Coming into Hong Kong at night is like coming into the beginning of the movie “Blade Runner” - minus the flying cars. Lots of neon, huge video screens, narrow streets teeming with people and crammed with traffic. Hong Kong is crowded and noisy. Traffic lights beep at you to tell you when the light is going to change, escalators beep at you to tell you when they are coming to an end. Taxis will honk at you before they run you over - and taxis will not give you the right of way. In fact, Hong Kong is the only place I’ve been where traffic lights not only turn yellow between green and red, but also between red and green. I assume this is so buses and taxis can get a jump on any slow-footed pedestrian ... read more

The Man Mo Temple is dedicated to the God of Literature, Man Tai, and the God of War, Mo Tai. Man Tai is symbolized by a pen, and Mo Tai by a sword, bringing to mind the obvious question “Is the pen mightier than the sword?” Man Tai is the patron of students and civil servants, and students will bring offerings before exams. Mo Tai is the patron of policemen, the military, and, oddly, pawnshops. I’ve read that Mo Tai is based on the real warrior Guan Yu who lived around 220 AD. The Man Mo Temple is a busy place. Inside, huge incense cones that can burn for up to three days hang from the ceiling, filling the air with smoke. Pretty much every one who comes in lights at least three joss sticks. (Joss ... read more

Repulse Bay Though you wouldn’t know it from the beach views of today, Repulse Bay has a long, and somewhat grim, history of military importance. Its name comes from the British warship the HMS Repulse which chased out the local pirates operating in the area. During World War II, the Repulse Bay Hotel housed British troops. When the Japanese invaded in 1941, they took over the hotel, and the British troops were either killed or sent to prison camps. Today, Repulse Bay is home to a number of ex-pats, as evidenced by the many Filipina nannies with blond toddlers in tow, and the International Herald Tribune in the local Starbucks. The beach is broad and clean, the water is calm, and there are showers and changing rooms for beach-goers. What sets Repulse Bay apart from other ... read more

Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha Visiting the Tian Tan Buddha - also known as the Big Buddha - at the Po Lin Monastery is a wonderful experience in Hong Kong. It can be a little bit of a slog to get there, two ferries and a bus, but the majesty of the Buddha is worth the trip. And on the bus trip to the monastery you get to share the road with free range cattle! The Tan Tan Buddha is actually a fairly recent addition to the Po Lin Monastery. The Buddha statue was started in 1990, and completed in 1993. The statue is 34 metres (110 feet) high, and on a clear day can be seen as far away as Macau. There are eight smaller statues of bodhisattvas that surround the main ... read more