Hong Kong2
06.03.2019
Tai O.
Kowloon Side.
Tsim Sha Tsui. (TST):Things to do:
The Avenue of Stars.
This is a walkway along the harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui to Tsim Sha Tsui East. At night it is a great location for viewing the lights over the harbour. Sound and light shows take place here daily from 8pm. By day have a look at the hand prints of famous stars such as Jackie Chan, Leslie Cheung (who killed himself by leaping from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Central), Chow Yun Fat of 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon fame'. Get your photo taken with the Bruce Lee statue or with one of several lights, camera action type statue arrangements.
The Avenue of Stars.
The Avenue of Stars.
The Avenue of Stars.
The Avenue of Stars.
The Avenue of Stars.
Star Cruises.
The Peninsula Hotel.
Set in Tsim Sha Tsui this hotel is the oldest and probably the grandest in Hong Kong. It dates from the 1920's when its location by the railway station and harbour made it a very convenient stopping off point. Nowadays it is worth wandering around to have a look at its architecture and boutiques or to indulge in afternoon tea in the lobby or to try the famous Felix Bar with views over the harbour. I'm reliably informed men feel as if they are peeing over the harbour in the bar's urinal with a view, though I have never been in there myself!
The Peninsula Hotel.
Clock Tower.
This rather isolated and out of place clock tower is all that remains of the former Kowloon Canton Railway Station in Tsim Sha Tsui. The original station was demolished and a new one was built in Hung Hom.
Clock Tower.
1881 Heritage Building.
Located in Tsim Sha Tsui between Victoria Harbour and the Peninsula Hotel, this building was the former headquarters of the Hong Kong Marine Police. It has been redeveloped into a luxury hotel and high end shopping centre but some features such as the old signal tower have been retained.
1881 Heritage Building.
Kowloon Park.
Kowloon Park lies in the centre of Tsim Sha Tsui next to Kowloon Mosque. The park is free entry. It is a lovely open space with a flamingo lake, an aviary, a sculpture garden, a maze and a public swimming pool. Very good place to sit and relax or watch people do tai chi. Worth visiting.
Kowloon Park.
Kowloon Park.
The Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre .
This centre is located within Kowloon Park. Admission is free and the centre is open until 6pm. The Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre is located in an interesting historical building which was once Whitfield Army Barracks. It was built around 1910 and was still used for accommodating British troops until 1967. This centre has some interactive displays and videos about traditional Chinese buildings and traditional Chinese life. I liked the ceramics room with its glass floor, underneath which were hundreds of shattered pieces of ceramics. If you happen to be in Tsim Sha Tsui you should certainly visit Kowloon Park, and while you are there you could easily pass an hour or so in this centre. The centre also provides free info about Hong Kong Historical Walking Trails.
Hong Kong Science Museum.
I am not hugely into museums, but I go to the HK Science Museum every year with my class as I am a primary school teacher. This museum is wonderful for anyone who has kids because everything in it is very hands on. The children can built electrical circuits; go for a simulated car ride; learn about animals and plants; wander around the surreal world of the mirror maze. This place will easily keep kids amused for several hours. Opening hours: Mon - Wed & Fri : 1pm - 9pm;Sat, Sun & Public Holidays : 10am - 9pm; Closed on Thur Address: 2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2732 3232 (General Enquiry). Website: http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Science. Admission: Adult $25.00. Concession or reduced rate $12.50.Group discounts $17.50.Child 3 & under FREE: Free entry on Wednesday afternoons. Directions: Hong Kong Museum of Science, 2 Science Museum Road, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon
The Hong Kong Museum Of History.
This museum is directly opposite the Science Museum, so if you visit one you may want to visit the other. I take my class here every year to the permanent exhibitions which show traditional aspects of Chinese lives such as fishing communities, Chinese temples; traditional village life; Chinese festivals. There is also an interesting transport section with an old tram which you can go on board. There are some replicas of old Hong Kong streets showing traditional Hong Kong shops. There are many temporary exhibitions, too. Open: Mon. & Wed. to Sat.: 10:00 – 18:00; Sun. & public holidays: 10:00 – 19:00; Closed Tuesdays. Admission fee $10; Concession: $5; Group Ticket: $7; Free admission on Wednesdays.
Hong Kong's Rubber Duckie.
A giant inflatable rubber duck sculpture floated into Hong Kong Harbour last Thursday, May 2nd. Designed by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman,the 16,9m high sculpture has already been in Osaka, Sydney, Sao Paolo and Amsterdam. It will be in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour until June 9. It is located just outside ocean terminal in TST. The duck brings back memories of childhood to people from all over the world, but it is also about environmental awareness. It floats across the seas from continent to continent showing our oceans as a giant interconnected bathtub and above all it is just so cute. After Hong Kong next stop is the USA. On a rare clear day in Central looking towards TST I could not resist taking a picture of that duck again. Sadly the duck has sailed off into new waters now. Hopefully it will come back some day. It was quite a popular attraction.
Hong Kong's Rubber Duckie.
Hong Kong's Rubber Duckie.
Hong Kong's Rubber Duckie.
Hong Kong's Rubber Duckie.
Hong Kong's Rubber Duckie.
Kwai Tsing Theatre.
Kwai Tsing Theatre is located in Kwai Fong right next to the MTR Station. We went here recently to watch an excellent performance of Dunsinane performed by the Scottish Theatre Company and The Royal Shakespeare Company. English theatre here is relatively rare unfortunately so we felt privileged to see this. Kwai Tsing Theatre stages Cantonese Operas, dance, music and other cultural events. Address: 12 Hing Ning Rd.
Kwai Tsing Theatre.
Shopping:Hong Kong: Metroplaza Mall.
The Metroplaza Mall is yet another large shopping mall in Hong Kong. This one is more what I would call a normal shopping mall rather than one of those dreadful designer/designer/designer break the bank type malls which Hong Kong is nowadays brimming over with. As well as a good selection of shops there are lots of restaurants and cafes here, plus an outdoor play area for kids. This mall is in Kwai Fong near the MTR Station.
Metroplaza Mall.
Wong Tai Sin Temple.
You can get here by taking the MTR to Wong Tai Sin. This temple is popular as when you pray here, your dreams are supposed to come true. Many people head here before heading to the race track. The temple is home to three religions: Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Wong Tai Sin was a 4th century monk who later became a deity. In 1915 a Taoist priest named Liang Ren-an brought a sacred portrait of Wong Tai Sin to Hong Kong from Guangdong. This portrait is now housed in the temple.
Wong Tai Sin Temple.
Lantau Island.
Hong Kong Disneyland.
Hong Kong Disneyland is located on Lantau Island. To get there take the Tung Chung line train from Hong Kong Station in Central, get off at Sunny Bay Station and switch to the Disneyland train. You cannot miss it, it has Mickey Mouse shaped windows. You can buy your tickets at the front entrance of Disneyland or from the Disneyland ticketing office in Hong Kong Station or apparently from Circle K shops. Many people say the Hong Kong Disneyland is smaller than most Disneys. As it is the only Disneyland I've been to, I cannot comment. I thought it was quite entertaining and, of course, excellent if you have kids. I do not know if all Disneylands have the same attractions or not. In this one there is a train that takes you round the site; a mainstreet with souvenir shops and characters to pose with, a Tomorrow Land with lots of rides, a Fantasy Land with Sleeping Beauty's Castle and an Adventure Land. I personally liked the Adventure Land best as I liked the boat ride and raft ride. The children in my class all rave about space mountain - the Disneyland roller-coaster. There are restaurants and cafes on the site. There is a huge character parade and a firework display daily and then various other changing events.
Hong Kong Disneyland.
Hong Kong Disneyland.
Hong Kong Disneyland.
Hong Kong Disneyland.
Hong Kong Disneyland.
Inspiration Lake.
Inspiration Lake is a large artificial lake near Hong Kong's Disneyland Resort. It opened in August 2005 a couple of months before Disneyland opened. The lake is in the centre of a beautifully landscaped, flower-filled park which occupies about 30 hectares of land. It is a lovely place for a stroll or a jog along the running track. You can also hire pedal boats there. There are some convenience shops near the entrance of the park, but it may be best to bring your own picnic with you and enjoy it in the lovely surroundings. You can get there by taking the Disneyland Resort train from Sunny Bay Station to Disneyland then either walking or taking bus R8A which runs between Inspiration Lake and the Disneyland Resort every 10 to 20 minutes between 9am and 7pm daily.The park is free entry and is open from 9am to 7pm daily. Outside the Disneyland Resort there is a large musical fountain which changes colour. If you return to Disneyland from the lake in the evening you might want to pause and enjoy the fireworks display from the outside of the theme park.
Inspiration Lake.
Inspiration Lake.
Inspiration Lake.
Discovery Bay.
Discovery Bay is the area of Hong Kong I live in. It is located on Lantau Island. You can get there by bus from the airport, by ferry from Central pier 3; or by taking a train to Sunny Bay or Tung Chung then catching the Discovery Bay Bus. Discovery Bay is a residential area and a lot of ex-pats as well as Chinese choose to live there. There are some pretty landscaped walks in Discovery Bay. It also has a lovely beach but the sea is really quite murky there. There are many good restaurants in Discovery Bay and in many of them you can eat outside - something quite unusual in Hong Kong. People joke that DB means dogs and kids due to the large numbers of dogs and kids we have here, so if you visit HK with kids it is not a bad place to come. There are many little play areas for kids. Special events in DB are the free music festival Picnic in the Park on the first Saturday of November. DB is also good at Halloween when two of the streets decorate with over the top Halloween decorations and kids from all over HK come trick or treating. This takes place in Headland Drive. The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated here every June, though Stanley is the more famous place to watch this.
Discovery Bay.
Discovery Bay.
Discovery Bay.
The Dreaded Love Padlock.
Ever since a hotel was opened in Discovery Bay, it has become popular with mainland tour groups. As a result various highly touristy things keep springing up like horse drawn carriage rides and the latest - Love Padlock Walk. Help!
The Dreaded Love Padlock.
The Dreaded Love Padlock.
Sunsets over Sunny Bay.
I travel home from work via Sunny Bay. It has an MTR Station, the platform for the Mickey Mouse train that takes you to Disneyland and a bus station from which you can catch a bus to Discovery Bay only. It's not a lot, yet people go there to have their wedding photos taken with a lovely ocean backdrop or to photograph the often spectacular sunsets there. There is a long walkway by the sea with views over the sea and some islands. It is quite pretty.
Sunsets over Sunny Bay.
Po Lin Monastery.
This monastery is situated on Lantau Island. You can reach it by bus from Tung Chung or Mui Wo. Or you can reach it by cable car from Tung Chung. Since the opening of the cable car, it has got more and more busy here. Next to the temple is the famous Big Buddah statue. This statue was erected in 1993. It is 34 metres high and faces north towards China. The right hand of the Buddah is raised to deliver a blessing to all who gaze on it. This massive Buddha, took 12 years to complete. Climb the 268 steps at the foot of the statue to see the great views from the top. Vegetarian meals are available in the monastery. Many lovely hiking trails start from here. I have done the one from here to Tai o fishing village.
Big Buddha.
Big Buddha.
Po Lin Monastery.
Pui O, Lantau Island.
Pui O has a lovely beach and a restaurant on the beach. It is quite common to see Lantau's famous water buffalo wandering around here.
Pui O.
Cattle.
Lantau has wild water buffalo and cattle. They are considered by the authorities as a bit of a nuisance and they like to find reasons to cull them. Personally I rather like them except maybe when they hit the motorway and my bus gets stuck behind them.
Tai O Fishing Village.
Tai O is a village on the edge of Lantau Island. It is one of the few remaining places in Hong Kong where you can still see wooden fishing houses on stilts. You can get there from Tung Chung on bus no.11, or from Mui Wo on bus no. 1, or from Ngong Ping on bus no 21. The village is an interesting place to walk around, there are stalls selling dried fish and several Chinese restaurants. There is also quite an interesting Chinese temple. It is possible to take boat trips around Tai O. Expect Tai O to be busy on Sundays and public holidays. Well worth a look. Can be combined with a trip to the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery due to the bus service Tai O - Ngong Ping.
Tai O Fishing Village.
Tai O Fishing Village.
Tai O Fishing Village.
Cheung Sha Beach.
Cheung Sha Beach is on Lantau Island. It is actually two beaches divided by a jutting headland. Lower Cheung Sha Beach is more popular because it has two outdoor restaurants - the Stoep - a South African restaurant and a Chinese restaurant next door - good food cannot remember its name. The big attraction of these restaurants is their setting right on the beach. Sit here and you feel you are a million miles from Hong Kong on a small island in Malaysia or the Philippines perhaps. Both Lower and Upper Cheung Sha Beaches have facilities for swimming: changing rooms, showers, toilets, life guards, shark nets etc. If you choose Upper Cheung Sha Beach, you will have the place almost to yourself - perfect for peace and tranquility. To get there take the ferry from Central to Mui Wo then bus number 4 Mui Wo towards Tong Fuk Village. You can get off this bus at Lower Cheung Sha Beach where the restaurants are, but we usually stay on to Tong Fuk and take a long leisurely walk back along the beaches to build up an appetite first. If you go at the right time of day, you may see some of Lantau's famous wild cattle arriving for a paddle.
Cheung Sha Beach.
Cheung Sha Beach.
Mui Wo.
Mui Wo is one of the main towns on Lantau Island. It has many excellent restaurants - Chinese, Turkish, Italian and big Wellcome and Park 'n' Shop supermarkets, a McDonalds and a 7-eleven if you prefer a picnic. Mui Wo used to be called Silvermine Bay. You can walk along the beautiful Mui Wo Beach towards the Silvermine Bay Hotel. Mui Wo is excellent for swimming, relaxing on the beach, or you can stroll around its village streets or take a walk to the waterfall and cave behind the town. There is a longer walk from here to Discovery Bay via the Trappist Monastery (maybe around one and a half hours). You get to Mui Wo from Central via ferry. You can also get to it by bus from Tung Chung and on some of the inter-island ferries.
Mui Wo.
Mui Wo.
New Territories.
Tsing Yi.
Tsing Yi is an island in Hong Kong. It takes its name from a type of fish. It is one stop away from the airport on the airport express. It can also be reached on the Tung Chung MTR line. Tsing Yi Island is very built up and has many residential areas, industry and a container port. Eight different bridges connect Tsing Yi with other parts of Hong Kong. On Tsing Yi you can find Maritime Square Shopping Mall which has a Marks and Spencers, Fortress for electrical goods, Pricerite and Taste supermarket among other things. There is also a large cinema complex within the shopping centre. Outside the shopping centre there is a lovely walkway by the sea. It makes a pleasant spot for a stroll, jog or picnic.
Tsing Yi.
Tsing Yi.
Tsing Yi.
Tung Chung.
Tung Chung is a residential area near to the airport. To get there from the airport it is best to use the S1 bus. The airport express does not stop in Tung Chung. Tung Chung is not the liveliest spot in Hong Kong but it is on the Tung Chung to Hong Kong Station MTR line. There is a Novotel in Tung Chung. There is also a shopping centre called Citygate which has many outlet stores. There is a large cinema complex and several restaurants (Japanese, Thai, Chinese) including a large Food Republic food court there. Tung Chung also has a musical dancing fountain in the centre of its plaza. On hot summer days it's fun to watch the kids running through the fountain to get completely soaked. Tung Chung is the starting point for the cable car to the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island. One other feature of Tung Chung is that it has a brand new huge swimming pool. An Olympic sized heated indoor pool and a reasonably large outdoor pool.
Tung Chung.
Tung Chung.
Kadoorie Farm And Botanical Gardens.
Kadoorie Farm is a farm and botanical gardens in the New Territories. It was established in 1956 and is located on the foothills of Tai Mo Shan Mountain. To get there by public transport take the train to Tai Po Market or Tai Wo. Get on the 64K bus towards Yuen Long (west). Ride for 20-25 minutes. Near the top of the extremely steep hill, get off at the Kadoorie Farm bus stop. I have taken my class here on school trips to see the animals: raptors, pigs, flamingos among others and plants and to teach them about conservation. It is a lovely sight and an enjoyable day out. There is a shuttle around the sight if you do not want to walk round . Ask for a free ticket at the entry booth.
Kadoorie Farm And Botanical Gardens.
Kadoorie Farm And Botanical Gardens.
Kadoorie Farm And Botanical Gardens.
Sai Kung.
Sai Kung is one of the most beautiful areas of Hong Kong with mountain and sea scenery and lots of little islands. The town of Sai Kung itself has lots of seafood restaurants where you pick your own food from a tank, then wait for it to be cooked. There are many other types of restaurants and bars. The area around Sai Kung has many country parks, barbeque areas, campsites and hiking trails. You can also take boat trips on sampans from Sai Kung or take a boat to Hong Kong's only public golf course on Kau Sai Chau island. To get to Sai Kung by public transport take the MTR to Choi Hung then take minibus 1A to Sai Kung. Or take the MTR/KCR to Sha Tin then take bus 299. Directions: Take MTR to the station, Mountain Diamond, then change bus or mini bus 1A to Sai Kung.
Sai Kung.
Sai Kung.
Sai Kung.
Lions Nature Education Centre.
I visited this nature centre as I will be going there with my primary two class on a field trip. This centre is located near Sai Kung. You can get there by taking the MTR to Hang Hau and then minibus 101 towards Sai Kung. Ask the driver where to get off. A taxi from Hang Hau MTR will cost around HK$60 to HK$70. Lion's Nature Education Centre is situated on 34 hectares of land. Its purpose is to conserve nature and educate children about nature. Facilities at the centre include: a dragonfly pond, a bamboo grove, a butterfly valley, woodland walks, outdoor displays on rocks and minerals, a wild animal trail with models of animals on it, an insect house, an organic garden, shell house with displays of shells. The site also has toilets, parking facilities, picnic tables and benches. Entry is free. This is a pleasant and peaceful place to spend a couple of hours. The surrounding area has beautiful scenery. The gardens contain colourful flowers. There are fish ponds and turtles. A lovely place to bring small children.
Lions Nature Education Centre.
Lions Nature Education Centre.
Sha Tin Town Hall.
Sha Tin Town Hall is located between New Town Plaza Shopping Mall and Sha Tin Park. It stages concerts, plays, ballet, dance and other cultural events. When we lived in Fo Tan we used to come here all the time. It also has a little cafe, bar which is a pleasant place for drinks and snacks. You can look on-line for forthcoming events or pick up brochures at Sha Tin Town Hall or at other venues such as City Hall in Central. Address: 1 Yuen Wo Rd, Sha Tin.
Sha Tin Town Hall.
Sha Tin Town Hall.
Sha Tin Town Hall.
10,000 Buddahs Temple.
OK embarrassing update around 20 years later. Just discovered this isn't the Tenn Thousand Buddhas Monastery. It's the cemetery adjacent to it. Have now (2021) just visited both the cemetery and the monastery.
This temple is located in Sha Tin and is well worth a visit. Inside there are large Buddah statues and 100s of small ones hence its name. The temple is located on the hillside overlooking Sha Tin. Part of it was damaged in landslides during the torrential rains that marked the handover in 1997. You can climb the stairs or if you are feeling lazy take the escalator up to the entrance. The ten thousand Buddahs temple complex is on two levels. The main temple on the lower level was built in 1957. It is dedicated to Kuan Yin, goddess of mercy. In one of the temple buildings is the body of the temple's founder, Yuet Kai. He was a monk who came to Hong Kong after the Second World War. He died at the age of 87 in 1965. Prior to his death he told his followers to exhume his body eight months after they buried him. When his followers found that his body was still in good condition they covered it in lacquer and gilding. Every year on May 26th, which is Buddha's birthday, the body is placed in the Buddha posture in a glass case and can be visited by worshipers. A visit here could be combined with a stroll through Sha Tin's lovely riverside park or with some shopping in New Town Plaza. If you are feeling energetic, you could even hire a bike and cycle along the banks of the Shing Mun River towards Tai Po.
10,000 Buddahs Temple.
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum.
This museum is located in Sha Tin not too far from New Town Plaza Shopping Mall and Sha Tin Park. Entry is a very reasonable HK$10 or HK$20 if it includes the special exhibitions. One section of the museum focuses on Cantonese Opera. This section includes booths where you can listen to and watch scenes from some preludes to Cantonese operas and from some famous operas. There is also an exhibit of an opera star's dressing room and an interactive game in which you can turn yourself into an opera star. The Hong Kong Heritage Galllery has exhibits of temples, chemist shops, Hakka villages, paper offering shops and information about floating people - those who live on their boats or in fishing villages raised on stilts. Up another floor is the Bruce Lee Gallery where you can watch a hologram of Bruce Lee fight the bad guys as well as find out information about Bruce Lee's life and posters from his films. On the same floor there is an art gallery containing pottery, ceramics and an exhibition on Tibet containing among other things beautiful prayer rugs. Address: 1 Man Lam Rd, Sha Tin. Opening Hours: Monday, Wednesday to Friday : 10am - 6pm Saturday, Sunday and public holidays : 10am - 7pm Christmas Eve and Chinese New Year's Eve : 10am - 5pm Closed on Tuesdays (except public holidays) and the first two days of the Chinese New Year.
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Burning Paper Offerings,
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Cantonese Opera.
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Cantonese Opera.
Hakka clothes.
Sha Tin Park.
Sha Tin has a large and very pretty park located along the banks of the Shing Mun River. I especially like the little Chinese gardens there with their ponds, bridges, pagodas, flowers, fish and turtles.
Sha Tin Park.
Sha Tin Park.
Sha Tin Park.
Snoopy World, Sha Tin.
This is one for the kids to enjoy. If you plan a day's shopping in Sha Tin or a visit to the lovely 10,000 Buddahs Temple, you might want to combine it with a visit to the park and a visit to Snoopy World if you are travelling with kids. Snoopy World was closed on my recent visit. It consists of models of the famous Peanuts characters including a huge kennel with Snoopy sleeping on top of it. It is a popular spot for photos though I only took one as my camera was playing up by the time I got there. Typical!
Snoopy World, Sha Tin.
Riverside Cycle Track.
You can hire bicycles by the hour or for a day in Sha Tin and Tai Wai. Then you can follow the cycle path along the edge of the Shing Mun River all the way to Tai Po. This is a popular pastime and the route gets busy especially at weekends.
Riverside Cycle Track.
Cheung Chau Island.
Get to Cheung Chau by ferry from pier 5 outlying islands ferry piers, Central.In my opinion Cheung Chau is the most beautiful of all Hong Kong's islands. It has quite a big main town with a harbour filled with colourful fishing boats and house boats. There is a very clean and lovely main beach and of course other beaches scattered around. There are many restaurants on Cheung Chau most specialize in Chinese food but there is also an Indian restaurant. Have a stroll round Cheung Chau's fish market for a look at the day's catch. Go on one of the islands many walks, for example The Mini Great Wall Walk is good for views and picnics.Go and visit the island's famous pirate cave. Then of course there is the famous temple where Cheung Chau's annual Bun Festival takes place. It is a lovely temple very well kept. I have never been to the actual festival due to the fact it is so, so crowded but it's traditional for people to climb up a big pole and grab buns down for good luck. This used to be a free for all but due to accidents is now organized and has fewer climbers. The festival is also famous for its floating children. Children in lovely traditional Chinese clothes being carried around in a procession. Address: Southwest of Hong Kong Island Directions: Situated southwest of HK Island. The ferry ride (from Central) takes about one hour.
Cheung Chau.
Cheung Chau.
Cheung Chau.
Something Fishy In Cheung Chau.
I was very recently (Tuesday 8th March 2016) on a school trip to Cheung Chau. I managed to take a stroll along the waterfront and enjoyed taking a look at all the trays of white fish and prawns that had been left to dry in the sun. As well as looking at the fish drying on the waterfront, I also had a look at some of the shops selling fish. Many shops here specialise in dried fish products. In addition to several types of fish, I saw dried starfish, dried seahorses in a medicine shop, dried squid and many, many more.
Something Fishy In Cheung Chau.
Something Fishy In Cheung Chau.
Favorite thing: Of course with all the fishing boats, fishermen, a fish market and countless fish shops, Cheung Chau has to have plenty of restaurants selling ...... fish. Many of them are the sort of restaurants where you choose your fish from a large tank in which it is still swimming around.
Fish Restaurants - Cheung Chau.
Fish Restaurants - Cheung Chau.
Shell Shops - Cheung Chau.
On our recent trip to Cheung Chau we took a look at some of the shell shops there. They sold a variety of products from individual shells, to shell jewellery, to hanging shell mobiles to shell covered ornaments. I did not buy any shell products, but found them interesting enough to browse.
Shell Shops.
Festivals.
Chinese New Year.
This is the biggest festival here. It takes place in January or February on a different date each year. Each year is called after a different animal: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit,dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, pig. In preparation people clean out their homes and decorate them. During the festival red packets containing money are given to children and unmarried adults. Families get together for special meals. Children wear traditional Chinese clothes. At Chinese new Year noisy lion dancers scare away all the bad luck and hasten in the good luck. We had lion dancers at my school and our heads and directors painted the lion's eye for good luck. I have not seen this done before, but everyone else had. One of the good things about Chinese New Year is that people, especially children, dress up in traditional Chinese clothes which are very colourful and attractive. At school we always have a Chinese New Year Concert with singing and dancing. Chinese New Year is the most important of all the Chinese Festivals.
Lion Dancing.
Lion Dancing.
Why the years are named after animals.
Welcome to the year of the horse 2014. Ever wonder why the years are called after animals? There is an old Chinese legend to explain it. Many years ago the Jade Emperor decided to call the years after animals in a twelve yearly cycle, but which animals to choose? He decided to solve his problem by getting the animals to compete in a race. The first twelve to reach him would have a year named after them. The hardest part of the race was right at the end when the animals had to cross a fast flowing river. Each animal crossed in their own way and their actions resulted in their position in the race; plus they tell us about the personalities of those born in each year. Rat and cat were the worst swimmers of the animals so they asked kind ox, a very powerful swimmer, to let them sit on his back when he swam across. When they were nearing the bank of the river, rat suddenly pushed cat into the water and leapt off ox's head to arrive in first place. I think we all know rats in this world !!!! Ox clambered out in second place. Cat was swept away by the water. The tiger a strong and powerful animal arrived in third place. Behind him came rabbit. He was not a good swimmer, but he was clever and used some stepping stones to help him cross the river. As he hopped across, he suddenly fell in and just managed to grab onto a floating log. Dragon was right behind him. He was able tofly and could easily have won the race but he stopped to help the rabbit and used his powerful breath to blow him to the shore. Rabbit took fourth place and kind dragon took fifth. Horse was also a good swimmer, but sneaky snake (that's me) had secretly wrapped himself around his leg to cross the stream. As the horse emerged from the water, snake slithered off his hoof giving horse such a fright that he stepped backwards allowing snake to take sixth place and horse seventh. Meanwhile goat, monkey and rooster who were not able to swim at all, decided to work together to cross the stream. Clever rooster found a raft hidden in the rushes, monkey and goat helped clear the rushes away and free the raft and the three animals crossed together. Goat finished in eighth place, monkey in ninth and rooster in tenth. Meanwhile dog (all my class are dogs this year and how they laughed at this story) was a strong swimmer and could have finished much earlier, but the water was so lovely he stopped to play and enjoy himself. He finished in eleventh place. In twelfth place pig waddled out of the water. He had taken a long time as he had stopped to eat and take a nap on the way. Finally, out of the water, half drowned and exhausted came cat. The Jade Emperor looked at him sadly and told him all the years had already been named. Cat was furious and to this day every time he sees his great enemy rat he chases him to get his revenge. Kung Hei Fat Choi!
The Year of the Monkey.
The Year of the Monkey will start from February 8th and last until January 27th, 2017. The Monkey is ninth of the twelve animals in the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle. 2016 will be a Fire Monkey Year. In Chinese astrology, each year is linked with an animal sign and one the Five Elements: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, or Earth. The sign and element you are born under affect your personality and destiny. Element-sign combinations recur every 60 years.
The Year of the Monkey.
Dragon Boat Day.
Dragon Boat Day is a wonderful, colourful festival which takes place in June each year. Dragon Boat Races are held in many locations in Hong Kong such as Stanley, Sha Tin, Mui Wo, Discovery Bay. The Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the life and death of the ancient poet, Qu Yuan, who lived from 340-278 B.C. He was appalled by state corruption and commited suicide by throwing himself in a river. When the people of his native state heard what he had done, they rushed out in their fishing boats and tried desperatedly to save him. They beat drums and splashed water in order to keep the fish and evil spirits away from his body. Then later they scattered rice into the water to prevent him from being hungry and also to feed the fishes in the river so that they would not devour his body. I used to live in Sha Tin and watch the races on the Shing Mun River. I've also see them on Stanley Main Beach, but nowadays I am more likely to watch them in Discovery Bay since I live there. In Discovery Bay the whole event turns into a carnival with food stalls and market stalls and live musical performances. It is good fun.
Dragon Boat Day.
Dragon Boat Day.
Mid Autumn Festival.
One of my favourite Chinese Festivals is Mid Autumn Festival or lantern festival. It is celebrated at the end of September or beginning of October on the night of a full moon. People go out at night carrying lanterns.They normally head to a park or beach and sit and gaze at the full moon and eat mooncakes and brightly coloured round fruits.The festival is based on a legend in which a famous archer, Houyi, was asked by the Chinese emperor to shoot down nine of the ten suns that exsisted in the sky at that time as they were scorching the Earth. Houyi did so and was rewarded with a pill that could make him immortal. He was advised that the pill was so strong he should only consume half of it. Houyi hid the pill in his home, but while he was out his beautiful wife, Chang'e found the pill and consumed all of it. The pill was so strong she flew out of the house and floated up to the moon. She asked the moon hare to make her a new pill so she could return to her husband. and hundreds of years later the moon hare is still trying to make the pill. Meanwhile Houyi is able to visit Chang'e on the moon once a year during the Mid-Autumn Festival on the night of the full moon.
Mid Autumn Festival.
Mid Autumn Festival.
Hong Kong's National Flower.
The national flower of Hong Kong is the bauhinia. It is also known as the Hong Kong tree orchid. It is a large purple flower which grows on trees. It blossoms from around early November to around the end of March. The bauhinia is depicted on the Hong Kong flag and on several Hong Kong coins.
Hong Kong's National Flower.
Hong Kong's National Flower.
Flowers Of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has a sub-tropical climate. It does get cold for part of the year but still manages to have wonderful flowers all year round. Bougainvillea is native to South America rather than Hong Kong but lots of beautiful bougainvillea grows near where I live in Discovery Bay and in most Hong Kong parks or nature centres. Azaleas are also abundant in Hong Kong and at the moment - March - they certainly appear to be at their peak. In China the azalea is referred to as the "thinking of home bush". Azaleas are extremely toxic. In the past receiving azaleas in a black vase was apparently a death threat.
Flowers Of Hong Kong.
Flowers Of Hong Kong.
Flowers Of Hong Kong.
Flowers Of Hong Kong.
Flame Of The Forest Trees.
Although it is a majorly built up place, Hong Kong does have some wonderful, colourful flowering trees. One of my favourites is the flame of the forest tree. It blooms here around May and June and brightens up any surroundings with its mass of bright red flowers. The flame tree is a member of the bean family. It comes originally from Madagascar, but there are many of them here in Hong Kong. The flame of the forest was successfully introduced into Hong Kong in 1908 and had been planted all over Hong Kong by the 1920's. The Hong Kong Standard recently did an article in which it compared flame tree viewing in Tai Po to cherry tree viewing in Japan.
Flame Of The Forest Trees.
Flame Of The Forest Trees.
Posted by irenevt 05:35 Archived in Hong Kong Comments (2)
