China Gate

Inder Raj Ahluwalia finds his way through the astonishing contrasts of Hong Kong

It’s a small place that lives kingsize. And the first thing that struck me about the city was that it doesn’t do things by halves. Amidst the whirl is a constant, almost frenetic effort at reinventing itself, balancing the old with the new, the brash with the traditional, the mainstream with the offbeat. The result can be a bit amusing but quite heady.

When people in Hong Kong want to hear what peace sounds like, they take the ferry to Tap Mun, an island at the east end of a long, narrow New Territories waterway boasting pristine scenery. It’s quite another world where civilisation hasn’t quite arrived.

But as for the rest of the city, well, civilisation arrived! And stayed! Combining 150 years of Colonial influence and 5,000 years of Chinese tradition, the sophisticated heart of Asia sports its own brand of mystique.

It’s a city of contrasts. Classic trams share the bustling streets with luxury limousines, morning joggers pass groups practicing ‘tai chi’ (Chinese shadow boxing), executives in pinstriped suits rub shoulders with elderly men taking their songbirds for a walk, street-side food stalls crouch beside Chinese restaurants so big the waitresses use walkie-talkies.

The ‘East-West’ confluence is omnipresent. Temples sit dwarfed in the shadow of glass chrome skyscrapers. Traditional Chinese junks bob in the wake of luxury cruise liners.

It doesn’t take long to find out that this is essentially a city with a modern face. A forest of skyscrapers crowds the harbour. Just behind the Star Ferry, Jardine House catches the eye with its hundreds of porthole windows reminding people of local maritime connections. Two monumental towers stand out: The Bank of China and the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. When it opened in 1985, Sir Norman Foster’s bank was the most expensive building in the world, costing over USD one billion. Using technology more common to bridges, Sir Norman created a structure whose floors are suspended from steel trusses attached to twin towers without interior supporting walls, its inner workings thus open for all to see. Just down the street, the world-renowned architect I.M.Pei encased his 72-storey Bank of China in a zigzagging sheath of blue glass and steel.

But beyond the city’s intoxicating charms, classy restaurants and shopping malls lies another Hong Kong waiting to be discovered.

Here one finds a world of traditional fishing villages built on stilts where ancient customs live on. There are white sand beaches that form an idyllic backdrop to watch the sun sink majestically into the island-studded waters of the South China Sea, playground of Hong Kong’s rare pink dolphins. In the New Territories, bird watchers can view some of the world’s rarest birds at the Mai Po wetlands.

Situated on China’s southeastern coast, spread across 1,100 square kilometres, including over 260 outlying islands, Hong Kong’s main areas are Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories. A collection of fishing villages when it was claimed as a Crown Colony by Britain in 1841, it was then described as a ‘barren rock’, much to the amusement of today’s property barons. As the original British presence grew from Hong Kong Island to include Kowloon and the New Territories, it thrived as a trading port and gateway to mainland China.

At the stroke of midnight on July 1, 1997, the world stopped to watch history being made when Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty. It is now a Special Administrative Region of China and operates under a "One Country, Two Systems" principle of government, with a high degree of autonomy, with its own legal, social and economic systems.

Causeway Bay and Happy Valley are very popular for shopping and entertainment, and the area also has one of the world’s greatest horse racing venues at the magnificent Happy Valley track. Causeway Bay’s Japanese department stores are among the town’s biggest. Try the local teahouses offering unique Hong Kong milk tea and snacks. Day and night are frantic but a crack-of-dawn stroll through Victoria Park is peaceful and one can watch locals achieve inner peace by practicing ‘tai chi’.

Step out of the hustle and bustle into a slower pace of life in South Side. Aberdeen Harbour may be ringed by high-rise housing estates, but fisherfolk still live on high-sterned varnished-wood junks. At night, the Jumbo Floating Restaurant - the largest and brightest in the world- moored in Aberdeen harbour, comes into focus. Nearby is Ocean Park, an amusement oasis perched atop a mountain, with the world’s largest reef aquarium and hair-raising rides.

Sprawling between Kowloon Peninsula and mainland China, the 794 square kilometres of the New Territories are a rich tapestry of scenic contrasts - hilly, rolling woodlands and buzzing ‘new towns’, duck farms and wildlife reserves, sandy bays and ornate temples, bustling markets and isolated hamlets.

The fusion of Chinese traditions with Western customs explains the charm. There are glimpses of the colonial heritage, whose remnants include the Noon Day Gun, immortalised by Noel Coward in his song Mad Dogs and Englishmen. It still fires at midday, as it has since 1840.

There are barristers in wigs and gowns pleading their cases in Cantonese, and British royals’ names still grace street signs.

Chinese heritage predominates. Belief in lucky numbers and the ancient art of ‘feng shui’ permeates the city. Literally meaning ‘wind and water’, ‘feng shui’ is the popular practice of positioning objects in harmony with nature to create good fortune. Locals take their luck anywhere they can get it. Fortune-telling lives on. There are soothsayers who reside at the north end of Temple Street Night Market. Resplendent in ornate robes, they look out of place and out of time, but for a small fee will read your palm. For a little more, they’ll read your face too.

Everyday life is influenced by religion. Over 600 temples are devoted to three main religions - Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Arguably, when people wonder about their future, they might ask their broker. Actually they are more likely to ask the Gods, and two Gods in particular - Man and Mo - the Gods of literature and war. Their downtown location is the richest temple this side of heaven because the Chinese are always careful to share their good fortune with the gods.

Sightseeing

On the ‘must do’ list is Victoria Peak, where one can grasp the diversity and scale of the city. In eight minutes one is up in the clouds, thanks to the Peak Tram, a historic form of transport to view a panorama of modern skyscrapers and mountains. While here, drop in at Madame Tussaud’s.

Hong Kong Island’s Central is home to the business and financial world, with charming colonial buildings standing proudly among futuristic monoliths. The legendary Star Ferry provides scenic boat trips across Victoria Harbour, one of the world’s most photographed spots.

Wan Chai is another major attraction. Famous as the home of fictional Suzie Wong, as portrayed in the 1957 movie, today’s Wan Chai is notable for its dizzying array of small shops - from wet markets to quaint printers selling traditional red Chinese wedding invitations. At its core is the nightlife scene, with new trendy bars complementing the older traditional establishments.

Kowloon’s Tsim Sha Tsui is the local tourist Mecca. The ‘Golden Mile’ is a long boulevard of shops and tourist hotels running from the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula down Nathan Road. It’s Hong Kong’s answer to Fifth Avenue and the Champs Elysee, and an unforgettable shopping experience.

Wong Tai Sin temple is a busy Chinese shrine with local character. Featuring beaches and bistros, Repulse Bay is always worth visiting. For amusement rides, one of the world’s largest reef aquariums, giant pandas and dolphin shows, Ocean Park is a superb stopover. There’s plenty of atmosphere in Stanley that features a casual market and bistros and cafes along the sea.

Several museums and galleries showcase splendid collections of Chinese antiquities. The largest is the Hong Kong Museum of Art, its galleries filled with worldwide exhibits, as well as jade and ceramics from the Han to Ming and Qing dynasties. The University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong boasts the world’s largest collection of bronze artifacts from the Yuan dynasty. Museums devoted to space, science and history are located in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Performing arts

The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra is the largest of its kind in the world, combining traditional instruments and Western orchestrations. The internationally recognised Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is in residence from September through July. Dance is represented by the Hong Kong Ballet, the City Contemporary Dance Company and the Hong Kong Dance Company. And there is Chinese opera.

Night fever

This is a late-night city. There are British pubs, American bars, high-tech karaoke clubs and all-night dance clubs. A great place to start is Lan Kwai Fong, the city’s premier nocturnal entertainment area, with dozens of bars, restaurants, pubs and jazz joints crammed into a three-block radius. A short walk brings you to Hong Kong’s version of SoHo (South of Hollywood Road), packed with good eateries and watering holes. Wan Chai features bars and dance clubs that are still humming as the sun comes up.

Shopping

From early in the morning until late night, there’s a shop waiting for you - in glitzy designer boutiques or open-air markets. And if you time it right -from July through September and December through February - it is the time of sales, with plenty of good bargains.

The Hong Kong VIP Card offers good savings. From jewellery to fashion, electronic goods to tailor-made clothes, the card can be used at hundreds of participating stores for discounts all year-round. Hollywood Road and its offshoots in Central are the best areas for antiques and old memorabilia. Silk carpets, neolithic pots, Ming dynasty horsemen and Mao souvenirs compete for space with ornate Qing cloisonne and Chinese wedding cabinets.

Mega-malls include Central’s Prince’s Building, The Landmark and Alexandria House; Pacific Place in Admiralty, which have several designer boutiques under one roof. Times Square in Causeway Bay is a must. The Lee Gardens in Causeway Bay sports numerous brand names. Peddar Building in Central is good for European labels.

The city is a hub for all things Asian. There are Korean cabinets, Thai Buddhas, Indian brassware, and Indonesian batiks. ‘Cat Street’ or Upper Lascar Row (Chinese slang for sellers of odds and ends) is the place for antique lovers.

Local style queen Joyce Ma stocks international designer labels at her upscale stores. For cutting-edge fashion, head for the Beverly Commercial Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui or Island Beverly in Causeway Bay.

‘Tailor-made’ is big-time business. One can’t leave without having a suit made. Barney Cheng’s design team will create a gown that will turn heads. Kow Hoo Shoe Company in Central has been cobbling for three generations with custom-made shoes that have one walking on air.

All things retro are the rage. At Shanghai Tang, entrepreneur David Tang turns traditional Chinese style on its head with stunning cheong-sam dresses and Mandarin collar jackets in lime green and shocking pink. Alan Chan’s shop on the Peak specialises in ‘retro-chinois’ t-shirts and tea boxes covered in 1,940 designs.

For electronics and gizmos, head for Tsim Sha Tsui and the shops along Nathan Road for a variety in the latest in camcorders, cameras and video disc players. Hong Kong being a free port, there’s no tax applicable.

Accommodation

Five-Star J W Marriott Hotel Hong Kong 88, Queensway, Pacific Place Hong Kong HKD 2,557 for standard double room New World Renaissance Hotel 22, Salisbury Road, Kowloon Hong Kong HKD 1,750 for standard double room Four-Star Royal Pacific Hotel and Towers 33 Canton Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon Hong Kong HKD 1,313 for standard double room Holiday Inn Golden Mile Hotel 50 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong HKD 875 for standard double room Three-Star Panda Hotel Hong Kong 3, Tsuen Wah Street, Tsuen Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong HKD 463 for standard double room (For more on hotels log on to www.discoverhongkong.com) Ramada Kowloon Hotel Hong Kong 73-75 Chatham Road South Tsimshatsui, Kowloon Hong Kong Per room, per night for a standard double room - HKD 400

Fact File

Currency The local currency is the HKD (Hong Kong Dollar, approximately Rs 7). Climate The climate is sub-tropical, with spring, summer, autumn and winter as four distinct seasons. Local dress ranges from smart-casual and designer fashions to business suits. Language Chinese and English are the official languages. All major signage is in English or is bilingual. Money Changers Money-changers are located in almost all market areas and main streets. Most hotels also change money.

Eating Out

Perched on the doorstep of mainland China, Hong Kong features food from every mainland province. Regional styles include Cantonese, Chiu Chow, Shanghainese, Yunnan, Peking, and Schezwan Culinary treats can be enjoyed in every corner of the city and especially in its best-known dining districts like Causeway Bay, Kowloon City, and Stanley. For a quintessential local experience that is never the same twice, try Dim Sum. The refined pleasure of afternoon tea is still a fixture of local life, and one of the best places to experience it is the lobby of The Peninsula Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. Across the harbour, fifteen types of tea are brewed at the Mandarin Oriental’s high tea in its Clipper Lounge. At the Island Shangri-La in Admiralty, bookworms cosy up for tea in the Library. Coffee seekers head to the Patisserie at Harbour City for tiramisu and Cuban coffee bean brews. Featuring opulent, richly decorated interiors and ornate ceilings, ‘Jumbo Floating Restaurant’ in Aberdeen offers sumptuous seafood and Chinese cuisine, and is among the best eateries in the city (tel: 2873 7111). Average spend per person HKD 175. Located alongside is ‘Tai Pak Floating Restaurant’ which offers gourmet buffets. Average spend per person HKD 150. For Indian cuisine, Gaylord, located on Ashley Road, is the best bet (tel: 2376 1001). Average spend per person HKD 125. Located in Murray House, Stanley, Chilli N Spice is renowned for its Chinese, Thai and seafood (tel: 2899 0147). The average spend per person comes to HKD 100.

Getting Around

Visitors have a choice of transport modes. There are metered taxis everywhere (the basic flag-fall rate is HKD 15). Less expensive options are buses and trams, and the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) that is fast, clean and inexpensive. Rental and chauffeur driven cars are also available. Many hotels hire out their own limousines.