Hong Kong—Asia’s Vertical city with a global appeal
Hong Kong’s expansive skyline and its rich vibrant culture inspired me to have a first-hand experience of this world city of Asia. In fact, I never did plan for an international trip this time and just wanted to have an impromptu experience. I took a jet Airways flight from New Delhi and landed at the swanky Hong Kong International Airport terminal during early morning hours. I took an Airport Express from the terminal to the city and in a span of 24 minutes, I reached the Hong Kong Island. I checked-in at my hotel- Club Charterhouse at Wan-Chai area of the Hong Kong Island area. I strategically booked my hotel in CBD area to easily access the nearby metro station and a few vegetarian food joints of my choice. Moreover, such areas are quite lively both during the day and during nighttime, and you can easily spend your time by simply strolling around the streets and savoring quaint cityscapes and street views.
I preferred to walk all the way to peak terminal to visit the Victoria peak, probably one of the most visited Vantage points in Hong Kong. En route, I could glance at some of the best towering skyscrapers together forming an impressive Hong Kong Skyline. Quite a few of the buildings were unique in their design, appearance and overall aesthetics. Even the landscaping around the roads and transportation system is worth noticing. The Hong Kong Streets are full of food joints, souvenir shops, small mats, electronics shops, jewelry showrooms and many more such shops providing a rich array of items pertaining to Chinese culture. The streets are full of natives and tourists enjoying this cosmopolitan city and its richness.
Vibrancy and contrast are the two main elements which will keep you bonded to these ever-pulsating Hong Kong streets, both during the day and during night. The glorious past is well preserved in the form of many heritage buildings across various streets to keep the old world charm of Hong Kong alive. If you have a keen and observing eye, you will find lots of such buildings against the backdrop of modern glitzy skyscrapers. There are plenty of destinations in Hong Kong, where hard-core shopaholics can simply have a gala time fulfilling their shopping desire and still not have enough of the endless options available. From swanky shopping malls and arcades to flea markets to night markets, Hong Kong offers a rich array of shopping goods stacked in an interesting display for you to easily get hooked. From food items, clothes, jewelry, cosmetics, antiques, silverware and arts craft items the list seems to be endless… go on a shopping spree till you end up exhausting your credit card limit and wallet.
Causeway Bay is one such prominent shopping district on Hong Kong Island, where retail stores and glitzy malls seem to worship its shoppers. Every inch in this otherwise congested area seems to be devoted to retail outlets. Lee Gardens, Hysan place, Times Square and Fashion Walk seem to be vying with each other to woo their share of shopaholics. Soaked in international brand conscious crowds coupled with neon signs and imposing billboards, this place eats, lives and breathe shopping.
Tsim Sha Tsui district in Kowloon Peninsula is another shopper’s mecca in Hong Kong where you can get immersed in a never ending saga of shops, malls, markets, and arcades. From Brand conscious to penny –pinching shoppers, Nathan Road and Canton road offer an unparalleled shopping experience for both. iSQUARE, K11, The One, Harbour City and 1881 Heritage are some of the prominent shopping points where you can experience high-end luxury combined with local rich cultural heritage. Even a window shopper like me was not let down even once as I was busy capturing some eclectic window displays of all styles and varieties.
Hong Kong also offers some splendid views of Victoria Harbour from its riverfront promenades. Cool breeze coupled with scenic views of Victoria Harbour and majestic Hong Kong skyline, simply relaxes you and leaves you calm and refreshed. In fact, there is far more to Hong Kong than just food, shopping and sky scrapers views… explore some hidden gems and you will be amazed. Take a peep into this Asia’s world city and gather some memorable experiences like I did.
