When I was a growing I knew little of Hong Kong other than it was singularly responsible for an annual spike in house-fires as people strung up the cheap Christmas tree lights for which this distant outpost of the British Empire had become famous. There was a very simple way of telling if a product was good quality or not and that was to simply turn it upside down and check for the words ‘Made in Hong Kong'. If the words were missing you were in the clear. It was some time later, as I sat and watched bemused as the TV showed the celebrations as the territory was returned to Chinese rule, that I realised there was more to Hong Kong than cheap toys and dodgy fake electronics. Arriving in Hong Kong eleven years later, I learned something else: the heat, humidity and pollution in this thriving financial centre are oppressive.
Arriving in a new town after dark can be daunting and I felt a little apprehensive when I stepped from the plane and into the bright lights of the glittering new airport. I'd made a hotel reservation for the next five nights in Kowloon but I'd no idea how to get there; tired from two long flights, I harboured a feeling of dread. The speed that we passed through immigration and were reunited with our bags was bewildering and, stepping from the baggage carousel, I was delighted to discover that the Airport Express station was mere metres away. I was impressed that the train would speed us from Chek Lap Kok Island to Kowloon in just twenty minutes but was still unsure how to get to the hotel when I got there. I shouldn't have worried as, with typical Asian efficiency, we were ushered from the train to a line of courtesy buses which were waiting to speed us onward to our hotel. Just an hour after stepping from the plane I was being shown to my hotel room. As I dropped my bag on the floor and flopped onto the bed I had to concede that my earlier anxiety had been misplaced.
Twenty hours in transit is very tiring and I slept very well; only waking when the maid came to make up the room. After two weeks in a tent (which I'd happily donated to a fellow traveller once I'd used it for the final time) it felt quite alien to have someone looking after me so I sent her away. The area around the hotel had looked quite glamorous and exciting the previous evening - I didn't check but I very much doubted the classy white Christmas lights on the huge tree at the front of the hotel were stamped with the words ‘Made in Hong Kong' - so I was surprised to throw back the curtains and discover what amounted to a slum next door. I would later discover that it was the infamous Chungking House Mansions which, although advertised as a deluxe hotel, is in fact little more than a seedy rabbit warren of illegal gambling, prostitution and drug dealing. It fascinated me that they would choose to build luxury hotels right next to this unsanitary fire trap but it actually summed up Hong Kong perfectly: on the one hand you have the sweat shops pouring out cheap Christmas tree lights and fake designer suits whilst, on the other, you have the wealth that comes from being one of the world's major financial centres.
Leaving the serenity of the hotel lobby was akin to stepping into Bedlam: the heat and pollution were stifling and the noise and commotion on the street was overwhelming. There were instantly people all around pushing everything from Folex watches and cheap suits to their sister and it took a few moments to acclimatise to this assault on the senses. Scanning the street for a way out, I spotted a 7-Eleven and hurried inside to regroup. Armed with a can of Red Bull and a curious excuse for a sandwich, I followed the directions that I'd just been given towards the nearby Star Ferry Terminal.
Hong Kong - since the handover in 1997, a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China - is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a population of 7 million people crammed into such a tiny area it is one of the most densely populated areas in the world which means that not a scrap of land is wasted. Nor, indeed, was any space aboard the twin-decked ferry; people herded into every crevice. As we bobbed away from the overcrowded Tsim Sha Tsui ferry terminal, the iconic mountain-backed skyline of Hong Kong Island loomed into sight across Victoria Harbour.
Quickly we arrived on Pier 7 of the Hong Kong Central ferry pier and were herded back off the boat. I made my way, passing the incongruous sight of a wedding taking place in a corner of the terminal building, through the busy streets towards Garden Road. Consisting of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsular, the New Territories and over 200 offshore islands I had been confused by the geography of the area so had decided the best place to start would be the top of Victoria Peak where I hoped to look down and make sense of Hong Kong. The Peak Tram would speed me from the sea level base station in Garden Road to the 552m summit in just a few minutes and I was soon standing on the viewing terrace atop the upper station. Victoria Peak may have become a big tourist draw but, as I stood and surveyed the spectacular sight stretching into the distance, I couldn't help but marvel at what lay before me.
I spent some time walking through the area; admiring the impressive colonial houses - once reserved exclusively for non-Chinese whites - and enjoying the street markets surrounding the clinical wok-shaped Peak Tower before returning to tram. Back at street level I spent a few hours walking the streets of Central before I was finally forced to retreat to the oasis of my hotel by the oppressive air pollution. After the cool mountain air of New Zealand it was quite a shock not to be able to breathe properly and, having skipped through five time zones since I left, I thought an afternoon nap might refresh me somewhat. I woke just as the sun was coming down and I hurried back to the embankment of Victoria Harbour where I was able to enjoy the colour and spectacle of the skyscrapers on the opposite bank lighting up. As the sun finally dipped behind the mountains, amidst a final flourish of brilliant oranges and reds, I couldn't help but glance back up at Victoria Peak and make a mental note to revisit and see the sunset over the city from that vantage point. I hoped that it would be every bit as spectacular as it was from the Avenue of the Stars where I was standing.
With the addition of the New Territories following the signing of the Second Convention of Peking in 1898, overcrowded Colonial Hong Kong exploded from 30 sq miles to almost 400 overnight. Over the course of the 99-year lease development pushed out into this new land mass but, thanks mainly to the mountainous landscape, the majority of development remained confined to the Kowloon Peninsular and Hong Kong Island. This left much of the new land untouched and, in recent times, much has been ceded to nature reserves which now provide a welcome place for the city-dwellers to retreat and enjoy the many miles of trails. After a day in their city I could see why hiking has become such a popular recreational activity and, in an effort to discover the real Hong Kong, I decided that I'd follow their lead.
I took the MTR out to Tung Chung where I walked the short distance to board the Ngong Ping Skyway for the 5.7km ride across Lantau Island. The huge gondola is an engineering masterpiece and, for the duration of the 25-minute ride, afforded us spectacular views over the South China Sea, North Lantau Country Park and the surrounding terrain as it sped us to our destination: the giant Tian Tan Buddha in the village of Ngong Ping. As we rounded the final curve on the route at Nei Lak Shan the huge statue loomed into view causing the cabin to rock violently as my fellow passengers leapt from their seats in an effort to snap photos of the 34-metre high bronze which is the largest of its kind in the world. I made my way through the overcrowded tourist-trap of Ngong Ping and climbed the 268 steep steps to the base of the Buddha where, as I recovered from my toil, I admired the sheer size of the thing and tried to work out how it had been constructed.
Back in Hong Kong I spent the remainder of the day travelling around the city on the MTR, stopping at random stations before emerging from beneath the ground to investigate what lay on the streets above. From huge shopping malls full of the latest high-tech electronics to tiny backstreets full of traditional restaurants; the contrast was enthralling. I visited Golden Bauhinia Square, named after the huge golden sculpture of the Bauhinia Blakeana which lay at its heart, where the ceremonies for the handover were held before noting the sun was getting lower in the sky and hurrying back to the top of Victoria Peak.
Once I'd watched the sun setting from atop the mountain - yes, it was every bit as memorable from the up there as I had hoped - I made my way through the streets, crowded with shoppers busy buying presents on the final Sunday before Christmas, towards my hotel. As I made my way out of the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Terminal, a poster caught my eye and I stopped to investigate: Macau was just 40-miles and a short jetfoil ride away. On a whim I went inside and bought a return ticket for the following morning.
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