Hong Kong and Shanghai are coy about the rivalry, but it's no secret that there's fierce competition within Hong Kong - between the opposing sides of the city's Victoria Harbour, Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.

The light show, called Symphony of Lights, is staged every evening at 8pm, and was launched on the Island side in January 2004, but a year later, Kowloon launched its own light show, staged at the same time.

Even before the light show, Hong Kong was renowned for its Technicolor night skies, the inky blue nights punctuated by the neon signs of electronics companies and banks branding their glittering glass towers.

"The vista has always been better at night," says Lamey Chang, who was born in Hong Kong and works on the management team of the city's most prestigious hotel, The Peninsula, "but now it is spectacular."

The skyscrapers are still the stars of the show, with 33 buildings now fitted with lasers and lights; 21 on the Island side and 12 in Kowloon. The show is "choreographed", with lights on timers set to synchronise to dramatic effect: broad green laser lights shoot upwards from the IFC (International Financial Centre) buildings, the second of which is Hong Kong's tallest at 415 metres, while the iconic Bank of China building, with its angular blade-like tower, has white dashes shooting along criss-crossed steel girders.

At one stage, traditional Chinese hues of red and gold light up on both sides of the harbour, before searchlights sweep across the bay, and finally a crescendo of dancing beams and flashing lights on both sides of the harbour.

According to the organisers, there are five themes to the 20-minute display, which take it through sequences of "awakening, energy, heritage, partnership and celebration" representing phases of history and culture in Hong Kong, but they are not immediately obvious to those who don't also listen to the accompanying music and commentary.

The music and narration is broadcast at the Avenue of Stars, a boardwalk on the Kowloon side (English narration on Monday, Wednesday and Friday), and is also available on various local radio stations (FM 103.4 for English), or can be listened to by mobile phone (call 35 665 665).

These may add something to the experience, but for many, watching the light show over a cocktail in the salubrious surroundings of one of the city's trendiest rooftop bars is the icing on the cake.

The Peninsula's Felix bar is on the 28th floor of the hotel, and is a perfect viewing spot, thanks to floor-to-ceiling glass. If you can tear your eyes away from the exceptional Philippe Starck-interior, and the fashionably apparelled clientele, it's a good vantage point for the show.

Metallic wavey walls, glass tables, white chairs and floating white curtains in soft lighting create a sophisticated ambience, although the star of the show is, bizarrely, the men's loos, where the urinals abut the glass wall - a vertiginous experience for users, I'm told.

The upper bar gets packed so it's wise to arrive soon after opening at 6pm, or book a table for dinner and ask for a window seat (make sure you get the right side), securing great views - just don't expect too much conversation from your companions.

Just around the corner from The Peninsula is another rooftop hot spot, Aqua. It's a multifaceted restaurant/bar complex on the 30th floor of the 1 Peking Street building and like Felix, the bar, Aqua Spirit, has glass walls so is a great spot for watching the show - just get there early, and order the honey and ginger martini.

The dark, almost too dark, bar has some great banquette seating but it faces the wrong way for the light show, so it's standing room only on the other side of the bar to see the show, accompanied by trendy Buddha Bar style tunes, rather than the show's official narration. After cocktails, there are three restaurants downstairs - Aqua Tokyo for Japanese, Roma for Italian and Hutong for contemporary Cantonese.

Hutong is the most popular for its daring cuisine, which is exquisitely presented in huge wooden baskets, long cane trays or elegant ceramic dishes, complemented by the elaborate decoration mimicking a traditional Beijing courtyard house (Hutong meaning the alleys in Beijing's courtyard neighbourhoods). Crispy de-boned lamb ribs are the house speciality, or the brave can try the drunken raw crabs.

Both Felix and Aqua are on Kowloon side, giving views of the Island light show, which is still considered the best of the two shows, as 21 buildings take part, compared to 12 on the Kowloon side. However, the diplomatic visitor can watch from the water aboard one of the famous green and white Star Ferry boats.

They cross the harbour ever few minutes, cost less than 20 pence, and one of the routes, from central to Tsim Sha Tsui, runs until 11.30pm. Alternatively, there's the more expensive Star Ferry cruise and an option to sail on a junk - the traditional wooden Chinese sail boats (see below), which gives you longer on the water to appreciate the light show on both sides.

Need to know

Ginny McGrath travelled with Lastminute.com and Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong and stayed at The Peninsula Hong Kong.

For more information go to the Symphony of Lights website, and for further information about Hong Kong, go to the Tourism Commission website or the Hong Kong Tourism Board site. For information about Aqua restaurants and bar, go to the group's website.

The harbour cruises: A Symphony of Lights Harbour Cruise on a wooden junk, which takes a circular route around Victoria Harbour and departs nightly from Queen's Pier on the Island side at 7.30pm and from Kowloon Public Pier at 7.45pm. It takes one-and-a-half hours and costs HK$290 (about £20, including drinks). It is organised by Watertours of Hong Kong.

Alternatively a special Star Ferry cruise leaves at 7.05pm from the Star Ferry Pier at Tsim Sha Tsui, on the Kowloon side. It lasts two hours and costs HK$120 (about £8), for details go to www.starferry.com.hk

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