Ding Ding Tram (Double Deckers)

Hong Kong’s public transportation system is one of the most modern and efficient in the world, but for an authentic, street-level tour of old Hong Kong Island, hop on the Ding Ding Tram. These double decker trams got their nickname from the dinging sound used to warn other traffic and pedestrians that the tram is approaching. The bell was replaced by a beeping sound in 2000, but the public vehemently opposed the change, and the “ding ding” sound was shortly reintroduced.

Trams have been ferrying passengers along the streets of Hong Kong since 1904, but the iconic double deckers didn’t show up on the scene until 1912. The modern line makes a loop from Kennedy Town in the west to Shau Kei Wan in the east, passing through some of the island’s oldest neighborhoods. Hong Kong maintains the largest fleet of double decker trams in the world, so you’ll only have to wait a minute or two, and you can pay the inexpensive fare with your octopus card.