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Hong Kong - Pearl of the Orient

If you want to savor the delicacy of the East, marinated in a Western sauce, come to Hong Kong where the exotic East go hand in hand with contemporary West to form a dynamic city. The city is vibrant with spectacular sightseeing, sensational shopping and an array of fabulous food. The colonial history of Hong Kong is overshadowed by the Chinese experience to give you a new culture that is neither imported from the British Isles nor Chinese, but something totally utopian.

Geographically too, Hong Kong is one of the most interesting cities. The total area of present day Hong Kong extends to well over 2,916 square kilometers of which only about one third is land mass, the rest being waterways. The principal island of Hong Kong is mostly hilly where the Victoria Harbor works as its center of gravity. The entire territory is divided into four main areas. They are…

• The Hong Kong island
• Kowloon
• The New territories
• The outlying islands

Urban areas are mostly around the harbor, which occupy the northern and the southern shores. To begin with, the harbor was just about a mile, but it has been made bigger by reclaiming. The urban areas have some of the biggest hotels, shopping malls and entertainment areas in the orient. Some structures in Hong Kong and Kowloon are simply breathtaking. Hong Kong is a busy commercial center where people earn handsomely and spend money like a King, making it a happening place.

Entertainment in Hong Kong is on a lavish scale. Stars from Walt Disney’s classic animated films come to life everyday in Disney On Parade, a moving spectacle in Hong Kong Disney Park. Disney celebrities like Mickey, Minnie, Snow White, Mermaid, Woody, Jessie and others perform in the daily parade that winds throughout most of the Theme Park.

Transportation in Hong Kong is a breeze. The city boasts of an excellent public transport network. Normally, the Octopus Card is ideal when traveling in Hong Kong and “Octopus” with “MTR” and “Buses” is the dream team of Hong Kong transportation to reach most parts of the city.

Hong Kong’s unique attractions include the Central Mid Levels Escalator. It is the world’s longest covered outdoor escalator, stretching over 2,624 feet through the heart of the city where tens of thousands of people ride it every day. The craze has gone up to such an extent that a great “Escalator Culture” has sprung up alongside. There are cafes, restaurants, shops and many more along the escalator route.

While visiting the pearl of the Orient, don’t forget to fill your belly up to your heart’s content. And while in China (because now Hong Kong is very much in China) do what the Chinese do. Cantonese or Guangdong food is good for everybody. It is mostly stemed, boiled or stri-fried. Also it is quite healthy since it uses minimum oil. The main ingredients of Guangdong food are seafood, pork, chicken and vegetables. You may need white rice to make it a bellyful. However, beware of Cantonese food as it is said… “The Cantonese eat everything that flies barring an aircraft, everything on the ground except motor cars and scooters and everything in water except ocean liners.” Never mind old saying. Take a Dim Sum for breakfast and a Beijing Duck for dinner.