Travel
Hong Kong – a city exotic and Asian chic
Everyone who has read the novels of James Klavel – “Tipan” and “Trade house” has an idealistic idea for Hong Kong. When you are here, you understand that this idea is in fact the very truth and today, 200 years later than the time which those novels depict. This is so because the megalopolis with a population equal to the one of Bulgaria, but situated only to 1100 square kilometers on 260 islands, captivates with the ability to combine Asian traditions with the British colonial influence and last, but not least, slight cosmopolitan taste as well. It is cheapest to get to the to this English territory, acquired by China in 1997, by Aeroflot, but in case you want to travel really luxury, without spending deadly huge fares, your air company is the Turkish airlines. Even the travelers from the couch class are usually put in 5-star hotels during their 10-hours layover between the 2 flights in Istanbul and have a perfect chance to look around the city. The bus of the airline takes them to city center and back. The flight is passing by almost unnoticeably between the good food and the rich variety of music available, movies and electronic games on the personal screen in front of you. One advice – when you walk around Istanbul and you decide you would like to see the most expensive hotel there – Chingirlik, skip it. Except if you would like to pay 17 levas for a cup of mineral water and 26 for a tea from a pack. Hong Kong! Although on the pictures it looks like “needles set”, made out of skyscrapers, actually between them there is air and surprisingly a lot greenness from the cultivated hills. Of course, in a city, where the ground is such a deficit, they have built their airport on an artificial island in the sea and this is their most expensive product. For example on the place, where today is built the high and narrow hotel Panorama with a sight over the sunset, before there have been placed just 2 shops. However a Canadian investor has bought the place at a ridiculous price, several times higher than the price for building the 14 floors of the skyscraper. However, the building paid off the price only for 2 years, as its manager Rainbow Pang shared. And the interesting thing about it is not so much the luxury, because due to lack of free space it does not have a swimming pool, but in the glassy walls and the bathrooms, thanks to which you have a terrific feeling that you are stepped on the lights of the city.
The other living add is the action character Jacky Chan and his house that looks as a fortress, “landed” on the hill of the local golf club. Plus 150 years of British colonialism, combined with 5000-years Chinese history. You will recognize the massiveness of the building constructions in Hong Kong, not by the stunning skyscrapers, but by the act how they moved brick by brick the 3-floor colonial building Merry House from the center to the shore. In the antique British house is situated the seas museum and plus it look like it has always been in its new location and has never given out its place to 100-floors building of offices of world companies.
A proofe for the fact that here antic and modern coexist together in a perfect peace is the Man Mo Temple. Cuddled between the modern buildings, in the temple it feels like the time has stopped. In front of it is the furnace in which the worshippers burn the papers with their prayers so that thanks to the smoke they can reach to Buddha faster. Inside, their prayers, written on red notes, are whirling underneath knitted lanterns. The air is so thick from the sweet-scented candles that you can cut it with knife and the temple doors are like a masterpiece of the carving art.
An adventure for the senses is the neighborhood, called “The Street of the dried sea food”, but actually there are sold not only traditional Asian products, but also some Chinese medicines. In the little shops nobody seems to be worried or scared from the taxidermies of reindeers and does in full size or the lizard skins stretched over wooden sticks. The swallow nests from which you can prepare a very healthy for the immune system, but too expensive, are orderly put in boxes. Roots from Jens hen at the total value of 10 000 euros are placed into beautiful polished frames. For most of the thinks there the European not only does not know what they are and for what they are been used, but he also does not dare to ask. Although the Chinese usually gladly share that the huge cucarachas, neatly put on a huge pole are not like the disgusting home creatures in our blocks, but they are been brought up in the rice fields, they are clean and are full of proteins. Brrrrr!
Actually the taste of Hong Kong people, even and young people too, seams to be a little bit pervert, because the hit drink currently is Johnny Walker, black label and green tea with lots of ice in huge jug.
The neighbourhood of the bars is called SoHo and one can see anything around its narrow streets – from Starbucks coffee, traditional Japanese restaurant and classic English pub to street kiosks with burning hot Chinese foods. Plus, let`s add also discos, hotels and clubs. One of the sightseeing of this part of town is the longest escalator in the world – 2,7 endless kilometers up on the hill. /because the whole Hong Kong is situated on a hill, it is almost impossible to see a low-grade boulevard, except in the area around the bay, where are the most expensive houses/.
The south part of the island takes the tourist to “The prince and the beggar”. Although people from the jonks have turned more to an attraction. It is a matter of a huge bay in the foot of the skyscrapers, called Aberdeen, where the first few zones of the port are reserved for and devoted to rich men yachts. Further down is the unbelievable variety of the poor men boats, rusted and battered ships. At them people are born, work, die and they are something like a state in the state – they have their own laws and justice. Before Hong Kong is acquired by China as a free economical zone in 1997, on the jonks /this is how they call the boats-houses/ used to live also all the deserters from the mother country. After expiring of the British – Chinese contract the territory is given back to the biggest socialism country, but it kept not only its economics, but its currency as well. However, it is a preferred destination by the Chinese tourists – according to official data only till the end of may above 12 million visitors have visited and been delighted by Hong Kong. The other bay – Repels Bay is overly long beach with hotels and gold playground. The sand line on the cost is for everybody, but in order to become a gold club member, you need to pay a one time fee of 2 million Hong Kong dollars /$1 – 7,9 HK/, including the year payments too. On the shore of the South Chinese sea is also situated the temple of Lady Buddha. Actually this is how they call a god that is fulfilling desires and has a slightly feminine look. In the temple there is also and a simple figure from black stone, in front of which the queue is never ending. Everybody is striving to touch it and pad it and ritually to put hands in their pocket – this is because they believe they’ll become rich after that.
Well, after you’ve got some cash; you can stop by in the Stenly Market. This is the Mecca of tourists! Here are being sold all those souvenirs that you will take home to your friends and relatives. The Chinese lanterns, personal seals engraved with hieroglyphs of names on stone, cups, plates, ash trays, t-shirts, little figures of Buddha and masques of scary creatures.
Do not miss at any price the adventure Alba Luna. This is a ship with scarlet sails which circulates the bay at night. The play of lights is amazing! The lights of Hong Kong are mirroring in the sky and in the water, while you are drinking your champagne. 8 pm is the start of the symphony of the skyscrapers. Directed by a computer, their artistic illumination makes them scintillate and blinking in tone with the melody that is drifting around the bay. The grand final is a laser show. On the next evening you also won’t be bored after you have been roaming around with delight through the shops of the biggest world trades with prices, flattering for the pocket. The stats that Hong Kong is one of the most expensive cities of the world are been maintained by the prices of the houses and of the square meter ground, and not from the labels of the food for example.
Do not miss the elevating with Peak Tram Ride – a neat railway that takes you to the hill from which you can see the city as on one hand and there are also special platforms for really eternal night photos. Do not miss the dinner at Cafй Deco. There the food is a real masterpiece on a plate and from the old posters on the walls you can see what movies have been broadcasted in Hong Kong in the beginning of 20th century.
On island Lantau is the local branch of Disney land and in Kulluun – Sittito. Thanks to the Olympic games in Peking, whose “horse” ballet was in Hong Kong, here there is an amazing race course.
MAGDALENA GIGOVA, Night Trud
Photos: The Authoress
With the cooperation of the Bulgarian Union of the investors in the field of tourism
September 2008
