Can you "ride a horse-drawn carriage" on the streets of Hong Kong? A city sanctuary where private cars are banned

▲ Can you tour the streets by horse-drawn carriage in Hong Kong?

Reported & photographed by Reporter You Ru / Hong Kong

There is an area in Hong Kong rarely known to tourists but regarded as a "city sanctuary" by locals, where environmental protection and fresh air are top priorities. Once you enter this zone, no one is allowed to drive private cars—everyone must take public buses. And if you ever tire of buses and want another mode of transport, there’s an unusual alternative: "riding a horse-drawn carriage."

The "clip-clop" of horse hooves echoes through Discovery Bay in the northeastern part of Lantau Island, New Territories, Hong Kong. There’s no atmosphere of flaunting wealth with cars here—everyone queues up equally to board buses. If you want to try other modes of transportation, only the horse-drawn carriages within Hong Kong Discovery Bay Hotel are permitted in this urban sanctuary. The Hong Kong Discovery Bay Hotel, newly opened less than half a year ago, features a predominantly white and blue ocean-themed color scheme. Riding a carriage within the hotel and gazing at the Disney hotel castle in the distance makes you feel as if you’re in Europe or America.


▲ Exterior of the hotel.


▲ Hotel lobby.


▲%You can walk directly from here to the sea.＞啊＜/strong>



▲ Outdoor swimming pool.

The elegantly designed Hong Kong Discovery Bay Hotel has a total of 325 rooms, located on both mountain-view and sea-view sides, including 64 luxurious and spacious suites. During the day, sitting in the restaurant with a sea view gives a feeling of a vacation away from the world. Aside from multiple indoor and outdoor dining options, the hotel also has event spaces totaling 1,300 square meters, including the 720-square-meter Ocean Ballroom and the award-winning top Asian spa brand Spa Botanica. Most uniquely, there is a white chapel paired with a court-style horse-drawn carriage. Walking outside the chapel, it’s hard to believe you’re in the bustling metropolis of Hong Kong.


▲%The interior decor is also themed around the sea.＜/strong>



▲ One of the hotel’s main visual elements, symbolizing bubbles in the sea.

The stunning seaside white chapel, the first of its kind in Hong Kong, features a triangular spire design with floor-to-ceiling windows that let in natural light. It mainly caters to young couples planning weddings. "For many young people in Hong Kong, getting married in a church is a dream," said Wong Man-man, Sales Manager of Hong Kong Discovery Bay Hotel. Currently, wedding bookings for the chapel are fully booked until the end of the year. This eye-catching all-white chapel, with its reflection in the pool beside it under the blue sky, offers breathtaking sea-and-sky views. Its photogenic beauty has made it a popular choice for weddings in Hong Kong.

In addition to booking the chapel for weddings, the hotel also offers couples the option to reserve European-style open-top horse-drawn carriages. Professional horse trainers specially brought in from abroad, dressed in custom-made riding attire, hold the reins while horses slowly stroll through the hotel grounds—an incredibly romantic experience that delights couples.


▲%The first white horse-drawn carriage in Hong Kong.＜/strong>



▲ Triangular spire design with floor-to-ceiling windows that bring in natural light.


▲ Professional horse trainers specially brought in from abroad, dressed in custom-made riding attire, hold the reins while horses slowly stroll through the hotel grounds—an incredibly romantic experience that delights couples.

[Hong Kong Discovery Bay Hotel]
Address: 88 Hoi Cheng Wan Road, Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong
Phone: (852) 2295 8288
Website:http://www.aubergediscoverybay.com/tc