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After 2 fun filled days at Disneyland it was time to head into Hong Kong proper for the rest of our holiday. As planned we intermixed sightseeing with shopping and generally relax and enjoy the last of the hot weather before I head to the winter cold of Australia. Out hotel was conveniently located in Kowloon close to the metro lines so getting around was simple. Luck was on my side and the weather was delightful – hot but not unbearably so – not enough to slow us down as we planned our days. Can't believe how quick the time went and how little sightseeing I managed to fit into the 8 days. Have highlighted the main places below but we did spend quite a bit of time just traveling around on trams looking at everyday life in Hong Kong especially around Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Repulse Bay, Aberdeen and Stanley. Given it has been several years since I last spent any length of time in HK it was great fun just to see the changes and growth that has occurred.
So where did we go….starting with Hong Kong Island the highlights were…..
Victoria Peak (Tai Ping Shan), one of Hong Kong’s most famous scenic spots, still offers breathtaking views of Hong Kong’s skyline, Kowloon, and Victoria Harbour. It is the highest point on the island with renowned views of the city. The Peak, as locals call it, is located on a mountaintop and is reachable by the Peak Tram. Pulled by steel cables, the tram climbs 1,200 feet (about 373 meters) up the side of the mountain. New tram in place since my last visit but still one of those not to be missed sights. Once on The Peak, there are a number of locations providing magnificent views of the city below. There are more great vistas from the Lions View Point Pavilion and the viewing terrace at the Peak Galleria, as well as the Peak Tower Sky Terrace.
Hong Kong Park. An oasis of green amid the urban landscape, Hong Kong Park features an aviary, greenhouse, the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, fountains, lily ponds, playgrounds, a restaurant and even a marriage registry. We saw a couple getting married and Ella commented……"her dress looks elegant”…yep all of 8 years old!!! Ella loved the fountain where you could walk in under the water- helped to cool down on a hot, humid day
Stanley Market. A popular market town on the sunny south side of Hong Kong Island, Stanley's relaxed ambience, crisp sea environs and bargain buys have made it world famous. Seven days a week the open market around Stanley New Street and Stanley Market Road throbs with the passing parade of life as bargain-hunters from all over the world join in the fun of haggling with shopkeepers and stallholders. Choose from brand-name clothing and accessories, or simply irresistible souvenirs, ornaments and other Oriental knick-knacks. The market is open from 10:30am to 6:30pm.
Found a great "pub” along the promenade for lunch where we enjoyed some good music, good food and a nice cold beer watching the world go by…..life is good!!
Decided to take a guided tour to visit Lantau Island and its attractions and have to say it was money well spent – no lining up to get into/onto attractions and we got to see so much in one day. No time wasted so we could maximise our time seeing what we really wanted to see.
Lantau Island. With a land mass of 147.16 square kilometres (56.82 sq mi), it is the largest island in Hong Kong, almost twice the size of Hong Kong Island. Lantau Island primarily consists of mountainous terrain. Lantau Peak (934 m) is the highest point of the island. It is the second highest in Hong Kong, after Tai Mo Shan, and is almost twice the height of Victoria Peak. Lantau Island is often referred to as "the lungs of Hong Kong", because of its abundance of indigenous forest and relative scarcity of high-rise residential developments which characterise Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Ngong Ping Cable Car is a visually spectacular 5.7km cable car journey, travelling between Tung Chung Town Centre and Ngong Ping on Lantau Island. You can enjoy panoramic views of the Hong Kong International Airport, South China Sea, the Tian Tan Buddha Statue, as well as the flora and fauna of North Lantau Country Park. Ella didn’t go much on the height but did enjoy watching the planes landing and taking off from KH airport. Glad we didn’t pay the extra for the crystal cabin with its glass floor!!!
Big Buddha (Tian Tan Buddha Statue): No trip to Hong Kong would be complete without a visit to the world's tallest, outdoor, seated bronze Buddha. The famous statue sits serenely atop Ngong Ping plateau amidst the spectacular mountain scenery of Lantau Island. The eyes, lips, incline of the head, and right hand (raised to deliver a blessing to all), combine to lend great depth of character and dignity to this extraordinary statue. It is surrounded by six smaller bronze statues known as "The Offering of the Six Devas" and each are posed differently- offering flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music to the Buddha. These offerings symbolize charity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom, all of which are necessary to enter into nirvana The majestic figure of the seated Buddha is 34 metres high, was cast in China and took over 10 years to complete. Weighing 250 tons, it was unveiled in 1993 amid deeply religious ceremonies. If you're up to the challenge, you can climb the 268 steps to reach the platform where the Buddha is seated or you can cheat like us and take the bus if you go on an organised tour…trust me in the heat of summer its worth the money!!.
Po Lin Monastery is a Buddhist monastery, located on Ngong Ping Plateau, on Lantau Island, Hong Kong.
The monastery was founded in 1906 by three monks visiting from Jiangsu (ah ha….where I live in China) and was initially known simply as "The Big Hut" (大茅蓬 Tai Mao Pung). It was renamed to its present name in 1924. The main temple houses three bronze statues of the Buddha – representing his past, present and future lives – as well as many Buddhist scriptures. Po Lin means precious lotus. It is very touristy and does not seem to have the serenity one feels in many Asian monasteries. In fact I didn’t even see one monk…..just a lot of tourists taking photos (which were allowed!!) and shops selling anything that would make money.
Tai O Fishing village. This is home to the Tanka people, a community of fisherfolk who have built their homes on stilts above the tidal flats for generations because they do not feel safe on land. In fact there was a big fire here in the early 2000s which destroyed many homes. The government built blocks of high rise apartments most of which still are empty because the locals don’t want to live in them.
History
Tai O also known as the “Oriental Venice” (I am starting to think the association with Venice is definitely over used in Asia) is unique and the only fishing village remaining in Hong Kong. The Tanka people are descendants of Hong Kong’s first settlers. As far back as the Sung Dynasty (almost one thousand years ago), the salt production was well scaled in here. Its fish farming industry made the place become the main spot of sea fish supply in Hong Kong. And in the past hundreds of years, it was the most prosperous port along the Pear River. The Fan Kwai Tong Tsuen in Tai O was the first place the Spanish people arrived when they came to China, is where those foreigners got water and repaired their ships. Up till now, the ambience of the “traditional fishing village”, special architectures of stilt houses, living environment surrounded by river, cultural and historical monuments and the rich source of natural heritage, are still the great attractions of the place. Lying off the southwest coast of Lantau, Tai O has become a fantastic spot for eco tourism and hiking as well. The coastal area of the village is fit for the development of the mangroves zone, with egrets flying in the sky and the endangered pink dolphins jumping through the waters.
On Kowloon Peninsula
Mongkok is always an exciting area of Hong Kong, visitors and locals alike enjoy spending time in this district. Markets, tailors and shops galore. Noel got a tailor-made suit and Ella had made the most gorgeous flower girl dress made for her brothers wedding. She looked so beautiful and I can’t wait to be able to share the photos from the wedding J
We spent a far amount of time checking out the different markets with Temple Street being our favourite choice.
Temple Street is an amazing shopping sight and only 2 minutes walk from our hotel. Fortune-tellers cluster at the Yau Ma Tei end of the street, as do Chinese opera enthusiasts seeking kindred spirits for impromptu performances. The market features rows of brightly lit stalls hawking an astonishing variety of inexpensive items including clothing, pens, watches, CDs, cassettes, electronic gadgets, hardware souvenirs and luggage. The market is open from 4pm to midnight, but really comes alive after sunset. An over 10m-height Chinese Pai Lau (gate way) has been newly erected at the junctions of Kansu Street and Jordan Road with Temple Street as a landmark which can still be hard to find amidst the riot of neon lights!!.
Fa Yuen St Market is the “locals” market and sells everything. Fixed price in some stores but mostly a lot of haggling at many places to try and get a bargain. South from Argyle St to Dundas St it becomes sportswear St which is the place to go if you want the named brands of sportswear. Close by was the goldfish market that will leave your eyes wide open for some time……so many different fish in tiny plastic bags ready for sale. Ella loved seeing all the different species and I suspect she might have some new ideas for her aquarium at home!!!
Ladies' Market in Tung Choi Street was a disappointment. Despite active haggling the prices were still expensive for what you got and many of the vendors didn’t really seem that interested in selling. Much better prices for the same goods can be had at the Temple Street market.
As with most Asian countries where there are markets you will also find great roadside restaurants which we ate in most nights. There are many very good local Chinese restaurants that are dirt cheap compared to the hotel and Western restaurants and I could use some of my little Mandarin which got a few smiles from the different workers!! Even though Cantonese is the most widely used language I found that the markets and associated restaurants had a large number of Mandarin speakers which made ordering food and drinks a tiny bit easier.
All too soon it was time to say farewell to HK and now it’s on my way to Australia……looking forward to catching up with family and friends after 12 months away but not looking forward to the winter weather L
So where did we go….starting with Hong Kong Island the highlights were…..
Victoria Peak (Tai Ping Shan), one of Hong Kong’s most famous scenic spots, still offers breathtaking views of Hong Kong’s skyline, Kowloon, and Victoria Harbour. It is the highest point on the island with renowned views of the city. The Peak, as locals call it, is located on a mountaintop and is reachable by the Peak Tram. Pulled by steel cables, the tram climbs 1,200 feet (about 373 meters) up the side of the mountain. New tram in place since my last visit but still one of those not to be missed sights. Once on The Peak, there are a number of locations providing magnificent views of the city below. There are more great vistas from the Lions View Point Pavilion and the viewing terrace at the Peak Galleria, as well as the Peak Tower Sky Terrace.
Hong Kong Park. An oasis of green amid the urban landscape, Hong Kong Park features an aviary, greenhouse, the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, fountains, lily ponds, playgrounds, a restaurant and even a marriage registry. We saw a couple getting married and Ella commented……"her dress looks elegant”…yep all of 8 years old!!! Ella loved the fountain where you could walk in under the water- helped to cool down on a hot, humid day
Stanley Market. A popular market town on the sunny south side of Hong Kong Island, Stanley's relaxed ambience, crisp sea environs and bargain buys have made it world famous. Seven days a week the open market around Stanley New Street and Stanley Market Road throbs with the passing parade of life as bargain-hunters from all over the world join in the fun of haggling with shopkeepers and stallholders. Choose from brand-name clothing and accessories, or simply irresistible souvenirs, ornaments and other Oriental knick-knacks. The market is open from 10:30am to 6:30pm.
Found a great "pub” along the promenade for lunch where we enjoyed some good music, good food and a nice cold beer watching the world go by…..life is good!!
Decided to take a guided tour to visit Lantau Island and its attractions and have to say it was money well spent – no lining up to get into/onto attractions and we got to see so much in one day. No time wasted so we could maximise our time seeing what we really wanted to see.
Lantau Island. With a land mass of 147.16 square kilometres (56.82 sq mi), it is the largest island in Hong Kong, almost twice the size of Hong Kong Island. Lantau Island primarily consists of mountainous terrain. Lantau Peak (934 m) is the highest point of the island. It is the second highest in Hong Kong, after Tai Mo Shan, and is almost twice the height of Victoria Peak. Lantau Island is often referred to as "the lungs of Hong Kong", because of its abundance of indigenous forest and relative scarcity of high-rise residential developments which characterise Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Ngong Ping Cable Car is a visually spectacular 5.7km cable car journey, travelling between Tung Chung Town Centre and Ngong Ping on Lantau Island. You can enjoy panoramic views of the Hong Kong International Airport, South China Sea, the Tian Tan Buddha Statue, as well as the flora and fauna of North Lantau Country Park. Ella didn’t go much on the height but did enjoy watching the planes landing and taking off from KH airport. Glad we didn’t pay the extra for the crystal cabin with its glass floor!!!
Big Buddha (Tian Tan Buddha Statue): No trip to Hong Kong would be complete without a visit to the world's tallest, outdoor, seated bronze Buddha. The famous statue sits serenely atop Ngong Ping plateau amidst the spectacular mountain scenery of Lantau Island. The eyes, lips, incline of the head, and right hand (raised to deliver a blessing to all), combine to lend great depth of character and dignity to this extraordinary statue. It is surrounded by six smaller bronze statues known as "The Offering of the Six Devas" and each are posed differently- offering flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music to the Buddha. These offerings symbolize charity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom, all of which are necessary to enter into nirvana The majestic figure of the seated Buddha is 34 metres high, was cast in China and took over 10 years to complete. Weighing 250 tons, it was unveiled in 1993 amid deeply religious ceremonies. If you're up to the challenge, you can climb the 268 steps to reach the platform where the Buddha is seated or you can cheat like us and take the bus if you go on an organised tour…trust me in the heat of summer its worth the money!!.
Po Lin Monastery is a Buddhist monastery, located on Ngong Ping Plateau, on Lantau Island, Hong Kong.
The monastery was founded in 1906 by three monks visiting from Jiangsu (ah ha….where I live in China) and was initially known simply as "The Big Hut" (大茅蓬 Tai Mao Pung). It was renamed to its present name in 1924. The main temple houses three bronze statues of the Buddha – representing his past, present and future lives – as well as many Buddhist scriptures. Po Lin means precious lotus. It is very touristy and does not seem to have the serenity one feels in many Asian monasteries. In fact I didn’t even see one monk…..just a lot of tourists taking photos (which were allowed!!) and shops selling anything that would make money.
Tai O Fishing village. This is home to the Tanka people, a community of fisherfolk who have built their homes on stilts above the tidal flats for generations because they do not feel safe on land. In fact there was a big fire here in the early 2000s which destroyed many homes. The government built blocks of high rise apartments most of which still are empty because the locals don’t want to live in them.
History
Tai O also known as the “Oriental Venice” (I am starting to think the association with Venice is definitely over used in Asia) is unique and the only fishing village remaining in Hong Kong. The Tanka people are descendants of Hong Kong’s first settlers. As far back as the Sung Dynasty (almost one thousand years ago), the salt production was well scaled in here. Its fish farming industry made the place become the main spot of sea fish supply in Hong Kong. And in the past hundreds of years, it was the most prosperous port along the Pear River. The Fan Kwai Tong Tsuen in Tai O was the first place the Spanish people arrived when they came to China, is where those foreigners got water and repaired their ships. Up till now, the ambience of the “traditional fishing village”, special architectures of stilt houses, living environment surrounded by river, cultural and historical monuments and the rich source of natural heritage, are still the great attractions of the place. Lying off the southwest coast of Lantau, Tai O has become a fantastic spot for eco tourism and hiking as well. The coastal area of the village is fit for the development of the mangroves zone, with egrets flying in the sky and the endangered pink dolphins jumping through the waters.
On Kowloon Peninsula
Mongkok is always an exciting area of Hong Kong, visitors and locals alike enjoy spending time in this district. Markets, tailors and shops galore. Noel got a tailor-made suit and Ella had made the most gorgeous flower girl dress made for her brothers wedding. She looked so beautiful and I can’t wait to be able to share the photos from the wedding J
We spent a far amount of time checking out the different markets with Temple Street being our favourite choice.
Temple Street is an amazing shopping sight and only 2 minutes walk from our hotel. Fortune-tellers cluster at the Yau Ma Tei end of the street, as do Chinese opera enthusiasts seeking kindred spirits for impromptu performances. The market features rows of brightly lit stalls hawking an astonishing variety of inexpensive items including clothing, pens, watches, CDs, cassettes, electronic gadgets, hardware souvenirs and luggage. The market is open from 4pm to midnight, but really comes alive after sunset. An over 10m-height Chinese Pai Lau (gate way) has been newly erected at the junctions of Kansu Street and Jordan Road with Temple Street as a landmark which can still be hard to find amidst the riot of neon lights!!.
Fa Yuen St Market is the “locals” market and sells everything. Fixed price in some stores but mostly a lot of haggling at many places to try and get a bargain. South from Argyle St to Dundas St it becomes sportswear St which is the place to go if you want the named brands of sportswear. Close by was the goldfish market that will leave your eyes wide open for some time……so many different fish in tiny plastic bags ready for sale. Ella loved seeing all the different species and I suspect she might have some new ideas for her aquarium at home!!!
Ladies' Market in Tung Choi Street was a disappointment. Despite active haggling the prices were still expensive for what you got and many of the vendors didn’t really seem that interested in selling. Much better prices for the same goods can be had at the Temple Street market.
As with most Asian countries where there are markets you will also find great roadside restaurants which we ate in most nights. There are many very good local Chinese restaurants that are dirt cheap compared to the hotel and Western restaurants and I could use some of my little Mandarin which got a few smiles from the different workers!! Even though Cantonese is the most widely used language I found that the markets and associated restaurants had a large number of Mandarin speakers which made ordering food and drinks a tiny bit easier.
All too soon it was time to say farewell to HK and now it’s on my way to Australia……looking forward to catching up with family and friends after 12 months away but not looking forward to the winter weather L
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