Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Hong Kong Day 3
We woke today to fog so decided to explore Kowloon rather than going to Victoria Peak. We enjoyed taking the Star Ferry across from Hong Kong Island, getting to the ferry on the Ding Ding. Once in Kowloon we were able to look back at HK island from the Kowloon public pier on the harbourside. We saw the replica of the Bejiing Olympic torch and walked along the Avenue of Stars, very like the Hollywood Walk of Fame with HK movie stars names on the sidewalk. There was also a display of the history of HK movies which was fascinating and so much more than just Kung Fu. The most popular exhibit with most visitors was the life size bronze statue of Bruce Lee, although lots of people also were having their photos taken with the movie production bronze statues. Our next visit was to the Peninsula Hotel to mooch around and use their facilities. It's a lovely old style hotel, except for the newer upward extension in the middle, with intricate ceilings and adornments and a whole arcade of luxury shops.
Nathan Road leads north from the hotel and is the main shopping area for Kowloon; mostly high end shops full of tourists with too many guys outside them offering to sell us a cheap Rolex watch. Kowloon seemed very different from HK island in that the streets are wider, no trams running down the middle and a quite different atmosphere.
It was humid so we decided to head to a sight suggested in a local magazine in the hotel: the Chi Lin Nunnery and the Nan Lian Gardens. We took the MTR (underground) to Diamond Hill, north of the main area of Kowloon and after walking through the obligatory shopping mall attached to the station, with an M&S store, Uniqlo and H&M, we walked into this large Buddhist complex, originally dating from the 1930s, which was rebuilt completely of wood in the style of the Tang dynasty in 1998. It is a very serene place, with lotus ponds, immaculate bonsai tea plants and bougainvillea, and the sound of nuns chanting behind intricately carved screens. The design, involving intricately interlocking sections of wood joined without a single nail, is intended to demonstrate the harmony of humans with nature. It’s pretty convincing – until you look up at the looming neighbourhood high-rises behind the complex. The whole complex was very interesting and peaceful.
The Nan Lian Gardens were across the road and proved to be fascinating. According to the brochure the gardens are based on Jiangshouju Garden of the Tang Dynasty, a traditional Chinese landscape garden in Shanxi Province. The gardens are beautifully laid out with manicured trees, complete cover vegetation and amazing polished rocks, some weighting several tons, interspersed were pavilions and water features. Not having seen a traditional Chinese garden before we were most impressed.
Back on to the MTR to visit the jade markets to see what goes on. Very little really except crazy people wanting to sell you jade (genuine and chemically produced) for every occasion and use, and a few you did not know about.
By now it was getting late and time to visit the night market in Temple Street. This was interesting and very colourful but really geared to the tourist who wants to buy tacky goods, not really a traditional market.
We waited in Kowloon to see the daily Symphony of Lights. This happens each night at 20.00 and consists of a light show accompanied by music. The backdrop for the lights are the buildings on HK Island on which the lights are mounted. These then pulsate to the music producing never ending and colour changing light show for 15/20 minutes concluding with laser beams cutting through the sky.
Back over on the ferry and to the hotel on the tram again. A really long and busy day but very enjoyable.
- comments