Hong Kong

April - May 2023
A 9-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more
  • 12footprints
  • 9days
  • 88photos
  • 7likes
  • Hong Kong
Categories
None
  • 92kilometers traveled
  • Flight-kilometers
  • Walking-kilometers
  • Hiking-kilometers
  • Bicycle-kilometers
  • Motorbike-kilometers
  • Tuk Tuk-kilometers
  • Car-kilometers
  • Train-kilometers
  • Bus-kilometers
  • Camper-kilometers
  • Caravan-kilometers
  • 4x4-kilometers
  • Swimming-kilometers
  • Paddling/Rowing-kilometers
  • Motorboat-kilometers
  • Sailing-kilometers
  • Houseboat-kilometers
  • Ferry-kilometers
  • Cruise ship-kilometers
  • Horse-kilometers
  • Hitchhiking-kilometers
  • Cable car-kilometers
  • Helicopter-kilometers
  • Barefoot-kilometers
  • Heels-kilometers
  • 12footprints
  • 9days
  • 88photos
  • 7likes
  • 92kilometers
  • Day 2

    Central

    May 1, 2023 in Hong Kong ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    This is downtown Hong Kong, with the colonial government and their related presence. Plus, right next door is the the older commercial district.
    The 1st picture is the high court building. It's a colonial building with the Indian covered walkway. It has a Chinese style roof that's barely visible.
    The 2nd picture is a feng shui battle. The building to the right is the HSBC HQ. The smaller building in the center is the old Bank of China building. China couldn't handle HSBC being taller so they built the taller building to the left. It's triangular, with the sharp point towards HSBC. HSBC put cranes on the roof that aren't used but look like cannons pointed toward BoC. The center building was built by HK's richest man. It's between the 2 in height.
    The 3rd picture is one of the lions in front of HSBC. It carries thr damage from the Japanese attack in WW 2.
    The 4th picture looks from the government to commercial areas and is a an example of cultural disconnect. The name is the road in Chinese is "Wife of the King" road because they could not conceive of a woman as head of government. The name remains today
    The 5th picture is one of the few remaining colonial roads. It is made of stone paved shallow steps up the hill to facilitate movement of goods.
    The next 3 pictures are examples of the commerce in that area. The 6th picture is an expensive dim sum restaurant. The 7th is the current version of a wet market (no more live fowl due to bird flu), and a small vegetable street market next door.
    Read more

  • Day 2

    St John's Cathedral

    May 1, 2023 in Hong Kong ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    The Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist is the Anglican Cathedral in Hong Kong. The cathedral was built in the middle of the 19th century and continues as an active Anglican congregation today. It is located in the area known as Central (see another post) near Government House, the center of the colonial government.
    The 3 pictures are self explanatory. However, there is one aspect of the 1st picture worth noting. Above the door is a plaque with the famous VR symbol for Queen Victoria plus the date. These were ubiquitous around the British empire during and after her reign. However, this is the only one of these that still exists in Hong Kong as a reminder of their history.
    Read more

  • Day 2

    Man Mo Temple

    May 1, 2023 in Hong Kong ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road (really) was built in the middle of the 19th century. The name comes from the fact that the road was built through an area of holly trees. It is located in the older commercial part of Central (see another post) where things are more traditionally Chinese.
    The temple is dedicated to the God of Literature (Man) and the God of War (Mo).
    I'm told that the significance of this temple is historical and cultural. In addition to the worship of the 2 dedicatory gods and the worship of ancestors, it was a center if dispute resolution. The idea of jurisprudence as we understand it wasn't known in Hong Kong before the colonial period. All disputes were settled before the elders of the temple and before the gods, with a ritual confirming the settlement. The result was a communal method of maintaining local harmony as no one was willing to break vows made before the gods. And it kept the colonial powers out of local issues.
    The 1st picture looks at the temple from across the road, and the others are inside the temple. The 2nd picture are the bell and drums that are sounded by someone entering and wanting to get the gods' attention.
    The space is very smokey with incense. The smoke is considered a channel of communication to heaven. The longer one's smoke channel lasted, the better the communication. Most incense sticks are rather short with a corresponding burn time. The 3rd picture shows spiral, cone shaped incense hanging from the ceiling with cards attached. The cards bear the prayer, and the long spiral can burn for a week or more.
    The 4th picture is of the main altar, and the 5th picture is a secondary altar.
    Read more

  • Day 2

    Kowloon and the other side of Hong Kong

    May 1, 2023 in Hong Kong ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    The 1st part if this post is in the Mong Kok section of Kowloon. The 2nd part is the other side of the tracks, literally and figuratively.
    Mong Kok is an active commercial and touristy neighborhood. Hong Kong has long been a center for fish: 1st as a sleepy fishing village and later for tropical fish. The 1st picture is one of scores of shops selling everything you could want for your aquarium. Even tropical fish harvested elsewhere are shipped through here.
    In the 2nd picture, the turtle to the left is the golden coin turtle. I'm told this species is the extinct in the wild due to traditional beliefs about healing powers of eating this. So I understand that they aren't supposed to be sold. It is also ridiculously expensive. I'm told that turtle is worth $25,000.
    The next 2 pictures are are in the large flower market. There is a long tradition of flower marketing here. This market is located where the land of the colonial British met the land of the Chin Dynasty. The reason for the flower market had to do with colonials being mostly male intersecting with the world's oldest profession. In order to engage a prostitute, the client had to give flowers. If they were accepted, the deal got done. I can imagine a comedian making hay out of that history as it might relate to modern giving of flowers.
    The 5th and 6th pictures are in the bird market. There are both song birds and various parrots. Like many things here, having birds is traditional.
    The last 3 pictures are the other side of the tracks. This is a darker side of HK. Housing is a serious problem and very expensive. At the begining of communist rule on the mainland, so many people moved here that the population quintupled in 5 years. The city couldn't absorb that.
    The 7th picture looks at the history of housing in response to the population explosion. To the right are older buildings, some as tall as 10 stories without an elevator that were thrown up quickly. To the left is a modern building built to new codes that are 30 stories and more.
    It's the older buildings that I want to mention. Rents are so expensive in HK that apartments are subdivided into 100 sf units. That's only 10X10 or a very small bedroom in the US. The last 2 pictures are in one of these. These tiny apartments rent for more than the median income. So to rent one of these, you need to be earning more than what 1/2 the people earn.
    You will notice the cage in the 8th picture. That's actually a rental subunit that costs about 2/3 of the minimum wage.
    It was terribly hard to see, but this is the reality for most people here in what is by far the most expensive housing market in the world relative to local income.
    Read more

  • Day 3

    Victoria Peak

    May 2, 2023 in Hong Kong ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Victoria Peak is that step mountain behind most pictures of Hong Kong that you'll see, at least when they're taken from the harbor or Kowloon. It's a place of spectacular views...at least when the air is clear. I'm told that this is typical weather here, unfortunately from my perspective.
    The 1st picture is the Peak Tram, a funicular railway from Central (see another post) to the top. The top is a larger area than I expected, with paths all around. The 2nd picture is one of these.
    The rest of the pictures are views in various directions from several locations around the peak, some over Victoria Harbor (see another post), some over the city, and more. Even in this weather, it is spectacular.
    Read more

  • Day 4

    West of Central

    May 3, 2023 in Hong Kong ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    These are a few more sites in the Central district of HK. The 1st picture turned out to be a place I frequented most during my visit: in fact at least once each day. This is part of the longest escalator in the world. It runs in sections for about 800 meters from Central (see other posts) to the Mid-levels where my hotel was. The 2nd picture is also along the escalator, this time in Soho, an entertainment district.
    The 3rd picture is in the courtyard of the PMQ. This is the former Police Married Quarters, where married officers were housed in about 300 sf per couple. Today it's an incubator for artists and entrepreneurs.
    The PMQ was built on the site of the former Queens College. The 4th picture is of the foundations of the college building and the 5th picture is a model of the college. The college is remembered in part because of one of its most famous alumni, Sun Yat Sen. Dr. Sun is often called the father of the Republic of China for his role is the overthrow of the Qing dynasty.
    The last picture is of the Victorian era police station adjacent to Victoria Prison (see another post).
    Read more

  • Day 4

    Victoria Prison

    May 3, 2023 in Hong Kong

    The Prison was opened in 1842, being originally known as Victoria Gaol until 1899. It remained in use until it was decommissioned in 2006. One famous "guest" in the 1930s was Ho Chi Minh.
    The 1st picture is the side of the Victorian Police station (see another post) that faces the prison. The 2nd picture is the exercise yard.
    The 3rd and 4th pictures are in the older part of the prison where locals were held in overcrowded conditions.
    The last 3 pictures were taken a newer section used to hold foreigners in a bit less crowded conditions.
    The facilities have been renovated and reopened as the Tai Kwun Center for Heritage and the Arts. These small sections of cell blocks were saved for their historical value.
    Read more

  • Day 4

    Star Ferry and Victoria Harbor

    May 3, 2023 in Hong Kong

    The British took HK in about 1840 as a base for trade with China. It had been a small fishing village, but it's location on an island at the mouth of the Pearl River estuary, plus it's deep and sheltered natural harbor made the location more than workable.
    Victoria Harbor remains one of the busiest ports in the world. The harbor, especially the portion between HK island and Kowloon, is active with many ferries, the oldest of which is Star Ferry founded in 1888. It is also the 1st public transportation service in HK running from Central HK to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon.
    The 1st 2 pictures are of the Star Ferry itself, outside and inside respectively. These look to me to be the oldest and most traditional ships of the many ferry services plying Victoria Harbor, many of which are high speed catamarans today.
    Star Ferry is also one of the best ways to get an unobstructed view of the HK and Kowloon skylines. All the rest of the pictures looking in all directions from the ferry as we crossed the harbor.
    I didn't visit the commercial port. So no pictures.
    Read more

  • Day 5

    Tian Tan and Po Lin

    May 4, 2023 in Hong Kong

    Tian Tan, colloquially known as Big Buddha and PoLin Monastery are located on Landau Island, one of more than 250 islands that are part of Hong Kong. This is a major center of Buddhism in Hong Kong.
    While not clearly visible, the Buddha sits atop a lotus above a base 3 stories tall at the top of a hill. The 1st picture looks up the long staircase to the platform around the base, and the 2nd picture is of the Buddha from that platform. Also on the platform are 6 statues making offerings. The 3rd picture is 3 of them. The 4th picture is huge bell inside the base. The next 3 pictures are views out from the platform.
    The 7th picture looks from the platform around the Buddha over PoLin Monastery. And the final 3 pictures are all of the monastery. The 8th picture is the gate. The 9th is the monastery, and the 10th shows 2 of the 3 Buddha statues the monastery is famous for.
    Read more

  • Day 5

    Tai O

    May 4, 2023 in Hong Kong

    Tai O is a small fishing village on Lantau Island, the same as Big Buddha (see another post). There isn't much recorded history here, but Tai O is rumored to have been the base for piracy and smuggling. This is a river delta with many branching waterways in which to hide. There are verified encounters here between navies and pirates. Do it seems likely to me. Possibly related to this history and maybe even attesting to it's history of smuggling, Tai O became one of the main points of illegal entry to HK from the mainland after the communist government took over after the civil war.
    The 1st picture looks into the Tai O harbor from a ferry arriving from Tung Chung. The 2nd picture is along the quay at the port. The 3rd picture is a short chain stayed bridge over one of the channels through the village that replaced a small cable driven ferry.
    The next 2 pictures are of a couple streets in the market area of town. Tourism has become a significant part of the local economy.
    Tai O is also known for its stilt houses shown in the 6th picture. Pang uk, as they are known, were once common in fishing villages around HK islands, but these in Tai O are the only significant group of stilt houses that remain.
    The 7th picture is one of several temples in Tai O, this one dedicated to Kwan Tai. It is the oldest temple here, dating to the 16th century.
    The last picture looks from behind some stilt houses across the harbor at low tide. The main village is in the background.
    Read more