Hong Kong Hong Kong in 5 days: itinerary and must-see discoveries Travel to Hong Kong 5 (6)We can't really say that Hong Kong was on my "top list" of places to discover as a priority, however, it is the kind of ideal destination when you have less than a week free...It so happens that the opportunity to go there presented itself, having a limited time, it didn't take more to decide to embark for 5 days to discover this little piece of China. Summary hide Hong Kong in 5 days: good to know and our program Transportation in Hong Kong Our accommodation in Hong Kong Day 1: Overview of Kowloon and Central Hong Kong Day 2: From Wan Chai to Sheung Wan, in the maze of small streets of Hong Kong Day 3: Stroll on Lantau Island Day 4: Nan Lian Gardens and Chin Lin Temple (and Che Kung) Day 5: The southern bays of Hong Kong My impressions of Hong Kong Hong Kong, Chinese landsHong Kong is basically the name of an island, among the many components of this region of southern China. But it is also a large part on the continent, if I tell you Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui, these well-known places of the Chinese peninsula are indeed on the continent.Today associated with the image of a large, rather modern and resolutely high-rise city, Hong Kong's colonialist past is still fresh in everyone's minds.Just a photo here because I don't like it when there's too much text in a row!Following the Opium War between China and the British Empire, a treaty, renegotiated three times, but with the same purpose, gave the right to 3 years of land lease by the English. As a result, Hong Kong remained British for 99 years, before being returned to China as planned once the 150-year lease of the last treaty had been negotiated, in 99.And Hong Kong as a whole, although it has become a land of China again, has its own character where the boundary with independence is blurred. With its special status as a special administrative region, Hong Kong has a clearly defined border with mainland China, a passport, its own currency, flag, etc.A land of contrast, where its colonialist past is nevertheless gradually fading away.Hong Kong in 5 days: good to know and our programTo summarize, here is how we divided our visits over these 5 days:1st Day: Kowloon and 1st glimpse of Central Day 2: Hong Kong Main Island Day 3: Lantau Island Day 4: Kowloon Day 5: The southern bays of the main islandAnd in a little more detail, here is how we organized each day:1st Day:— Yau Ma Tei DistrictTin Hau TempleRed Brick BuildingYau Ma Tei Fruit MarketOld theater— Tsim Sha Tsui DistrictKowloon ParkKowloon QuaysStar Ferry Company— Hong Kong Central districtThe old tramsThe HSBC Tower2nd Day:— Quarry Bay District“Monster Temple” aka Yick Fat and Yick Cheong— Wan Chai DistrictStone Nullah Lane MarketBlue housePak Tai templeOld Wan Chai Post Officestreetcar— Sheung Wan Districtthe old tramswestern marketAntiques Streets (Upper Lascar Row)oldest mosque in Hong Kong (Jamia HK Central)street art peel street3nd Day:— On the island of LauntauTian Tan Great BuddhaPo Lin MonestaryTai O fishing village4nd Day:— Kowloon DistrictNan Lian GardenChi Lin NunneryChe Kung TempleA little shopping 😉5nd Day:— Repulse BayRepulse Bay BeachTin Hau and Kwun Yum StatuesChe Kung TempleMore shopping 😉— StanleyStanley PromenadeMurray HouseShui Sin TempleLast shopping session 😉Transportation in Hong KongDuring this first stay, we mainly used the metro, which, with its 8 lines, serves Hong Kong as a whole rather well. The bus remains very practical too and a good alternative for a reasonable budget.If during this stay we had not tested taxis, knowing that there are also some almost everywhere, the fare is not that expensive and we used it during our 2nd stay to make a more direct journey, the metro sometimes requiring 2 or 3 changes before reaching its destination.In a metro station.Knowing that we were going to take the metro regularly, we had opted for the Octopus card; a rechargeable pass that can be rented. For a deposit of HK$50, we had added a certain amount for the duration of the 5 days, knowing that the journeys cost between $5 and $20 roughly.There are individual ticket machines at each station if ever.Our accommodation in Hong KongWe stayed for 6 nights at the Tempo Inn, a small "box" typical of Hong Kong (9m², and again, it was the "superior" version, the standard only giving the right to 7m²!), knowing that while writing the article, I realized that they expanded with a sub-branch in the same building but on the 4th floor (the Temple Inn – Cozy), ours being on the 1st floor (and as the elevator wasn't working, it was better...).And for that, you had to pay no less than €31. If the hotel itself was practical due to its location, good for its cleanliness, decor, it had a defect strangely reported by no one, it was the ventilation. Given that it was a box without windows, the place had to be well ventilated.This is done through a pipe in the ceiling leading outside, where the street restaurants are, lively until midnight... Then there is the sweeper which cleans everything for a good 30 minutes...Our little room.In short, you could hear everything, it was like having a window ajar on the street, so it was difficult to fall asleep before 1am... Afterwards, if you are the type to fall asleep easily, I don't think it will be a real problem but for me I lacked a good sleep.Hong Kong, a vertical labyrinthWe arrived fresh in the evening from the airport, located on Lantau Island, which since 1998 replaced the perilous airport in the city center, which is still being redeveloped. We took the bus to get to the city center, much cheaper than a taxi and just as convenient, with a stop close to our hotel.We had decided to put down our suitcases in the Jordan district, a little further north of Tsim Sha Tsui, the generally most well-known affluent district of Hong Kong. Why Jordan? Because it was cheaper to begin with… And the location was still very convenient, without being too far from the main sites to visit and with the metro nearby.Here we go !We had taken the Citybus A22, which passed through Jordan (we could have possibly taken the A21, which also passed close to the street of our hotel)Cost: $39 per person for approximately 45 minutes of travel. Note that you can also take the train, it's 2x faster but 2x more expensive, $105 to get to Kowloon!To find your way around the buses, you can use the official website, which is well done: Citybus Hong KongThe bus ticket office from the airport.Arriving there in "our" neighborhood, we quickly realize that it is very lively, and that we feel very small! The impression of being thrown into a pit, a real urban jungle, made of neon lights and buildings all stuck to each other.Hong Kong is known for its optimization of the smallest space (due to lack of space, it's 6 inhabitants per km² of housing!)In addition, where we landed, it is lively, because next to a night market, the Temple Street Night Market, and the surrounding area is like a kind of open-air canteen where restaurants place their tables right on the pedestrian street.The shock on arrival.I am already amazed by all these lights, these colored neon lights remind me of those old films including Hong Kong as a setting (how can we not think of that dear Bruce Lee at that moment!).We found the door to our building fairly quickly, despite the rather discreet entrance, as our hotel was located on the 1st floor. Fortunately, because the elevator was a pitiful sight. Here again, the contrast was striking between the stairwell, the rest of the building and the corridor leading to the hotel, located in a renovated part.Once we put our suitcases in our closet, we didn't stay there long and came out right away.We took the time to walk around the block, just to soak up the atmosphere of the neighborhood and decide where to eat our dinner of the day. We already came across our first luxury cars, parked there like a standard car on the sidewalk, knowing that I would quickly understand that they are swarming in Hong Kong.In front of our hotel.The lively street in our neighborhood.The “exit”!Supercar Day 1: Overview of Kowloon and Central Hong KongFor this first day, it was a bit of a warm-up. We decided to first explore a bit the surroundings of our neighborhood, going up a bit to the north, before going back down towards Tsim Sha Tsui to the quays and crossing to get a glimpse of the center.From Yau Ma Tei district to Tsim Sha TsuiSo we started by familiarizing ourselves with our neighborhood, during the day this time, then we sat down in a restaurant for our breakfast, we start slowly eh. Finally full, it was time for the real visit. We first went up Temple Street, empty at that time, before crossing paths further on our first temple, the Tin Hau.Temple street, empty.Let's eatThis Chinese temple is at the end of a small, beautifully wooded square, the Yau Ma Tei Community Centre Rest Garden, a rather quiet place where some people would sit down to smoke a cigarette, look at their smartphone or chat with friends (yes, apparently it still exists).The temple itself is nothing special if you are used to Asia, it is full of incense, long incense coils, hanging from the ceiling and burning there permanently, and the smell with it.Still going up Shanghai Street, we came across the local curiosity, a small brick building, clearly a remnant of the colonial era. Soberly called the “Red Brick Building”, the red brick building.Built in 1895, this building was once the engineer's office for the Shanghai Street Pumping Station. Decommissioned in 1911, it is the oldest surviving structure of the pumping stations that once supplied water to Hong Kong.Protected and classified as a historic building since 2000, I dream that Bangkok will also do this kind of action to prevent the disappearance of old buildings that melt like snow in the sun (which we don't have either...)The "red brick building" of the old pumping station.We then went through the fruit market, a maze of stalls selling fruit, a real mix of all colors. We saw in this corner the Yau Ma Tei Old Theater, built in 1930, a rare example of pre-war theatres, with its Art Deco façade.It was in operation until 1998, when it was also classified and preserved since then.In front of the Yau Ma Tei fruit market.The old theater of Yau Ma Tei.We then joined the metro to go to Tsim Sha Tsui, a commercial district par excellence but not only. Since we were starting precisely with a visit to Kowloon Park, a green space located in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui.The park includes an aviary, the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre, a mosque, a sports centre and a municipal swimming pool, just that. Once we had gone around the park, which was quite pleasant, we went through a small alley next to the park, passing a small hidden sanctuary and further on, under a bridge, a small market with butchers on one side and flowers on the other.Shortly after, we stopped to see the inside of a department store, just to get our coffee fix. Then we finally headed towards the docks.And this is a moment that I was particularly looking forward to, since when I thought of Hong Kong, I inevitably had this image of the bay with this line of buildings and its legendary view in front.So here we are. Too bad it's a bit foggy, but I still enjoy it. In addition to the view itself, you come across the old clock tower of Kowloon-Canton Station and I appreciated the architecture of the Cultural Center.I had fun with Google Maps 3D 😉On the water, yachts, junks and ferries parade by, in the air a helicopter (which often leaves for Macao, to take rich gamblers to the casinos...). However, I expected a little more "traffic", given the image we tend to see of it in old films.Unfortunately for us, there was construction around the Art Museum, including the famous "Avenue of the Stars", a sort of Hong Kong Hollywood Boulevard, which was inaccessible.No matter, after a good bunch of photos, we took the old ferry of the Star Ferry Company. So we arrived on the island of Hong Kong, right in the heart of the city.On the ferry.Hong Kong CentralAlong the raised pedestrian path (very practical, it avoids having to cross intersections and allows a high view of the city), we passed the Hong Kong Ferris wheel, which sits on a whole section of artificial land that extends the space available in Hong Kong (knowing that a large part are protected spaces and therefore non-constructible).I remained rather doubtful when I came across a young lady, a foreigner, playing the guitar to finance her trip around the world... A trendy subject, mentioned in particular by Le Monde in an April article on begpackers, contraction of the verb to beg, to beg in English, and backpacker, these travelers on small budgets.A begpacker(ess?)Further on, a filming was taking place, apparently for an advert, reminding me of my professional past, while afterwards, luxury boutiques (and the cars that go with them) followed one another. In this area, we discovered a side of Hong Kong. If in Thailand there are many workers from neighbouring countries for small jobs, like Burmese and Laotians, here, it is the Filipinos who act as "cheap" labour and many are women, who serve as nannies.We later came across our first trams, striking contrast between the modernity of the district and of Hong Kong in general (in any case in its "Central" part because elsewhere, it is more contrasted) and this remnant of an old time (Only those under 20... Easy 😉)Yeah, the tram!When we arrived at the foot of the building of the former French mission in Hong Kong, itself facing the large tower of the HSBC bank headquarters, night was already beginning to fall.It is precisely under HSBC Tower(former headquarters of the bank, now in London) that we walked to reach the square next to it, Statue Square.As its name suggests, this small square used to house statues of important figures from Hong Kong and the British crown. Today, only the statue of Sir Thomas Jackson, a senior official at HSBC bank (which, as a reminder, means Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation), has stood in the square since 1906.Yes, because this little square, today a meeting place for Filipino nannies on weekends, is an old square, present since the end of the 19th century!Above, the building of the old French mission.The HSBC tower seen from the park.Near the park is also a historic building, the former Supreme Court, which also housed the Legislative Council until 2011.When night fell, it was time for us to return to our colorful neighborhood, to take a stroll around the night market and that concluded this first day of discovery.Completely different atmosphere.Temple Street Night Market.Day 2: From Wan Chai to Sheung Wan, in the maze of small streets of Hong KongFor this 2nd day, we decided to wander a little further around the main island of Hong Kong, with the idea of finding some street art, which has appeared in recent years on the walls of the steep streets of the Wan Chai district in particular.But we started with a rather special visit, immortalized by the 7th art (raw art, I want to say...)From Quarry Bay to Wan ChaiBy raw, I mean the guy behind the latest movie that used this building as a set. We agree that if I say "Michael Bay", he's not a guy known for finesse in these movies... So it was to the towers called "Yick Cheong" and "Yick Fat" Building, which can be seen in Transformers 4: Age of Extinction that we went.Also nicknamed the "Monster Building", this group of 5 old mansions is typical of Hong Kong in the 60s, where buildings were built into each other to form real residential walls. The most famous group, which has now disappeared, was to the north of the old airport, the Kowloon Walled City, demolished in 1991 to become a park.To get there, it's in the Quarry Bay district, we got off at Tai Koo metro station. It's a great playground for those who love photography and a really special atmosphere.After leaving these photogenic buildings behind, we took the metro again, heading towards Wan Chai (and not One Chai if you know Laurent 😉 ). We were passing through a shopping street, Stone Nullah Lane, in order to reach the blue house, a 4-story building dating from the 20s.Originally, it was a hospital (at the end of the 19th century) before serving as a place of worship until the beginning of the 20th century (an unlikely reconversion...), at which time the original building was demolished to make way for the one visible today.On the street leading to the Blue House, under renovation on the left.Wan Chai, seen from the “sky”.After serving as a martial arts school and housing an osteopathy clinic, it was bought by the government in the 70s and its walls painted blue, giving it its current nickname. Today, it houses a museum on the ground floor, the Hong Kong House of Stories.No luck for us, it was under renovation at the time of our visit… So be it. We continued our climb up Stone Nullah and arrived at another Chinese temple, the Pak Tai temple.If you are in the area, you can possibly go and have a look at the green house, also a nickname, but this one has lost its color following its recent renovation. It is a house of historical value, one of the rare ones of the "Tan Lau" type, a kind of typical Asian shophouse, what you may know as a "shophouse".In the absence of Green House, we continued our climb on Stone Nullah Lane until we arrived at a Chinese temple, the Pak Tai Temple. At the time of our visit, a sort of ceremony was taking place, with priests reciting prayers in front around a table filled with offerings.Entrance to the Pak Tai temple.On the way out, we went back down Queen's Road, taking a left, a few steps away was the Old Wan Chai Post Office, dating from 1913. We turned off further onto Lee Tung Avenue, a sort of alley reminding us of the galleries and covered passages of Paris (although here, it was not covered).We later passed another temple without visiting it on our way back to Queen's Road, after having made a loop in the area. A loop that took us to Johnston Avenue, where a tram passes and where the historic building (dating from 1888!) is located, housing a Michelin-starred restaurant, The Pawn.After continuing to wander a little in this district of Wan Chai, rather rich in history, we took the metro again to go to Sheung Wan.The old post office in Wan Chai.Another tram and the building housing “The Pawn” on the left.A parrot encountered there in a street.Another temple…In search of street artWe were coming to Sheung Wan, a hipster district par excellence, to find some murals, which have recently appeared to give some pep to this district housing small restaurants, cafes and bars. Sheung Wan also has streets that go up like Montmartre (already the 2nd comparison to Paris… Yet nothing to do with it in reality) and markets.The first crossing being at the exit of the metro, the Western Market. This market was originally composed of 2 blocks. The south block, dating from 1858 was replaced by another building in 1988. The remaining building today is the north block, added to the existing market at the time in 1906.It served as a food market until 1988. After almost disappearing during the construction of the metro (which still left a "sequel" with this enormous air vent in front), it was classified as a historical monument, but today the interior is a collection of modern shops, without any real interest for us and we did not go to see.In front of the Western Market.By chance, while we were trying to get some height, we came across a sort of flea market, where there are posters of the late Bruce Lee, typical Chinese figurines, religious or related to communism, etc.It was also a street lined with antique shops. For your information, it was Upper Lascar Row. Yes, yes, lascar, as the word now designates in a more or less pejorative way, a cunning individual who is skilled at getting out of trouble (such is the definition in the dictionary) but which originally comes from a Persian word "lashkar" meaning "army".Used by the British to designate sailors from Southeast Asia, in Chinese, the term would basically translate as Moor, which designated the populations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in particular but more generally referring to the Muslims of Southeast Asia.Which explains why there is a Muslim community and a mosque in this area. But before getting there, we first passed another Chinese temple (there is no shortage of them in Hong Kong…), the Man Mo Temple, which we took a look at.I remain fascinated by the contrast between the buildings in the background and this place of worship which seems so out of step with the rest (I say that in the general sense, not particularly in relation to this temple).Man Mo Temple.Speaking of places of worship, you might rightly remark that there are a lot of Chinese temples included in our visits, to tell the truth, there are 2 reasons for that. The first is almost a habit…Living in Thailand, the desire to see a particular temple will often be the reason for wanting to move around a city or region to visit. Moving from temple to temple is ultimately a pretext, but at least it allows you to go to places that are not necessarily attractive at first, but which can be interesting overall, it allows you to move around, period.The second reason is linked to this previous sentence, defining a place to see, knowing that our paper guide had a lot to do with it (and indicated many of these temples), it allowed us at least to aim for a goal and therefore a route, it is therefore a question of optimizing time, rather than wandering "without a goal".I close this little parenthesis and resume the course of our stroll.So we then took some stairs on the side of the temple and turned left on Bridges Street until we reached Stauton Street, a little further on. Going up Aberdeen Street again, we came to Caine Road, with the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum (Click here to learn who Dr. Sut Ya-Sen was, it is in English though), installed in a former home of a businessman, dating from 1914. If you like museums elsewhere, there is at least 1 other one in this area, the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences, located not far from the Man Mo Temple, in an old building from 1906.Continuing on Caine Road, we came across the Central mid-levels escalator… Yes, because this part of Hong Kong is very high up, some streets are actually equipped with escalators, allowing you to go up and down effortlessly, practical when you have to do these daily round trips, funny and unusual for us visitors.The Dr. Sun Yat Sen Museum.A street with an escalator.It was shortly after, continuing our climb, on the side and a little hidden, that we found a mosque (nice series of rhymes), the Jamia Hong Kong Central Mosque. No more, no less, the oldest mosque in Hong Kong, whose current building dates from 1905.We then went back down by taking Peel Street. It was there a little further down that we found some murals, yes because there, you were perhaps saying to yourself "And what about Street Art then?", well we were also asking ourselves this question... We were looking for them a little...To be more precise, we were looking for a particular fresco, I'll spoil it a bit, during this first stay, we didn't find it, but when we came back 2 months later we finally saw it on Graham Street! I'll tell you more about that later 😉Jamia Hong Kong Central Mosque.Arriving on Peel Street.To end this 2nd day, arriving at the corner of Peel Street and Hollywood Road, night was falling, and we were starting to get hungry... As we liked the atmosphere of the little street we had just gone down (Peel St if you're not following), we decided to have a bite to eat at White Beard Fish n Chips.On the way back, we saw a somewhat surreal scene, a store sales… With all the Filipinos rushing to buy the bargain. Amazing Hong Kong.From the White Beard restaurant.It's the sales!Day 3: Stroll on Lantau IslandThis 3rd day was dedicated to discovering Lantau Island, located west of Hong Kong. This is where the new airport is located as well as Disneyland (which seems quite small, due to lack of space too…) But no amusement park for us.Our first visit was to the Po Lin Temple, known for its large sitting Tian Tan Buddha. Then our second goal was to visit the peaceful fishing village of Tai O, a rare vestige of Hong Kong's forgotten past, and just for that, I will dedicate a dedicated article.The Tian Tan Buddha statue.Overview of Tai O village.So I'm not going to go into any more detail here about this day, which is good, because this article is starting to get very long! Just know that the island and the village are worth a look.Just in the evening, we met a friend of my wife who goes back to her studies in Australia, she had not seen him for a good ten years. He took us to a restaurant a little hidden on the 5th floor of the Carnavon Plaza on Tsim Sha Tsui, the Mui Kee Cookfood Stall. Not much choice of food for me, but I found a delicious beef dish!I tasted a very good Chinese beer there, Harbin, which we drank from a bowl... We liked the place, and so we tried to go back there on the last evening, and fortunately we found it (because when you're guided, you tend not to pay much attention to where you're going...).Chinese Harbin Beer.Day 4: Nan Lian Gardens and Chin Lin Temple (and Che Kung)Here again, I will not detail the program, because I intend to write a full article. In the idea, we went to the superb Nan Lian garden (to which I dedicated an article), somewhere northeast of Kowloon City. And we continued with the Chin Lin temple, literally next door.Knowing that the weather was pretty crappy, we didn't hang around too long and so we didn't go see the Wong Tai Sin temple, not far from there.A glimpse of the Nan Lian Gardens.Chi Lin Nunnery.On the other hand, afterwards, we went to see another temple, a popular destination for the Thais and at the request of my wife, heading to the temple of Che Kung even further north, stuck between the mountains, which we reached with the local RER.A temple very popular with Thais who go there in large numbers to turn the wheel of good fortune, located at the foot of the large statue of General Che (Che Kung) to whom the temple is dedicated. The general who was a great commander during the Song dynasty (12th century), in China.At the temple of Che Kung.We were passing the Kowloon docks on our way back, foggy that evening. Passing through Tsim Sha Tsui, we took advantage of the many shops in the area to compare prices with Bangkok… Realizing how cheap the branded shoes were, we didn't hold back from buying a few pairs…Day 5: The southern bays of Hong KongFor this last day, on another request from my wife, we went first to Repulse Bay. The reason being that there is a sanctuary particularly appreciated by the Thais there again, because of its reputation for granting wishes (which therefore makes 2 special "Thai" destinations...).And while we were on this part of the coast, we then went to Stanley, a quiet little spot also by the sea.Repulse Bay and Kwun Yam SanctuaryThat morning, the weather was rotten. So we hung around in our tiny room for a while, waiting for it to calm down a bit. And once done, we took the subway then the bus from Central and got off as soon as we saw the "landmark" of the bay (I know I like anglicisms), the building with a hole in the middle (A belief has it that this hole is used to let the mountain dragon pass through...)For more details on how to get to Repulse Bay, see the insert below.Arriving on the big beach, we came across a group of Chinese (from the continent, I mean), all busy with cameras in hand immortalizing themselves on the beach. Fortunately, it's usually quick and by the time they did their little thing, there were fewer people, after all the weather that day wasn't particularly conducive to sunbathing so it wasn't full on either.Repulse Bay Beach.We walked along, passing swimmers (lifeguards?) in training. Our objective, the sanctuary (marked on Google Maps Tin Hau and Kwun Yum Statues), is located at the very end of the beach.There too, a few Chinese are passing through but it's not too crowded yet, there are also Thais who disembarked in groups. We stayed long enough to say our prayers, cross the small bridge, which legend has it that each crossing allows you to extend your life by an additional day.For the record, Jitima knew the place not only because it is known to the Thais, but because she had already been there! That was 20 years ago, and her father had been going back and forth on this little bridge in question, that's why she knew the explanation.We took the Citybus 6X under the Exchange Square building, which we reached by subway by getting off at Hong Kong Station. It is also possible to take the 6 or 6A. We got off as soon as we reached the bay, at Repulse Bay Beach. Note that these buses continue to Stanley.Cost: $5.3 per person for approximately 45 minutes of travel.It was time to eat and wanting to enjoy the beachside atmosphere, we moved right next to the temple to find along the developed quays, The Coffee Academics The Pulse. Among the facilities, in addition to something to eat, there are showers and toilets, practical to freshen up after a swim and avoid salt on your clothes.No swimming for us so after a good coffee/snack, we headed towards Stanley, a peninsula further east of Repulse Bay and at the very south of the main island of Hong Kong.Coffee break!Stanley We went to Stanley by bus again. And the fact is that we had to take a fairly narrow road with only one lane in each direction since it was on the side of a mountain.Knowing that there was an accident, a journey that should not have lasted more than 15 minutes (about 5 km) took us a mere hour... If we had known, we would have done it on foot... except that no... as there are no sidewalks, this option would not have been possible (I specify, in case you are tempted...)We got off the bus as soon as we knew we were heading towards Stanley. So, we walked towards the seaside until we reached a roundabout. From there, you will find Stanley Promenade, a sort of local promenade, rather quiet when we passed by, with on the other side of the bay a large house on 2 floors that you will not miss.Arriving in Stanley.Murray House: a fascinating historyThe crazy thing is that this house, called Murray House, once a military building for British guard officers, was not originally in Stanley…Murray's Barracks, named after the MGO at the time of its construction in the mid-19th century (MGO for Master-General of the Ordnance, one of the highest ranks in the British Army), was previously located in the heart of the business district, at Admiralty.Its history was quite unique, including a televised exorcism in the 70s, the place having also served as execution sites under the Japanese occupation, it was considered haunted. If you are comfortable with English, you can read a summary of this information with some details on the Wikipedia page for Murray's house.View of Murray House.In order to make way for the construction of the Bank of China tower in the 80s, the house, instead of simply being destroyed, was completely dismantled, brick by brick and these were listed/stored while waiting to know what to do with them...It was not until the early 2000s and its location in Stanley that it was given a new lease of life. Having first housed the maritime museum, today at Pier 8 in Central (near the Star Ferry boats crossing from Kowloon), Murray's house is now a collection of shops and restaurants.And if in the end I tell you all this, it is because if at the time, we could clearly see that the building was "period", I did not imagine all this history behind it and certainly not the fact that it was not even there originally!Stanley PromenadeIn the middle of the afternoon, we enjoyed a calm atmosphere by the sea. We admired the view of the bay from the end opposite Murray House, especially from the small Chinese sanctuary of the Shui Sin Temple.Note that not far from there is an old colonial building, the Old Stanley Police Station, now converted... into a mini-market!Shortly after we entered a shopping alley following the sign for Stanley Main Street. There, we found our happiness in terms of souvenir shops and we did all our shopping there.As we spent some time there shopping (1 hour all the same!), we were starting to get a little hungry even though it wasn't 18pm yet. So, we let ourselves be tempted by the pizzeria we saw on the corner of the roundabout when we arrived on the Promenade (American-style pizzas, in large slices).THE bagpack.A little pizza!Before returning to our neighborhood for our last night in Hong Kong, the weather being better than the day before; I wanted to go back to the Kowloon quays to see the city skyline at night.However, not having a tripod, I can't say that I shone in terms of photography... it was a bit frustrating but interesting all the same. On the way back to the hotel, I reflected that our neighborhood is still particularly colorful, in every sense of the word.In addition to the lights, you should know that it is a neighborhood with massages and more if you like, with also sex shops on the upper floors, not directly on the street, that is not done... but it is in no way seedy or scary, I want to clarify.The next day before leaving, being in Hong Kong I wanted to say hello to a “colleague”, Amélie, who runs the Voyagista blog, and if she doesn't talk much about Hong Kong, where she lives, she also travels a lot in Asia and covers quite a few destinations that you won't find on my blog.My impressions of Hong KongTo conclude this article, if you have done some research before your hypothetical future trip to Hong Kong (if you are reading, this remains a probable perspective 😉 ), you may notice that at least one visit is missing, even though it is considered a "must see".A must-see for any visit to Hong Kong, admire the view of the city from Victoria Peak!But the fact is that the weather during our stay would not have allowed us to see much (for your information, it was last March). However, luckily, it turns out that we knew that we were going to go back soon, because having had to travel to the USA last May, we had agreed to make a stopover in Hong Kong and complete what we would not have been able to see during this first stay.In absolute terms, it was not a question of timing but of weather, so if you also have 5 days, you can add this visit as we visited some places that are more specific to the Thais than to the "average" visitor.Finally, to finish, I would add that for an amateur photographer Hong Kong is just great, there is plenty to do with the perspectives and volumes, the ambiance, its atmosphere neither completely Chinese nor completely rich.I didn't mention in the article the gap between the general modernism of the city and this attachment to still using impressive scaffolding made entirely of bamboo, even on dozens of floors! This mix of China / former colony, modern / old is quite interesting to feel.You want some bamboo, here you go.Modern.If you're not particularly into photography, it's still a pleasant visit, admittedly more expensive than the rest of Asia, but I highly recommend stopping there, even if only as a stopover if you have the opportunity.So, ready for a little trip to Hong Kong? If you know it, what memories did it leave you with?Did you like the article? share on Pinterest! Did you like the article? Vote on the article Note globale 5 / 5. Number of votes: 6 No votes yet. Be the first to rate this article! Did you like the article? Follow me on social media Brand Urban exploration Directions Suggestions for visits 0 2 Roman 12/12/2017
