111 Places in Hong Kong that you shouldn't miss: Reiseführer
()
About this ebook
Features interesting and unusual places not found in traditional travel guides .
From zero to hundred in 175 years – no other metropolis has as compressed and chequered a history as Hong Kong, with its striking and seamless blend of eastern and western cultures. Famous for its cosmopolitan nightlife, cutting-edge fashion, culinary sophistication, and entertainment, Hong Kong also conceals a trove of lesser-known and unpredictable experiences. More than 260 islands and country parks as far as the eye can see … who would expect such breathtaking natural beauty in one of the most densely populated cities on Earth? Step off the beaten path to explore Hong Kong's hidden heart. Discover what compels locals to stand in a line that snakes around the corner every morning at 4:30am, and from which "Great Wall of China" you will find a wonderful view over the South China Sea. Learn what gas lanterns have to do with the bubonic plague, and visit a place where 1,000,000 HK$ for a golf cart seems like a bargain. From secluded beaches to wishing trees, prepare to be surprised, delighted, and amazed.
Entdecken Sie versteckte Orte und Geschichten abseits der bekannten Pfade, die den wahren Charakter Hongkongs enthüllen.
Von null auf hundert in 175 Jahren – keine andere Metropole hat eine so komprimierte und bewegte Geschichte, in keiner anderen Metropole vereinen sich östliche und westliche Kultur so eindrucksvoll und harmonisch wie in Hongkong. Berühmt für das Nachtleben, die innovative Mode, die kulinarische Raffinesse und das Entertainment, hält Hongkong auch weitere weniger bekannte und unvorhersehbare Erlebnisse bereit.
Erkunden Sie Hongkongs verstecktes Herz abseits der touristischen Pfade. Finden Sie heraus, was die Anwohner dazu bringt, sich in einer Schlange anzustellen, die jeden Morgen schon um 4.30 Uhr um ganze Häuserecken reicht.
Related to 111 Places in Hong Kong that you shouldn't miss
Related ebooks
Fodor's Hong Kong: with a Side Trip to Macau Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pocket Rough Guide Hong Kong & Macau (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insight Guides Experience Hong Kong (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHong Kong Tuttle Travel Pack: Your Guide to Hong Kong's Best Sights for Every Budget Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings111 Places in Dublin that you must not miss Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Hong Kong Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Pocket Hong Kong Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings100 Tokyo Sights: Discover Tokyo's Hidden Gems Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings111 Places in Edinburgh that you shouldn't miss Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeoul Book of Everything: Everything You Wanted to Know About Seoul and Were Going to Ask Anyway Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings111 Places in York that you shouldn't miss Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Pocket Shanghai Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Pocket London Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Insight Guides City Guide Hong Kong (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Pocket Tokyo Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFodor's Madrid: with Seville and Granada Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rough Guide to Singapore (Travel Guide with Free eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bangkok Walking Tours Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Pocket Toronto Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTokyo - Capital of Cool: Tokyo's Most Famous Sights from Asakusa to Harajuku Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHong Kong - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Hong Kong & Macau Travel Adventures Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Etiquette Guide to China: Know the Rules that Make the Difference! Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lonely Planet Seoul Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings101 Weekends in Europe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hong Kong Travel Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGreen Mangoes and Lemon Grass: Southeast Asia's Best Recipes from Bangkok to Bali Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLittle Book of Tokyo Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Little Book of Kyoto Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Asia Travel For You
Dishoom: The first ever cookbook from the much-loved Indian restaurant Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Kerala Kitchen, Expanded Edition: Recipes and Recollections from the Syrian Christians of South India Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mediocre Monk: A Stumbling Search for Answers in a Forest Monastery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Learn Khmer: Start Speaking Today. Absolute Beginner to Conversational Speaker Made Simple and Easy! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Last Yakuza: life and death in the Japanese underworld Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCool Japan Guide: Fun in the Land of Manga, Lucky Cats and Ramen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Basic Tagalog: (Audio Recordings Included) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEasy Thai: Learn to Speak Thai Quickly (Includes Downloadable Audio) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Great Railway Bazaar: By Train Through Asia Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Elementary Tagalog: Tara, Mag-Tagalog Tayo! Come On, Let's Speak Tagalog! (Online Audio Download Included) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings1000 Japanese Flash Cards: For Smart Phones and E-Readers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lonely Planet Japan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Live Japanese Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lonely Planet Tokyo Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat Really Happened In Wuhan: A Virus Like No Other, Countless Infections, Millions of Deaths Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Elementary Hindi: Learn to Communicate in Everyday Situations (Audio Recordings Included Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5India - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lonely Planet Bangkok Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tagalog Stories for Language Learners: Folktales and Stories in Filipino and English (Free Online Audio) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBasic Korean: Learn to Speak Korean in 19 Easy Lessons (Companion Online Audio and Dictionary) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fodor's Essential Japan Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBushido Code - The Way Of The Warrior In Modern Times Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for 111 Places in Hong Kong that you shouldn't miss
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
111 Places in Hong Kong that you shouldn't miss - Kathrin Bielfeldt
111 Places in Hong Kong That You Shouldn’t Miss
Kathrin Bielfeldt and Raymond Wong
emons: Verlag
Imprint
© Emons Verlag GmbH // 2016
All rights reserved
Text: Kathrin Bielfeldt and Raymond Wong
© Photographs: Jürgen Bürger, except Beef & Liberty (place 4): Beef and Liberty Ltd; Central Market (place 13): Chan See Ting; Opus Hong Kong (place 67): Swire Properties; Sammy’s Kitchen (place 82): Mogens Andersen; Tsui Wah (place 102): Raymond Wong; Wang Fu (place 105): Chan See Ting © Cover icon: supakitmod/depositphotos.com
Design: Emons Verlag
Maps based on data by Openstreetmap, © Openstreet Map-participants, ODbL
ISBN 978-3-96041-172-7
eBook of the original print edition published by Emons Verlag
Did you enjoy it? Do you want more? Join us in uncovering new places around the world on: www.111places.com
Table of contents
Foreword
1_Arch Angel Antiques |
Better than a museum
2_Art Supermarket |
Pick up a picture
3_Avenue of Comic Stars |
The hands that created them …
4_Beef & Liberty |
All about burgers and gridiron buttons
5_Betsy |
Homecoming of an old lady
6_Bibo |
Art picked off the streets
7_Blue House |
Power to the people
8_Bridges Street |
Water, but not a bridge in sight
9_Casadei |
Rediscovering a forgotten artist
10_Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception |
A corner of Italy in Hong Kong
11_Cattle Depot Artist Village |
The wide arch of history
12_Central Ferry Pier |
A building with a moving history
13_Central Market |
Classic Streamline Moderne architecture
14_Chancery Lane |
A small alley behind the prison wall
15_Chater Road |
The first steps onto new land
16_Chinese Arts & Crafts |
Chinese craftsmanship at its best
17_Chu Wing Kee Store |
Made with pride in Hong Kong
18_Chungking Mansions |
Home to the world
19_Colonial Mailboxes |
A piece of living history
20_Comix Homebase |
Starting point of the Wan Chai Heritage Trail
21_Discovery Bay |
Where golf carts go for US$129,000
22_The Double Oval |
A widely travelled sculpture
23_Duck Shing Ho Bakery |
What makes people queue at 4.30 in the morning?
24_Duddell Street |
Rats and lanterns
25_Financial District |
Very different at weekends
26_The Flying Frenchman |
The hidden angel on the promenade
27_Foo Tak Building |
Art on the up and up
28_Former Kowloon British School |
Hijacking the spirit of education
29_The Fringe Club |
Theatre and all that jazz
30_Government House |
The big puzzle
31_Gutzlaff Street |
A German language genius on a larger mission
32_The Helena May |
The legacy of the suffragettes
33_HKWalls |
If you have the wall, they have the art
34_The Horizon Plaza |
Bargain hunting in an old factory building
35_The HSBC |
The cathedral of capitalism
36_Hysan Place |
A change of perspective
37_IFC Mall Roof Garden |
Out in the sunshine in the middle of town
38_Jamia Mosque |
An oasis of calm
39_Jao Tsung-I Academy |
A different computation of time
40_Jardine House |
The house of a thousand coins
41_The JCCAC |
Myriad artists under one big roof
42_The John Osborn Statue |
The story of a hero
43_The Kadoorie Farm |
A tangerine tree and its consequences
44_Kau Ling Chung |
A most secluded campsite
45_Kom Tong Hall |
A not-so-thoroughly classical monument
46_Kubrick and Broadway |
The mecca of film aficionados
47_Kwan Tai Temple |
The art of the potter
48_The Lily |
Asia’s richest woman and her feng shui master
49_Lin Heung Tea House |
A tradition with a difference
50_Lock Cha Tea House |
A paradise for tea lovers
51_Lugard Road |
The higher the better
52_Lui Seng Chun |
A much-loved building
53_Mama Chau |
Heavy on heat, light on the wallet
54_Maritime Museum |
All hands on deck
55_Mavericks |
Beach life in Pui O
56_Methodist Church |
In the end, churches are just companies
57_Mini Great Wall |
The Cheung Chau Family Trail
58_Mui Wo |
The art of slowing down
59_Murray House |
What became of the old barracks
60_Nan Lian Garden |
Breathtakingly beautiful
61_Nathan Road |
In praise of the neon tube
62_Ngong Ping |
An architect with a vision
63_Oi! Art Space |
Creative freedom at US$2.50 per square metre
64_Old Mental Hospital |
The 111th monument
65_Old Stanley Police Station |
Tiger hunting in Hong Kong?
66_Old Trees |
Afforestation – English style
67_Opus Hong Kong |
Where you would be happy to own a closet
68_Pak Tai Temple |
The most beautiful picnic table in Hong Kong
69_Pak Tsz Lane Park |
Cutting off the old pigtail
70_Parsee Cemetery |
A very pragmatic solution
71_Peng Chau Island |
Looking back on a long history
72_Ping Shan |
Discovering Hong Kong’s first heritage trail
73_Police Married Quarters |
Perfect conditions
74_Possession Point Hill |
Where Hong Kong became British
75_Qing Stone Tablet |
Fighting back against authority
76_Queen’s Road West |
Honouring the ancestors
77_Rednaxela Terrace |
Chinglish and other confusions
78_The Repulse Bay Hotel |
The Riviera of the Orient
79_The Rock Carvings |
It began long before the British
80_St Andrew’s Church |
A rare group of buildings in neo-Gothic style
81_St Joseph’s Church |
All good things come in threes
82_Sammy’s Kitchen |
Where’s the beef?
83_SARS Memorial |
Heroes in white coats
84_Sha Tin Heritage Museum |
A visit to the opera
85_Shanghai Street |
An El Dorado of culinary hardware
86_Shek Kip Mei |
A fire and a very rare find
87_Signal Hill |
A hill with a German past
88_Silvermine Waterfall |
No silver, but an outhouse
89_The Sing Lee Factory |
No construction site, even if it looks like one
90_The Stoep |
The oldest South African restaurant in Hong Kong
91_The Tai Chi Series |
In serenity is strength
92_Tai O Heritage Hotel |
Nine bullet holes
93_Tai Ping Shan |
The telegram was faster
94_Taikoo Artwalk |
Kevin Fung - living the dream
95_Taikoo Shing |
Skating, sachets of sugar and a cable car
96_Tak Sun School |
Bruce Lee’s yellow jumpsuit
97_Tamar Park |
A park with a past
98_Tanka Boat People |
A life at sea
99_To Tsu Kok |
A curious little shop on Peng Chau
100_Tony’s Photo Shop |
A small shop with a long history
101_Trappist Monastery |
Contemplating the silence
102_Tsui Wah |
The Cantonese take on European food
103_The Tung Wah Group |
More than just a hospital
104_Vertical Art Space |
Keep-fit arts trail
105_Wang Fu Restaurant |
Dumplings à la carte
106_Whampoa Shopping Centre |
On the site of the old docks
107_Wing Lee Street |
How a film saved a street
108_Wing Wo Bee Farm in Sha Tin |
Honey and clever bees
109_The Wishing Tree |
Wishing on a plastic tree
110_Wontonmeen |
Ambassadors of design
111_Yau Ma Tei Theatre |
Cantonese operas and erotica
Gallery
Maps
Foreword
On January 26, 2016, Hong Kong turned 175.
To really see behind the façade of this young and magnificent city, you have to look back to the very beginning. So, imagine the following situation: in 1841 a handful of British and a couple of Europeans, most of them merchants, plus some military troops, founded a colony on a relatively barren island, thinly populated apart from a few small fishing villages. None of the occupants ascribes any real importance to this belligerently acquired island; in their eyes it is only a stopover for the merchant vessels on their way up the coast, heading to China’s harbours, which had been recently (and forcibly) opened for trade.
But contrary to their expectations, a growing number of Chinese, mostly craftsmen and merchants, have a very different view. Their home country is in rapid decline, ruined by wars, rebellions, opium addiction, and corruption. Hong Kong offers them the chance of a new beginning and they grasp it in their thousands. Hong Kong’s history will be significantly shaped by the waves of refugees that follow until the 1960s. Within a couple of years, 90 per cent of the population of Hong Kong is Chinese. Just as Chinese speak no English, so hardly any European speaks Chinese. Their cultures and traditions couldn’t be more different.
In this way, two parallel societies develop, with only a limited amount of racial interaction. However, although the British are in the driver’s seat, they grant a great deal of freedom to the Chinese population and abusive exploitation of Chinese labourers is kept within limits. The Chinese make dramatic use of this freedom, maintaining strong links with their roots in China, but taking the best from both worlds to create, in an amazingly short time, the most fascinating and likeable megacity in the world.
View full image
1_Arch Angel Antiques
Better than a museum
If you are interested in relics of bygone days, there are always museums where objects are usually protected by glass. Or you could go for the real thing and do what curators from museums all over the US and Europe are doing - take the direct route to Hollywood Road in SoHo, the source of many museum exhibits.
At SoHo you’ll find a row of well-organised antique shops, like Arch Angel, opened in 1992 by Koos and Bonnie Groot. This massive emporium of more than 500 square metres and stretching out over three levels comprises an exhibition space that contains only the finest collectibles, pottery figurines, porcelain, and Asian art. Arch Angel’s managing director is a member of the Antique Board of the Hong Kong Art Craft Merchants Association, which assesses antiques and issues a certificate of authenticity.
Info
Address G/F 53-55 Hollywood Road, Central, Tel +852 2851 6848 | Public Transport MTR Island Line (blue), Central, Exit D2 or Sheung Wan, Exit E1 | Hours Mon-Sat 9.30am-6.30pm, Sun to 6pm| Tip For those on a small budget, Cat Street offers a variety of attractive souvenirs from the recent past.
To check the authenticity of a pottery figurine, a small, drilled sample is taken from somewhere inconspicuous. The samples are dated using the scientific technique of thermoluminescence, or the radiocarbon method. Depending on the amount of radioactivity accumulated in the material over the years, the age can be determined.
But collectors need to be cautious, as counterfeiters are clever - they buy large fragments of broken old figurines, explained Ms Groot, and turn them into new smaller ones. Or they modify a work by reattaching a foot or an arm in a more interesting and therefore more valuable pose. Another indication of the authenticity of a piece is the documentation provided by the antique dealer, where red lines show the location of fractures before restoration, as it is rare for pottery to survive undamaged for hundreds of years.
A reliable antique dealer is an expert who knows the provenance of the pieces offered and who should have been in the business for a substantial time, trading under the same shop name.
Nearby
Pak Tsz Lane Park (0.031 mi)
Police Married Quarters (0.068 mi)
Gutzlaff Street (0.099 mi)
Lin Heung Tea House (0.106 mi)
To the online map
To the beginning of the chapter
View full image
2_Art Supermarket
Pick up a picture
Back
Until the late 1960s, Hong Kong had just a single gallery. Today there are countless art venues and major players like Gagosian and White Cube have been represented in Hong Kong for many years. Art Basel has even responded to the increased demand for contemporary Asian art with the opening of a local presence.
In Hong Kong just about everything revolves around money. Money needs to be cultivated in a way that makes the most sense economically, and those who already own an electric lawn mower as a status symbol often invest in art. (This, in fact, is no joke, as someone who needs a lawnmower has a correspondingly large lawn. And at prices of €10,000 per square metre for a building plot in fringe areas, gardens don’t come cheap.)
Info
Address G/F, 1 Prince’s Terrace, Mid-Levels, Tel +852 9422 6120, www.artsupermarketasia.com | Public Transport MTR Island Line (blue), Central, D2; just next to Central Mid-Levels Escalator | Hours Tue–Sat 1pm–8pm, Sun, Mon & public holidays by appointment| Tip If you take the escalators up to Robinson Road, and go west for about 400 yards, you will reach the Ohel Leah, Hong Kong’s oldest synagogue.
The Art Supermarket at Mid-Levels takes a new route. The idea is to integrate art into everyday life and to allow a wider audience to surround themselves with it.
Everybody is familiar with the concept of the supermarket, so the space is unintimidating. The gallery hopes that customers’ curiosity will overcome some of their inhibitions. Even the name implies that paintings and sculpture don’t have to be expensive, just as exorbitant prices don’t inevitably express a high appreciation for the artist. And it is not unusual for high-priced art to end up in vaults as sober investment decisions.
A native of Switzerland, gallery owner Michael Manzardo, who sees himself as a curator rather than an art dealer, focuses on emerging Chinese artists, many of whom have never been exhibited outside China. The mixture of contemporary paintings and sculptures at the Art Supermarket is unconventional and relaxed - pictures in stacks lean against the walls, or pile up in a shopping cart, and the inauguration of a new exhibition is often accompanied by a life art performance.
The only thing you won’t be able to do is pay with the Octopus Card.
Nearby
Rednaxela Terrace (0.025 mi)
Jamia Mosque (0.043 mi)
Chancery Lane (0.112 mi)
Kom Tong Hall (0.13 mi)
To the online map
To the beginning of the chapter
View full image
3_Avenue of Comic Stars
The hands that created them …
Back
There’s a rather beautiful and sizeable park in what could be called the heart of Kowloon, right at Nathan Road in the frenetic surroundings of Tsim Sha Tsui. Although the entrance is wide, you might not notice it as you pass by, as the steps leading to the park begin in a shopping plaza. The shops here have a living green roof and they form a kind of an embankment that shields the park area from the busy street.
Established in 1970, Kowloon Park is located on the grounds of the old Whitfield Barracks. Since 2012 a new attraction has been added: the Hong Kong Avenue of Comic Stars.
Info
Address Kowloon Park, entrance at the level of 120 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | Public Transport MTR Tsuen Wan Line (red), Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Exit A1; Bus 606S, Park Lane Shopper’s Boulevard | Tip On the streetmarkets around Kowloon (Ladies’ Market, Temple Street Night Market) and in some specialised collectors’ shops you can find a wide variety of comic figures for sale.
Comics, especially Kung Fu comics, are as much part of Hong Kong’s popular culture as Mickey Mouse is to America. The avenue consists of 24 larger-than-life figures of local comic stars and 10 bronze casts of their creators’ hands.
One of the figures is Tiger Wong, from Tiger and Dragon Heroes (formerly Little Rascals), a Kung Fu comic about the lives of young people living in the rundown surroundings of housing estates in a big city. They are drawn by the originator of all Hong Kong comics, Tony Wong Yuk-long, also known as Huang Yulang. Born in 1950, he began drawing at the age of 13 and in 1969 he hit the bull’s eye with Little Rascals, of which the first edition alone sold 7,000 copies. In 1987, almost 20 years later, he was the most important comic artist of Hong Kong. In the 1980s, a veritable comic boom developed, triggered by the