Old Town Central Goes Curated: HKTB Launches Four New Thematic Routes for Malaysian Travellers Hunting the Real Hong Kong
TLDR
- Hits the Discover Hong Kong site with four curated thematic experiences built around the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator
- Old Town Signatures targets curious travellers after wet markets, dai pai dong stalls, and Upper Lascar Row browsing
- Old Town Legacy walks history buffs through Pottinger Street granite steps, Tai Kwun, and the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum
- Neighbourhood Taste maps a food crawl through Luk Yu Tea House, Yat Lok, Bakehouse, COA, Kinsman, and Quinary
- Art & Soul points creative travellers to Hollywood Road murals, PMQ design shops, and the Wing Lee Street walls
- AR web app on DiscoverHongKong.com adds digital layers and local personalities like Yuen’s Tailor and Kung Lee Herbal Tea Shop
- Tourists spending HKD200+ at participating merchants can redeem one of five limited-edition Street Sign Pins at Central Market, Tai Kwun, and PMQ
Why Old Town Central Is Getting a Refresh
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has rolled out four newly curated thematic experiences in Old Town Central, each designed to help travellers explore one of the city’s most characterful neighbourhoods in a way that matches their interests. The launch is part of HKTB’s broader push to reposition Central beyond its image as a sterile financial district, leaning instead into its layered identity as a hub of heritage temples, dai pai dong eateries, indie galleries, cocktail bars, and family-run shops that have survived generations of redevelopment.
For Malaysian travellers, the timing is meaningful. Hong Kong has long been a top-three short-haul destination from Kuala Lumpur, but visitor expectations have shifted sharply in the past few years. Today’s Malaysian traveller is less interested in a checklist of dim sum stops and more interested in curated, story-driven experiences that give them something to talk about when they get home. HKTB’s four-route structure answers that demand by letting visitors pick a persona – curious traveller, history buff, foodie, or creative explorer – and follow a hand-built itinerary through the streets of Central.
The Four Thematic Routes Explained
The Old Town Signatures route is built for the curious traveller who wants to see how Hong Kongers actually live. The itinerary threads through traditional wet markets, historic temples, the open-air stalls of Upper Lascar Row, and stops at authentic dai pai dong for local fare. It also highlights Kowloon Soy Co. Ltd, one of Hong Kong’s last artisanal soy sauce makers, which is the kind of off-radar find Malaysian foodies will appreciate.
Old Town Legacy targets history buffs and multigenerational families. The route traces the granite steps of Pottinger Street, walks through the revitalised former police station and prison complex at Tai Kwun, and ends at the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum, with detours to explore traditional tong lau architecture along the way. Neighbourhood Taste is the culinary route, hitting traditional tea houses, neighbourhood bakeries, herbal tea shops, and Michelin-starred restaurants, with named recommendations including Luk Yu Tea House, Yat Lok Restaurant, Arbor, LPM, Tai Ping Koon Restaurant, Bakehouse, COA, Kinsman, Quinary, and The Opposites. After dark, the route maps internationally recognised cocktail bars.
Art & Soul serves the creative and curious, leading visitors to the galleries and colourful murals around Hollywood Road, antiques along Upper Lascar Row, and the local design and creative shops at PMQ – the former police married quarters transformed into a creative hub. Wing Lee Street and Tai Ping Shan Street round out the route with their distinctive architecture, which has become a magnet for photographers and Instagram-first travellers.
Meet the People Through an AR Web App
A standout feature of the relaunch is the Meet the People AR experience, an interactive web app accessible via DiscoverHongKong.com. The app layers digital content on top of key locations along the four routes, including immersive audio introductions to the local business owners who keep Old Town Central alive. Among the personalities featured are Bonny Yuen of Yuen’s Tailor (55-plus years on the job), Gavin Yeung of Kinsman cocktail bar, fourth-generation herbalist Ben Tsui of Kung Lee Herbal Tea Shop, and Cecilia Chan of Glocal Mahjong.
For Malaysian travellers used to curated experiences in Penang, Melaka, or Ipoh, this kind of augmented layer is a meaningful upgrade over a static printed map. It also gives a reason to slow down: instead of rushing from landmark to landmark, visitors can stand outside a tailor’s shop in Central and listen to a five-minute audio story from the proprietor before stepping inside. That human layer is exactly what HKTB is betting will turn first-time visitors into repeat visitors.
Limited-Time Keepsakes and a Cocktail Trail
To encourage spending in the neighbourhood, HKTB has lined up a small but appealing keepsake programme. A complimentary Old Town Map is available, and tourists spending HKD200 or more in a single same-day transaction at participating merchants can redeem one of five limited-edition Street Sign Pins at Central Market, Tai Kwun, and PMQ. Pins are collectable, which gives the casual visitor a small reason to plan multiple transactions across different merchants rather than concentrating spending in one place.
After sunset, the cocktail trail takes over. Fourteen neighbourhood bars are serving Old Town Exclusive Cocktails, including a Taro Irish Coffee at The Opposites that is inspired by Cantonese taro sago dessert – a fun wink at Hong Kong’s Cantonese culinary roots. Participating bars include several 50 Best-listed names: COA, Montana, The Opposites, The Savory Project, and Tell Camellia. For Malaysian cocktail fans who already follow the Asia’s 50 Best Bars conversation, that list alone is reason enough to plan an evening crawl through Central.
What This Means for Malaysian Travellers
Old Town Central has always been on the Malaysian traveller’s radar, but it has often been treated as a transit district between the Star Ferry and the Airport Express. The four-route structure gives a more deliberate reason to spend a full day or two exploring it. Malaysian visitors who usually default to Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, or Causeway Bay now have a clear itinerary framework for Central, with named restaurants, bars, and cultural stops that take the guesswork out of a first visit.
Practical planning is also easier. The routes are anchored around the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator, which means visitors can move between neighbourhoods without taxis or MTR transfers, and every route is walkable in a half-day. For Malaysian families travelling with kids or older parents, that low-friction pacing matters. The complimentary Old Town Map and Street Sign Pin programme also add a small gamified layer that keeps younger travellers engaged.
Our Take
HKTB’s Old Town Central refresh is one of the more thoughtful destination-marketing plays we’ve seen out of Hong Kong in recent years. Rather than hyping a single anchor attraction, the four-route structure gives every traveller type – curious explorer, history buff, foodie, creative soul – a recognisable persona to follow, and the named recommendations save hours of pre-trip research. The Meet the People AR app adds a layer of authenticity that feels genuinely Hong Kong rather than corporate, and the cocktail trail with 50 Best-listed bars gives Malaysian night owls a reason to extend their Central visit past sunset.
The biggest test will be how well the four routes hold up in real life. Hong Kong’s Old Town Central is a dense, vertical neighbourhood, and even well-curated itineraries can feel rushed if visitors try to cram too much into one day. Malaysian travellers planning a short trip should pick one or two routes that match their interests and leave the rest for a return visit, using the Old Town Map and AR app as guides rather than checklists. If HKTB keeps refreshing the content and adding seasonal themes, Old Town Central has a real shot at reclaiming its place as the cultural heart of any Malaysian itinerary to Hong Kong.
