Northstar

FEATURE www.travelweeklyweb.com Hong Kong: where East meets West Hong Kong fits the Westerner's perception of what the Orient should be. Shots of junks and the fl oating restaurant amidst the backdrop of blue skies and mountains, its decaying old against the spanking new. Its highrise buildings in the Central , and its aged but reliable Star Ferry plying between Hong Kong and Kowloon. Its slow and cheap tram – that gets you on your way beating all traffi c jams. Hong Kong is alive and highly energetic. Its pace can grate on you, and you could just embrace it and jostle with the crowds. Wonder why the crowds are always on the road, restaurants and on public transportation? Land is so scarce and space so tight that its residents spend most of their time outside their usually tiny homes. Or could it be that there are entertainment no end? A visitor's introduction to Hong Kong is through its airport. On arrival, a visitor can push the baggage trolley right to the train, and on arrival in the city, baggage trolleys are easily available to take you to the taxi stand. It is almost right from the train to the taxi – a seamless transfer, with no heavy lugging of bags, and which makes travelling a pleasant experience. The Airport Express to town is impressive – by any standards. Though the distance from the airport to the city is 35.3 km journey, it takes as little as 24 minutes its frequent connections (one in every 10 minutes) and speed makes the transfer a breeze. Looking out the window, one passes the most panoramic and stunning countryside, a scene so peaceful – a great contrast to the bustling and exciting Hong Kong downtown. The train would pass the Tsing Ma Bridge, which is the world's longest suspension bridge carrying both road and rail traffi c. It is part of the Lantau Link and is a key connection between Hong Kong and its international airport on Lantau Island. Once in the city, getting on the legendary Star Ferry to get from Hong Kong to Kowloon is a memorable experience. In less than 10 minutes, one takes in one of the most beautiful and photographed harbour in the world. What a beauty to behold! Hong Kong is so well linked and connected. On the Kowloon side, Star Ferry is sited next to HarbourCity which is – massive stretch of commercial properties, covering shopping,offi ces and hotels. On Hong Kong side, near the Star Ferry, one can walk through a long stretch of sheltered bridge that links several buildings. It even has an escalator stretching from the Central to Mid-levels and is the world's longest outdoor escalator .It was a solution created to reduce traffi c and ease congestion. The escalator only goes one way – it goes down before 10am and up after 10am. Hong Kong is known for its shopping . Its street shopping is fascinating – Hollywood Road is famous for its trinkets and antiques, and is a like an Aladdin's cave offering what you wouldn't expect. You never know what you can fi nd! Many factory outlets can be found on Hong Kong side between Wanchai and Causeway Bay, offering clothes at prices hard to beat. Mongkok area on Kowloon side with nightly street bazaars are a big attraction; it offers masses of inexpensive goods, coupled with inexpensive eating joints. It has its Ladies Market offering bags, accessories, women's clothing, men's and children's wear. And "Sportswear Street" is where you can fi nd all trendy sportswear and equipment shops. Hong Kong boasts more than 11,000 restaurants, many of them clustered in defi ned food districts. It considers itself "the culinary capital of Asia" and it does have some of the best Cantonese and Chinese food. Lan Kwai Fong is the famous hot spot in the centre of Hong Kong island. Its 90 restaurants and bars offer the young and stylish a great place to congregate for an exciting time. Its counterpart on Kowloon side is called Knutsford Terrace – situated on a terrace street in Tsim Sha Tsui – and located on the south slope of Observatory Hill, hidden behind the buildings of Kimberley Street. With 5,000 years of Chinese culture and more than 150 years of colonialism, Hong Kong boasts of a rich heritage. It has many architectural gems, like its 600 temples, and has a long list of declared monuments. It has risen to become one of the world's great fi nancial centres and a top tourist destination. And to think that it was just a collection of fishing villages when it was claimed by the British in 1842. Following the Ching's Dynasty failure to stop the British trading opium, Hong Kong was ceded to Britain under the Treaty of Nanking. It returned to Chinese sovereignity on July 1, 1997 as a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China under the unique principle of "one country, two systems". Hence, Hong Kong continues to enjoy a high degree of automony and has retained its judicial,trade and capitalist system. It has remained what it has always been. Hong Kong's night spot, Lan Kwai Fong www.travelweeklyweb.com 20 MARCH 2012 | TRAVELWEEKLY ASIA ■ | 5

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