“There were streets, narrow and crowded with people and vehicles. Above them flashed neon lights and blinking billboards of every colour, shape and size. Some ran up the sides of the buildings, others blinked on and off in store windows. In the space above the sidewalk, higher than a double decker bus, hung flashing neon lights in bright pink, yellow, red, blue, orange, green and white. Yes, if white could be whiter than white, it was when it was neon, Hong Mei thought. She knew Nathan Road in Kowloon was famous for its neon lights.” – B.L. Sauder, Year of the Golden Dragon
In August this year I was lucky to be invited to Hong Kong as a delegate of the Harvard Project for Asia and International Relations (HPAIR) – Asian chapter. After having spent time in both New York and Singapore I was intrigued to see what kind of city or rather what combination of these two would Hong Kong be? Would it have the cosmopolitan melting pot of New York? Would it have the order of Singapore? Would I be disappointed?
Well now that I look back, Hong Kong is the perfect combination of all my favourite cities. It has the skyscrapers of New York (more rather), it has the chaos of Bombay and it has the order and discipline of Singapore. Yes it is an oxymoron of a city. And it is probably unfair to just go there for a few days as it does n’t give you enough time to soak in and absorb the symphonies of varied existences, but again it is better than never visiting the Pearl of the Ocean at all!
My few days in Hong Kong were spent mostly in walking around and exploring the madness and going to Lantau Island and Macau both of which can be squeezed in day or extended more really depending upon your interests and time on your hand.
Lantau Island
This is the biggest island in the territory at around 25 kilometres across and it has something to interest all kinds of people. From Disneyland at its north coast to the Po Lin monastery with the Big Buddha, to Tai-O the small fishing village and its pink dolphins!
One can reach Lantau Island by taking the metro to Tung Chung. The line runs pretty much parallel to the airport express line. Once at Tung Chung station a few hundred metres away is the Ngong Ping cable car station. It is definitely worth it to take the cable car ride once for the splendid views it offers especially on clear days. I was lucky to have only waited for about 45 minutes from entering the cable car station to purchasing my ticket and finally to get a car to sit in. But I knew people who had waited for close to 1.5 to 2 hours for the same. So depending upon the season one is visiting in and the day of the week it could be preferable to book the tickets online and then just collect them at the station, especially if going in a big group. A one way cable car ticket cost me about 130 HKD and it is probably the only major expense on public transport since the metro to Tung Chung and the buses in Lantau are reasonable affordable.
The views from the cable car are absolutely gorgeous! One can see the clear coasts, the ferries, the airport, the ridiculously cramped and symmetrical high-rises, and the long Lantau Trail below amidst the lush vegetation and finally the Tian Tan Buddha. After about 20-30 minutes the cable car drops you off at the Po Lin Monastery which is at the base of the Lantau Peak. A lot of people usually stay overnight and climb the peak to catch sunrise. One has to walk through a promenade of souvenir shops and restaurants for a few metres and the head of the Buddha can be seen all the way till the base of the steps which actually lead you to the huge, beatific Tian Tan Buddha. The entire courtyard is also pockmarked with statues of mythical generals. Though not many in number but with the heat climbing up the stairs to reach the Budhha does make you stop and gasp for breath! But the views from the top are worth the lack of oxygen enroute! One can also see the Lantau Peak, one of the highest in Hong Kong.
Right at the base of the Budhha is the bus stop from where bus # 11 goes to Tai-O. Tai-O is a tiny, sleepy fishing village offering stark contrast when compared to busy Hong Kong just about an hour away. One can walk around its tiny alleys with cats and dogs lazing on the streets and locals selling all sorts of sea food and other food items. For me the highlight of the day was taking a boat ride and actually seeing pink dolphins off the coast which are found only in the Pearl Delta estuary region. They came into the radar only recently due to the development of the airport and the following land reclamation. Though it did look like with the land reclamation and also the waste flowing into the waters their numbers could be harmed but there are efforts being made for their conservation. I would have loved to take a few pictures but these dolphins were too fast! So the pink dolphins remain in my heart!
Finally I took the bus back to Ngong Ping station and walked to catch the metro back home. With the Tian Tan Budhha looming overhead, the picturesque cable car ride, the sleepy village of Tai-O and its pink dolphins, Lantau Island is definitely a place to check out.
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