One Night in Hong Kong
This post should really be title “One Day in Hong Kong” but it didn’t match the above photo (a junk sailboat which was cruising along Victoria Harbour at night) so nicely. It’s not a wonderful photo but I like the red colour of the sails against the skyscraper shoreline. Of all the skylines in the world HK is hard to beat… anyway, I digress…
I hadn’t been to HK for a few months so on Saturday I crossed over the border for a day trip to explore the southern half of Lamma Island (southwest of Hong Kong Island proper). Starting from Shenzhen Bay I took the bus down to Kowloon and then a ferry from the central piers to the island, a trip of about 40 minutes.
Arriving at Sok Kwu Wan, a small fishing village on southwest coast, I had planned to follow the “family trail” which runs the length of the island. The only problem was that I didn’t have a good map and took a wrong turn somewhere diverting me on to a circular route which included traversing one of the islands small mountains. Not quite what I had in mind (especially considering I only had a single bottle of water and melted chocolate bar with me). Getting lost aside the walk was nice and there was hardly anybody about to disturb the peace.
The island itself is dense with lush green trees and plants which are apparently home to a number of poisonous snakes that I was (un)fortunate enough not to encounter. Curiously many of the islands small houses seemed to be abandoned or in a state of some disrepair. Given it was Halloween my imagination ran a little wild and I was convinced that each dilapidated shack I encountered was home to demented locals ready and waiting to feast on lost hikers.
After about two hours of walking I finally made it back to the dock and took a ferry to Aberdeen on the south shore of Hong Kong Island. Here high-rise apartments dominate the horizon built right up to the water’s edge where a small flotilla of fishing boats were moored. I’d liked to have explored further but time was against me so I took a bus through the long tunnel to Causeway Bay on the other side of the island which brings us nicely back to the beginning of this post.
On balance I think I prefer Cheung Chau Island but for hiking Lamma certainly has more on offer.
Jeju Island
During my trip to South Korea I spent four days on the picturesque island of Jeju (제주도) which is a famous holiday destination throughout Asia as it operates a “no visa” policy meaning Chinese can freely visit also. It’s quite a big island with over half a million inhabitants and a culture and language that are distinct from those of mainland Korea. Whilst I spent two of those days in the Lift Asia conference I did manage to squeeze in a little sight seeing.
Jeju island was created entirely from volcanic eruptions approximately 2 million years ago and is dominated by Halla-san: an inactive volcano 1,950 metres high and the highest mountain in South Korea. I didn’t have time to climb the main peak but instead I make it up Seongsan Ilchubong (Sunrise Peak) which is a smaller volcanic crater on the east coast of the island that provides a beautiful panoramic view from the top.
During my visit I stayed in the Poonglim Resort hotel, conveniently located on the south coast close to the beach and the conference center. Somehow I ended up with a massive condominium-style apartment with two bedrooms and a kitchen/living room but while the price was low the big downside was the lack of internet in the rooms – you had to go down to the reception area for wi-fi.
Jeju is famous for its seafood (I am not a fan of seafood) so of course at some point I was compelled to try some. Did I mention I hate seafood? There’s something about it which is really off-putting to me. I gave it a try anyway and it tasted as I expected – slimy, chewy and rubbery. Luckily the kind ajumas in the restaurant cooked up some extra mushrooms to compensate so it wasn’t a complete washout (they had been previously been giving me disapproving looks for my apparent lack of appetite).
With clear blue seas and rugged landscapes many people come for walking holidays – there are well established trails which ring the island. Next time it would be nice to spend a bit more time getting to know Jeju as I only really scratched the surface of what there is to see.
Ngong Ping 360
One of the highlights on my previous weekend in Hong Kong was taking the Ngong Ping 360 cable car up Lantau Island (from Tung Chung). It nearly didn’t happen due to a thunderstorm which shut things down for about half an hour but on the plus side did shorten the queues considerably!
The 5.7km journey takes about 25 minues offering spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and airport (which was built on reclaimed land). It’s a bit pricy, starting at 96 HKD for a standard cabin and 157 HKD for a crystal cabin (one with a glass floor) – even more on “special days”. We choose the latter, primarily because the queue was much shorter and we were on a tight schedule.
Don’t look down now – floating on about an inch of hardened glass. In 2007 a cabin fell off and crashed into the mountainside. Luckily it was during a test run and nobody was hurt but subsequently the operator and brand name were changed…
If you’re afraid of heights or flying then this might be something you want to avoid but otherwise it’s an exhilarating ride and an impressive feat of engineering. After reaching the top you arrive at the Ngong Ping Village which is a ‘cultural attraction’ of sorts but doesn’t hold much interest as an unauthentic re-creation aimed squarely at tourists.
One thing which is worth taking a closer look at is the giant bronze Tian Tan Buddha which sits next to Po Lin Monastery nearby (built 1993). At 34 meters tall and weighing 250 tonnes it certainly makes an impression on the surrounding landscape. When we first arrived it was shrouded in mist but after climbing the 260 steps to the top things began to clear up providing a beautiful vista over the other small islands below.
Descending by the same way we had come up I was able to shoot a short video to give you a feel for the sort of dizzying heights we’re talking about (luckily the weather had cleared up at this point):
Well worth the visit if the skies are clear and you have a few of hours to spare (be warned the queues can get very long either end).
Escape from Shenzhen
Last weekend I escaped the suffocating summer heat of Shenzhen to the southern island of Da Jia. After a rather hairy boat ride (see video below) we were greeted by beautiful beaches and warm waters. For China it was pretty clean and not too crowded.
I’m pretty sure the boat driver had a death wish but for 10 RMB we were hardly expecting a gentle cruise!
Hiking to the top of the island presented beautiful views out over the Pacific Ocean and some mysterious military installations which hinted at the islands former use. Being on the coast the area is popular for its seafood…
Not being much of a seafood lover myself I wasn’t too thrilled by the lunch options but it was nethertheless interesting to see the variety of underwater life on offer. Instead or ordering from the restaurant you were able to pick exactly what you wanted from the local market who would then cook it for you directly.
For those wanting their seafood even fresher a few brave souls were even snorkeling off the coast and eating what they found directly! Sometimes I think it’s nice to see people getting back in closer contact with the origins of their food and sometimes it’s just a bit yuk.
In the evening we returned to the mainland and had a BBQ on the beach which was followed by a pleasant night swim in the still-warm sea. Unfortunately, bereaved of GPS, we got a bit lost on the way home and didn’t get to bed till the early hours of the morning. Still, a nice day was had by all and this time I managed to avoid getting burnt!
Gulangyu Island
I spent the latter part of my Xiamen trip on the small island of Gulangyu, just 5 minutes away from the mainland by ferry. As a place of residence for Westerners during Xiamen’s colonial past, Gulangyu is famous for its European architecture and today is a popular holiday destination, although not strictly on the main tourist map. The focal point of the island is Sunlight Rock (above) which can be ascended by way of a rather more modern concrete staircase providing a wonderful panorama of the whole island (below).
The island itself covers an area of 1.78 sq km and is home to around only 15,000 permanent residents. The streets are pedestrianised making it a nice place to get away from some of the hustle and bustle of everyday China and luckily it’s not been totally overdeveloped (yet). Once you’ve left the main ferry terminus its easy to find yourself alone and free to explore. If you’re lucky you might even hear the sound of piano playing as the island has more pianos per-capita than anywhere else in the world (there is even a piano and organ museum)!
Below Sunlight Rock can be found a small temple with picturesque views out over the adjacent rooftops leading to the sea which on a nice day is perfect for a quick paddle. Further down can be found Shuzhuang Garden which was originally conceived by a Taiwanese business man as a private villa but opened to the public in 1955. It contains many elements of traditional Chinese design which exhibit the art of hiding, combining, and borrowing from one’s surroundings.
Alas many of the Victorian style mansions are now in a state of considerable disrepair and are badly in need of restoration. Some have been turned into nice hotels and restaurants but you can’t help but feel that time is running out for many of the remnants of the colonial occupation. If buildings could talk I bet the one above would have some interesting tales to tell and you can understand why there are more than a few ghost stories floating around!
One area where the island disappoints is in its food. Unless you like seafood then there really is little on offer in the way of cuisine and what there is is mediocre at best. During my time there I mostly snacked on street BBQ and ice cream which was fine, if a little insubstantial. Accommodation wise there are plenty of cheap hotels to stay in, most of which are clean and comfortable, if a bit basic. I stayed here a little over one day but would recommend at least two to explore everything fully.
Cheung Chau Island
It’s a little known fact that Hong Kong is comprised of 236 unique islands, the largest being Lantau Island and the second largest being Hong Kong Island which is the political and commercial centre of Hong Kong (where all the skyscrapers lie).
Map showing the islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong
During my short trip to Hong Kong last week I decided to head out to Cheung Chau island which is comparatively small at around 2.45 km² with around 30,000 inhabitants mostly clustered in the developed central area. Traditionally it was a fishing village but today the economy is mostly related to tourism.
To get there you can take a ferry from pier 5 of the Central Piers on Hong Kong Island which takes about 40 minutes (there’s also a more expensive faster ferry) providing a pleasant trip in itself. When I arrived on Friday morning it wasn’t very crowded and I practically had the whole island to myself once I left the central area.
Exploring the island can be easily done in a single day. I followed a walking route in my guide book which took me in a circular path around the most of the island including some beautiful beaches, small temples, a 3000 year old rock carving, and the alleged treasure cave of infamous 19th century pirate Cheung Po Tsai. The weather was perfect and I enjoyed the time away from the crowds you find everywhere else in Hong Kong.
Unbeknownst to me at the time Cheung Chau also has a dark side as the ultimate get away from it all. With its many secluded holiday chalets it became a popular destination for people wanting to end their own lives and a spate of charcoal burner suicides a few years ago led to many landlords suspending short-term rentals. As you might imagine stories of apparitions have followed and you would be forgiven for drawing parallels with numerous Japanese horror films like Ringu.
Aside from its rather macabre reputation it’s a beautiful place with a slow pace of life where one could easily imagine spending their latter years (think the south of France in the south of China!) or if you’re more short on time just an enjoyable day.
Nami Island
The plan on my second day in Chuncheon was to visit a waterfall and then get a ferry to an inland island. This was all going to plan until we got off at the wrong train station and ended up stranded in the middle of nowhere which also happened to be devoid of any type of public transport. Walking back was definitely out of the question and so against my better instincts it was time to ask for help. In the end a pair of exotic peaches saved the day when we used them as a bribe to hitch a lift to the nearest town. Luckily the driver wasn’t a crazed psychopath!
A bus trip and a hike up a snow laden trail later we eventually made it to Gugok Waterfall (구곡폭포) which at this time of year was completely frozen and is apparently a popular place for intrepid climbers although there weren’t any there that day.
Away from the ice and snow Nami Island (남이섬) was a very different proposition. The island, which sits in the middle of Cheongpyung Lake, is about 6 kilometers end-to-end so is easily walked around and is accessible by ferry. Famous for its beautiful tree lined roads, the island and the surrounding area is well known for the tv drama Winter Sonata which was filmed there in 2002 attracting many fans on pilgrimage.
After a pleasant couple of hours here it was time for some late lunch and in true Korean style Bulgogi (technically Sam-gyeop sal or 삼겹살 to be precise) was the order of the day, cooked on the back of a metal turtle no less! If you don’t like spicy food then going to Korea is probably a bad idea as about every single dish I’ve ever had there has been hot to some degree (which I love).
So ended my excursion to Chuncheon and it was time to head back to Seoul for my last night in South Korea before my trip to Beijing the following day.