Lights ... action ... find it all in Hong Kong,
Island’s bustle and beauty make it a tourist hot spot
From the 118th floor of The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, one can often glimpse into the clouds. But on this particular Friday on the terrace of the Ozone Bar, I can see clear across Victoria Harbor and fix my eyes on the twinkling skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island.
For 150 years, Hong Kong was identified as a colony of the United Kingdom, and for the past 20 years (the anniversary of the handover is in July) as a territory of China. Still, throughout years of uncertain sovereignty, Hong Kong has remained a destination in its own right. From this perch more than 1,600 feet above sea level, it’s easy to see why: This shining metropolis of more than 7 million people oozes prosperity and beauty.
Euromonitor International, a research firm that tracks inbound and outbound travel, named Hong Kong the world’s top tourism destination based on 2015 data. Hong Kong had 26.7 million international tourists in one year. London was a distant second with 18.6 million.
“Hong Kong has really started to make a name for itself internationally as a key city,” says Lindsay Jang, who co-owns popular eatery Yardbird.
Here are a few reasons why.
CULTURE
Hong Kong is the bridge between East and West, making it a draw for commerce and culture.
“It’s a very exciting, emerging scene,” says Joyce Lau, former art editor of the South China Morning Post.
Hong Kong ’s government is investing heavily in museums and art districts. The city plays host to Art Basel, the festival that turned Miami into a city of culture, beyond its being a party destination. In the five years Art Basel has run in Hong Kong, attendance has grown to 70,000 people.
Other arts districts have emerged. On a warm autumn evening, Central Hong Kong’s PMQ, which stands for Police Married Quarters because the complex was once housing for married junior police officers, is bustling with a Japanese food festival. Inside are dozens of art galleries, jewelry stores and clothing shops from up-and-coming designers.
“Hong Kong people were more interested in the designs of other countries before, but now they are more supportive of Hong Kong designers,” says Lyan Tai, founder of FABcessories, a jewerly store. “It’s a very nice environment now.”
FOOD
Expect to find any type of food at any price point in Hong Kong.
On an October afternoon, I take the Hong Kong Foodie Tasting tour with Yammy Tan.
We start with Cantonese Wonton noodles drowned in a seafood broth. Next we try barbecue pork. We walk all around the city to burn off calories. In between meals, we stop at wet markets, outdoor stalls where you can buy seafood, meat, vegetables and more. Whole Foods this is not. “This one is more than 180 years old,” Tan says of the Central Hong Kong market we are visiting.
We drink sugar cane juice and stop by herbal tea shops. We end the tour with a traditional dim sum meal.
“We got to places we didn’t think we would have gone to,” says Steven Patruno, who owns café Ten One Ate in Melbourne, Australia.
On another night, I head to Ho Lee Fook, which serves innovative Chinese cuisine.
Christopher Mark, a Canadian who co-owns Black Sheep Restaurants group, says the city has evolved as a foodie destination because it nurtures an entrepreneurial spirit.
“I don’t think the American Dream is restricted to America,” Mark says. “If you go for it, you can do everything here.”
NATURE
Although it’s a crowded city, Hong Kong actually has a huge percentage of undeveloped land and protected parks just a short cab or bus ride away.
“Contrary to the image of a dense concrete jungle that many who don’t know the city might have of Hong Kong, the place is actually teeming with wild gems and untamed beauty,” says Mary Hui, a writer and avid runner who grew up in Hong Kong.
I take a taxi up to Victoria Peak, a mountain in the western half of Hong Kong Island. A tram also goes up there, but on this particular day the line is too long.
At sunset at about 1,400 feet above sea level, the panoramic view is breathtaking and a reminder I am on an island, and that Hong Kong is actually a chain of islands — more than 260 of them.
“The buzz of Hong Kong’s urban life is omnipresent, but it’s what’s outside of the urban boundaries that’s quite unique,” says Stephen Marshall, a writer who lived in the city.
NIGHTLIFE
Hong Kong is filled with bars, pubs and restaurants. But just before sunset, I board a red-sail Chinese junk boat called the Aqua Luna for the nightly Symphony of Lights show.
Hong Kong has more than 300 skyscrapers. Each night, about 50 of these on each side of Victoria Harbor participate in a captivating light and fireworks show. I board the Aqua Luna, where wine and beer is served while we sail around and gawk at the lights.
A narration syncs with the light show. Appropriately, the language alternates nightly — English, Mandarin or Cantonese.
“Hong Kong is a dynamic city,” Mark, co-owner of Black Sheep says. “Hong Kong has become a city that people actually want to live in.”
“I don’t think the American Dream is restricted to America. If you go for it, you can do everything (in Hong Kong).” Restaurateur Christopher Mark