's free, quick and has one of the better skyline views in the city. It's not worth a special trip on its own.
What makes the Avenue of Stars famous? Its plaques and statues honouring Hong Kong film stars, most famously Bruce Lee, combined with the harbour and skyline view it looks out on.
Is there an entrance fee for the Avenue of Stars? No. It's an open public promenade with free access at all times.
Are the Avenue of Stars and Victoria Harbour the same thing? No. Victoria Harbour is the body of water between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The Avenue of Stars is one specific promenade along its Tsim Sha Tsui shore, built to look out over it.
What time is the light show at the Avenue of Stars? Historically 8pm nightly, but the show is being retired in the second half of 2026 per the Hong Kong government's own announcement, so check current status before planning your evening around it.
