Friday, March 29, 2024 Mar 29, 2024
61° F Dallas, TX
Advertisement
Publications

HONG KONG

By HANCEL DEATON |

Hong Kong is not advertised as the perfect vacation getaway: Pack it all up for a couple of weeks of blissful peace and quiet. The traveler won’t find relaxation in Hong Kong. There’s more hustle-bustle in one square mile of Hong Kong Island than in all of New York City -day or night. (New Yorkers “vacationing” in Hong Kong must be surprised to discover a city with more traffic, more people, more hubbub than their own Big Apple.) What can be found in this British crown colony is a successful marriage of Chinese Old-World mystique and high-technology Westernization, creating an enchanting international city- truly the “Gem of the Orient.”

Comprised of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon peninsula and the New Territories (including 235 outlying islands), Hong Kong sits at the southern coast of China, with the Philippines across the South China Sea and Japan neighboring to the northeast. Within this compact area are Chinese fishing junks, Oriental temples and open-air markets sandwiched between high-rise office buildings, luxurious hotels and decaying tenements. All that is dull and rote at home -shopping, eating, getting around – becomes a tantalizing adventure in Hong Kong. The traveler’s senses are assaulted with foreign smells, exotic tastes, mysterious sounds, one-of-a-kind sights and, of course, silks, porcelain, jade, pearls, ivory, cameras and other Oriental whatnot -to be touched and purchased.

Shopping in Hong Kong is an irrepressible temptation. Since this is a duty-free port, it is easy to buy on impulse, but comparison-shopping is a must; some stores’ prices are considerably higher than others. Before venturing onto the busy streets, investigate the hotel souvenir shops. Surprisingly, bargains can be found here. But for those determined to battle the sidewalk crowds, Nathan Road, better known as Kowloon’s “Golden Mile,” abounds with shops selling linens, herbs, calculators and clothing. For the traveler searching out distinctively Oriental trinkets, there are two multilevel department stores that sell all kinds of Oriental objet d’art: Chinese Products and Chinese Arts and Crafts. Of the two, Chinese Arts and Crafts is less crowded (making for more pleasant shopping), but the prices are higher than at Chinese Products.

The open-air markets aren’t just for shopping; they are an opportunity to observe a vital part of the Chinese way of life. One of the best markets in Hong Kong is Stanley Market, where stalls of odd-looking Chinese vegetables are sold alongside designer jeans and fine embroidered silks. At Stanley, the pace is more leisurely than in downtown Hong Kong, and the traveler can stroll through the market streets just enjoying the view of the bay.

After dark, Hong Kong’s night market comes alive. Here, the traveler can find himself the only Occidental in a pulsating throng of Orientals. The streets that are blocked off to accommodate the market give the impression that this is a city that never sleeps. Interspersed among the vendors are mismatched card tables and chairs set up along the street to resemble a sort of outdoor Chinese cafe. Here, the Chinese consume a seafood soup boiled in a mini-hibachi at their table. As you walk along, the urge to sit down and join in this dining delicacy may seem overwhelming, at least until you walk a little farther up the street: A hunched-over Chinese woman is “rinsing” the soup bowls in a large tub of rusty-colored water alongside the street gutter.

Adding a carnival aura to the night market is Hong Kong’s incredibly beautiful neon. Looking down one of Hong Kong’s streets at night can be mesmorizing and hypnotic: neon works of art advertising Cantonese and Peking restaurants and nightclubs of every description. Hong Kong is a haven of culinary ecstasy. Under the heading of Chinese alone there are many different kinds of food to sample: Cantonese, Peking, Mongolian, Szechwan. On the streets of the nearby island of Macau, you can dine on snake you have chosen from a cage at the front of the restaurant..

For sightseeing there is Victoria Peak, offering a spectacular view of Hong Kong harbor and several surrounding islands. The Peak Tram cables sightseers more than 1,300 feet from sea level to the top-sometimes at a nail-biting 45-degree angle-for a nominal charge. The Star Ferry tours are an excellent way to view the busy harbor and escape downtown Hong Kong’s hectic pace. The renowned Star Ferry line offers several tours, but one of the best is the Aberdeen. Certainly one of the most typical, yet most fascinating sights of Hong Kong, the Aberdeen district consists of thousands of wooden boats tipping the waves, packed together like sardines. Laundry is strung like flags from boat tip to boat tip. Ironically, the water here is a prettier blue-green than anywhere else in Hong Kong harbor. As the ferry enters Aberdeen waters, the junks begin to swarm around it, as sort of a greeting to their district. In Aberdeen, families often do not leave their boats to go ashore, keeping everything they need on board.

Back at the Star Ferry dock, men with rickshaws hover about, hoping for a customer. Unfortunately, this is a dying form of transportation in Hong Kong, but the ones that are available are picturesque, with elderly Chinese men dressed in traditional garb pulling them along. Hong Kong has just about every other means of transportation available. Taxis are everywhere and are surprisingly cheap. If you’re short on cash, take a double-decker bus or catch the underground railway system that connects Hong Kong Island with Kowloon peninsula. A great way to experience the sights and sounds of Hong Kong’s nightlife is to take a double-decker tram from one end of Hong Kong Island to the other. During the day, hydrofoils and speedy jetfoils provide transportation to the nearby islands.

Getting halfway around the world is not as difficult as it may sound. Pan Am has a daily connecting flight from Houston to San Francisco to Hong Kong. If you’d rather fly through Los Angeles, Pan Am flies Houston to LA with an overnight stay on the West Coast. Accommodations in Hong Kong are no problem, either. The city is populated with modern hotels, such as Holiday Inn’s Hong Kong Harbor View or the Hyatt Regency. Once settled in your room, savor the green tea provided by the hotel, and prepare yourself for an exhilarating adventure into the “Gem of the Orient.”

Related Articles

Image
Arts & Entertainment

Here’s Who Is Coming to Dallas This Weekend: March 28-31

It's going to be a gorgeous weekend. Pencil in some live music in between those egg hunts and brunches.
Image
Arts & Entertainment

Arlington Museum of Art Debuts Two Must-See Nature-Inspired Additions

The chill of the Arctic Circle and a futuristic digital archive mark the grand opening of the Arlington Museum of Art’s new location.
By Brett Grega
Image
Arts & Entertainment

An Award-Winning SXSW Short Gave a Dallas Filmmaker an Outlet for Her Grief

Sara Nimeh balances humor and poignancy in a coming-of-age drama inspired by her childhood memories.
By Todd Jorgenson
Advertisement