Monday, January 27, 2025 – Photo of the Day – Hong Kong China

Where in the World Are We?

In Hong Kong, China.

HONG KONG
Discover the real Hong Kong
Having been leased to the British for 99 years, milky tea is a revered tradition here – enjoy your cup with a serving of local dim sum. While it’s easy to think all the bright lights are the sum of today’s Hong Kong, you need only walk or board a tram for the short jaunt west into Western to discover a side of Hong Kong that is more traditionally Chinese but no less high-energy. You’ll find real Hong Kong east of Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, and beyond.

Amid the residential towers are restaurants, shopping malls, bars, convention centers, a nice smattering of museums, and—depending on fate and the horse you wager on—one of Hong Kong’s luckiest or unluckiest spots, the Happy Valley Racecourse.

Kowloon sprawls across a generous swath of the Chinese mainland across Victoria Harbour from Central. Tsim Sha Tsui, at the tip of the Kowloon peninsula, is packed with glitzy shops, first-rate museums, and eye pop- ping views of the skyline across the water.

Just to the north are the teeming market streets of Mong Kok, and in the dense residential neighborhoods beyond, two of Hong Kong’s most enchanting spiritual sights, Wong Tai Sin Temple and Chi Lin Nunnery. As you navigate this huge metropolis (easy to do on the excellent transportation network), remember that streets are usually numbered odd on one side, even on the other. There’s no baseline for street numbers and no block-based numbering system, but street signs
indicate building numbers for any given block.

SIGHTS

• Avenue of Stars
• Big Bus Tour
• Central Ferry Pier
• Central Police Station
• Cheung Sha Beach
• Flower Market
  
• SHOPPING
  They say the only way to get to know a place is to do what the locals do. When in Hong Kong, shop.
  All shops are open until 7 or 8 pm; many don’t close their doors until midnight. You might find a bargain or two elbowing your way through a chaotic open-air market filled with haggling vendors selling designer knockoffs, the air reeking of the chou tofu (“stinky” tofu). But then you could find a designer number for half the usual price in a hushed marble-floor mall.

Today’s Excursion – Highlights of Hong Kong

We explored some of Hong Kong’s most popular historic landmarks.
Our scenic orientation tour begins with a visit to Victoria Peak.
Victoria Peak
From Garden Road, the brand-new tram takes you for the eight-minute ride uphill to the 1,300-foot (396-metre) Victoria Peak. After taking in spectacular views and photo opportunities of Hong Kong and Kowloon. Next, our drive continued to Aberdeen.
Aberdeen
Upon arrival, a sampan boat ride provides a fascinating look at this floating settlement. Gliding along the city’s oldest harbor, your cruise takes you past houseboats and fishing sampans. At the end of the cruise, we re-boarded your coach for the ride to the Stanley Market viaRepulse Bay and Deep Water Bay.
Stanley Market
Once a fishing village, Stanley Market has earned a reputation as a paradise for bargain hunters as well as for its fascinating scenery. The narrow lanes are lined with small shops offering a good selection of souvenir items. During our visit, we strolled around the market and made a few purchases.