In Kowloon--Kowloon Park--Occupying the site of an old military encampment first established in the 1860s, Kowloon Park is Tsim Sha Tsui's largest recreational and sports facility, boasting an indoor heated Olympic-size swimming pool, three outdoor leisure pools linked by a series of waterfalls, an open-air sculpture garden featuring works by local and overseas sculptors, a Chinese garden, a fitness trail, an aviary, a maze formed by hedges, a children's playground, and a bird lake with flamingos and other waterfowl. Not far from the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station (take the A1 exit for Kowloon Park), it's easily accessible from Nathan, Haiphong, and Austin roads and is open daily from 6am to midnight, with free admission. The swimming pools (tel. 852/2724 4522) are open daily from 6:30am to 9pm and charge HK$19 (US$2.45) for adults and HK$9 (US$1.15) for children.

Kowloon Walled City Park--Hong Kong's newest park is perhaps its finest. Although it doesn't boast the attractions of the city's other parks, the Kowloon Walled City Park, on Tung Tau Tsuen Road, was designed to re-create the style of a classical Southern Chinese garden, and is the largest such garden outside China. Beautifully landscaped with man-made hills, ponds, streams, pines, boulders, bonsai, bamboo, and shrubs, it features winding paths through a sculpture garden, flower gardens, pavilions, and a playground.

Even more fascinating is the site's history, described through photographs in a former administration office. More than 150 years ago, the site was on the seashore, making it perfect in 1847 for the construction of a Chinese fort to defend Kowloon after the British takeover of Hong Kong Island. After 1898, when the British took over the New Territories, the 500 soldiers occupying the fort were expelled. But China did not consider the site part of the leased territories, and for most of the next century, the Kowloon Walled City remained in sovereign limbo, ignored by British authorities. It developed a lifestyle of its own, with its own set of laws. An enclave of tenements and secret societies that flouted Hong Kong's building regulations and health standards, it served as a haven for squatters, refugees, criminals, prostitutes, and drug addicts. Densely packed and infested with rats, many parts of the warrenlike slum never saw the light of day. Hong Kong police ventured inside only in pairs. Following a special Sino-British agreement and years of lengthy negotiations over new housing for Walled City residents, the enclave was demolished in 1994. A few historic structures remain, however, including the Old South Gate entrance, wall foundations, and flagstone paths. To reach the park, take the MTR to Lok Fu station and then walk 15 minutes on Junction Road to Tung Tau Tsuen Road; or take bus no. 1 from the Star Ferry in Tsim Sha Tsui to the stop opposite the park. It's open daily from 6:30am to 11:30pm, and admission is free.

Yuen Po Street Bird Garden--While in Hong Kong, you may notice wooden birdcages hanging outside shops or from apartment balconies, or perhaps even see someone walking down the street with a cage. Birds are favorite pets in Chinese households, and the price of a bird is determined not by its plumage but by its singing talents. To see more of these prized songbirds, visit the fascinating Yuen Po Street Bird Garden, Prince Edward Road West, which consists of a series of Chinese-style moon gates and courtyards lined with stalls selling songbirds, beautifully crafted wood and bamboo cages, live crickets and mealy worms, and tiny porcelain food bowls. Nothing, it seems, is too expensive for these tiny creatures. The lane is also crowded with scores of people buying and selling birds, or perhaps just taking their birds for an outing. This garden is very Chinese and a lot of fun to see; young children love it. Incidentally, next door is Flower Market Road, lined with flower shops, while on nearby Tung Choi Street is the Goldfish Market with exotic fish. To reach the Bird Garden, open daily from 7am to 8pm, take the MTR to Prince Edward Road station (exit B1 or B2) and walk 10 minutes west on Prince Edward Road West, turning left at the railway onto Yuen Po Street. Admission is free.