Chaos and Kanji

Hong Kong: Victoria Harbour

When it comes to iconic waterways, Victoria Harbour is going to rank near the top of any well-informed list. Important in the past and today as a shipping port, the financial center of Asia has also developed an iconic skyline.

There are several ways to get across the harbour; I traveled into town via the Airport Express subway route, and there is another subway crossing for the more commonly-used lines. There is the possibility of bus service via tunnels, but the historically accurate, most interesting, and cheapest (that I can think of) method is via the ferry.

The ferry buildings themselves are nice to look at architecturally, and the trip across the harbor gives plenty of time and opportunities to take pictures of that famous skyline.

Unfortunately, I never really had nice weather when I had a chance to look across the harbor. But at least you can get a taste of what you might see.

On the Kowloon side, there's a walkway that I'll visit later which also provides great views across the water.

These "traditional" boats can be seen running tours up and down the water.

While the nicest view of Hong Kong should include the Bank of China Tower, there is also a great collection of skyscrapers further down.

Ah, panorama mode. My friend. Kowloon doesn't have a great skyline - it's the Brooklyn of Asia - but like Brooklyn it affords good views of the city across the water.

It seems that weather really wasn't on my side for this trip - I didn't get rained out of anything but the overcast, hazy sky meant that my photography just doesn't feel as good as usual.

The ferry has frequent departures as it is a regular commuter service; try not to get in people's way if you're trying to get photos. I traveled across during a weekday while everyone else was at work or school so my ferry was relatively empty.

The Star Ferry has been running since 1888, and naturally can be accessed from Kowloon or Hong Kong Island. Kowloon's ferry terminal is a short walk from the MTR (subway system) Tsim Sha Tsui Station - head toward the clock tower. On the Hong Kong side (Central), the ferry is at the end of Man Yiu Street, a short walk from Hong Kong Station or Central Station. There is also a ferry at Wan Chai. Ferry rates are $2.50 on weekdays and $3.40 (HKD) on weekends. That's less than 50 cents per ride in US dollars.

Hong Kong: Central-Mid-Levels Escalators and Downtown

Most of Hong Kong's iconic skyline is actually near Admiralty Station. A little bit down the way is where you'll find a greater density of structures and a much livelier downtown area.

The trams are really amazing to me - very narrow and tall. They look like they'd tip over with just a slight push! I would like to ride the line from end to end in the future.

The buildings are much closer together here, and many of the alleyways and narrower streets are lined with stalls and shops.

While some shops clearly cater to tourists, others are there for residents.

There are plenty of smaller markets selling herbs, produce, and meat.

For the tourists or for the locals, the shops are all fun to look at.

Not being a "seafood" guy, I don't know what a lot of the food is. Then again, it might not be seafood.

The elevation change in the area allows a good view of the upper floors of some buildings. It was interesting to see all the air conditioning units attached outside. I wonder if it would be cheaper and more efficient overall to have a single system for the whole building.

After browsing around a little bit I finally got to the escalators themselves. But not before seeing this cool mural wrapping around a building.

The escalators themselves are exactly what you'd think they are. A total of 20 escalators and three inclined moving walkways make up the 800 meter route. It travels along Cochrane Street and then Shelley Street.

The system runs above street level making it very easy to quickly get from one end to the other without worrying about cross traffic. There are entrances and exits at each cross street, sometimes on both sides of the street.

The system runs downhill from 6:00 to 10:00 in the morning, then uphill from 10:30 to midnight. The escalators and walkways are wide enough for people to stand on one side and walk on the other. It takes 20 minutes to go the entire route, though most people walk to shorten the transit time.

The streets it travels along have lots of shops and restaurants, and the escalators themselves have become a tourist attraction too. As a transportation fan, I know this will be another area I will want to look at more in detail on a future trip!

Hong Kong: Bank of China Tower

The sky was overcast and the view hazy while I was in downtown Hong Kong on my first morning in town, but that didn't keep me from hitting all the spots on my itinerary.

The Bank of China Tower opened in 1990 and is one of the most recognizable parts of the skyline. The building is a bunch of Xs, both in the beams you see on the facade and the design as viewed from the top.

The 70-story building itself is nice to look at, but you can also go inside and visit an observation deck partway up one of the towers, on the 43rd floor.

You can see that my view wasn't that great thanks to the weather, but on a nicer day there would be a lot more worth seeing, including Victoria Peak and across the water to Kowloon. You do only get to see about 180 degrees through the windows, though, which means there is a lot more left to be seen.

Notably visible from above is the Government House. As you can see it looks like there's a bit of work being done. This building was finished about 1855, and served as the official home for 25 British governors of Hong Kong. It's difficult to get a good view of this building as it isn't really accessible - not only is the building itself not open to the public, it's surrounded by trees on three sides and the other side has a tall fence; you can only view the front through the entry gate and that doesn't afford much of a view. Occasionally the gardens are open for public viewing.

The Bank of China Tower main entrance is on the water side, though you can get there from the back side as well (it's a bit confusing, though). Your bags will be x-rayed, and you need ID for the visitor's pass that will get you to the elevators that take you to the 43rd floor. Admission is free. You can visit 8 AM to 8 PM weekdays, to 2 PM on Saturdays; the building is closed on Sundays.

Beggars can't be choosers, and the view is nice on a clear day, but unless you love towers or are in the vicinity (as I was) you might want to skip this one.

A Short Stroll Through Hong Kong Park

Hong Kong is a city known for crowded housing, skyscrapers, and just all around big city life. And it's true that the city is packed with people. The Kowloon area in particular doesn't have many breaks between buildings that aren't streets. But downtown Hong Kong is right up against a mountain, so it doesn't take long before someone headed away from the water starts going uphill.

I'm sure the hills had at least some impact on the rate of early development on this side of town, and possibly accounted for the more ready availability of public and private parks.

Hong Kong Park is only about 25 years old, opening in 1991. It's located on the site of a garrison, and some historic buildings remain. I didn't have a lot of time set aside for the park, so I didn't search out the old architecture, nor did I get a good look at the entire park.

The park is located on the side of the mountain, and I started at its lower end where visitors can see a nice artificial lake.

It's highly possible the structure at the back of the pond is historic. But I don't know. There is a restaurant back there, somewhere. On the hill behind it is an conservatory that serves as a botanical garden. Entrance to the conservatory is free; pictures of the plants follow:

The building is split into dry desert plant and wet tropical plant environments.

Nearby, Olympic Square is an outdoor auditorium of sorts that can host smaller concerts and shows.

During my visit, it was being used by a couple women for exercise.

Further up the hill is a tai chi garden with some memorial busts; again this area is a bit more complex than I was able to explore, but it does have a number of courtyards.

Next to the tai chi garden is a vantage point. A total of 105 steps will take you up the 30 meters to the top, from which you can see the entire park and downtown. The picture at the top of this post was taken from the top.

I spent around an hour here, but even then I don't feel like I got a good idea of all it has to offer. It's a peaceful, adult-centered park, There is a children's playground, too. I'll definitely have to go back to the park again if and when I am able to return to Hong Kong.

The park itself is open 6:00-23:00, with facilities having shorter hours. The conservatory and aviary are open 9:00-17:00, while the restaurant is open 11:00-22:30. You can visit the park's website here.

Hong Kong: The Peak Tram

The Peak Tram began operation in 1888, carrying riders from downtown to the top of Victoria Peak. The trip is less than one mile each way, but has a height differential of 368 meters, or about a third of a mile up. The photo above is of Garden Road Station.

There are six stations in all, four along the route plus the two termini. At Garden Road Station, at the bottom of the hill, the waiting platform area has some old equipment on display.

While none of the original cars exist from the early generations of tram vehicles, a replica of the first is on display.

There are also cases with additional displays.

The current cars are larger than the originals, but are designed to be reminiscent of the original system.

The station at the peak is appropriately called The Peak, and there's an entire brand centered around the transportation system. Inside this building are shops and restaurants.

Across the plaza, additional dining and shopping options are available. There's a convenience store over there as well.

A fourth generation tram car is on display at the top, and it looks like it's possible to go inside at times. I arrived quite early and nothing was really open in the area.

The weather in Hong Kong was foggy for most of my stay, so this is about the best you'll get of downtown.

It's not that far away, but Kowloon is barely visible across the harbor.

There really isn't that much to do at the top, especially early in the day, and with foggy weather there isn't much to see either. But you can walk up to the very top. Along the way, I came across a small park with some nice flowers and trees, called Mount Austin Road Playground.

Instead of going to the park at the peak of Victoria Peak, I took a wrong turn. The stairs on the left were an okay shortcut, but I continued following the stairs on the right which led me to a private residence.

This isn't that residence. This is a nice wall though outside one of the beautiful houses on the hill. I didn't make it to the peak, but given the weather Victoria Peak will be better visited on another trip.