I’ve only been to the big Buddha, one of Hong Kong’s top tourist attractions once. The last time was after no sleep on January first several years ago and I found the place over-rated. Commonly referred to as “the big Buddha,” the official name is the Tian Tan Buddha Statue. The big Buddha is located in a far-removed area called Ngong Ping on Launtau Island. It’s perched high atop a hill with a long straight staircase that leads up to the base.

Finding myself lured back to the statue last week, I decided to double check my first appraisal, as well as map out the best route, weighing transportation time, scenic beauty, safety, and fun. (more…)

Since the last three days have been particularly clear, I decided to walk up to Victoria Peak, Hong Kong’s number one tourist destination. Normal people get there by taking a taxi, bus, minibus, or the famous Peak Tram, but I enjoy the exercise!

I’ve been up here countless times already and it’s still a wonder to behold. Walking along Hong Kong’s busy streets you have no idea how the city fits together - building by building, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood. From the vantage point up on The Peak it all comes together. Peer down from above and you are rewarded with a fresh look at places you dash by every day. I come up here as often as I can to have a look at the city. You can read more about my trips and see additional photos by going here or here. I love this place. It’s rare for a city to have such an inspiring view.

Tuesday night I took a few photos. Wednesday during the day I was back up there again and decided to shoot a short video with my camera (don’t expect vivid colors!) Have a look at the 35-second tour! (more…)

Closed for renovations for about a year, the harbor-front observation deck in Tsim Sha Tsui recently reopened. The structure is a one-story high elevated walkway located directly in front of the Cultural Center. It offers unobstructed views of Hong Kong Island’s breathtaking skyline directly across the harbor.

I happened to be early to meet a friend for dinner, so after disembarking from the Star Ferry I walked one block to the observation deck. It was exactly eight o’clock, time for the daily “Symphony of Lights” show. I hung back and watched as the tourists jockeyed for position to photograph the spectacle. The display consists of thirty-three different buildings flashing their lights in time to music with narration. Several of the buildings have elaborate colored lights, spotlights and lasers, which makes it more interesting. The real stars however are the buildings themselves, so any time of day the observation deck is a worth a visit.

Two of my favorite places to take tourists are the Flower Market and Bird Market in Prince Edward. It’s easy to get there and interesting to check out (ha! Even my friend who is allergic to flowers had a good time!)

To get there, take the MTR (subway) to Prince Edward Station. (The station is on the Tsuen Wan line or ‘red’ line.) When you get off at Prince Edward stop, look for signs that list the different exits. Take Exit B1 and you will find yourself on the corner of Prince Edward Road West, and Nathan Road. Look around, you will NOT need to cross any street. Turn left when you exit onto the sidewalk and walk down Prince Edward Road West. After a few steps you will pass a police station. You will probably see people carrying flowers walking in your direction. Walk towards where they came from, further down Prince Edward Road West.

After a few short blocks you will be at the beginning of the Flower Market. Along Prince Edward Road there are dozens of shops selling flowers, but mostly accessories. If you continue down the street, it will open up to the main flower market area with flowers spilling out onto the street.

When you get here, turn left, up from Prince Edward Road West and walk into the main market area. You can only walk for half a block before you turn right, along the street that runs parallel to Prince Edward Road. This is Flower Market Road. Flower Market Road contains dozens of shops selling all sorts of flowers. They have flowers here that you’ve never seen before!

As you come towards the end of the road, it begins to curve back onto Prince Edward Road. You will see the following sign:

You are now at the entrance to the Bird Market. I know they call it the “Bird Garden”, but that sounds too fancy for me! This is the place where you can buy bags of live jumbo-sized grasshoppers for your pet bird to snack on. People (mostly older men,) will bring their birds here and then hang their cage on a hook or a branch, and hang out and talk with other bird enthusiasts. It’s a scene!

One of my favorite scenic sections of Hong Kong, the waterfront promenade in Tsim Sha Tsui, finally reopened after a few years of renovations. The walk begins at the Star Ferry terminal, and continues towards Tsim Sha Tsui East. Strolling along the harbor you are treated to breathtaking views of the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island, with the mountains at their back. This is the view that greeted me on my first night in the city many years ago. No matter how many times you see it, it’s inspiring. Click on any of the photos to see a larger version.

Added to the walkway recently is “Avenue of the Stars” an homage to the stars of Hong Kong’s once glorious film industry. Yes, it’s an imitation of Hollywood, but that doesn’t stop people from crouching down and taking photos with their hands in the mold of Jackie Chan’s. There’s even a statue of Bruce Lee.

If you’re a fan of Hong Kong cinema, you will be happy to spend half your time gazing down at the names that appear sporadically in the pavement. Even for those with no interest in the movies, the view along the waterfront is as captivating a cityscape as you are likely to find, so it’s worth a visit.

Located near the beginning of the Avenue of Stars is the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Across from the Museum lies the Cultural Center, a wedge-shaped building (where traveling plays and concerts are held,) and the planetarium.

Occasionally, you can even spot (and photograph!) an old ship in the harbor!

Last weekend I was showing around some friends and I took them to the Temple Street Night Market that begins in Jordan and ends in the Yaumatei neighborhood of Kowloon. The night market is a must for tourists. It’s easily accessible by taking the MTR to Jordan station and walking a few blocks west on Jordan Road until it intersects with Temple Street. The market consists of several blocks with stalls forming a corridor in the center of the street. You walk through the narrow space between stalls and check out the merchandise.

For sale you can find souvenirs, weird gadgets, action figures, some knock-off products, small home necessities, clothing and many other things. At the middle of the market there are scores of fortune tellers who sits at small tables and peddle their services. The end segment close to the Yaumatei MTR station has more stalls set up selling “antiques” as well as food stalls and even more gadgets.

Near the beginning of the market, I discovered a CD shop called HIP HOP that has an excellent selection of CDs. Although I’m not much of a CD person (I prefer vinyl,) the selection of music was much better than other shops I’ve seen in H.K., with very cheap prices. There were many special Japan releases of CDs, and an especially good selection of Hip Hop, Dancehall, and Soul music. The address is: 179A Temple Street.

I’ve mentioned the MTR in several of my previous posts. The MTR (Mass Transit Railway,) is Hong Kong’s subway system that stretches to 53 stations and is used by over 2.4 million people each day. Every car is extremely clean, air-conditioned, well lit, and completely safe. They are likewise graffiti free, although they are occasionally covered in advertisements (some of which are actually innovative and cool). The train’s cars are open, with no doors in between, so you can look down the entire length of the train for as far as you can see. Many of the platforms are enclosed which keeps the tracks clean, and prevents accidents.

Hong Kong’s MTR system is less complex than other subway systems around the world, which makes it easy to get around and simple to use. There are several different lines that intersect, but nothing as complex as New York or Tokyo. Should you have a question, there are station manager booths with people to provide information or address any problems with your ticket. Announcements of stops are made after the doors close. All announcements are made in Cantonese, English, and Mandarin. Maps of the system are located above the train doors in every car. There are five major lines, plus the Airport Express. Each line has a different color theme. Trains run from 6am to 1am. There is even a new Disneyland Resort Line with specially customized trains. Mobile phones work perfectly throughout the system. Click the image below to see a map of the MTR system.

In many of the stations there are 7-11 or Circle-K convenience stores (although no eating or drinking is allowed on the trains.) Each station has ATM machines, and many also feature small bank branches. A popular place to select to meet friends is usually at the bank.

There are two ways to get through the turnstile (more like a small gate) to catch a train. One way is by purchasing a ticket, the other way is by using an Octopus card. To purchase a ticket, simply go to one of the ticket vending machines in the station. You pay a fee based on your destination. Just press the destination, and the machine will calculate your fare. You can pay either by coins, or small bills - as some of the machines take ten and twenty dollar bills. However the preferred method of payment is via Octopus card.

Octopus cards are stored value cards that work by radio waves. You don’t need to take them out of your wallet or bag, simply touch it to the right place on the turnstile and you can proceed. You can use your Octopus card (or the even cooler - in a geek way - Octopus watch,) to make small transactions as well as pay for your fare on everything except taxis including: the MTR, busses, ferries, trains, trams, and mini-bus. You can also make purchases from convenience stores, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and the two major grocery stores chains (Park N Shop and Wellcome.) The rechargeable Octopus cards can be purchased for $150 HKD and are available at the station booths.

A few nights ago I went for dinner on The Peak and ended up going for a walk and taking a few photos. It was the clearest day in a long time, so I couldn’t help myself - even though I have around a hundred photos from here already. The view never gets old.

The search lights in the above photo, shooting up from the building across the water must be a property company looking to generate interest in a new development. Hong Kong is under constant construction.

The government is beginning to develop a section of reclaimed land called West Kowloon. It’s on the Western side of Tsim Sha Tsui. (It’s the right side middle of the photo above.) I’ve seen some of the models and it’s going to be VERY impressive. H.K. has a number of large waterfront projects going on right now that are really going to up the quality of life in the city. The harbor front walks are already enjoyable, but they’re being expanded tremendously. I hope they stay away from the gimicky crap like ‘Avenue of the Stars’ that they created in T.S.T. though.