My Visual Travel Experience: Hong Kong

In 2005, I had a brief stop-over at Hong Kong airport on my way from Delhi to San Francisco. Just seeing the city in the distance was enough to make me want to come back and explore it - it had that vibrancy about it! Then 3 years later, I went and spent around 5 days exploring Hong Kong, and then subsequently, visits to Hong Kong became a lot more regular after my sister in law and her family moved next door to Macau in 2014.

Hong Kong became a British colony after the first Opium War (1839-42). Japan occupied it in WWII (from 1941-45) and then the British resumed control till the 1997 handover to China. It is now a Special Administrative Region within China, and has its own currency and separate visa. 

A truly international city, Hong Kong is very active in the global financial sector. It has a population of close to 7.5 million spread over its area of about 1,100 square km, making it one of the most densely populated places in the world. About 90% of the population is ethnic Chinese, largely from the neighbouring Guangdong province. Hong Kong has a very high average per capita income of over US$ 55,000 p.a.

View of Hong Kong, Victoria Peak

Hong Kong consists of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon to the North, the island of Lantau (which has the airport and several of Hong Kong's attractions) and several other islands.

Victoria Peak lies on a hill in Hong Kong Island. To get to Victoria Peak, one has to go up on a steep tram, called the Peak Tram, which was built in 1888 and goes up a 27 degree angle. Victoria Peak has always been the preferred address of wealthy residents – in colonial days, Chinese were not allowed to buy real estate there. From the top, there are spectacular views of Hong Kong. The Peak Mall has Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, and lots of options for shopping and dining. Nearby, there's also the Trick Eye Museum that's worth a visit.

Peak Mall, Victoria Peak

Amitabh Bachchan at Madame
Tussauds, Victoria Peak

Bruce Lee at Madame Tussauds, Victoria Peak

Elvis Presley at Madame Tussauds, Victoria Peak

Buddha Statue at Trick Eye Museum, Victoria Peak

Peak Tram, Victoria Peak

Statue Square is in the heart of Hong Kong Island. It gets its name from the statue of Sir Thomas Bart. The square has the HSBC Building, built in 1985. On either side of its entrance, there are majestic bronze lion statues. Every evening, visitors can experience a beautiful light show, with beams of colourful light projected on the building, as well as on the adjacent Standard Chartered Building and the Bank of China Tower. The Legislative Council on Statue Square is another landmark. It used to be the Supreme Court. It has the blind-folded statue of Themis, the Greek goddess of justice. A building from the British period and completed in 1911, it has a beautiful white exterior and a majestic dome. Statue Square also has the War Memorial, dedicated to soldiers who died in the 2 World Wars.

HSBC Building at night, Statue Square

Lion Statue at HSBC Building, Statue Square

Legislative Council, Statue Square

Statue of Sir Thomas Jackson Bart,
Statue Square

Kowloon, North of Hong Kong Island, is best accessed by the Star Ferry. The 44 meter tall Kowloon Clock Tower is the only remnant of the former Kowloon Station. It is also called the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower. Nearby, there's the Avenue of Stars, modelled along the lines of Hollywood's Walk of Stars. The avenue has stars dedicated to over 100 Hong Kong film stars, and there are also statues of top stars like Bruce Lee.

Star Ferry

Bruce Lee Statue, Avenue of Stars

Kowloon Clocktower

The Big Buddha Statue (known locally as the Tian Tan Buddha) on Lantau Island was completed in 1993 and ranks among the world’s largest outdoor seated Buddha statues. It has a height of 34 meters. Perched on top of a hill opposite Po Lin Monastery, it can be seen from miles away. The statue sits on a lotus throne and is surrounded by six smaller statues, called “The offering of the six Devas”. The statue can be approached by taking a long cable car ride from the nearest metro station - from the cable car, one gets good views of Hong Kong International Airport. The Po Lin Monastery boasts of the stunning Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall. It also has a popular restaurant serving vegetarian food. From the cable car station to the base of the Big Buddha, one passes through Ngong Ping Village, full of eateries and souvenir shops.

Big Buddha Statue

Deva, Big Buddha Statue

Distant View, Big Buddha Statue

Po Lin Monastery

Vegetarian food at Po Lin Monastery

Paintings on sale, Ngong Ping Village

Hong Kong Disneyland also lies on Lantau Island. The theme park opened in 2005. The themed areas include Main Street USA, Fantasyland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland, among others. There is a train that goes around the park. The park is full of attractions, eateries and shops.

Main Street Station, Disneyland

Fantasyland Castle, Disneyland

Cinderella Carousel, Disneyland

Mickey Mouse Fountain, Disneyland

Taxi Cab, Disneyland

Disney Train, Disneyland

Ocean Park was Hong Kong’s first amusement park and opened in 1977. It faced severe competition once Disneyland opened, but it remains a popular attraction. It has a scenic cable car going around it. The park’s attractions include Giant Pandas, a sea lion and dolphin show, an aquarium, an aviary, many eateries and numerous rides.

Sea Lion show, Ocean Park

Old Hong Kong Gateway, Ocean Park

Macaws at the Rainforest, Ocean Park

Cable Cars, Ocean Park

Hong Kong Museum of History was established in 1975, but moved to its present location in Kowloon in 1998. The museum has sections depicting archaeology, natural history and local history. A great place to learn about Hong Kong's history and culture.

Model of a tram, Hong Kong
Museum of History

Exhibit on trade with Britain, Hong Kong Museum of History

Exhibit on Dried Salted Fish, Hong Kong Museum of History

Exhibit on Peking Opera, Hong Kong Museum of History

Exhibit on Prehistoric Man, Hong Kong Museum of History

Temple Street Night Market in Kowloon has a popular night market, selling inexpensive clothes, accessories and souvenirs. The area is buzzing with life at night, and has numerous eateries and massage parlours around it. The area is closed to traffic at night. Bargaining is the name of the game for shoppers, and one can get oneself great deals.

T Shirts, Temple Street Night Market

Paintings, Temple Street Night Market

Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon is a luxury hotel that opened in 1928. It has a large fleet of Rolls Royce cars, and has many high end luxury stores.

Peninsula Hotel

Hong Kong has several well known temples. One of the most popular ones is the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, which is perched up on a hill.

Pagoda, Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery

Buddha Statue, Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery

Stanley was originally a fishing village and was Hong Kong Island's largest settlement before the British moved in. Situated at the south of the island, today Stanley is a good get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and is well known for its eateries, markets and waterfront promenade. Murray House is a popular building, with shops and high end restaurants. Stanley also has the Tin Hau Temple, dating back to 1767, and dedicated to the sea goddess.

Murray House, Stanley

Stanley Main Street, Stanley

Souvenir Shop at Stanley Market, Stanley

Figures at Tin Hau Temple, Stanley

Main Deity at Tin Hau Temple, Stanley

All in all, I really enjoyed Hong Kong, with its theme parks, its temples, its eateries, its shopping, its numerous modes of transport (I found myself travelling by flight, ferry, car, bus, metro, tram, city escalator, and cable car!), its museums, its blend of Chinese and Western culture and its overall buzz! Yes, I didn't always find it the world's friendliest city, with a few unfortunate exchanges with unfriendly immigration officers and people from whom I asked directions, but nevertheless, it's a place I enjoy visiting again and again.