By Li Xinyi, compiled and reported
With just a smartphone or an iPad, you can explore Hong Kong without worrying about getting lost. The Hong Kong Tourism Board’s “Hong Kong AR Travel Guide” app uses Augmented Reality (AR) technology. Download this free app, and when you’re in Hong Kong, simply take a picture of your surroundings to easily identify your location—as if you had a pedestrian-only navigation system.
The “Hong Kong AR Travel Guide” App’s Augmented Reality technology helps travelers quickly determine their location. (Image provided by the Hong Kong Tourism Board)
This “Hong Kong AR Travel Guide” app utilizes Augmented Reality technology to cover all districts of Hong Kong, offering detailed information on over 100 attractions, 5,500 retail shops participating in the Quality Tourism Services scheme, 2,000 restaurants, as well as shopping malls and street markets across the city. There’s also the “Hong Kong City Walks” app, which provides four different themed urban walking routes for visitors to explore the historical and modern highlights of Hong Kong.
Augmented Reality technology can also be used on iPads. If you don’t have time to download it in Taiwan, you can download the service once you arrive in Hong Kong. (Image provided by the Hong Kong Tourism Board)
Both apps can be pre-downloaded and browsed in Taiwan, though they are currently only available for iPhone and iPad users. After downloading, you can use your smartphone in Hong Kong to quickly access your location info without needing an internet connection. This means no extra international roaming charges—like having your own 24/7 personal tour guide. During the Travel Expo, visitors who show the downloaded “Hong Kong AR Travel Guide” App on their phone at the Hong Kong Pavilion will receive a free USB flash drive, while supplies last.
“Hong Kong AR Travel Guide” App: itunes.apple.com/hk/app/id437814235?mt=8