Hong Kong

Updated 02/20/25

Get to know Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a former British colony which was returned to China in 1997 after 100 years of colonial rule.
It consists of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, Lantau Island, and over 200 other islands.
Hong Kong is surrounded by the South China Sea, except for its northern border, which is bordered by the Sham Chun River.
Hong Kong enjoys limited autonomy under China's "one country, two systems" principle.
Victoria is the de facto capital of Hong Kong, but Beijing its political capital.
About 60% of Hong Kong is mountains.
The 7.4M people of Hong Kong live on less than 25% of it's land, making it the fourth most densely populated area in the world.
Almost 92% of the population are Han Chinese.

Route Map for the Hong Kong segment of my 20-Day Taiwan, Hong Kong & Singapore Trip

The country's latitude and mountainous topography create a lush subtropical climate.
Summers are hot and humid; winters are mild and dry.
Hong Kong gets an average of 80 inches of rain per year, with as much as 120 inches falling in the mountains.
Most Hong Kongers speak Cantonese (~90%) with 46% speaking some English.
The currency is the Hong Kong Dollar.

A word about prices: If you're arriving in Hong Kong from the US, Hong Kong prices may seem a little less than the US. For example, a "fast food" meal costs about $8, but you can spend up to $130 at the Peninsula for afternoon tea for two. You can find hostels for about $25-$30/night, but can also pay more than $600/night for a hotel room. A return ticket on the Victoria Peak Tram is $14 with extra charges if you want to go to an observation deck. Most rides on Hong Kong's subway system cost between 60 cents and $2/ride depending on the length of the trip. There are exceptions to this: The Airport Express to Hong Kong Station costs about $15. Since charges in Hong Kong are more significant, I will mention them only when they exceed $5.

Day 12: Arrive in Hong Kong:

Ride the automated people mover to immigration and customs, find find an ATM and get some local currency, then buy and load money onto an Octopus Card-- a contactless smart card that functions like a transit pass, but is also accepted at convenience stores, some launderettes, Star Ferries, museums and more. (Or download the app here.)

The Octopus Card is the contactless payment card for Hong Kong.

If you're staying on Hong Kong Island or Kowloon, the best way to reach the city is via the Airport Express (rail). It costs US$15 and takes 1 hr. (Busses take about the same time and cost $5). I stayed in Wan Chai, so I took the Airport Express to Hong Kong Station and walked the few blocks to my hostel. I dropped off my luggage and went looking for some of that famed Hong Kong cuisine.

This meal of roasted duck was US$7.50.

In general, I was very disappointed with the food I had during my four days in Hong Kong. After a lifetime of reading travel articles extolling the virtues of dim sum and other specialties, I had expected good food to be ubiquitous. What I encountered however, was hit and miss--mostly the latter.

As I usually do when I first arrive in a new city, I set out on foot to orient myself to my surroundings. I walked to the lower terminus of the Victoria Peak Tram to scout out the location and price packages.

The first thing that impressed me-- and not in a good way-- was how pedestrian unfriendly the city seemed. There were several areas of downtown in which pedestrian traffic was routed up stairs, across overpasses or into shopping malls as buildings edged out sidewalks.

Sidewalks yield to roads, buildings.

The high value of real estate in Hong Kong marginalizes pedestrians.

Reluctant to return to Wan Chai via the tortuous path I had come, I walked through Hong Kong Park, vowing to return there early the next morning.

Day 13: Victoria Peak & Wan Chai

My plan for today was to ride the tram to Victoria Peak, spend some time exploring the area and then possibly hike down to Aberdeen. But first, I wanted to see the buzzing activity I'd read about as shopkeepers in Wan Chai prepared their markets for the daily hoards.

I was not disappointed!

Roosters crammed into cages could be heard crowing their protests into the next block. Freshly caught fish flipped and flopped in futile attempts to escape, as a rainbow of fruits and vegetables were stacked for sale.

In my efforts to avoid the busy Queensway, I tried a shortcut through Pacific Palace Shopping Mall and got hopelessly lost in a world where apparently nothing is over the top. At one point, I stopped to use the restroom. Check out the toilet stalls and wash basins at the Conrad Hong Kong. Needless to say, I had to ask for directions just to escape.

Once liberated from the sickening maze of opulence, I made a beeline for Hong Kong Park-- a precious spot of green in a jungle that is otherwise steel, glass and concrete.

Walk through the lovely landscaped garden on your way to the tram. The lower terminus of the Victoria Peak Tram is across the street from Hong Kong Park.

Conceived in 1881 by Alexander Smith as a means to make The Peak more accessible, the Victoria Peak Tram opened in 1886. It originally carried 40 passengers in three classes-- first for peak residents, second for soldiers and police, and third for the servants of peak residents. All seats faced toward the peak to prevent passengers from falling backward during the steep descent.

It's undergone several upgrades throughout the years, including the addition of an extendable awning to protect the brakeman from the sun and rain.

Today it carries between 11,000 and 17,000 passengers daily over 0.87 miles up 1,207 vertical feet at grades of up to 48% in under 8 minutes.

Half the ride is spent rising from the shadow of skyscrapers.

The Victoria Peak Tram was the first funicular in Asia and remains a historical icon of Hong Kong's colonial period.

Passengers disembark into a gift shop that sells souvenirs "only available at the peak." If you purchased a combo ticket, it includes entry to Sky Terrace 428-- the highest open deck viewing platform in Hong Kong. If you reached the peak by another means, you'll have to pay about $5 to get to the viewing platform.

Need another Coach bag 'cause yours is more than one day old? Fear not! For directly behind Peak 428 is the Peak Galleria with an additional 134,000 sq ft of shopping bliss!

Rapacious marketing aside, I got this stunning view of Victoria Harbor and it all seemed worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and consider it a "must do" activity.

Victoria Harbor from Sky Terrace 428-- the observation deck of Peak 428.

I spent the next few hours savoring my time at the peak; first making the short detour to Lions Point Pavilion for another view of the harbor, and then taking the counter-clockwise route of the Peak Circle Walk.

The Peak Circle Walk is an easy 3.5km loop around the peak that takes you to Luggard Road Lookout and Luggard Falls. I then ventured through Victoria Peak Gardens and up to the physical peak. (Tip: The best view is from Sky Terrace 428.)

Victoria Peak Gardens were once part of Mountain Lodge, the Governor's Summer Retreat. Built in 1867, this mansion was rebuilt in 1902 but sustained heavy damage in WWII. Today only Gate Lodge, the home of Mountain Lodge's keeper, remains. Wandering through the grounds provides a glimpse of how taxpayer funds were spent during the British colonial period.

By early afternoon I was "hiked out" and caught a bus from the peak back to Wan Chai to see the Blue House and learn more about the local culture.

Also known as The Hong Kong House of Stories, this four-storied balcony-style tenement building has been preserved because it is one of the few remaining examples of tong lau (tenement buildings) in Hong Kong. Built in 1922, this building of 600 sq ft flats provided affordable housing to Chinese immigrants. Unfortunately, they were often overcrowded, with as many as 35 people living in a single unit.

The Hong Kong House of Stories, Wan Chai.

Today, the Blue House serves as a repository for collectibles and nostalgic memorabilia to preserve the culture and history of that period.

Tip: A free guided tour in English is offered on Saturdays at 11:00AM. No photography, videos or audio recording is allowed in residential areas.

The Blue House Tenement Building.

After another disappointing meal, I spent the evening browsing shops in the Wan Chai District before riding the MTR to Kowloon to check out the famed Temple Street Night Market.

In the 1920's local vendors began setting up stalls outside Tin Hau Temple to sell their wares. By 1975 there were over 600 stalls selling everything from clothing and jewelry to souvenirs and food.

Since then, the market has been written up in travel magazines as a venue for cheap, stolen and counterfeit merchandise, and in food articles as a place to sample great street food.

Again, I had been reading about this colorful night market literally for decades, and I'm not sure what I was expecting. But the thing that stuck with me the most was seeing the world's oldest profession on display here. Personally, it made me so sad that I returned to Wan Chai early that night, contemplating the life of privilege and choice I enjoy.

While it was very convenient to stay in Wan Chai, I soon realized that my bargain rate room came at a price. The one and only window of the shared women's dormitory room faced an LCD billboard which blazed 24/7.

Fortunately, my host had eyeshades!

Day 14 : Dragon's Back Hike to Shek O Beach; Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery Kowloon

My plan for today was to do the Dragon's Back Hike to Shek O Beach and then visit the Ten Thousand Buddha's Monastery in Kowloon if time permitted.

I rode the Island Line to Shau Kei Wan Station, then used exit A to reach the Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminal. I was one of the last people on crowded double decker bus #9 as it weaved its way out of the city to Shek O Country Park.

The entire bus disgorged at Shek O Country Park Trailhead and, since I was one of the last to board the bus, I was one of the first off. This is only significant in that there were 4 portable toilets at the trailhead and 50 or so people were waiting to use them as I emerged from mine.

Dragon's Back Trailhead, Hong Kong.

Happy to be away from the crowds, I started up the trail while others were waiting to use the toilets. At the 1/4 km point the trail reached a turn off; go straight to reach Tai Tam Gap in 3.5 km or 1.5 hrs or turn right to follow the Hong Kong Trail.

Since the entire Dragon's Back Hike was supposed to be 1 km, I assumed the Dragon's Back Hike was to the right. (I even confirmed this with a local who was leading a group of students in a trash pick-up event.)

Once we turned right, the trail began to climb to the top of the ridge. This felt correct since the name "Dragon's Back" refers to the fact that the trail follows the ridgeline.

Shek O Beach viewed from the ridge.

But soon after we reached a stone marker, the trail was less obvious. With several well-worn paths branching off in different directions, it was difficult to see which one was correct.

I could see the road curving lazily before me and Shek O Beach gleaming like a pearl against the blue sea. But I could not find a trail. I was not alone as several other groups were looking at me and trying following my lead!

In the end, I had to scramble over and around large boulders and deep tangles of subtropical brush down the rocky face of the mountain. By the time I reached the road and followed it to Shek O Beach it was 1:15PM-- two and one-half hours after I'd been dropped at the trailhead.

Here is the website if you'd like to give it a try. And...it's supposed to end at Big Wave Beach, not Shek O Beach!

The beach itself was lovely, as I met a woman from Penang who was in Hong Kong visiting her grandchildren. Her English was pretty good and we used Google Translate to convey more esoteric ideas. After I had a good rest in the sun and walked the length of the beach in the warm surf, I rewarded myself with the best Korean ice cream (tell her Ruth sent you!) and just managed to finish it in time to catch a bus back to town.

Since the bus terminated at a metro station, I was able to reach Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Sha Tin in the New Territories in about an hour. I walked up the hill, snapping pictures furiously as I went, then headed toward the exit as the staff began to nudge visitors toward the exit.

I'm not sure if there were really 10,000 buddhas, but after visiting Fo Guang Shan three days prior, I would say there were "enough".

That evening I rewarded myself with dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Language barriers were no problem as you order by scanning a QR code and the food arrives on a conveyor belt. I was so proud of myself, I had to text my kids!

Day 15 : "Big" (Tian Tan) Buddha, Lantau Island

For my last day in Hong Kong, I chose to go to Lantau Island to see the "Big" (Tian Tan) Buddha. From Wan Chai, I rode the Tung Chung Line MTR to Tung Chung Station, then walked the short distance to the Ngong Ping cable car, which took me to Ngong Ping Village.

Return tickets for the 25-minute ride start at $35. Advance purchase is available online, but there are no refunds if your plans change. (While you could take a bus from Tung Chung Station, the gondola offers great views and is worth every cent.)

As you exit from the gondola, you'll see restrooms, shops, eateries and giftshops. Note also the bus terminal, from which you can take a bus to see other parts of the island. Walk through the village and you'll see a large map which can help orient you.

I chose to visit Po Lin Monastery first because it was nearing lunch time and I knew they served a vegetarian lunch. It was edible, but at US$20, I don't recommend it.

After lunch and having a look around the monastery, I strolled over to the Big Buddha, climbed the 268 steps and was wowed by the view.

The Big Buddha was commissioned by the Po Lin Monastery to draw visitors to the island and introduce them to Buddhist teachings. It opened in 1993 and at 112 ft is among one of the tallest seated buddha statues in the world. The name "Tian Tan" means "Altar of Heaven" in Chinese and represents aspirations for enlightenment and peace.

Once you reach the top of the stairs, walk around the Buddha and you'll see six exquisite bronze statues. These are The Offering of the Six Devas, with each deva offering an essential element: flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music, which in turn symbolize the Six Perfections in Buddhism: generosity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom.

Leaving the Big Buddha, I descended the stairs and turned right to explore Wisdom Path-- a set of 38 wooden pillars inscribed with verses from the Heart Sutra. The pillars are arranged on a hill in a figure-eight pattern to symbolize infinity.

I was really looking forward to this because there had been a similar exhibit at Fo Guang Shan and I was able to use the camera feature of my android phone and Google Translate to "read" each pillar. Unfortunately, none of the 38 pillars returned anything coherent. In fact, the only one I was able to "read" was a blank column at the top which represented the concept of sunyata or "emptiness".

I got to pet a cow on the way out and was happy about my lunch choice that day.

Since I had an early flight to Singapore in the morning, I headed back to Wan Chai to ready myself for a 3AM departure.

Thanks for joining me!

See you in Singapore!

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