Hong Kong flag

 In December 2007 we have celebrated Christmas in Hong Kong. This was a very memorable experience since Hong Kong “City of lights” really looks at it’s prettiest during Christmas. Usually the skyline is a very nice sight with lots of lights and an awesome light show every evening at eight o clock PM. During Christmas it’s even better, see the introduction section for more about that!  

This travel story will not contain any travel route like my stories usually do. Instead it will just be a summary of what we have seen and we would (and would not) recommend.  

Table of contents

- Flying into Hong Kong
- Introduction to Hong Kong
- Do’s and don’ts in Hong Kong
- Strict laws and regulations
- Hong Kong Island
- Victoria Peak & the Peak Tram
- A star ferry ride at night
- Kowloon
- Chinese markets
- The Man Mo temple
- The big bronze Buddha on Lantau
- YouTube movie of our trip 

Flying into Hong Kong

Unfortunately flying into Hong Kong is not as spectacular as it was up until 1998… See the below movie for an impression of old Kai Tak airport and be especially aware of how ridiculously close this airport was to the city center.  

However a flight to Hong Kong is still very much worth mentioning. We flew with Hong Kong based airliner Cathay Pacific. This airline is known for its quality and high level of service. The flights with Cathay took place in very modern and comfortable Boeing 777 and Airbus A340 airplanes. The in flight entertainment and facilities are very good. Also the food was of good quality or at least high above average. Hong Kong operates daily between Amsterdam (NL) and Hong Kong. From Hong Kong many connections exist to various destinations. In our case we continued our flight to Java, Indonesia. On the return flight we did a 3 day stop over in Hong Kong. The new Chep Lap Kok airport is fairly new (it opened in 1998). In the first ten years it won the Skytrax award for best airport 7 times for customer satisfaction. As you can imagine the place is quite comfortable. To get from the airport to city center you’ve got a good selection of direct transport like bus, train or private taxi.  

Introduction to Hong Kong

Hong Kong to me was the equivalent to amazing at the first sight. Driving up to city by bus like we did takes you on a trip which invites you to look out of the window a lot. The closer you get to the city the higher the buildings get. You’ll start to pass lots of tall rise apartment buildings at first. As you get closer to the city these get mixed with office buildings which are even taller. No matter which tower you look at (in the evening at least) they are all bright beacons of light. If you’ll be visiting a true metropolitan city for the first time as I did when I visited Hong Kong you’ll for sure be impressed.  

When we arrived it was second Christmas day which made the impression even more amazing. The skyscrapers are decorated during the Christmas holidays with even more lights. The lights will be even more dramatic every evening at 20.00 hours. Hong Kong Island’s skyline will transorm in a huge light show. You can see it best from Kowloon (take the star ferry).  

Hong Kong can be divided in two main sides: Hong Kong Island side and Kowloon side. Hong Kong Island and Kowloon together form the main urban area of the city. The Hong Kong harbor stretches along both the shore of Hong Kong Island as Kowloon as the distance between the two is fairly small.  

Do and Don’ts in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has a lot to offer which you should definitially do. However as always there is also a good set of don’ts.  

Do’s:  

• Take a walk. Although public transport is perfect, you’ll see more on foot.
  The city center is not that huge so you’ll be able to see a lot on a day walk.
• Use public transport. It’s very good and cheap due to government promotion.
• Climb a skyscraper or if you’re lazy: take the elevator .
  Both the International Finance Center and Bank of China towers allow tourists.
• Take a star ferry ride at night, in the middle of the water you’ll have awesome sights.
• Visit the peak using the peak tram and walk down the mountain.
• Visit the Man Mo Temple. Amazingly hidden between huge towers.
• If having time, leave HK City center and check out for example Lantau Island.
• Watch Hong Kong Island skyline light show from Kowloon

Don’ts  

• Don’t shout. Hong Kong citizens are very polite and it won’t be in your favor to get angry.
• Don’t litter. Disposing trash on the street can send you home with a € 500 fine.
• Don’t take pictures at the airport, it can cost you a lot of time and/or your memory card.
• Don’t ignore ‘forbidden’ signs on public transport. For example eating where not allowed can cost you a lot.

Strict laws and regulations

Hong Kong has very strict laws and regulations. Be sure to read about them if you can. Be aware of signs in public places and obey them. On for example the Star Avenue you’ll see a sign every few meters stating there is a fine of HK$ 2500 for throwing trash on the ground. You’d better safe those 500 euro though! Same goes for drinking and eating in the subway, spitting, sticking bubble gum to the street, etc. These regulations do really help though. Hong Kong is by far the cleanest city I have ever seen so far. Especially when you compare it to polluted cities like Bangkok and Jakarta.  

Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong Island is the south side of the city. It’s also referred to as “Island District”. This district has a lot to offer for us as tourists. An impression of the street views on the Island District can be found in these images:  

If your fresh in just hop on one of the trams, they are an experience you shouldn’t miss anyway. The Hong Kong tram system is the only tram system in the world running exclusively with double deck trams. This is a very clear heritage from the years of English rule over Hong Kong. The tram system is nice and very cheap. You’ll pay only 2 HK$ for a trip no matter where you will exit. 2 Hk$ equals about 20 euro cent by 2010’s exchange rate. The following picture shows the tram track and districts along the way.  

In our case we stayed at Causeway Bay. This way the first tram trip for us was from Causeway Bay to Central. At Central there is a lot to do. The nicest way to explore the area is by foot. We’ve taken a walk in between the huge sky scrapers and were absolutely amazed. It’s all so huge you simply cannot imagine. The largest tower is the International Finance Center with a height of 420 meters. This tower has opened it’s doors in 2003 and was back then the fifth largest tower in the world. Another very interesting tower is the tower of the Bank of China. It’s not as tall as the IFC with only 369 meters however it’s architecture is really interesting. The exterior is formed of blue glass and the main design element is the triangle. You’ll notice that the tower itself has a triangle shape but also all the lines form independent triangles. Interesting fact: each of the three sharp corners of the building piont directly at other financial institutions, challenging bad feng shui on them. The images below show some pictures of skyscrapers in Central including the Bank of China and the IFC:  

We’ve visited both the Bank of China and the International Finance Center towers. Tourists can show their identification (be sure to carry it with you everywhere in Hong Kong!) and after receiving clearance take the elevator. As you can imagine this ensures some amazing pictures. See below images:  

If your looking for a place to eat in Hong Kong don’t restrict yourself to street level restaurants. Almost every tower holds shopping malls and also restaurants. It can be much more interesting to enjoy your dinner on the 50th floor since it’s a sight you probably won’t have at home.  

Victoria Peak & the peak tram

The Peak is the highest point in Hong Kong with a height of 554 meter. When Hong Kong got denser in the 19th century people decided to populate the Victoria Peak as a retreat from the busy city. As you can imagine the Peak offers very nice sights over the city. This way people build their homes high on the slopes facing the harbor to ensure an amazing sight. However the hill was so steep that soon specialized transport was desired. This lead to the introduction of the peak tram which made it’s first journey in May 1888. At this time it was the only transport up, It took up until 1924 that the Peak Road was also finished. The peak tram by the way isn’t an ordinary tram. It’s actually a funicular railway, its two carriages are linked by a steel cable. This way the downhill tram partly helps the uphill tram by its own weight. It actually works identical as the funicular railway in Paris which takes you up to Montmartre district.  

In Central District you’ll have the opportunity to take the peak tram to Victoria Peak. I can promise you that the waiting time in front of the Peak tram is worth the wait. You could take the road up however you wouldn’t really want to miss the Peak Tram experience. Be sure to conquer a place near the windows and enjoy the amazing sights.  

Hong Kong Peak Panorama

When you arrive at the Peak you can enjoy sights over the city of Hong Kong. As your standing at 554 meters you’ll be overlooking even the highest sky scraper in town, the International Finance Center. I’d recommend walking into the peak tower, go to level 5 to find the viewpoint terrace. The place invites to take a drink however it’s one of the most expensive places of Hong Kong to do so. You’ll pay for the view unfortunately.  

We’ve walked down from the peak (see also a couple of the above photos which were taken considerably lower). It’s very interesting to take peak road (right side from the peak when looking at the harbor) and walk through the living area’s of high society Hong Kong.  

A star ferry ride at night

The Star Ferry is a historical ferry which takes you from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon and back. It’s a must have when you visit Hong Kong although there are other ways to make the passage. These ferries have been steaming across the harbor since 1898. The ride is much like the trams a bargain, HK$ 2.20 which equals about 20 euro cents. This is a ticket for the deluxe upper deck by the way. The star ferry ride is a convenient way to cross the water. However at night it’s really an experience. It’s a bit of a magical feeling when you are on the middle of the water and you see the lights of both Kownloon and Hong Kong island around you. A must see highlight in my opinion.  

Kowloon

Kowloon is the north side of the city. It’s also referred to as “Kowloon city”. From Kownloon you can have a very nice view on Hong Kong Island. The panorama photograph below clearly shows the beauty of this sight. It was taken from the Avenue of Stars, Kowloon side.  

Hong Kong Island at Night

The area is in contrast with Hong Kong Island less focussed on business and offices. Kowloon offers more culture. You’ll find several museums like the museum of art, the museum of science, the museum of space and the museum of history. To me however the waterfront promenade appealed more. I can very much recommend you to visit it during sunset. It’s an amazing sight to see the sunset behind the IFC and other huge skyscrapers. Further more the area is nice to take a walk and do some shopping. You’ll find a lot of shopping malls here. If your interested you can visit the Hong Kong Cultural center. This big tower houses two large concert halls and a theater. Last but not least be sure to visit Hong Kong’s most famous market here: the Temple Street night market. The photographs below illustrate Kowloon:  

Chinese markets

Hong Kong is the most western like city you’ll find in Asia. The reason for this is the long British rule over Hong Kong until 1997. However if you are in Hong Kong only for a 3 day stopover like we were you’ll want to find some typical Chinese heritage. A good place to do this are the local markets. Check when and where they are in your Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Insight City guide or any other guideback your probably having with you.  

Don’t choose for the souvenir market like the one on Temple Street. Try to find a regular one where the locals buy their daily needs. Be prepared for some amazing sights. As you probably have heard the Chinese have no problem eating animals we consider as pets in the west. As Hong Kong has one of the largest harbors in Asia you’ll also be finding a lot of different types of fish you probably never seen before. At these markets there are also stables where you can eat a simple meal. Try it, just sit down among the locals. Pick a place where it’s busy. This is usually the indicator for good food.  

The Man Mo temple

The Man Mo temple is situated at Hollywood Road. It’s a strange sight when you walk towards it. This low rise temple has been surrounded by huge sky scraping giants by now. There have even been plans to build a sky scraper over it because the valuable ground the temple stands on. Such plan luckily never got approved so that you’l lbe able to find this small jam out there, between the big towers.  

This temple was build in 1847 and not very old by years. However it’s the oldest temple on Hong Kong Island. The temple is dedicated to two deities: Man, the god of literature, and Mo, the god of war.  

I’d really recommend you to visit this temple the atmosphere is really intruiging. The cealing of the temple is completely covered by incense coils which burn all day long. As you can imagine it’s fumes are suffocating so if you can try to bring something like a hanckerchief to breathe through.  

Be sure to take the side door and check out the oven outside.  

The big bronze Buddha on Lantau

On Lantau (quite close to the airport actually) you’ll find the big bronze Tian Tan Buddha. It’s very impressive to visit and also quite beautiful. However don’t be fooled by it’s looks. Your not visiting any historical monument. The statue is very recent as it was finished in 1993. It’s located next to the Po Lin monastary which has a richer history. This monastary dates back from 1906.  

The Tian Tan Buddha is impressive. It stands on a hill meaning you’ll have to climb 268 steps to reach the foot of the Buddha. The foot itself is big and consists of three levels; The Hall of Universe, The Hall of Benevolent Merit, and The Hall of Remembrance. After you’ve conquered the steps and the foot you’ve finally reached the Buddha. From this point it stretches a staggering 34 meters up in the air. The statue is composed out of bronze and weights 250 metric tons.  

While your here you should for sure visit the Po Lin monastary also. It’s a beautiful place and actively used. If you are lucky like we have been you’ll be able to witness a ceromony.  

You probably arrived by bus. However closeby you’ll find the Ngong Ping 360 Gondola. When we were at the monastary it was unfortunately out of service. This Gondola is a direct connection to the Ngong Ping village and is said to be a very nice experience. If you can, take a trip on it!  

YouTube Movie of our trip

This YouTube Movie of our trip is a combination of our trip to Java and Bali in 2007, and the trip to Hong Kong. Reason for this is that Hong Kong was a stop over of three days on our Indonesian trip. Please scroll towards the end for Hong Kong footage.