HONG KONG
– where new attractions entice and shopping rules. Gael Arthur©

Just when it seems that Hong Kong has it all, three or four new attractions come on stream. This year is no exception, but this time around, the big news is the magnitude of the projects.

 

Here is a quick summary – as you read it, you will realize that Hong Kong is doing all the right things to become the destination of choice for all of Asia (the world, perhaps?)

 

Without question, the most anticipated attraction is the Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail from the base of Lantau Island up to the world’s largest seated Buddha.

Although we saw cable cars gliding smoothly along the 5.7 km long cable, the ride was in the final testing stages, which prevented us from actually riding the long-awaited cable car. Instead we drove along the scenic road.

 

Along with the ubiquitous shops and kiosks, Ngong Ping Village offers a tea house and the Monkey’s Tale Theatre, where a charming Buddhist fable gets an entertaining high tech treatment.

Nearby, the newly opened Wisdom Path offers a glimpse into the serenity of Buddhism, through the trees up to a spectacular vista.

Follow the path around 38 wooden obelisks, each eight to ten metres high, inscribed with the famous Buddhist prayer, the Heart sutra (Prajna-paramita).

The skyrail opened on September 18th.

 

Hong Kong Disneyland opened in September, 2005. The magic of Disney has been successfully brought to life on Lantau Island.


Most of the popular rides are here, and judging from the crowds, the regular parades are just as important in this Disney outpost as in the original Anaheim location.

A no-cost Fastpass system is in place for many of the main attractions, so with a bit of planning, line-ups are minimized. There is a Disneyland Hotel, complete with costume-clad staff and all the little touches that make things familiar and comfortable.

The only downside? No Pirates of the Caribbean ride, so not much chance of running into Johnnie Depp, or even a reasonable facsimile.

Initially, it seems a bit strange to see the Hong Kong Wetland Park located against a backdrop of the scores of 60 storey apartment buildings in the Tin Shui Wai New Town Development. But this contrast between dense population and nature is a common one in Hong Kong.

The education centre offers exceptional interactive educational displays, suitable for children of all ages (our group of journalists had fun and learned a lot). The focus is wetlands, but displays also deal with human interaction with nature, helping people understand the impact of civilization on nature. Since opening in May, the Wetland Park has been attracting sell-out crowds regularly.

Shopping, of course, remains one of Hong Kong’s biggest drawing cards. Now entering its third year, the Hong Kong Shopping Festival (June 24 – August 31st) is symbolic of a diversion that can become addictive.

Stroll through the signature shops of Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Gucci, Prada and several hundred more stunning retailers in the Harbour City Mall, connected to the cruise ship terminal and bookended by luxurious Marco Polo Hotels (where service seems to anticipate needs). You will feel as if you are one of the rich and famous.

 

The cacophony of the Temple Street Night Market, where bargaining is the rule, will entertain you if you are not overwhelmed first. The Stanley Market, with its little stalls offering high quality good for great prices, will put your baggage weight limits at risk. (3 for 100 HK dollars?

Wait a minute: that is less than $5 a shirt! I’ll take six.)

The wet market at Tai Po will astonish you with exquisite displays of fish, fruits, vegetables, all interspersed with clothing, kitchen goods and pretty much anything you might want or need.

Entire shops jammed with hundreds of orchids in full bloom in the Mong Kok Flower Market will numb your senses.

There are some important practical details about Hong Kong. First: Access. Named Airline of the Year once again in 2006 by OAG (Official Airline Guide) from a field of 40 nominees, Cathay Pacific is the natural choice for Hong Kong, offering both convenient flight times and the best chance at convenient connections throughout Asia.

For example, with Cathay’s two flights daily from Vancouver, you can time your arrival in Hong Kong for the morning to get a head start on the day, or for early evening, perfect for checking in, having a light meal and a normal sleep (the latter being an excellent way to adapt to the new time zone quickly).

Other international cities have similar or better access, making the transportation side of things as easy as possible. (If you are lucky enough to have access to the business class lounge – and have finished all your last-minute shopping - it’s a wonderful escape from airport chaos, complete with a restaurant offering a selection of noodles cooked to order.

For those anxious to get back to a Western frame of mind, excellent sandwiches and quality wine offerings are also available.)

Cathay’s multi-lingual staff understands how varied the needs of their passengers are – some regulars get on board and immediately hunker down for a sleep. At the opposite end of the spectrum, others are ready for a gourmet food and entertainment extravaganza.



Most people fall somewhere in between, sleeping for a chunk of the flight, but also being tantalized by outstanding food and beverages (some of the best airline food I have had in years), along with personal TVs and a huge selection of movies and music, both new releases and classics.

Perhaps the most striking thing about Hong Kong is the cleanliness. Big cities in warm climates are generally better known for the unusual smells emanating from alleys, but Hong Kong is bordering on spotless. There were a lot of positive lessons learned from the SARS crisis and it’s fair to say that big port cities like Vancouver could learn a lot from Hong Kong’s hygiene programme, which include twice daily garbage collection.

And finally, the key to a great trip to Hong Kong: There is so much going on, you need to just take it all in and enjoy. Within a day or two, you won’t just be taking it in; you will be an active participant!

Report by Gael Arthur

---

 

Useful links:

Hong Kong Tourism – this site has pretty much everything you could want in a tourism web site: www.discoverhongkong.com

Cathay Pacific: http://www.cathaypacific.com

Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail: http://www.np360.com.hk

Hong Kong Disneyland: http://park.hongkongdisneyland.com