Sightseeing in Hong Kong? Hop on a Ding Ding!

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By CGTN's Zhang Dayu

If you think going around to see and experience Hong Kong will be tiring and expensive, think again. What you need is only a tram ride and you get a laidback and cheap tour of the picturesque metropolis.

Evolving from an ordinary commuter transportation option to a symbol of the city, the double-decker trams are one of the few things Hong Kong has kept in the past century, shuttling through the city’s busiest thoroughfares for over 100 years.

A Ding Ding tram. /CGTN Photo‍

CGTN‘s Tao Yuan (L) and Martin experience a Ding Ding tram ride. /CGTN Photo

Local residents call the trams "Ding Ding", the onomatopoeia of the iconic double-bell-ring trams use to warn pedestrians of their approach.

From west to east, they run on a double-track tramline built parallel to the northern coastline of Hong Kong Island from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan.

With a slow speed and a cheap price, HK$2.30 per ride for adults, it has now become a must-do for all tourists to get a glimpse of Hong Kong's traditional and modern street life.

A newly-wed pose for a photo in front of a Ding Ding tram. /CGTN Photo

Ding Dings now carry about 200,000 people per day, who use it on their way to offices, shopping malls and even the racecourse – the Happy Valley Horse Racecourse is one of its stops.

So if you ever find yourself in Hong Kong, watch out for that "ding ding" sound and hop on! Also make sure you climb to the upper deck for better views and photo opportunities.

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