Xiqu Centre & Teahouse

This image of the tea house and unique architecture was taken inside the Xiqu Centre. When entering the Xiqu complex, look for the long set of escalators (the ones you can see in the photo). Take them all the way up to the second floor of the building and walk around to the opposite side of the second floor to get this perspective of the tea house. To get here to the center, you can either take public transportation or drive and then park in the center's carpark (22.302547, 114.1675250. By MTR: - Closest Station: Hong Kong West Kowloon Station - Take Exit G - Cross Austin Rd W - Alternative Station: Austin Station - Take Exit F via pedestrian underpass By Bus: - Close Bus stops include Austin Road, Austin Station and China Hong Kong City Address: Xiqu Centre, 88 Austin Rd W, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

The Xiqu Centre is open year round. Check the official website just in case of closures. This public space is actually a great spot to spend time when the rain kicks in during raining season in summer (speaking from experience, always take an umbrella with you during the summer).

You can visit anytime between 10AM-10:30PM and your photo won't be affected by the exterior lighting conditions. Visit early in the day if you want a better chance of photographing when less people are around. Or, if you wish to include just a single subject, like a model.

It's best to capture the scale of the huge space, so make sure to use a wide enough lens. I used an iPhone with an 18mm Moment Lens, but if I were to visit again, I would go for a 12mm ultra-wide version for this image.

Position the tea house not just in the center of the image, but slightly to the right (following rule of thirds). This works especially well because of the oval shape of the roof stretching towards the top-left corner of the center.

Take your time to explore the whole building. There are many great perspectives to play with here.

If you're a fan of theatre, why not grab some tickets for one of the shows at Xiqu Centre?

Alternatively, there's a stunning glass facade lookup within walking distance at the Royal Pacific Hotel.