Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association celebrates 50 years of thriving development

In addition to providing economical hostels, the Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association (HKYHA) upholds the Hong Kong spirit of resilience and perseverance as it promotes cultural exchange, environmental protection and historical conservation through challenging times.

Founded in 1973 and being a member of Hostelling International, HKYHA operates seven hostels in Hong Kong with more than 40,000 individual members and over 600 group members.

True to its mission to provide safe, simple, and affordable hostelling services to young people and travelers from around the world, HKYHA is a registered non-profit and non-government-funded NGO founded for the young people to take a break from the densely-packed environment.

For this reason, those early  hostels stand tall in Hong Kong’s major country parks, being excellent bases for camping, hiking and adventure activities.

(1) YHA Jockey Club Mt. Davis Youth Hostel (HK Island)
Soak up the unrivalled views of Victoria Harbour at the 270-degree sea view observation deck. You can also go for a historic walk to visit the WWII Mount Davis Battery relics near the hostel.

(2) YHA Bradbury Jockey Club Tai Mei Tuk Youth Hostel (Tai Po)
Adjacent to Plover Cove Reservoir, the hostel spares you the effort to reach the main dam to enjoy a leisurely stroll, cycling, kite flying or just pick one hiking trail next to the hostel to Pat Sin Leng.

*This is a dog-friendly hostel that provides accommodations for dogs in designated rooms.

(3) YHA Ngong Ping SG Davis Youth Hostel (Lantau Island)
Situated in a spectacular landscape and surrounded by attractions including the Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, and the Wisdom Path. It is also close to the famous Lantau Trail.

(4) YHA Pak Sha O Youth Hostel (Sai Kung)    
Best pick for ecology explorers, walk about 20 minutes to Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park, you can snorkel to enjoy the colourful coral communities, immerse yourself in the beauty of the mangrove.

(5) YHA Bradbury Hall Chek Keng Youth Hostel (Sai Kung)    
Situated next to the Chek Keng Pier, you can enjoy all kinds of water sports under the hot summer, walk along the Maclehose Trail to Tak Long Au and the mangrove at To Kwa Peng and even challenge yourself to reach the Sharp Peak.

(6) YHA Sze Lok Yuen Tai Mo Shan Youth Hostel (Tsuen Wan)
Enjoying the highest altitude in Hong Kong, reach the summit of Tai Mo Shan at 957m for sunrise, seas of clouds and frost in severe winter. Then have traditional Cantonese dim sum at Chuen Lung.

(7) HKYHA’s newest and flagship hostel is YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel (Sham Shui Po), revitalized from a Grade II historic building and opened in 2013 as the only remaining example of Hong Kong’s earliest resettlement building.

Mei Ho House - the legacy of Sham Shui Po

In 2009, HKYHA undertook the government’s Mei Ho House Revitalization Project, transforming this heritage building into a hostel that includes the “Heritage of Mei Ho House” museum and the “Mei Ho House Alumni Network”.

Heritage of Mei Ho House brings visitors back to the neighborhood of the 1950s to 1960s, while the Mei Ho House Alumni Network organizes cultural and educational activities to deepen visitors’ knowledge of the old times while strengthening ties in the community.

Meanwhile, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Project Grant: Mei Ho House Hong Kong Spirit Learning Project was launched since 2014, which includes annual essay competition, school guided tours, experiential learning camps, learning materials and creative writing classes.

YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel also earned the “2014 Dual Gold Award for National Classic Habitation on Planning and Architectural Design” from the Architectural Society of China and an Honorable Mention in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation 2015.

Promoting the Hong Kong spirit

Hong Kong spirit and a “can-do” attitude leads HKYHA to run its annual fundraising event - the Ngong Ping Charity Walk to raise public awareness on environmental protection.

“Affections Across Generations” essay competition promotes cross-generational exchange. Students interview elderly family members with shared stories to pass on Hong Kong’s “Lion Rock” spirit to the next generation.

Marching on the educational sector, HKYHA collaborates with the Hong Kong Metropolitan University Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education (LiPACE) to organize the “Professional Diploma in Community Museum Management” programme. Rolled out in 2022, it includes a 50-hour practicum at the Heritage of Mei Ho House to gain hands-on experience.

Building upon inheritance and development for the future

Terry Liu, Chairman of HKYHA, attributes the robust development of HKYHA over the past 50 years to the support of people from all walks of life. “I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to relevant government authorities, my fellow members of our Executive Committee, sub-committee and working group members, volunteers, staff, sponsors and donors for their unfailing support, especially during the difficulties over the past few years,” he says.

He points out that HKYHA always upholds the Hong Kong spirit whenever it encounters challenges. For example, during the pandemic, HKYHA focused on a future recovery by upgrading its hostels and developing new products. Heritage of Mei Ho House also had a facelift, thanks for the generosity of Hong Kong Jockey Club.

 “On the foundations of our competitive strengths, we pledge to meet our future challenges with vigor and vision,” Liu affirms.

Milestones

Since 1973 - HKYHA was officially established, 6 hostels were put into operation successfully
2007 - Launched Ngong Ping Charity Walk
2009 - Commenced the Mei Ho House renovation project
2013 - YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel was opened
2014 - YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel was awarded “2014 Dual Gold Award for National Classic Habitation on Planning and Architectural Design” by the Architectural Society of China
2014 - Launched the Jockey Club Mei Ho House Hong Kong Spirit Learning Programme
2015 - YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel won "Honorable Mention" of UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Cultural Heritage  Conservation 2015
2022 - Signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation with the Hong Kong Metropolitan University Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education (LiPACE) to launch the “Professional Diploma in Community Museum Management” programme
2022 - Thanks to the generous donation from the Jockey Club, Heritage of Mei Ho House was renovated and reopened with a New Exhibition "Memories of Our Days"

+3