Smiles seemed to be permanently etched on everyone’s faces as they strolled through this well-laid-out park on a breezy Saturday afternoon. I moved aside as a newly married couple hurried by, and watched as children gazed, rapt with attention, at turtles struggling to find a sunbathing spot on small logs that peeked out of a large, artificial pond. On beautiful days like this, it's not unreasonable to think one could spend an entire afternoon strolling these impeccably kept grounds. And with unabated views of the towers that dominate the downtown Hong Kong skyline, this makes an outstanding location to whip out the camera and test your photography skills.

As you brush past the many water fountains and ponds, admiring the astonishing cleanliness of your surroundings, make sure you head over to the western part of the park, where you’ll find the conservatory and Edward Youde Aviary. I didn’t check out the conservatory, though a walk-through did seem worthwhile, and was crushed when I found out that the aviary was temporarily closed due to the scare surrounding avian influenza. That’s a shame, because the aviary is gorgeous, at least from the outside looking in. A surprisingly inconspicuous mesh netting made of steel engulfs the area and the 150 or so Southeast Asian birds inside. The birds didn’t seem to notice any sickness going around, as we could hear them chirping and see them flying from tree to tree.

Not far from the aviary and bordering the tai chi park is a 30-meter-high lookout tower. Though the warning sign near the bottom claims that the 105-step trek up the winding staircase "requires strenuous activity," go ahead and work that ass—by no means is this climb difficult, and once you get to the top, you’ll be glad you burned some extra calories. From up here, you’ll get incredible views of the Bank of China building, the forwardly designed Lippo Centre, and all their surrounding counterparts. Load up the film—this is another key spot for snapping photos.

This was one of the most impressive parks I’ve ever visited. Though it doesn’t take up a huge chunk of land (less than half a square mile), well-thought-out planning and landscaping makes the most of what there is. Since you’ll likely be taking a ride up to Victoria Peak, tack on an extra hour or two to your excursion to allow time for a little wandering through this gem.

The Hong Kong Park is a totally different park, but they are close to one another. We had to go back because the Aviary was closed at 5pm, which is what we wanted to see. It was interesting to see all the different and colorful birds. You have to stop to look because many of them blend in. You may want your binoculars to get a closer look.

Inside this park, there are few places that are worth going.

1. Greenhouse: You could discover different plants in different climatic zones, like tropical rain forest, dessert, etc. It's good for children to take notes about the plants on their little note book. 2. A net with bird: It's another good place for children... the children can see many birds above their heads! 3. Tea Museum: If you like Chinese culture, then it's definitely a great place to visit. Different kinds of teapots are illustrated in this museum. You can have a deeper understanding in tea culture and how people make tea, and how they make a cup of tea. There are many different methods in different parts of China. 4. There is a lake in the park. Some fish and ducks are relaxing around. Spend an afternoon here is very nice, it's hard to breathe in such fresh air in the city centre of Hong Kong.

The park has some nice waterfall areas with red-beaked cranes. I didn’t find out what the conservatory building was used for, as it had just closed for the day when I stopped in to take a look. I actually ended up back at this park when I was trying to find an alternate path back down the hillside after riding the mid-level escalators up to the top.