When you think of Hong Kong, shopping and dim sum are probably the first things that come to mind. But the city also happens to have some pretty awesome swimming pools. From the world’s highest pool to a natural infinity pond on a mountain, here are some of the city’s best places to cool off.
The public pool system in Hong Kong consists of an extensive network of indoor and outdoor pools operated by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). Most are heated, though some are naturally cooled. Indoor pools are generally less crowded than outdoor ones, and some offer specialized facilities for swimmers with disabilities. Some are open all year round, while others have specific opening times and closing dates for different seasons.
LCSD pool fees are relatively inexpensive compared to private ones, with monthly tickets costing HK$150 (half price for students, children aged 3 and under, and seniors). Guests must purchase a ticket at the entrance of each pool, and can use it as a key to unlock lockers in changing rooms. A refundable $5 coin must be inserted into lockers to activate them; the pool also provides padlocks for sale.
The LCSD has a website with maps of all public swimming pools and detailed information about their facilities. Most have one or more 50m pools and a shallow pool for children. There is also a large indoor complex in Wan Chai that features a training pool and a teaching pool, and several smaller indoor pools. New pools are opening to replace older ones; for example, a new Kennedy Town pool opened in February 2017 to replace an existing community swimming pool on the site which had to be demolished to make way for the Kennedy Town station of the West Island railway line.
Despite the lifting of pandemic restrictions, the number of LCSD-managed public pools remains limited, with the number of lifeguards remaining well below expected levels. This is due in part to the fact that young people are not interested in applying for the lifeguards’ non-civil service contract positions, which do not offer career advancement.
In addition, a typhoon disrupted operations at some swimming pools earlier this summer. This led to a backlog of cleaning work that forced some pools to close for a few days and limit their use.