Hong Kong is a region in Eastern Asia located on the eastern Pearl River Delta of the South China Sea, hence its nickname. As a result of losing the First Opium War, the island was ceded by the Qing dynasty to Britain in the 1840s and became a colony of the British Empire. Eventually, it was handed over from the United Kingdom to China in 1997.

While on holiday in the mid-2000s, I made a short stop in HongKong on the way to my hometown. Being of Asian descent, I am somewhat familiar with the Chinese culture and, having lived in England, I anticipated that this city would have some inter-cultural influences.

One of the things I really appreciated when I visited Hong Kong was the convenience of the extensive footbridge network - Elevated Walkway - which really made for enjoyable strolls around the areas of Admiralty, Central, and parts of Sheung Wan in close proximity to Victoria Harbour. There were shopping centers, banks, commercial buildings and, although this is a densely populated city, it did not feel crowded at all to me. It was a perfect way to explore and see the city without worrying about the road traffic.

While strolling, I nipped in to a silk fabric shop and, like a child, had to touch and feel the fabrics. There is nothing like gently running one’s fingertips to feel the touch of luxurious silk. I wish I could have bought something, but there was nothing within my budget range. Furthermore, rolls of silk fabric, some with delicate and intricate embroidery adornment, would not fit in my already over-packed luggage! During my stroll, I also happened upon a cultural exhibition of some sort, so I went and checked out the local artisan creations.

The Peak

The Peak is one of Hong Kong's most popular attractions. Not only does it offer great shopping and dining places, but it provides a stunning vista of hills, high-rise buildings, and the harbour. To get there, I had to get tickets to hop on the Peak Tram which is one of the world’s oldest funicular railways. It rises to almost 400 meters above sea level! The funicular ride was memorable. It tricks your brain into creating visual illusions - one way on the way up and another on the way down.

Lantau Island

Since this was only a few days’ visit, I made sure to touch ground at Lantau Island and visit Tian Tan Buddha — the world’s largest seated bronze Buddha. The seat overlooks the valley. It was a grueling hike which took me 268 steps to reach the feet of Buddha’s imposing statue. I paid my respects then acted like a proper tourist, taking photos of the Buddha and the smaller bronze statues known as The Offering of the Six Devas: flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music offerings to the Buddha. I read that they represent the six perfections necessary for enlightenment in life: generosity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom.

Upon reaching ground level, I paid my respects at the Po Lin Buddhist Monastery. It was founded in the early 1900s - Tian Tan Buddha was its extension, built almost a century later. The main temple houses 3 Buddha bronze statues.

Lantau’s history also boasts the discovery of human artifacts on the island, some dating back to the Bronze Age and others to the Neolithic Age.

Pressed for time and in search of a digital camera, the final stop was in Kowloon. The shop I found was a short subway ride from the town centre. The area was bustling and confusing. I ended up in a warehouse of electronics shops and, since I was not familiar with Chinese haggling, I opted for a brand name shop. The price was reasonable compared to UK prices, but I pressed my luck and asked the seller to throw in any accessories for free since I was spending my hard-earned Sterling Pounds. He thought I was just teasing as he kept smiling and shaking his head. In the end, he gave me a promotional T-shirt. Oh, well. Better than nothing!

By the way, the reason my luggage was already full was because I bought a long and heavy decorative sword. The sword was detected by the x-ray luggage machine at the airport. The customs personnel asked me what the long diagonal object was in my luggage. When I said that it was a decorative sword, they surprisingly let me through without opening the suitcase.

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For more photos of my Hong Kong visit, go to Captured Images - Hong Kong

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