Marvellous mix of history

Megan Mackander explores amazing Hong Kong

IPUT my hands out on the small, fold-out table where a reading light highlights every crease of my palms.

An elderly woman named Teresa sits hunched on a stool studying my hands. A sign pinned to the brick wall behind us spells out her name in glitzy gold font.

Teresa grips my wrist and squints her eyes, rolling my hand from side to side. She leans down to inspect my palms.

The wise old woman is one of dozens of psychics, palm readers and fortune tellers lining Temple Street just off the busy marketplace in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Island.

“You will marry in 2016 to a younger man, three children,” Teresa tells me.

I’m not sure what to believe, after all, I’ve been single for years now, but I’m intrigued none the less.

We venture beyond the Cantonese karaoke singers and fortune tellers and reach the end of the market tents where high-end shops such as Gucci, Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Chanel are dripping in modern design just metres away.

Lying at the heart of Asia and the southern tip of China, Hong Kong is not only one of the world’s major business and financial centres, but a unique place where ancient Chinese traditions are interwoven with a cosmopolitan lifestyle.

We arrive on a balmy – and by balmy, I mean stinking hot – day at Hong Kong international

For Hong Kongians, space is everything. There’s not much to spare.

airport after a Cathay Pacific red-eye flight from Brisbane.

I meet my guide Vivien and arch my neck out the window to look at the buildings towering above. Vivien tells me the Hong Kong philosophy that the higher you live on the mountain, the richer you are.

We hitch a ride on the historic tram to the popular Peak lookout to see the true extent of this intricate city where mountains tower in juxtaposition to the man-made high-rises.

Back on even land, we zero-in on this seemingly endless city of alleyways, streets and businesses and amble through the pockets of culinary delights. With more than 12,000 restaurants, the city will celebrate its credentials during this month’s Hong King Wine and Dine Festival.

Instead of dodging calories, we spend the next day dodging delivery men pushing trolleys in old factory buildings as we get to know the underground arts scene, which is thriving in industrial areas.

Since the urban renewal, outer areas are now turning into fashionable up-and-coming districts. Our guide points out a visit to the temple is still a relevant part of everyday life for Hong Kongians, even with the shift in social trends.

Something tells me Teresa was right in her predictions. Hong Kong I will be seeing you again someday.

Now, about that mysterious husband...

* The writer was a guest of Hong Kong Tourism Board, Cathay Pacific and Ozo Wesley Hotels.