If
there was ever a starting line for the East-West lifestyle,
it would surely be found among the islands, banking
institutions and awesome harbor that make up Hong
Kong. Since the handover from England to China in
1997, the city has evolved from the most Eastern of
all British colonies to the most Western of all Chinese
entities.
It's a tension that is playing out beautifully
in modern life, where Sino influences run rife and
where there are even bistros specializing in Manchurian-inspired
cuisine. Streets are a cacophony of old and new, Occident
and Orient, with fish flopping on wet market cutting
boards within sight of British-accented brokers sipping
lattes before corporate meetings. Buying jade, chop-sticking
tan tan mien (spicy Szechuan noodles), doing dim sum
in a Picasso-filled private club, bargaining for Grade
A electronics and outlet shopping for Valentino are
easily done in one day here.
Like New York, Hong Kong is a city built on the pursuit
of dreams. Large handfuls of the moguls who now occupy
the $10 million-plus homes on The Peak are self-made
businessmen who first came to Hong Kong after fleeing
poverty or working-class life in the province of Canton,
a short train ride away. Throughout the centuries,
Hong Kong has hosted all kinds of commerce — pirate booty, sandalwood incense, fish and money markets — and it
has always been of the entrepreneurial, invent-as-you-go
type. This is what makes it such an interesting place
to visit. Along with being a window into the culture
birthed by the Mainland, it is a land of plenty (for
virtually anyone who wants it to be) and flat-out
one of the world's great cities.
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Grand Hyatt Hong Kong |
Hong
Kong has a glut of fine lodging. Your main choice
is whether to stay Kowloon-side or on Hong Kong Island.
Ideally, split your time and do both. In the former? The Peninsula Hong Kong is 76 years
old and every bit as fetching today as it was when
it opened, with its marble-clad interiors, pillar-strewn
lobby in which to take high tea, rooms fit for Mandarin
and Colonial magnates alike and service that rarely
errs. Nearby, at a touch less the cost, the InterContinental
Hong Kong sits literally atop Victoria Harbour
and houses two great restaurants: SPOON by
Alain Ducasse and Yan Toh Heen,
possibly the top haute Cantonese joint in town.
On Hong Kong Island, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is perfectly positioned near some head-turning skyscrapers and at the heart of the shopping district. It's a beau monde magnet that boasts the best concierge and local guidance in town. Design hotel fans who still appreciate the very best service and an unbeatably convenient location in the heart of Central should book into Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel Hong Kong, the more contemporary but no less refined sibling to the original MO. The Grand Hyatt Hong Kong is swish, modern and decadent, clad in wood, black detailing and high-tech gadgetry. It has both Hong Kong and Kowloon views thanks to its location in Wan Chai, plus some of Hong Kong's most delectable gourmet dim sum at the harbor facing One Harbor Road restaurant. Price conscious visitors can take advantage of Wan Chai's charm at The Fleming, a 14-story 66 room boutique hotel with high ceilings, plush beds, generous desk space, aerodynamic office chairs, and indulgent bathrooms with powerful showers that make the intimate guest rooms feel cozy yet complete.
HONG KONG ITINERARY: DAY
1
Hong
Kong is a 24-hour city, no doubt, but it provides
the most peace in the morning, when it's worth
witnessing — or partaking in — one of the
most nuanced activities around: tai chi. On the Kowloon
waterfront just after sunrise, groups of
Chinese practice this energy-smoothing form of meditation/exercise.
Even for regular visitors, it's a sight that's
hard to tire of, and the views from the waterfront
across Victoria Harbor onto the Hong Kong skyline
have a soft and almost Impressionistic quality that
only comes out in the pink, gray and tangerine hues
of light that flirt together in the early hours.
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Tai Chi on the Kowloon Waterfront |
As
Kowloon starts to bustle, it's time to move
on. The twelve-square-kilometer peninsula is filled
with Formica-clad noodle shops, glassy malls, rickety
wooden housing and posh hotels broken up by the odd
verdant public space and temples streaming incense.
The Star Ferry Terminal — a landmark
as much for its positioning as the fact that it offers
what may be the most famous boat ride in the East — is
a good starting point. If you look to the right, you
can easily see the odd geometrical shapes of the Hong
Kong Cultural Centre and a gaggle of museums,
including the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
While all are worth a quick peek, we suggest saving
your energy and making a special trip to the Hong
Kong Heritage Museum, which covers everything
from landscape formation to Cantonese opera and features
probing exhibits on modern food culture and the like.
Across from the museums you can't miss The Peninsula.
Besides a place to sleep and eat, it is a good Kowloon
landmark and a logical starting point for your walk
down Nathan Road. The street is a bit dirty, helter-skelter
with cars, and along the roadsides it is hard to tell
where the steam from dim sum shops ends and the smog
begins. Cheap electronic shops are done up in gaudy
neon, and billboards hang out over the road from nearly
every store. This is the area's central artery.
You could take the entire day to shop its outlets
and explore its side alleys. While tempting, make
sure to take time for the oasis of green that is Kowloon
Park, where British soldiers once barracked,
and the Jamia Masjid India Mosque,
where Chinese Muslims congregate and minarets rise
above the surrounding urban chaos. Do as the locals
do and stop for lunch in one of the many tiny shops
that line the streets — beef noodles are a particular
specialty.
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Jade
Market |
Depending
on your preference, you can shop or market-and-temple-hop
the afternoon away. The Jade Market can be found up Nathan Road on Kansu Street in the
Yau Ma Tei area. It is moderate in size, covered and
full of stalls selling ornaments, earrings, knick-knacks
and even raw jade. Word of warning: don't purchase
too much unless you're an expert. Hotels often
keep lists of which stalls you should purchase from.
Near the market is the Tin Hau Temple where Hong Kong's beloved local goddess, Tin
Hau (Goddess of the Sea) shares space with two other
deities, Shing Wong (God of the City) and To Tei (God
of the Earth). Another must-see is Reclamation Street where Chinese commerce is
on display in all its yelping and cluttered glory:
herbalists, snake product stalls, kite shops, funeral
parlors and a food market.
After all that activity, it's time to move on to what may be the best part your trip: high tea at The Peninsula. Reserve ahead if possible or endure a queue of up to 30 minutes amidst a high-ceilinged lobby that pulses with Cantonese speaking power players, Asian jet setters and a splash of Western tourists, not to mention a decadent amount of Pu-Erh tea, scones and finger sandwiches on silver trays, all accompanied by live classical music. Most of your shopping desires will be fulfilled on Hong Kong side but nip into the new Brother & Sister Concept Store from actual siblings Gilbert & Cindy Yeung who have brought a bevy of cult and under the radar fashion brands from around the world to this concept spot complete with invitingly large, plush leather chairs and sofas plus a chic cocktail bar.
For dinner, book a table at Hutong in the One Peking Road building, which is shaped like an enormous industrial steel-and-glass sail. Owned by Calvin Yeung and Mabel Wong, the first couple of a modern Chinese restaurant movement afoot in Hong Kong, this dramatic space has windows that gaze onto the cityscape over the harbor and rooms filled with antiques from Beijing, Henan and Zhuahai. The food showcases influences from Northern Chinese provinces in dishes such as deep-fried lamb ribs with soy-chile dip and bamboo clams scented with rose water. Pre- or post-dinner, carve out the fifteen minutes starting from 8 p.m. to soak up the Symphony of Lights. The Guinness record breaking sound and lights extravaganza turns Hong Kong's urban jungle into a futuristic beauty pageant starring its waterfront skyscrapers, emceed in Mandarin Chinese. Discerning locals watch from the Star Ferry or Tsim Sha Tsui harbor side promenade, agreeing that the disco lights make even imposing structures like Sir Norman Foster's Bank of China building look rather groovy.
Stay up late over drinks at either Aqua, one floor above Hutong, or Felix in The Peninsula Hong Kong. They both get very glamorous after dark and offer a peek into the city's legendary high life.
Continue to Day 2
MORE
HONG KONG INFORMATION |
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All images courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
(Updated: 12/22/11 BLS) |
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