Hong Kong - Rich City of Dreams
Hong Kong wraps up all the excitement, mystery, glamour and clamour of the Orient without any of the inconvenience. Enjoy lavish home comforts amidst the junks and sampans, chopsticks and coolie hats.
Business rubs shoulders with tourism in this fascinating city, which on the surface has changed little since it was handed back to China, but some British traditions did not survive the change over. Landing in Hong Kong has always been breathtaking, with the island spread out below like some sparkling Legoland. Light reflects from myriad panes of glass in the hundreds of skyscrapers lining the busy harbour.
Hong Kong is an exciting mixture of sophistication and simplicity. Noisy, hectic and totally beguiling. Walk the busy streets or catch a vintage 1901 Hong Kong tram across town. ItÕs the cheapest way to get around, stopping every two minutes as it rattles its way through the very heart of the city - but it is a smashing way to observe the street life without tiring the feet. Slow and crowded, these trams are great fun, particularly at the front of the top deck, where you can view everything happening along the way. All human life is there, like a painting come to life - a mass of black haired scurrying people, from neat and tidy school kids and young businessmen with mobile phones clamped to their ears, to smart girls in mini skirts and old ladies in long droopy dresses. The shops are fascinating, ranging from designer boutiques to the open fronted shops selling dried fish, meat and vegetables - and a lot of other things it is probably not wise to enquire about too closely! A very strong smell pervades the air in the dried fish area, tantalising the many stray cats prowling around.
The waterfront looking towards Kowloon has an amazing skyline, with state-of-the-art smoked glass skyscrapers nestling cheek by jowl with shabby old apartment blocks festooned with washing.
The best view is definitely from The Peak - Hong Kong's highest point, with a magnificent view over the bay.
The skyscrapers resemble rows of gleaming white teeth edging the waterfront for as far as the eye can see. The Peak also has its fair share of hawkers, artists and rickshaw drivers trying to part the unwary tourist from his money. It is worth the stiff walk up Mount Austin road to the beautiful Victoria Peak Gardens, which used to belong to the Governor's mountain lodge. By far the best way to get up to the Peak is by the old Peak Tram, which has been climbing up this steep incline for nearly 100 years. This funicular railway passes fancy apartments, bamboo stands and jungle flowers, and at night it is a magical ride. So steep is the track that buildings on either side appear to be leaning like the tower of Pisa. Quite weird, but the vista at night is magical. The whole of the peninsular is illuminated with millions of lights reflected on the still waters of the harbour, broken only by the slow chugging ferries ploughing back and forth to Kowloon. Kowloon is vivid with street markets selling everything from birds to saucy underwear! The other brilliant shopping paradise is Stanley Market, some way from the centre of Hong Kong.
Aberdeen, the island's oldest settlement is also home to its largest "floating population" - the thousands of people who spend their entire lives on the junks and sampans in the harbour. It makes for a blaze of local colour with women handing up the laundry, folk watching the sun set, songbirds in bamboo cages overhead - and all afloat.
ThereÕs a lot to do in Hong Kong. Visit Ocean Park, Middle Kingdom and Water World, see the many temples, or climb the hundreds of steep steps from the central area up to Hollywood Road where antique shops abound.
Hong Kong is buzzing with excitement. Its inhabitants form a cosmopolitan assortment of people from around the world, which together make a frenetic but fascinating blend of international cultures, dominated by curious mixtures of ancient Chinese ritual and dynamic capitalism. The contrasts are ubiquitous and with striking forests of glinting skyscrapers overlooking colourful Chinese junks coming and going in the busy harbour, whilst bustling back street markets jostle for position with plush designer boutiques and luxurious shopping centres along the "Golden Mile" of Nathan Road. Wherever you go, take your camera and your appetite for new sights, sounds and smells. You will not be disappointed!
By Pamela Wilkinson
