As some of you may know, I spent a month overseas in Hong Kong and
Macau earlier this year on a Rotary International scholarship. While
this is by no means *all* the trip's experiences, what follows is an
article I wrote for our local paper, the Knoxville News-Sentinel. It was
printed in today's (Sunday) paper, along with a couple of photos I took
(one in color on the front page of the "Travel" section, which is pretty
good placement, better than I expected). The story is not online,
unfortunately, or I'd just give y'all a URL to visit; what was published
was pared down a bit from what I originally wrote.
Ann
Few people are going to be able to spare the opportunity to spend an
entire month overseas, but just in case you’re planning a trip to
southern China anytime soon, you’ll want to include Hong Kong and
possibly Macau in your jaunts.
In 1997, the British gave control of Hong Kong back to the Chinese,
causing travel writers to hastily urge tourists to see the island before
Communist rule was instituted. This threw a learning curve at our GSE
team, since none of us had stepped foot in the city prior to 1997 and
had no idea what differences we should be noticing.
With few changes, the city has, however, largely been allowed to go
its own way about retaining its status as a premier international trade
capital. More than 90 percent of the population of 6.8 million speak
English, which means you can easily ask directions of almost any
passerby. What’s more, you can actually do it at two a.m. without fear
of being mugged or assaulted!
Hong Kong
If you can spare three days, you can take in an amazing amount of
the city. Because of its size — about 400 square miles, or close in size
to Chicago — there is little area to cover, and public transportation is
simple to use.
On a clear day, your best photo is going to be from The Peak, which
is the crest of the mountain on Hong Kong side (the city is divided into
two major areas, Hong Kong and Kowloon, separated by Victoria Harbor).
You can get a 360-degree view of Hong Kong, while rising above much of
the humidity that drapes the island.
Downtown offers an eclectic sampling of old-world European
architecture and daring new designs. Two of the most notable are located
in the Central District: the fairly new Bank of China building and the
HSBC headquarters. The BOC edifice slashes geometrically across the
landscape with hard angles reminiscent of a Rubik’s Cube uncoiling into
the sky.
Walk around the block and through the public plaza beneath the HSBC
headquarters, and marvel how the entire structure sits not on a
foundation, but hangs on 16 giant pillars through its height of 42
stories. At nearly $2 billion American, it is the most expensive
building on Earth, designed to be taken apart and put back together at
will.
It would be inexcusable to visit a city where Eastern religions play
such a large role and not set aside half a day to journey to Lantau
Island to behold the world’s largest statue of Buddha. Encased in
bronze, the mystical figure rests on a cushion of lotus flowers and
overlooks a village; the three-tiered museum walls beneath it are
dedicated to listing the donors who financed its construction. (A bit of
trivia: There is a restroom nearby that, because of the expense and
trouble of getting modern plumbing to the top of a mountain, the locals
jokingly call “the million-dollar toilet.”)
Back in Hong Kong, take a ride across the harbor on a Star Ferry, or
boat out to Discovery Bay, with plenty of hiking and swimming. If you’re
a nature buff, there’s also peaks to conquer in a national park located
in the New Territories.
Don’t forget shopping! If you ask three residents, “Where’s the best
deal?” you’ll get three different answers. Better visit all the
bargains: Stanley Market, Soho, Causeway Bay, Women’s Row and Temple
Street. Be prepared to haggle over prices!
Macau
Portugal gave up its claim on the small city of Macau, located about
40 miles east of Hong Kong, in 1999. Other Chinese provinces celebrated
the return of “The Lotus Flower” to the motherland by commissioning
richly-detailed works of art to present to the city; these are on museum
display there.
Originally discovered as a fishing village centuries ago by the
Portuguese, Macau has become a gambling economy. Often called the
Chinese Monte Carlo, half the city’s income — poured back into city
maintenance and exceptional funding for public and higher education — is
derived from casino earnings.
Much as the Arch has become St. Louis’ visual trademark, so are the
Ruins of St. Paul’s to Macau. A cathedral burned to the ground more than
a century ago, leaving only the skeletal front, supported by beams and
visited regularly even by locals.
It overlooks a public square known by its large post office and
dotted with street vendors, food stands, apartment buildings and life in
every imaginable form. The stone tiles decorating the square have been
hand-cut in beautiful patterns, and provide a regular backdrop for
festivals and celebrations.
Statues of A-Ma grace hilltops throughout Macau’s islands. A
patroness of the sea, A-Ma was the bride of a fisherman, who now
eternally keeps watch over those working the coastal waters.
Beaches, wind-sailing and surfing await visitors to Coloane, home to
the world-famous Westin Resort. In Taipa Village, there are open-air
meat and vegetable markets such as those found near Hong Kong’s Times
Square, as well as nooks where china aficianados can stock their
cabinets for literally only pennies.
Food
Cuisine in both cities covers a broad gap and includes traditional
Chinese (no fortune cookies here!), curried Portuguese, Japanese,
Indian, European, spicy Latin and even good old American prime rib and
fries. Pick any neighborhood in Hong Kong and you’ll find a wide
sampling of tasty and unusual treats.
Eating is an important ritual in China, and there are few rules
governing the enjoyment of a good meal, aside from sharing your dish and
providing liberally for guests at your table. So, savor your food and
then set out to walk off those calories in “The City of Life!”
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