[dropcap]I[/dropcap] was privileged to have been invited to travel to Hong Kong just recently and although it was not my first time, I have to admit that there are still of a lot of places I have not been to in this country.

During my last visit, I was brought to Dragon Centre, one of the destinations frequented by the locals which was a good sign since I was wondering where most of them shop, dine and get their share of entertainment.

dragon centre hongkong building

The iconic nine-floor Dragon Centre, located at West Kowloon is a mixed use building, one of the tallest in that area and is the only large-scale shopping mall in the Sham Shui Po District. In 1994, it even won the Certificate of Merit Award from the Hong Kong Institute of Architects.

At the ground floor, a huge image of a dragon greeted me as I entered the building to go up their escalator leading to the atrium.

dragon centre dragon
THE IMAGE OF A DRAGON AT THE FIRST FLOOR OF DRAGON CENTRE LEADING UP TO THE MAIN ATRIUM

At the atrium, l noticed that the establishment makes good use of natural light as sunlight shone through its sky roof.

Dragon Centre Atrium
ME AT THE ATRIUM OF DRAGON CENTRE. NOTICE THE SKY ROOF AND THE ELEVATOR AT THE BACKGROUND.

The building houses the Sky Rink, an ice-skating rink at the eight floor along with a Food Court;  the Apple Mall occupying the 5th and 7th Floors; and the Sky Fantasia, a gaming and entertainment hub for kids and kids-at-heart.

THE SKY RINK AT THE 8TH LOOR

DRAGON CENTRE SYRINK
THE WISE SKATING RINK, CALLED SKYRINK AT THE DRAGON CENTER
DRAGON CENTRE SKYRINK
THE LOBBY AND REGISTRATION AREA OF SKYRINK WITH LOTS OF TABLES FOR WAITING PARENTS OF SKATERS.

THE FOODCOURT AT THE 8TH FLOOR

DRAGON CENTRE FOODCOURT
A PORTION OF THE JAMPACKED FOODCOURT  WHERE HONG KONG LOCALS EAT. IT HAS OVER A DOZEN FOOD TENANTS SELLING ALL SORTS OF DELICIOUS CHINESE AND A FEW WESTERN DISHES.
DRAGON CENTRE FOODCOURT
ONE OF THE FOODCOURT STALLS AT THE DRAGON CENTRE SELLING LOCAL HONG KONG FOOD.

THE SKY FANTASIA AT THE 9TH FLOOR

DRAGON CENTRE SKY FANTASIA
THE PRIZES COUNTER FILLED WITH HONG KONG KIDS WANTING TO EXCHANGE THEIR WINNING TOKENS FOR PRIZES
GAMES AND GAMES GREET YOU AS YOU ENTER SKY FANTASIA OF DRAGON CENTRE AT THE 9TH FLOOR
GAMES AND GAMES GREET YOU AS YOU ENTER SKY FANTASIA OF DRAGON CENTRE AT THE 9TH FLOOR
DRAGON CENTRE SKY FANTASIA
THE TICKET COUNTER OF SKY FANTASIA WHERE ONE BUYS TOKENS TO THE DIFFERENT GAME STATIONS AT SKY FANTASIA.

APPLE MALL AT THE 7TH FLOOR

The Apple Mall that I visited at the 7th Floor has got to be the busiest area at the Dragon Centre. Here you can find all sorts of items, not only for teens but for hobbyists and collectors of all sorts of stuff but also crafts that people can make money out of. And yes, there are lots of fashion apparel, jewelry, precious stones, and every imaginable thing one can think of. Most prizes are fixed but if one buys in bulk, the store staff can give you a discount.  I bought a few Pokemon stuff which was perfect for some people I love back home.

This is surely a shopper’s paradise. And the prices are all for local consumers so don’t worry about them being touristy.

Dragon Centre is but one of the various places in Hong Kong that tourists like me should visit.  Not only are we afforded very inexpensive dining, entertainment and shopping choices but it gives us a peek into where and how the locals go for quality and affordability.  So glad I made it part of my Hong Kong adventure.

HOW TO GET THERE

To reach Dragon Centre, take the MTR and get off the Sham Shui Po STATION.  From there, you can walk less than 5 minutes to Dragon Centre.  Check out the Google Map below.