Hong Kong

Dear lilioftheworld.com reader, this is your co-editor Dani. Today I will take you on a journey that is very different from the stories I have shared so far. We are going to travel together to Hong Kong – one of the jewels of Asia. Above all, we are all missing travel and I want to take you on a journey that took place in the days prior to focusing on masks, hand sanitizers, social distancing and PCR tests.

Prologue

I should admit that my travel to Hong Kong was part of a business trip. Moreover, this article stays on the nexus, whereby carrying out business meets the striving for meeting new cultures and places. To a certain extend the Always-fit couple can place the article on the list of “weekend escapes”. Without further due, please enjoy the next couple of paragraphs, dedicated to the lovely Hong Kong. I will touch upon the following things to do:

• Enjoy the lights show in Victoria harbor
• Traditional food
• Lan Kwai Fong neighborhood
• The Big Buddha statue
• Shopping in Hong Kong
• Get lost on the streets of Kowloon

Welcome to Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a special administrative region (SAR) of China. The name literally means “Fragrant harbor”  or “incense harbor” and there are two opinions about the origin of the name. One says fragrant refers to the sweet taste of the fresh water at the harbor, influx to the Pearl river. The other one refers to the incense factories at Kowloon – they are placed close to the original harbor at Kowloon as they got exported. In addition, Hong Kong has its own story with the British Empire.

In 1997 the previous administration rushed to build the new airport at its current location before the changes, as the previous Kai-Tak airport was insufficient for the needs of this Asian tiger country. Moreover, most airlines have flights to Hong Kong, including United, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Air France, Air Canada, British Airways, Asiana, Garuda, KLMs, Qantas and the domestic Cathay Pacific.

The airport offers quick connections to the city by subway, taxi and bus. This is also one of the few airports that offer boat transfers to the nearby SAR of Macau. As a European, I took the bus, which often uses special bus lanes and skips the morning rush traffic. Furthermore, the cars and buses drive on the left side of the road, similarly to the UK, Japan, South Africa and some other countries.

Victoria Harbor

Some historians believe the harbor was established around 1425. It is in the middle of the SAR and naturally it is the most important facility for Hong Kong. Back in the days it served the East India Company, among others. Today many goods, made in China, are exported through this harbor. From tourist standpoint it is famous for the lights show after dusk. And while you will find many pictures of the show from the promenade, I would like to show you how it looks from from up in the air. I had the opportunity to watch from a rooftop restaurant in a tall building. Moreover, this is the largest lights, laser and sound show in the world, according to the Guinness World Records. It starts at 20:00 local time every day. The show lasts for 14 minutes and has five major themes – “Awakening”, “Energy”, “Heritage”, “Partnership” and “Celebration”.

 

Traditional Food

I would recommend skipping this paragraph in case you do not have a strong stomach. After the lights show, the evening continued with a diner with 7-step menu of local specialties.

The deep-fried spicy onions and jalapeños were more than appealing and delicious. The pork belly with crispy skin and salad were unusual but tasty. Things started going down afterwards. They served soup, whereby each bowl of soup was covered by another bowl. To my surprise, I found some clean chicken stock, accompanied by a chicken foot. I was tasted the stock, which was fine, and I skipped trying the foot. A coworker of mine told me the foot did not taste good – he explained that the texture was utterly disturbing. The subsequent dish looked like duck feet bourguignon. I skipped that one, as well as the next one. Not surprisingly, I tried the dessert – Nai Wong Bao or steamed custard buns.

Lan Kwai Fong

We finished the dinner with some digestive and it was time for the party to continue in a bar. Lan Kwai Fong is a small neighborhood of a square and several streets, connected to it in central Hong Kong. It is very popular among expatriates as it is full of bars. The tropical climate of the SAR calls for cold drinks. Moreover, one can have something as simple as a beer or the amazing bar tenders will make you a cocktail of your choice. Most of the bars offer live bands performances. I would highly recommend stopping for a drink in Insomnia. The place offers great music, great service and amazing drinks.

You can get a table overlooking the street or a tall table in front of the stage. To my surprise, the musicians in the area are predominantly Filipinos. After a barhopping, it was time to catch one of the iconic red taxis and head back to the hotel, as I had an early start on the next morning. Furthermore, when I was there the news from around the world were reporting “violent protest” in Hong Kong. I felt perfectly safe all the time. I used the subway to get to Lan Kwai Fong. The train did not stop on the stop near the administrative quarter. Other than that, there was no sign there were protests nearby.

The Big Buddha Statue

Visiting the Big Buddha statue was another highlight of my trip. The statue is 34 meters tall and weighs 250 tons. It is located on Lantau Island, close to the airport and away from where I stayed in Hong Kong. Buddha can be seen from Macau on a clear day. I would recommend booking tickets in advance.

The best way to get there is by cable car. Some cable cars offer “crystal floor” – i.e., the floor is transparent (like on the picture above), and one can enjoy the scenery. The ride was a pure joy, but unfortunately a summer tropical rain shower hit the place once I was there. The statue was looking even more mystical, but they shut down the lift due to the strong winds. I had to wait for 3 hours in line to get back to the base station by bus. Despite the initial disappointment, now I have sweet memories and an amazing story to tell.

Shopping in Hong Kong

Certainly, Hong Kong is a popular shopping destitution. There is no sales tax there. The city offers everything one may dream about – expensive cars, expensive clothes and fragrances, jewelry, electronics and others. You will find the goods either in local stores, as seen in some James Bond movies, or in high-end modern shopping malls. One such mall is available across the street from the base station of the gondola to the Big Buddha. The mall’s name in Kowloon is “Kowloon City Plaza – KCP”. I am sure the shopaholics among you will be extremely happy to visit those places.

The Streets of Kowloon

Kowloon is a neighborhood of Hong Kong, north of Victoria harbor. Moreover, I stayed in this area during my visit there. I truly believe that the best way to experience a place is to mix with the locals. While dedicated tourist buses and tours are appropriate for regions that struggle with unrest and safety challenges, feeling like a local is the best one can do in places that are safe. Walking in Kowloon gives the true experience of the Far East – busy and crowded streets, colorful stores and delicious food.

Epilogue

I would admit that Hong Kong is a great place to visit. If you haven’t been to Asia before, Hong Kong is a great first stop and it can act as a smooth transition to the beauty of Asia. Furthermore, at the end of the week it was time for me to catch the bus to HKG and hop on a Boeing 777 on the long way back home. Above all, I hope you enjoyed this short journey in Hong Kong. You can read some of my other stories:

• Pittsburgh – a city of great stories
• The Thousand Islands article
• The story about the San Francisco Bay Area
• Miami – My Independence Day Weekend in Paradise
• A Weekend in Seattle

I think that that’s it! In conclusion, I want to thank You for visiting Hong Kong with me!

Any comments / remarks / notes / recommendations are welcome!