A Week in Hong Kong

When I initially booked my trip to Hong Kong, it was just some spot on the map to broaden my horizons, a place to visit then check off the list. But I had no idea just what I was in for.

Put simply, Hong Kong blew me away.

But why? Well settle in, because here I’m going to tell you what I saw, did, and loved so dearly in Hong Kong.

Day 1: Tian Tan Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, Victoria Harbor

For y first full day in the city, I went to Lantau Island, where after a both enthralling and terrifying cable car ride I arrived at Ngong Ping, home to the Po Lin monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha. Po Lin is a buddhist monastery, founded in 1906. With beautiful architecture and a deeply reverent atmosphere, it was a little oasis away from the mega-city just one island over.

Po Lin monastery.
Po Lin monastery.

The Tian Tan buddha, one of the world’s largest outdoor bronze buddha statues, is an extension of the monastery, and can be see from as far away as Macau on a bright day. Coming to the top for the view alone is worth it. (Plus, up here I got to try my first ever egg tart, and I instantly fell in love. I think I ate almost 30 in the 6 days I was there, and I still want more.)

The Tian Tan buddha.
The Tian Tan buddha.

Once I got back to where I was staying around Tsim Sha Tsui, I walked along Victoria Harbor, saw a particularly awesome street performers, ate yet more snacks (yes, including egg tart), and watched the sun set. Victoria Harbor is really where Hong Kong began to steal my heart. The abundance of life, the city skyline contrasting with the mountains and ocean, the romantic atmosphere, the food, all of it culminated into a really beautiful scene. And it was only my first day here!

Victoria Harbor.
Victoria Harbor.

Day 2: Macau’s Ruins of St. Paul, Monte Fort, and A-Ma Temple

On the second day of my travels, I went over on a day trip to Macau with zero idea of what to expect. Macau isn’t really a place I’d researched much beforehand, but dang, I am SO glad that I went. After driving around and seeing some of the skyline, I hopped off near the historic city center where a ton of cultural sites were. Considering that Macau is only 11.8 sq miles large, (or 30.5 sq kilometers for my reasonable, non-metric friends), there’s a very dense concentration of history here.

Directions in the city center of Macau.
Directions in the city center of Macau.

I made my way to St. Dominic’s square, got a snack or two, and took in the scenery. It’s a place very thoroughly Chinese, but also definitely retaining colonial influences, a city that is new and sparkling, but also ancient. These things all blended together in beautiful harmony, not clashing or begging for attention, but there to be seen all the same. Nearby I visited both the Ruins of St. Paul Cathedral and Monte Fort.

Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral.
Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

After another jaunt on the bus, I got off in the old city to see A-Ma temple. A-Ma temple is a huge deal, and in so many ways. Right on the shoreline, this is thought to be where the Portuguese first disembarked in 1513, the first Europeans ever to make contact with China by sea. In the native language, the name of this temple is Maā Gǒk and thus, the Portuguese called it Macau.

A-Ma temple.
A-Ma temple.

Even though I hadn’t seen everything, I’d had a fun-filled day, and eventually headed back to Hong Kong.

Day 3: Flower Market, Victoria’s Peak

By day three, I’d made friends with another woman staying in my hostel, and we get some warm breakfast drinks and egg waffles together. I tried the ceylon milk tea, but the real star was Mammy Pancake. I’ve heard about Mammy Pancake for years now, and, even though it’s a street food stand, this place has been Michelin recognized for three years in a row now. I got multiple egg waffles while I was in Hong Kong, crisp on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside, and each one was somehow more delicious than the last.

Eating a green tea chocolate chip egg waffle.
Eating a green tea chocolate chip egg waffle.

After this, we went to peruse the local flower markets. I’d seen flower sellers before, but the sheer size here blew my mind. This wasn’t just a street, or even an entire block, but multiple blocks of flowers, bamboo, succulents, and everything else spilling out into the streets in an array of color and smells. We spent a good amount of the day doing this, so it was already starting to get dark by the time I went on my next adventure to Victoria Peak. I have no words to say about Victoria Peak that would do it justice. Only experiencing it for yourself could ever convey the absolute majesty it holds. It was truly a wonderful way to end the day.

The view from Victoria Peak at night.
The view from Victoria Peak at night.

Day 4: Man Mo Temple, New Year Parade

The next morning, I took the historic Star Ferry over to Hong Kong Island, where things had become very crowded since it was officially the first day of the Lunar New Year. After fighting against the crowds I made it to Man Mo temple. As is to be expected, the temple was PACKED, being a major holiday, and people want to honor their ancestors, pray for good luck, and start the year out on the right foot.

Offerings at Man Mo temple.
Offerings at Man Mo temple.

It was already getting late by the time I left, so I went back to my hostel to nap in preparation for the New Years parade. I woke up from that ready to fight a crowd of people probably larger than my entire home town, but all in all though, the whole crowd got to see some interesting acts, cute balloon floats, and just some generally weird performances, but by far the Lion and Dragon dancers stole the entire show. It was simply beautiful and fun and the perfect end to a rich holiday.

Day 5: Ladies Market, Hong Kong Park, Sky100

The next day, I toured around the Ladies Market off Tung Choi street, but didn’t buy anything since I’m not much of a shopper. I just like to take in the sights and sounds of a new place, y’know? Afterwards, I decided to try out the local park, easily one of the most beautiful green spaces I’ve ever seen. At the entrance there was a gushing water feature you could stand under, little streams lined with flowers, and yet more fountains.There was also an aviary, waterfalls, a tea house, and a sizable pond for koi and carp, peaceful and warm in the winter sunlight.

Hong Kong Park.
Hong Kong Park.

After watching the Symphony of Lights, a nightly light show put on in Victoria Harbor, I went up to the Sky100, the 100th floor of the International Commerce Center, to get yet another view of Hong Kong. I simply couldn’t get enough of that skyline!

The view of Victoria Harbor from the Sky100.
The view of Victoria Harbor from the Sky100.

Day 6: Bus Tour, Stanley and Aberdeen area

For my last day I bought a ticket for the Big Bus, a bus with three lines all over Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, which I figured would be a good way to see parts of the city I hadn’t yet gotten the opportunity to go to. After the Kowloon line, I took a ferry across to Hong Kong Island and got on the line to Stanley and Aberdeen. On our way we toured the glitzy finance and commerce district, and eventually made our way to the south side of the island, where you could see relatively undisturbed ocean, beaches full of people, and so on.

All in all, Hong Kong was amazing, and as soon as I returned home I already wanted to go back. There the modern and the classical harmonized together, the rich Chinese heritage paired with western influences made for mouth-watering food and breathtaking sights, all of that and more has earned Hong Kong a special place in my heart, and I’m confident that I will be going back again and again.

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