Hong Kong to reopen Avenue of Stars

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The Avenue of Stars, which pays tribute to those who helped make Hong Kong the "Hollywood of the East," will reopen on January 31 after more than three years of renovation.

Since opening in 2004, the Avenue of Stars has been one of the most popular scenic spots in Hong Kong, attracting 500,000 visitors every month eager to see the handprints of local movie stars, attend exhibitions and take part in cultural programs.

The area, closed since October 2015 for repair work, was expected to reopen to the public in the third quarter of 2018, but the deadline was pushed to January 2019 because the project took longer than initially planned.

The statue of Bruce Lee. /VCG Photo

The handprints of 107 movie stars, which were previously on the pavement, will now be mounted on handrails along the harbor's front. When skyscrapers along the Victoria Harbor light up at night, visitors can capture the city's skyline in their pictures.

Five more celebrities, all award-winning actresses, have been chosen to leave their mark on the avenue, namely Carol Cheng Yu Ling, Sandra Ng Kwan Yue, Teresa Mo Shun Kwan, Helena Law Lan, and Cecilia Yip Tung.

The statue of cartoon character McDull. /VCG Photo

Four more statuses have also been relocated to make them more accessible to tourists. The statues of Bruce Lee, late local diva Anita Mui Yim-Fong, pig cartoon character McDull and the Goddess of the Hong Kong Film Awards Association will no longer be behind barriers. Instead, they will be surrounded by water to echo the ambiance of the seaside promenade and make it more convenient to take photos.

In response to an expected large number of future tourists, the Transport Department Hong Kong Licensing Office will open the East Tsim Sha Tsui Public Transportation Center to facilitate more tour buses. Authorities are also planning more parking lots around the avenue to ease the traffic.