Hong Kong reminds me of urban landscapes from cyberpunk novels. It’s all grime and glitz with narrow, twisting alleyways the color of sepia, mile-high concrete block buildings, and mirrored office towers, all bursting from a motley skyline of a billion neon signs. It’s eclectic, fast paced, stylish and modern –- but even so, there are plenty of places to find peace, quiet, and zen in a city park, temple, or monastery.

Hong Kong: Getting Oriented

Hong Kong is actually a collection of 262 islands, divided into four main areas: Hong Kong Island; Kowloon and the New Territories (located on the peninsula attached to the China mainland); and the Outlying Islands. The city itself is located around Victoria Harbour, and most travelers stay at the southern end of Kowloon in a neighborhood called Tsim Sha Tsui, a busy hotel and shopping district. In fact, Nathan Rd.’s Golden Mile is located here, so named for the ritzy shops lining the street.

Because of Hong Kong’s recent past as a British colony, there is enough English spoken (and printed on signs) to get around easily. Transportation is also a breeze: the metro (known as the MTR) is affordable, convenient and frequent –- and it goes all over Hong Kong. The Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) links Hong Kong to the mainland (if your trip takes you into China). Then there are ferries that cross the harbor, junk boats, escalators, moving sidewalks, aerial cable cars, double-decker busses, trams and, of course, taxis. Walking is always my favorite way to get around, though, and aside from the spontaneity and discovery a city walk affords, Hong Kong Island has many hiking trails for those seeking nature and exercise.

Aside from the unusual geography and the odd mix of cultural influences (Cantonese, British, Mandarin), I find the vertical construction of Hong Kong to be among the most disorienting traits. At home most things are eye level, but here, everything is stacked on top of each other: shops, restaurants, clubs and bars – you can’t just scan the storefronts on the street or you’ll miss most of Hong Kong. For locals, the evening commute ends with a half-hour wait in line at the elevator to get home.

Hong Kong Fish Market

Hong Kong isn’t particularly attractive in the day, not when compared to the evening hours, when all the neon signs light up the city making it feel (almost) like day. And every night at the harbour, a show called ‘A Symphony of Lights’ features lit skyscrapers, lasers and fireworks synchronized to music, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s “Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show”. And night is when the crowds come out – they surge – but unlike the rest of China, no-one pushes or shoves, so crossing the street with several hundred other people is more like riding a wave than participating in a riot.

Hong Kong: Things to do

Some people say that all there is to do in Hong Kong is shop, eat, shop, eat. It’s true there is a lot of shopping, with all the stores along Nathan road, the many malls, and numerous street markets: the Ladies Market (fake brand-label goods), Temple Street Market (goods from all over Asia – great for souvenirs), Stanley Market (everything from luggage to cheap clothes), the Flower Market (full of flowers, of course), the Goldfish Market (a whole street lined with shops selling small fish in plastic bags), the Bird Market (exotic birds, delicate wood cages, and local men relaxing), and the Jade Market (beware of fakes).

It’s also true that eating in Hong Kong is a good pastime, particularly at the many noodle shops and dim sum restaurants. But there is more to Hong Kong than shopping and eating – here are some of my suggested itineraries and recommendations:

Hong Kong Harbour

• Visit the Botanical Gardens (Victoria Peak, HK Island)
• Ride the tram to the top of Victoria Peak (Victoria Peak, HK Island)
• Find Zen at the Chin Lin Nunnery (Diamond Hill, Kowloon)
• Check out the Taoist Wong Tai Sin Temple (Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon)
• Get lost in alleyways of the Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui areas (Kowloon)
• Watch the swimmers in the downtown Kowloon Park (Kowloon)
• Have dinner and then cruise the harbor on a ‘junk boat’ (Kowloon)
• Check out the ‘Symphony of Lights’ Harbour Tour (Hong Kong Harbour, Kowloon side)
• Bet on a horse at the Hong Kong Jockey Club & Happy Valley Race Track (Happy Valley, HK Island)
• Go drinking in the Lan Kwai Fong neighborhood (Central, HK Island)
• Climb 268 steps to see the 34-meter-tall ‘Big Buddha’ on Lantau Island (Lantau Island)
• Take a boat trip to see pink dolphins off the coast of Lantau Island
• Make a day trip to Macau
• Take in all the sights of Hong Kong on a full-day city tour including Victoria Peak & Stanley Market

It also goes without saying, you must go shopping at one of Hong Kong’s many street markets and sample dim sum. No trip to Hong Kong is complete otherwise.

–Cheryn Flanagan

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s tours and things to do in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Harbour Cruises, and day trips to mainland China.

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 29th, 2008 at 12:01 am and is filed under Asia, Destinations, Suggested Itineraries, Travel Inspiration. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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