A very special skyline

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Day 431: Wednesday 3rd September - The crazy ‘underworld’ of Chungking mansions

How do you describe Chungking mansions to someone who has never experienced it? The Dorset girls tried to describe it to me whilst they explained why I should stay there. They sowed the seed but they couldn’t quite portray what it was all about. I don’t think you can, you need to experience it. Situated to the harbour end of Nathan Road on Kowloon peninsula it is where a number of cheap guesthouses are situated, hence its popularity amongst the backpacker fraternity. The upper floors of the tower block may be the domain of cheap guesthouses where 13 of your best English pounds gets you a room you’d be lucky to swing a cat in. The ground floor however is full of mobile phone shops, curry houses, electronics shops etc. It is also where numerous touts hang out, from every nation imaginable trying to sell you their guesthouse, tailored clothes, sim cards etc. One such tout gets to me as I enter Chungking mansions and tries to mislead me to going to his guesthouse. This is like Southeast Asia all over again but I sidestep his attentions and eventually find my way to the 7th floor of the building. Just getting to the right floor is a mission in itself as there are 6 different blocks in the tower and access between them is confined to the ground floor.

My guesthouse is called Payless guesthouse and I’ve actually paid a bit more than I could but I’ve got a clean, newly renovated room albeit plain and barely big enough to swing the aforementioned cat in. The owner is one Jacky Chan and once I knew this I had to stay here!! The name Chungking Mansions, and signs stating this is a deluxe hotel betray the truth. This is a place where you can imagine rats are rife and elements of the underworld can be found. If you wanted to get your hands on something there would be someone, somewhere in this crumbling tower block who would be able to assist you or know someone who could.

I started the day in Macau and got an unexpected bonus when I found that I could take a ferry direct to Kowloon rather than to Hong Kong Island, where I would then have to find my way across the harbour to Kowloon. Kowloon is situated at the very south of the peninsula which adjoins mainland China, across the harbour from Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong is much more than the island that bears its name. It is a collection of 200+ islands in addition to Hong Kong Island as well as Kowloon and the New Territories which are connected to the mainland.

It is lunchtime before I arrive in Kowloon and with half the day gone I decide to stay in Kowloon for the remainder of the day. The highlights of Kowloon appear to be its museums, the Temple Street Night market, Kowloon Park and the waterfront with the view across to Hong Kong Island’s skyline. First though my thoughts are turned to obtaining a Japanese rail pass. You must buy the pass (or specifically the exchange order) outside Japan and there are a number of agencies in Kowloon where I can get the pass. The first agency I try appears like it is closing down but I get more luck at the second but I haven’t got enough money so I have to find an ATM and then back to the agency which is on the 16th floor. Anywhere else that would be the top floor.....not in Hong Kong!

One thing Hong Kong is famous for is its food. I went to Guangzhou to try the Cantonese food, specifically Dim Sum. I failed to find a suitable restaurant, but in Hong Kong I fare better. Dim Sum is uniquely Cantonese and served for breakfast, brunch or lunch and is the oriental equivalent of tapas. You order several small dishes, the delicacies are usually steamed and the food is good. I should have forgotten about going to Guangzhou and just come straight to Hong Kong.

With only a few hours left in the day I have a choice to make over which museum to visit. There is a space museum or a history museum. I choose the latter as it interests me more. The first floor is largely disappointing, focusing on prehistoric times, natural history and Hong Kong’s environment. The second floor is much more interesting taking you from the British arriving in the mid-nineteenth century to the handover back to China a decade ago. I end up running out of time as the museum closes for the day.

It is interesting to learn the background to the British involvement in Hong Kong. Trade between Britain and China was weighted strongly in the favour of the Chinese with British demand for tea being so high. The British wished to address this imbalance and found the answer in opium grown in British India. Soon, the tables had turned and the British held the upper hand. However, the Chinese placed strict restrictions on foreign trade along China’s coastline. Unable to sell opium, the first of two Opium Wars broke out in 1842. Britain won and the Chinese ceded Hong Kong Island. In the final years of the nineteenth century, a 99 year lease was granted for the New Territories, to the north of Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong’s fortunes rose under British rule, establishing itself as a major financial centre, but with the lease on the New Territories coming to an end in 1997, Britain decided to hand back all of Hong Kong as well.

In the evening, I make my way to the waterfront to catch my first glimpse of Hong Kong’s famous skyline. It is indeed an impressive sight but the Symphony of Lights, a light show featuring all of Hong Kong’s key buildings is disappointing. Hong Kong’s skyline doesn’t need anything extra to show it off, it is special enough on its own. Just walking along the waterfront is enjoyable, which I do after the show. I wanted to pay Temple Street’s market a visit after the show but I’ve run out of energy and so that will have to wait until another day. As it is I’ve already got an impression of the distinct Chinese vibrancy which is Kowloon generally and the southern end of Nathan Road in particular. Packed with shoppers, tourists, locals and touts this must be one of the most densely populated places on the planet.

Day 432: Friday 4th September - Hong Kong’s fantastic skyline

Today I’m going to spend the day on Hong Kong Island having acquainted myself with Kowloon. I catch the Star Ferry across the harbour, the classic way to make the trip and also the cheapest. I take the ferry to Wanchai where I stop at the Golden Bauhinia Square, the location for the handing back of Hong Kong in 1997. Situated on Hong Kong Island’s waterfront you get fantastic views of both Kowloon and Hong Kong’s skyline. I walk west along the waterfront away from the centre to Victoria Park where I take a break from the pace of the city for half an hour or so.

One of the things I like about Hong Kong is the variety of the transport. You have the ferries, the underground, buses, the Peak tram (more later) and then regular trams which run on Hong Kong Island. I catch the tram from near Victoria Park to the Admirality area of the city. I walk to the Bank of China building where I catch a lift to the 43rd floor for a different perspective of Hong Kong. The views are fantastic but I feel a bit out of place amongst all the professionals in their business dress!

After lunch I walk through central along Queen Street which rivals Kowloon for its vibrancy, packed with city workers. I then take the hillside escalator up to the mid-levels. This is the longest escalator in the world, or should that be series of escalators as you keep jumping from one to another. It takes 20 minutes to get from central to the mid-levels at the other end, in between in passes through the Soho and Lan Kwai Fong. This area looks like a good place to go out in, packed with bars, restaurants and cafes and I note to return to it later in the day.

I walk through the mid-levels and down to Hong Kong Botanical Gardens where I take another half hour break from the hustle and bustle of the city. I continue down the hill to the Peak Tram. I want to see the view from the Peak during the day and the night but change my mind when I reach the lower station and decide to return to Kowloon via the Star Ferry and come back later in the afternoon as the light is changing to save some money and time. Spending the last few days sightseeing in cities has caught up with me and I need to lie down and get some energy for the night ahead.

Back in Kowloon I pick up my exchange order for my Japan Rail Pass from the travel agency on my way out and then take the Star Ferry back across the harbour to Hong Kong Island. I make my way across the city in the early evening to the Peak Tram station. I am greeted with a long queue of tourists, a very different scene from a few hours ago when it was practically deserted. By the time I’ve waited in the queue and took the tram to the top of the Peak, several hundred metres above the tallest of Hong Kong’s many skyscrapers, day has turned into night and I’ve therefore missed seeing the cityscape during the day and the night. It doesn’t matter as the view across both Hong Kong Island, the Harbour and Kowloon is incredible. This is the undoubted highlight of Hong Kong and the view is comparable to any city in the world. For me, only perhaps Rio de Janeiro is in the same league but then I haven’t seen New York which everyone raves about. On the top of the Peak I get talking to some German girls for an hour or so as we gaze over the city, under the spell of the amazing view. They are heading to New Zealand to work and are at the start of their trip and whilst they may see better natural wonders, they’ll struggle to see a better man-made wonder as Hong Kong’s skyline is that special.

I spend an hour and a half up on the Peak and could spend the rest of the night. I’m hungry though and plan to visit the Soho and Lan Kwai Fong area’s that I passed through on the escalators earlier. However, by the time I get down to the bottom of the Peak I’m overcome with fatigue and reluctantly decide to give my night out on Hong Kong Island a miss. I can still return tomorrow but deep down I know I won’t as it would require a special effort to come back across. It is a shame but doing all the tourist stuff for several days on the bounce has caught up with me.

Day 433: Saturday 5th September - Lantau Island

I can’t get motivated to do anything until lunchtime today. Even then it’s the desire to stop staring at the same four walls that pushes me into action rather than a pull to see or do something. My mood isn’t improved over my Dim Sum brunch when I pay more for a pot of green tea than I do for the food. Usually it is given free with the meal, if not it is very inexpensive, but the restaurant I eat in is obviously the exception to the rule. I leave with the hole in my stomach filled, but a foul taste in my mouth and a new hole in my pocket!

I decide to catch the underground to Lantau Island which lies to the west of Hong Kong Island. The island is lush and mountainous and has some beautiful coastline. It is also home to just 50,000 people despite being bigger than Hong Kong Island. No skyscrapers, just beautiful scenery and some nice views. I take a bus around the island to visit the Tian Tan Buddha. At 34 metres tall it is the largest seated outdoor Buddha statue in the world. It towers over the people climbing up the steps to take a closer look. The views at the top are worth the climb as much as the statue itself. I wish I had more energy, time and the inclination to explore more of the island but I got up too late to do that. There are many walking trails and small fishing villages on the island, which wouldn’t spring to mind if you mentioned Hong Kong.

Indeed, although I saw most of the main tourist attractions in Hong Kong over the last three days I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. Three days is not enough, not even close if you like shopping and fine dining. I wish I could trade my day in Guangzhou for an extra one in Hong Kong so I wouldn’t have felt so rushed and could maybe have enjoyed it a bit more. However, part of me thinks I’d still be wanting more. I think Hong Kong is one of those cities which is better to live in than to visit as a tourist. It is certainly not geared for backpackers as you need some serious money to make the most of the many shopping and eating opportunities.

I couldn’t leave Hong Kong without doing some shopping. The ubiquitous malls hold no interest for me on this visit but I am interested to see Temple Street Market. I walk up there in the evening, the best time of day in Hong Kong, the time when the city is at its most vibrant. It is similar to many of the markets I’ve seen across Southeast Asia, full of almost anything you can think of and packed with tourists mainly. I buy some cheap memory cards for my camera and some knock-off DVD’s; otherwise I escape Hong Kong’s many shopping temptations with bank balance unscathed. I do wish I’d found the cheap food stalls/restaurants surrounding the market earlier in my stay. But that’s the thing with cities - when you’re a tourist with limited time you miss much of the best things.

Hong Kong is often compared to Singapore, I guess because they are both ex-British colonies, financial centres and two of the great modern cities in the world. Many people put Hong Kong above Singapore but I’d have it the other way around. Singapore maintains a stronger link to its colonial past through its architecture whereas Hong Kong is largely a modern city of skyscrapers. I can’t fully explain it as Singapore lacks a true standout sight whereas Hong Kong’s skyline rivals that of any city in the world and is truly special. I could work in both though, I think Hong Kong would grow on me if I had longer here. If I came back I would also make sure I wasn’t on a budget as this isn’t a budget destination. Who knows what the future will bring?

Hong Kong also marks the end of 3 weeks in China. Almost all of it was good, much of it was very, very good, and there have been several magical moments. I look forward to my return to see the north and centre later this month provided I get a visa in Japan.

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