Arriving late on a Saturday night I headed straight to my accommodation in the Phaya Thai (พญาไท) district and had a quick bite for dinner. The next morning I took the BTS Skytrain (Bangkoks elevated rapid transit system) to Ratchathewi station (ราชเทวี - when pronounced sounds a lot like ratatouille!) in search of the Khlong Saen Saeb canal.

The surrounding neighbourhood here seemed to be a bit run-down but there were some interesting old houses along the canal bank and some particularly cryptic looking graffiti.

An express canal boat service operates on the Saen Saeb, providing fast and inexpensive (if a somewhat smelly) transportation through traffic-congested central Bangkok. I hopped on at Sapan Hua Chang and stayed on till the terminal stop of Panfa Leelard – be sure not to dawdle when boarding/disembarking since these guys don’t hang about!

The service has a checkered reputation, due to the polluted water in the Khlong and the haphazard nature in which the service is operated. The boats are equipped with little curtains to prevent you getting splashed by the dirty water but that doesn’t help the ticket collectors who clamber around on the outside of the boat, ducking at bridges, as it barrels down the canal at full speed!

Check out my short video below to get an idea of what the journey is like:

My intended destination Wat Saket and the Golden Mount (ภูเขาทอง) in Eastern Rattanakosin, a short distance by foot from the canal. This Buddhist temple contains an artificial hill within its compound with nice views over the city.

A spiral staircase of 318 steps leads from the ground to a terrace and shrine-room with a string of bells along the way for pilgrims to sound.

Although there were a fair few people wandering around, the atmosphere was calm and the terrace made for a perfect platform to take in the panoramic view of the city, which is fairly flat and devoid of any huge skyscrapers.

The golden cone on top of the mount is technically called a chedi (เจดีย์) and many can be seen all over the city. They contain Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha (in this case purportedly coming all the way from India).

The view from the other side.

A short distance away between Wat Suthat and the city hall, is the Giant Swing (เสาชิงช้า), a huge red frame that was used in an annual ceremony where teams of young men would try to swing high enough to retrieve a sack of coins that was tied to a pole about 25 metres high in the air. The ceremony has been banned since 1932, as many people got injured or died trying. Shame!

When crossing the road in Bangkok be sure to make sure you’re not in the path of one these three-wheeled devils; a tuk-tuk (ตุ๊กตุ๊ก – pronounced “took-took”) which sounds a lot like its name. More on these in a later post.

Walking around the streets nearby you can find many shops containing religious paraphernalia and various handicrafts. If your legs are feeling tired you might want to take a rest in the nearby Rommaninat Park but be sure not to lie down on the grass or a grumpy police officer might tell you off!

I had lunch in a small cafe/restaurant next to the city hall which was open on one side to the street.

The food wasn’t much to talk about but the Thai ice milk tea (ชาเย็น) was excellent. Similar to Hong Kong it’s made from strongly brewed black tea sweetened with sugar and condensed milk then served chilled.

In the afternoon I headed north to visit Chatuchak Weekend Market (จตุจักร) which sits on an enormous site covering over 35 acres and contains upwards of 8,000 stalls. Unless you like shopping in hot crowded conditions then you might want to give this a miss – a far better bet would be to visit the Talad Rot Fai Train Market nearby that runs during the evening at weekends (see the link for details).

Related posts you might like:

1. Wuzhen – Ancient Canal Town
2. Venice
3. Curse of the Golden Flower

Nga Tsin Wai walled village has a history of over 650 years, dating back to the Yuan Dynasty, and the name means “The walled village in front of the yamen” (a Chinese official’s building – the remains of which can be found nearby at Kowloon Walled City). Living in walled villages like this helped safeguard residents against attacks by rival clans, and especially pirates.

The village is organised in a tightly packed grid pattern and is ringed by a number of sleepy shops where the proprietors look almost as old as the village.

A traditional Chinese medicine shop with concoctions of dried plant roots and other strange smelling powders laid out on the table.

An outdoor barbers where you can get the cheapest cut in HK!

The surrounding concrete jungle is not exactly pretty but at least the local residents seem to keep the area in good nick.

Entrance to the Nga Chin Wai is by way of a two-story gatehouse where the chatter of villagers playing mahjong could be heard coming from above.

Straight ahead lies a small Tin Hau temple where outside a board lists the names of donors writing on thin strips of paper.

Ancient looking fire buckets sit patiently in the corner, biding their time.

Sadly the village is imminently scheduled for redevelopment by the Urban Renewal Authority and most of the houses inside have already been demolished by the property developer. Steel girders prop up the remaining buildings.

The dwindling numbers of villagers who remain are gradually being coerced into leaving and once a certain percentage have gone the rest will be evicted.

‘Resumption’ orders are posted on many buildings stating that the government is taking back the land.

The narrow alleyways lie mostly deserted with plant foliage rapidly encroaching every corner.

Another propped up wall awaits the inevitable. Its dark interior gives up few secrets as to its former life.

A penthouse suite which has seen better days perches precariously on top of a crumbling wall.

Many houses lie completely gutted with only their skeletons remaining. Considering the steel beams it can’t have been an original structure.

The entrance to a house lies open, but with no house behind it.

Some rusting gas cylinders.

How much of the village will be kept after the area is redeveloped remains to be seen but if you want to take a look before it’s completely gone it’s round 15 minutes’ walk to the east of Lok Fu or the south of Wong Tai Sin MTR station.

Related posts you might like:

1. Lok Fu Part 1 – Kowloon Walled City
2. Pok Fu Lam Village
3. Jeonju Photo Walk – Part 1

Over a yearlong period I visited the area three times and below is the first part of a compilation of what you can find on walk around the local neighbourhoods.

Along one side of Carpenter Road are many side streets packed with small restaurants, many serving Southeast Asian food. Old streets with huge signs hanging the road like this are gradually disappearing in Hong Kong so I often feel compelled to document them before they’re gone forever. The ones with the square hand-painted boards seem to be the oldest.

Near the south entrance to Kowloon Walled City Park lie the few remnants of the City’s original South Gate and its entrance plaques which were discovered after the renegade settlement was demolished in 1993 (check out my previous article for the history).

Although the traditional Chinese-style park is very pleasant, it’s a pity so little of the original structure remains. At its center is a fully restored Yamen (a local bureaucrat’s, or mandarin’s, office) which contains a permanent exhibition about the old walled city.

A lion dance at Chinese New Year in Kowloon City Plaza.

Neon lights burn away into the night, illuminating the street below. Anyone for Taiwan beef noodles?

A small restaurant, typical of thousands in Hong Kong, often serving BBQ meat on rice with some bok choy (Chinese cabbage).

One of around 40,000 7-Eleven convenience stores you can find worldwide, which makes it an even bigger franchise chain than McDonald’s, with a staggering density of 1 shop per 1.16 km² in Hong Kong! I’m surprised they never broke into the UK.

You can find lots of cheap and tasty food in Hong Kong’s wet markets and at the top of the one in Kowloon City can be found some good Thai restaurants.

I tried a place called ‘Chiangrai Thaifood’ which had some great fresh mango ice drinks (my favourite).

Choose your own adventure in spiciness!

Seafood hot-pot – not really my sort of thing but has an interesting visual texture.

Thai green curry with egg fried rice – really good.

And now for something completely different – a random shot of a car mechanic garage door. I found the typography and colours strangely alluring.

As if a park built on the ruins of a lawless city where many a foul crime took place wouldn’t be creepy enough at night, image it filled with a spooky light and sound installation as was the case with Power Plant in February 2011, sponsored by the British Council.

Deep in the garden, as dusk falls, an eerie sonic wonderland comes to life where strange illuminations light up the night and the garden is transformed by magical sounds… check out the video above to get a taste of what it was like. Surreal would be putting it mildly.

Tickets were sold out for the event which was highly disappointing but surprisingly it was relatively easy to find alternate means of entrance…

More about how the exhibition was created in the video below:

Stay tuned for more in Part 2 soon.

Related posts you might like:

1. Lok Fu Part 2 – Nga Chin Wai Walled Village
2. The Hong Kong Island – Kowloon Divide
3. Beijing 2008 Part 1: A City Evolves

The biggest change since my previous visit there is that the city is now connected by a number of long-distance high-speed rail services, which have been rapidly covering most of China over the past few years. The 968-kilometre (601 mile) Wuhan-Guangzhou route which I took is currently the world’s fastest train service with trains running up to a maximum in-service speed of 350 km/h (217 mph).

The impressive trains are based on technology developed by Siemens (CRH3) and Kawasaki (CRH2) modified to the standards of China Railway High-speed (CRH) and manufactured in China. Unsurprisingly the CRH2 model train I took looks very similar to a Japanese Shinkansen bullet-train. The journey from Guangzhou to Wuhan takes 3.5 hours with one stop at Changsha.

I didn’t take the photo above since it was late at night but arriving at Wuhan Railway Station you immediately get an overwhelming sense of the immense impact of China’s rapid growth and aspirations in a building worthy of any major world city – at a cost of 14 billion Yuan (US$ 2 billion) you’d hope so!

In the freezing cold of the following morning I set off in search of some local cuisine for breakfast. A friendly taxi driver took me to a great place where you ordered what you wanted from a number of small stalls outside then took it inside to eat.

I’d almost forgotten how much you get stared at when venturing inland – I don’t think this place gets many foreign visitors so it felt good to be trying something authentically local (and so cheap compared to Hong Kong).

Wuhan is famous for a dish called re gan mian (热干面) which literally  means ‘hot dry noodles’ that are served with a mixture of sauces and dried vegetables. Each stall has its own unique variation, but a typical bowl of re gan mian will have soy sauce, sesame paste, pickled vegetables, chopped garlic chives and chili oil.

The noodles are placed into a cone-shaped strainer and dipped briefly into boiling hot water before being swirled and drained. They’re then poured into a paper bowl, with the sauce and dried vegetables being poured on top.

I ordered mine with some hot soy milk and fried dumplings – for about 5 RMB you’ll have yourself a very tasty breakfast.

Feeling better after some food I wandered down to the edge of the Yangtze river and walked along the docks. As with my last trip to Wuhan the skyline was hazy but not unpleasantly so. Because of its hot summer weather, Wuhan is commonly known as one of the Three Furnaces of China, so it’s not necessarily a bad time to visit.

Ancient looking wooden carts piled high with boxes waiting to be dragged to nearby lorries.

Walking across a bridge to the ferry pontoon I noticed that the water was covered by a carpet of something green and organic. At first I thought it must be algae but on closer inspection (not too close mind you) it turned out to be thousands of discarded cabbage heads!

The bottom deck of the ferry was reserved for electric bikes with passengers on the top. You could take a bus across one of the nearby bridges but this seemed a bit more relaxing.

Some industrial sized pulleys with Turtle Hill (Guishan) in the background.

The Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge (武汉长江大桥) was built in 1957 with the assistance from the Soviet Union. Unlike todays high-speed trains, prior to its construction rail cars took an entire day to cross the river by train ferry.

Walking northwards I came across Wuchang Shouyi Culture Park where an old man was practicing his calligraphy on the pavement with a water brush. A girl with bright pink candy floss looked on inquisitively.

He asked if I was American in Chinese, to which I was able to reply that I was actually English (Ying Gou Ren). He proceeded to write in beautiful characters 英国朋友 - meaning “Friend from Britain”.

Opposite the park was a huge paved square (not unlike Tiananmen in Beijing) with an enormous obelisk of a building at the far which I’m still undecided whether to love or hate. It’s use/purpose was unclear.

Below Snake Hill nearby was the Memorial Hall of Wuchang Uprising in 1911 Revolution where Sun Yat-Sen issued his edict to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. I didn’t go inside but it looked like a well maintained museum.

While looking for somewhere to have lunch I came across a bizarre cafe hidden in a street of nondescript shops furnished on multiple-floors with dusty wicker chairs and rows of ancient books in mock-victorian style. Being almost empty and in the middle of nowhere it was verging on being creepy – perfect for filming a cheap horror film.

Someone had painted something in Chinese on the pages of an abandoned newspaper.

After a light lunch I went to the campus of Wuhan University (武汉大学), known to be one of the most beautiful in China, and walked up the heavily wooded Luojia Hill.

A nearby hostel was hosting a live outside music event that evening (Dec 10) and I stayed up to watch the lunar eclipse which was apparently best visible from Asia. Nothing beats sitting around a warm fire on a cold night.

In the morning I had re gan mian noodles again and sampled some of the other food in the area. I love the suspicious look in the eye of this street vendor. Remember, when it comes to street food – the dirtier the better!

Something tells me that small restaurants like this will soon be swept away.

By this point in my trip I was beginning to feel like I was coming down with flu so decided to find a warm cafe to hold up in until my flight back to Shenzhen and then across the border back to Hong Kong. Wuhan is definitely not a must-see destination but it certainly has an interesting side to it.

Related posts you might like:

1. Weekend in Wuhan
2. Return to Beijing
3. Wuhan’s Fake Apple Stores

My first impression of the festival was one of pessimism; with so many installations containing works that would probably be thrown away at the end how could it live up to its ambitions of promoting sustainability?

Luckily I was proven wrong – while the installations were a mixed bag, most of them seemed to have taken the theme seriously and raised some interesting questions about how we contribute to environmental issues as consumers.

Indeed, many works were repurposed from recycled materials themselves, like these lamps made from old taxi light shells by Handsome Co. (俊記) who make simple bags and other products from old discarded Hong Kong taxi parts.

The video above tells the story of how they came into existence.

The real success of DETOUR to me though was its utilisation of the old PMQ premises which is comprised of two parallel accommodation blocks with a large courtyard in the middle (where a stage had been setup at one end for performances).

As with the Victoria Prison and the Central Police Station (which I snuck into earlier in the year), PMQ is another relic of the British Colonial period which had been left to rot while the government endlessly debated what to do with it.

Before it was built in 1889, PMQ was the original home of the former Central School which was the first government school to provide primary and secondary Western education in Hong Kong. After being destroyed by bombing during World War II it was redeveloped as the PMQ in 1948.

While the site had initially been targeted for redevelopment (i.e. bulldozed and turned into a shopping mall / luxury apartment complex), PMQ is now slated to be turned into a ‘landmark‘ hub for creative industries by 2014 where artists and designers can showcase their products to the public.

Judging by Hong Kong’s previous attempts there is a big question mark hanging over how well this will be executed but at least it’s a step in the right direction. Of note, an underground museum will give visitors access to the ruins of the Central School which should be fascinating in itself.

Most of the installations were housed in the identical single-room flats which lined each corridor of the buildings. While they have now been stripped bare of their former inhabitants decorations you can still get a sense of their lives from the markings on the walls and the small balcony / bathroom at the rear of each room.

A broken view through a broken window.

Washing-lines were strung between the walls of the corridors which today feel hauntingly barren.

Kitchen windows bear the marks of years of accumulated oil and dirt on their fading floral facades.

I managed to sneak onto the roof which, as with much of Hong Kong’s skyline, yielded magnificent views of the surrounding neighbourhood. Amid all the dense buildings its hard to imagine that you’re actually on the edge of a small island.

Looking down on the rooftops of nearby buildings you can spy many high-rise gardens being kept by green-fingered tenants.

The roof of PMQ is covered by an elaborate network of pipes, all of which now lie disconnected and rusting.

The building stands as a precursor to the even taller apartment blocks which were to be built around it.

As well as plants you’ll also notice a forest of tv aerials pointing in every direction. I’d love an apartment somewhere like this so I could do BBQ’s on the roof!

Aberdeen street sweeps steeply downhill creating a deep gorge between the buildings on either side.

Look closely and you’ll notice that there are workers clinging onto the bamboo scaffolding, inside the green netting, renovating an adjacent building – not a single safety harness in sight!

North of Hollywood Road you can see the historic Wing Lee Street (永利街), the shooting location for the acclaimed film “Echoes of the Rainbow” (歲月神偷主題曲), that was also recently saved from redevelopment and is now being restored.

The film tells the story of a working family in Hong Kong during the 1960′s whose eldest son, a popular boy and star athlete, becomes ill with leukemia.

In Hong Kong, where land is scarce and expensive, the government profits hugely from real-estate deals and hence the fate of history often comes down to money. It’s a really rather sad state of affairs.

Since most of these historic sites in Hong Kong are usually off-limits, this is one detour I was please to have taken.

Related posts you might like:

1. Lok Fu Part 1 – Kowloon Walled City
2. The Hong Kong Island – Kowloon Divide

Arriving late in the afternoon to Cheung Chau island I was almost running to catch the sunset but just missed it.

The area around Nam Koo Terrace in Wan Chai is particularly creepy and purportedly haunted!

Towngas doesn’t want people stealing its pipes.

While British Gas may prefer a blue hue, in Hong Kong the supply is decidedly more yellow.

I suspect this particular skyscraper looks better with its clothes on than off.

Every 4 years Hong Kong gets pretty worked up with local elections although the positions hold little real power.

About all they can do is move street lights and clean up flyposting.

How mechanics ever find anything in this car repair shop I can’t imagine.

Chinese typography can be quite impactful and I liked the colour contrasts on this truck.

“No dumping of refuse or junk in public place. Offenders will be prosecuted”.

I have no idea what this sign says but also liked the Klingon-esqe typography of the Chinese characters.

Get your sun-dried organic bats on-a-stick here…

…possibly caught by this contented looking cat in Sheung Wan.

A MINI espresso brought to you curtsy of Starbucks, everyone’s favourite virus-like francise.

A classic Nissan Skyline GT clings precariously to the steep incline of Aberdeen Street looking rather out-of-place.

Without the colourful strips the Wah Fu pubic housing estate near Pok Fu Lam would look like a prison.

And last but not least dusk below the towers of the Bel-Air residence at Cyberport. Lots more soon I promise!

Related posts you might like:

1. Hong Kong Moments IV
2. Hong Kong Moments III
3. More Hong Kong Moments

Owing to its fertile surroundings Pok Fu Lam was traditionally a point of immigration for farmers in asylum seekers from mainland China and is often mistaken for a shanty town such is the poor quality of construction brought about by complicated land ownership rights.

Enclosed on two sides by hills and mountains the village is home to around 100 families and is loosely divided into four sections, each with its own public toilet, since not all houses have one.

Pok Fu Lam can claim several firsts in the history of Hong Kong: it was the place where Hong Kong’s floral emblem, Bauhinia blakeana, was first discovered; the site for Hong Kong’s first reservoir, and the site for Hong Kong’s first dairy farm (which closed in 1983).

While it may not have all the mod-cons of a standard Hong Kong high-rise community there is a definite charm to the higgledy piggledy patchwork layout of the buildings, many of which would probably be closer described as tin shacks rather than anything which had been placed by design.

While the rest of Hong Kong seems to delight in flashing their cash whenever possible there is something far more genuine about the unpretentious way of life here (even if the inhabitants don’t have much choice). It is both figuratively and literally down to earth.

The population of the village reached its peak in the 1980′s, spurred on my the development of the surrounding region, but by 2000 began to decline since those who become more well-off left the village.

Local residents have repeatedly asked the government to give indigenous inhabitants of Pok Fu Lam the same recognition as residents of the New Territories but these claims have been rejected by the government which also threatened demolition of the village.

The contrast between the village and the modern apartments nearby couldn’t be starker, making it feel rather disconnected and detached from the outside world.

That’s not to say the village is totally devoid of colour, in fact quite the opposite…

The village contains plenty of greenery from both the plants lovingly grown by its inhabitants and those which have taken root of their own accord.

Some of the buildings are in pretty poor shape with more which had been abandoned and collapsed. One can’t help but wonder if the government are simply biding their time till they can justify levelling the whole area.

Razor wire surrounds the old Dairy Farm workers building which has been abandoned since 2006. I looked around for a way in but the site is very well secured.

The village has its own Fire Dragon dance (similar to the one I saw in Tai Hang earlier this year).

Down one narrow lane I came across what looked like the scene of a gruesome crime but in fact turned out to be spilt paint.

Another haunting sight came by way of a small patch of land which had a dozen or more disheveled teddy bears hanging above it being used as slightly macabre scarecrows. You could hold a really creepy Halloween party here!

Curling above the village in a loop can be found a path which is partly utilised by a nearby riding school.

With a declining ageing population and the constant threat of re-development, the future of Pok Fu Lam Village is unclear but if its history is anything to go by it hopefully has some life left in it yet. For anyone seeking to see another side of Hong Kong it is well worth the visit.

Related posts you might like:

1. Breaking into Victoria Prison
2. Korean Folk Village
3. Dafen Oil Painting Village

Wenshu Temple (文殊院) in Chengdu is a fairly typical large Buddhist monastery which dates back to the Tang dynasty and is named after a monk who lived there in the late 17th century. There are five central buildings containing various cultural relics which are surrounded by extensive well maintained gardens.

Contained within the monastery are reputedly over 400 statues made of stone, iron, bronze, clay and wood, in various shapes and sizes. Among its most precious relics one can find the skull of Xuanzang (玄奘) – a revered Chinese Buddhist monk from Tang Dynasty.

I quite fancy the contemplative lifestyle of a monk and find comfort in being around other bald people!

It is said that rubbing this creature’s head will bring you wealth – just don’t forget to wash you hand afterwards.

The granies of Chengdu are particularly fashionable – nice trousers and fetching waistcoat!

Peering under a large hanging bell I noticed people had stuck notes with prayers written on them inside. I’m not sure of the significance of this but I guess symbolically they might be more likely to be heard?

I enjoy poking my nose around corners into restricted areas although this can sometimes ruin the illusion.

There’s a teahouse and vegetarian restaurant in the gardens where you can get a healthy meal (Buddhists don’t eat meat) or just sit and contemplate the tranquil surroundings.

The temple is situated north of the central square on Renmin Zhong and the entrance fee is only 5 RMB so it’s well worth the visit if you’re passing through Chengdu.

Related posts you might like:

1. Nanputuo Temple
2. Exploring Chengdu
3. Cheongpyeongsa Temple

Save for phone numbers scrawled all over the place, graffiti isn’t something you see much of usually in China.

However in Shanghai it seems to be a growing trend – just don’t expect any of it to be politically motivated.

Torrential rain is no match for Shanghai’s cyclists although given Shanghai’s drivers I wouldn’t be so sure…

If you ever fancy letting off steam in Shanghai then ‘Shanghai Modern Military Sports Club‘ (现代军体俱乐部) is the place to go. Within a minute of walking through the door you’ll have a gun in your hand ready to fire at will.

It turns out I’m not a bad shot (even with my impaired vision!) but it wasn’t exactly long-range either.

The Chinese have an uncanny ability to pile ridiculously huge loads onto the smallest of vehicles.

The sight of these bright green watermelons piled high against a grey wall drew me to them almost hypnotically.

Awfully Chocolate – possibly the best Chocolate you’ll find east of Switzerland. Pure cake, pure ice cream, nothing complicated. Enough said.

Related posts you might like:

1. Shanghai in Motion
2. Shanghai Here I Come
3. Sublime Shanghai

Despite being only a matter of ten minutes apart by MTR train the communities on either side couldn’t be further apart psychologically and it’s not unusual that people on either side of the harbour rarely cross over. I once met an expat who told me the only reason he ever leaves Central is to go to the airport – Hong Kong Island is to Manhattan, as Kowloon is to The Bronx.

While cramped living conditions generally persist on both sides due to the constrained land space, buildings on the Kowloon side often appear to be in a constant state of urban decay with the effects becoming more clearly visible the further north you head.

All the photos here were taken around Sham Shui Po (深水埗) which is in northwest Kowloon. Much of the housing stock here consists of public housing estates built in the 1960′s (after a massive fire in 1953) and a few even older Chinese Tong Lau (唐樓) tenement buildings.

During the 1980′s mainland China’s reform and opening up led to the decline of the textile industry in Hong Kong and the area became notorious for its poor living conditions which included caged bed-spaces and wood-plank divided apartment cubicles. There were also racial tensions between local residents and Vietnamese refugees.

Today Sham Shui Po is best known for its markets and in particular The Golden Shopping Centre where the upper floor, Golden Computer Centre (高登電腦中心), mainly sells games and software, while the lower floor, Golden Computer Arcade (黃金電腦商場) focuses on the sales of computer hardware. Think of it as Hong Kong’s answer to Akihabara in Tokyo.

The are a number of urban renewal projects taking place in the area funded both publicly and privately including The Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (JCCAC) which was converted from a former factory building (opened in 2008). It’s situated right next to Shek Kip Mei Estate (石硤尾邨) which was the first of its kind and currently undergoing regeneration also.

In addition to studio space for artists, the centre features a theatre, galleries and communal workshops for resident artists and the community to use. Members of the public are free to wander around inside and it’s a nice space to get away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds in the nearby markets.

Since moving to Hong Kong I’ve visited Sham Shui Po on numerous occasions, often for great dim sum at the weekends, but have become increasingly fascinated by the sights and sounds of the area which provide a glimpse into another side of the city.

If you’re looking for a break from the uniformity and homogeneity of the many modern shopping malls in Hong Kong then Sham Shui Po is well worth a visit. Even though the area is undergoing renewal you can still find a slice of life here which quietly persists much the same way it has for decades. SSP is easily accessible via the Tsuen Wan Line, just 15 minutes from Central.

Related posts you might like:

1. Lok Fu Part 1 – Kowloon Walled City
2. Hong Kong Wetland Park
3. Hong Kong Accelerate