If there is one thing about Hong Kong that I really like, it’s that it is always moving, always changing. For a photographer like me, movement and change are what I try to capture in photos.
If I have a story to tell, I let my photos do the talking.
Armed with my favorite camera, I shot my way through Hong Kong recently as I got a peek at “Hong Kong Summer Temptations” organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). The promo, ongoing until Sept. 21, includes selected shopping malls and department stores that have special offers and activities to make summer in Hong Kong perfect. If you shop with your Visa card you can join the Visa “Million Dollar Travel Bonanza” lucky draw and take home fantastic prizes, too.
As I went around Hong Kong with Frederic Cheung of HKTB, I discovered so much about Hong Kong that I hadn’t experienced before. I also found out about the “Explore Hong Kong Stamp Rally.”
“It’s really a fun stamp rally game,” said Frederic. “As you explore Hong Kong’s unique living culture and heritage, enjoy the city’s green side or go sightseeing, don’t forget to get a stamp from any three of the participating spots. Stick these three stamps in your Pass and redeem a Wing Wah Sweety Delicacies Box-set.”
The “Explore Hong Kong Stamp Rally” pass can be obtained from any of the 18 participating spots or from the “MTR Summer Temptations Tourist Guide” upon purchase of any MTR tourist ticket at MTR stations except Racecourse Station and Light Rail stations, or from the “Hong Kong Summer Temptations Leaflet” distributed for free at any HKTB visitor center.
1. OLYMPICS ON MY MIND. It was exciting to get a glimpse of how Hong Kong is preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as it will be host to the equestrian events. The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are partners in this endeavor. The Jockey Club has invested HK$1.2 billion (US$150 million) in building and outfitting the 2008 Olympic equestrian venues. The club is also sponsoring Hong Kong’s first-ever Olympic team riders and the Club’s Equestrian Youth Ambassador Program, which includes both Hong Kong and Beijing students in an online global campaign where photos can be submitted to cheer on Hong Kong’s Olympic athletes.
The jumping and dressage events for the Olympics will be in the Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Venue (Shatin) at 25 Yuen Wo Road, Sha Tin, New Territories. The Cross-Country test of the eventing competition, meanwhile, will be held at the Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Venue (Beas River), Beas River Country Club, Sheung Shui, New Territories.
The Shatin venue is a 100-meter by 80-meter all-weather sand arena, with a capacity for 18,000 spectators. Apart from the main facilities, there will also be warm-up facilities for the horses. Other facilities are an air-conditioned building on the side of the core venue, which will be used as the competition management headquarters, VIP reception area, and accommodation for the grooms.
The Beas River Country Club where the cross-country event will be held is a 5.7-km. temporary cross-country track 10 meters in width. The venue also includes warm-up and cool-down areas and a temporary stable block for 80 horses.
There are 13 practice arenas for jumping and dressage. For cross-country training there are three training facilities which include one 800-meter turf cross-country training track; one 800-meter riverside galloping track; and one 1,000-meter all-weather bridle path.
2. AVENUE OF THE STARS. After all the horse talk, Frederic brought us to our first stamp-collecting stop, the Avenue of Stars. I was starstruck as I discovered that there are so many Hong Kong movie stars and that Hong Kong has a 100-year history in filmmaking.
Bruce Lee, Jacky Cheung, Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat, Gong Li, and the list goes on. It cost about HK$40 million to build the Avenue of Stars, a project supported by the HKTB, Tourism Commission, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong government, and the Hong Kong Film Awards Association. The avenue was opened in 2004.
The Avenue of Stars is at the eastern node of several tourist attractions along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. A number of attractions including the Museum of Art, Space Museum, Cultural Center and the Clock Tower are located in the same area.
As part of the stars of Hong Kong, a large replica of the 2008 Summer Olympics torch will be on permanent display there soon.
The Avenue of the Stars is at Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, which stretches along the waterfront from the southern end of Salisbury Garden to the New World Centre, Kowloon. Sticker collection point: Avenue of Stars Kiosk No. 2.
3. HONG KONG DISNEYLAND. It was on to Hong Kong Disneyland after all the stargazing. It’s A Small World is one of the newest attractions there. The ride features audio-animatronic children figures representing different nations and singing the ride’s title track.
Hong Kong Disneyland was also filled with 2008 Olympic excitement. On August 8, Hong Kong Disneyland will broadcast the opening ceremony live in the park with Mickey Mouse and his Gang, the cast of High School Musical: LIVE! and 500 Disneyland cast members performing a special number.
Hong Kong Disneyland is also host of the Asia-wide school dance competition, “High School Musical: My School Rocks! Asia Final 2008.” The most popular local team will represent Hong Kong in a live competition, against top teams from other Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan. The champions will have the opportunity to rock the park and entertain guests by performing with the professional cast to High School Musical: LIVE!
Hong Kong Disneyland is on Lantau Island. Sticker collection point: City Hall on Main Street, USA.
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4. HARBOUR CITY. It was getting late and I was starving. We headed for Harbour City, where I was told that dinner was going to be a feast. The complex is located along the west side of Canton Road, stretching from the Star Ferry terminal in the south to China Hong Kong City in the north.
As I walked to Cucina Restaurant for dinner I passed by stores like Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Yves Saint Laurent, Polo Ralph Lauren, Versace, Burberry, and Hugo Boss. The mall also has two cinemas at both ends, the Grand Ocean and the Grand Gateway; both are operated by Golden Harvest. It is home to the largest Toys ‘R’ Us location in Hong Kong, and there is a large Lane Crawford in the Hong Kong Hotel portion of the mall. The outlet includes a new look and new features compared to its other stores by the group.
Transport: MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Station Exit A1; walk along Haiphong Road for five minutes. Or take the Star Ferry from Central or Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui.
5. THE PEAK. Looking down from The Peak, I enjoyed the view of Victoria Harbor, the towering skyscrapers and spectacular city skyline. “Work on the revitalization of the Peak Tower began in March 2005,” said Frederic. ”This extensive program has transformed the Peak Tower into a leisure destination with a variety of dining, specialty shopping and interactive entertainment for Hong Kong residents and tourists alike.”
This summer, when tourists purchase a Peak Tram ticket at the Garden Road Terminal, they are entitled to a “Peak Tram 120th Anniversary Celebration Pass” for free, with which they can get great offers at 23 Peak Tower shops and restaurants, as well as the special 120th-anniversary menus offered by four signature restaurants at The Peak Tower.
Located at 128 Peak Road, The Peak. Sticker collection point: Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Centre, The Peak Piazza.
6. NGONG PING. Last stop is Ngong Ping 360, which combines a cable car journey on Asia’s longest bi-cable ropeway with the culturally themed, Chinese-style Ngong Ping Village.
Ngong Ping 360 is a tourism project on Lantau Island consisting of Ngong Ping Cable Car and Ngong Ping Village.
The Ngong Ping Cable Car is a 5.7-km-long bi-cable gondola lift system linking Tung Chung and Ngong Ping (where the Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha are located).
The Ngong Ping Village, built next to the Ngong Ping Cable Car Terminal, occupies a 15,000-square-meter site and is designed to uphold the cultural and spiritual spirit of the Ngong Ping area. Traditional Chinese architecture is a feature of the village, which contains an assortment of shopping and dining experiences, on top of a number of key attractions including Walking with Buddha, the Monkey’s Tale Theater and the Ngong Ping Tea House.
Located at 11 Tat Tung Road, Tung Chung, Lantau Island. Sticker collection point: Ticketing offices at Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal, Ngong Ping Cable Ca Terminal or Ngong Ping Village)