Hong Kong:
Add a Two-Night Hong Kong Hotel Package to any Let's Travel China Tour! Prices start at just $780 per person and include:
- 5-Star Hotel
- Airport Transfers
- Shanghai to Hong Kong flight
- Breakfast daily!
Call Let's Travel China for details!
Although inhabited for more than 6,000 years, it's unlikely you'd be reading much about Hong Kong - here, or anywhere else - were it not for pivotal events that took place in the 19th century. As early as the mid-1500's, Chinese ports were regularly visited by European traders, eager to profit in the nation's production of silk, porcelain and fine furniture. In exchange for those goods, opium, in ever increasing amounts, was delivered to China's shores.
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By the late 1830s, the Chinese Emporer moved to end the lucrative opium trade but the British, in particular, would have none of it. During the Opium Wars which followed, the British Navy prevailed; opium returned and Chinese ports were forced to re-open. Hong Kong was ceded to the British. At that time (1842) Hong Kong claimed a local population of just 6,000.
It's role as a trading post now firmly established, Hong Kong quickly grew to become one of the world's great international trade ports. In 1997, 155 years later, Hong Kong (by then with 7 million inhabitants) - was returned to China. As a "Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, that role continues, though its domination has been somewhat lessened by the re-opening of trade at other Chinese ports and the creation of highly competitive special economic zones.
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Like Manhattan, Hong Kong's stunning skyline appears to leap from the sea. The city is crowded and sometimes stifling, yet peace can be found within a park's quiet corner or atop a splendid mountaintop vista. Within its 420 square miles is a myriad of shopping centers, banks, museums, restaurants, parks (including Mickey's latest), monasteries, and of course, those cathedrals of commerce: the skyscrapers!
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Hong Kong's major attractions include:
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- Central: This is the Hong Kong of postcards and pictures, the Hong Kong of gleaming skyscrapers dwarfing the busy boat traffic below. "Central" is the heart of Hong Kong, the financial and administrative core of the city. Land being as pricy as it is, little is left of Hong Kong's colonial past save for the 1911 Neo-Classical Legislative Building. Central straddles Victoria Harbour: Hong Kong Island to the south, Kowloon, on the Chinese mainland, to the north. Both sides are well-connected by ferries (the Star Ferry makes for an ideal sightseeing ride); invisible from above water is the network of vehicular and mass transit tunnels passing below.
- Victoria Peak: Paris has its Eiffel Tower, New York its Empire State Building, Rio its Corcovado. Hong Kong its Victoria Peak. As of this writing the 1,811-foot (552m) peak still - barely - tops the tallest buildings in the skyline it overlooks. A 10-minute funicular (the Peak Tram) makes easy work of the mountain but many board tour buses for the ride past the millionaire mansions lining the upper roads. By bus or tram, your reward for making the trip, besides the glorious views, is The Peak Tower, a collection of shops and cafes, a Madame Tussauds, and a Ripley's Believe it or Not! Odditorium.
- Victoria Peak Hiking Trail: By far, the best way to appreciate the views from atop Victoria Peak are from the looping trail that encircles it. You can stroll along its length in 45 minutes or so, taking in the views of the burgeoning city below on one side; then, a few minutes later, the tranquility of the south sides' outying islands and the South China Sea. If you've been to Gibraltar, you'll understand the lure of this walk!
- Nathan Road: Located on the Kowloon side, this is one of Hong Kong's favorite shopping boulevards. Restaurants and hotels also crowd and clog this artery, actually adding to the road's tourist appeal.
- The Escalator: As a tourist to most cities, you wouldn't normally earmark an "escalator visit" on your map. But this escalator is different. For one, it's outdoors (though covered). Second, it's a series of linked escalators covering half a mile of hillsides. Third, it's a one-way commuter system, traveling downhill from the early morning until 10:00AM. At 10:20AM, the escalators reverse direction, moving uphill the rest of the day and night. Finally, during non-commuter rush hours (the system moves about 34,000 pedestrians a day) it's an excellent way to tour the territory between Central, the "Mid-Levels," and "SoHo" (SOuth of HOllywood Road) shopping and restaurant districts.
- The Museums: Interactive exihibits add to the fun at the Hong Kong Science Musuem. Weather, gravity, electricity - all take on more meaning when you can push the buttons, lift the levers and twist the dials. The Hong Kong History Museum protects what many property developers haven't: Hong Kong's past. Scale-model Pre-Victorian homes, Victorian shops, and street scenes can be toured. Photographs and artifacts offer a glimpse of the not-to-long-ago Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Museum of Art is best known for its Chinese calligraphy pieces and an exquisite collection of Chinese watercolors.
- Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront: On the Kowloon side, this is where the Kowloon-bound Star Ferries debark. If there's a cool breeze to be caught, here's where to catch it! The views across to Hong Kong Island are true photo-ops. The Hong Kong Cultural Centre is situated here, as is the Avenue of the Stars - Hong Kong's version of Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Here, however, only the local film stars are honored...and there are many! If you're ready to take a break, take it at the famed Peninsula Hotel - always on the list of the world's top hotels. And if you can, time your break for afternoon High Tea in the hotel's lobby (daily from 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm); it's the last word in civilized living! Dress is smart casual.
- Lantau Island: A few years back, you could spend weeks in Hong Kong and never set foot on this island. Today, it's likely to be the FIRST place you'll visit as it's now the site of the new Hong Kong International Airport. Located just west of Hong Kong Island (and twice its size), Lantau is also the site of the new Hong Kong Disneyland. All of this is connected to town by expressways and high-speed trains. Several Buddhist monasteries are situated here, the Po Lin Monastery being the most visited, primarily because of its grand "Big Buddha" statue seated high above the hilltop. For the faithful (and aerobically-inclined), a flight of 268 steps will bring you up to the Buddha's feet.
Featured Hotels - Essential & Adventure Tour Series "Post-Tour" Packages: (subject to change)
Alternate Hotel:
- Hotel Nikko Hong Kong
72 Mody Road, Tsimshatsui East
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2739 1111
Fax: (852) 2311 3122
5-Star - 463 rooms
Located on Hong Kong's bustling Kowloon side, the Nikko is just steps from the shops and restaurants this city is famous for! Victoria Harbour is immediately adjacent offering amazing views of the Hong Kong skyline.
For a link to the Hotel Nikko Hong Kong site click here.
Featured Hotel - Luxury China Tour Series "Post-Tour" Packages: (subject to change)
- InterContinental Hong Kong
18 Salisbury Road
Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2721 1211
Fax: (852) 2739 4546
6-star, 485 rooms and suites
Located in Kowloon, on the north shore of Victoria Harbour, the InterContinental Hong Kong stands as this luxury chain's Asia-Pacific flagship property. The hotel offers beautiful views of Victoria Harbour and across to Hong Kong Island. With an outdoor heated pool, a feng shui inspired spa and fitness center, an acclaimed Cantonese restaurant - plus an excellent steak house and a Japanese restaurant, this hotel earns its accolades. In 2007 the property won Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Global Traveler Magazine awards for excellence.
For a link to the InterContinental Hong Kong site click here.
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...Did
you know?
On
1st July 1997, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region
of China. There were thirty thousand British citizens living in
Hong Kong at the time of the Handover.
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