First all-vegetarian cultural tour of Hong Kong offers an immersive meat-free experience
- Hong Kong Greeters is the first group to offer completely vegetarian tours
- It gives residents and visitors a chance to experience a side of the city they may never have seen before
Nadia Kiely leads a small group of visitors through the hectic concourse outside Wong Tai Sin Temple, a bustling place of worship and tourist attraction on Hong Kong’s Kowloon peninsula.
She explains the temple’s different features, such as the bronze lion and dragon’s feet, polished bright by countless pilgrims’ hands touching it for luck. She demystifies the ritual of fortune stick shaking and discusses the unique heritage of the multi-faith building, which welcomes believers of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism under one roof.
Afterwards, the group discusses their predicted fortunes over a hot sesame bread pocket filled with mushrooms and vermicelli noodles at Shanghai Teng restaurant.
Kiely is a guide at HK Greeters, which organises a tri-weekly “Vegetarian Food and Culture” tour, designed to offer a touch of history and local lore alongside opportunities to taste a selection of local meat-free food.
The newly launched tour takes in two Kowloon locations and one in the New Territories, immersing guests in Hong Kong life – from riding public transport and experiencing life outside Hong Kong Island’s Westernised bubble, to ordering meatless items from a menu and gaining an appreciation for the pockets of tranquillity the city has to offer.