Hong Kong

   Greetings, Readers! This is Stephen Gaiber, The Autistic Traveler! If you enjoyed my recent blog about China, then you’re going to love this blog about...(drum roll)…Hong Kong! The vibrant lights and skyscrapers as well as the harbors and boat rides in Hong Kong are to die for and make for a very memorable trip! There are two parts of Hong Kong: Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. For tourism purposes, we will be focusing on Hong Kong Island in this blog.



                                                                HISTORY OF HONG KONG

   Let’s first talk about the history of Hong Kong. It was formerly a British colony and under British rule from 1841 to 1997. It was ceded from the Quin Dynasty after the Opium War when Hong Kong was ceded to the British from 1839 to 1842, while the Kowloon peninsula got added to the colony during the Second Opium War in 1856 to 1860. The New Territories were added in 1898 on a 99-year lease. After the lease ended in 1997, Britain agreed to transfer sovereignty to China.

               
                                                                  VICTORIA PEAK

   One of the best parts of my trip to Hong Kong was the view from Victoria Peak. It is a peak above Hong Kong Island with spectacular views of the buildings and city. With seven million visitors annually, this is one of the highlights of tourism in Hong Kong! There are two leisure and shopping centers above The Peak Tower and The Peak Galleria. The way to get up to the peak is by taking a tram up the mountain. Check it out if you want an excellent photo opportunity! While in Victoria Peak, I explored Madame Tussad’s Wax Museum, the first of its kind in Asia. Some of the wax figures at the museum include former president Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Adolf Hitler, Pierce Brosnan, Johnny Depp, Eddie Murphy, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie.

                                                          TIAN TAN BUDDHA

   It wouldn't be a trip to Hong Kong without seeing a big Buddha! The Tian Tan Buddha a large bronze Buddha completed in 1993 also known as “The Big Buddah.” It's located on Lantau Island and is one of the most popular tourism attractions as well as a major center of Buddhism in Hong Kong. It's located near the Po Lin Monastery and symbolizes the peaceful relationship between man and nature. It is about 34 meters tall, weighs 250 tons, and is constructed from 202 bronze pieces. The best way to get there is via the Ngong Ping 360 gondola lift. It’s an aerial tramway that provides a breathtaking view of the city!

                                                         HONG KONG DISNEYLAND

   One of the major disappointments about the trip was going to Hong Kong Disneyland. Let me tell you it most certainly is no Disneyworld or even Disneyland California. This theme park opened up in 2005 and four and a half years later after opening, one could tell its a smaller version of the park. The park consists of the four main Disney lands: Main Street USA, Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. Since I have gone more lands have been added such as Toy Story Land in 2011, Grizzly Gulch in 2012, Mystic Point in 2013. Opening soon will be Frozen Land in 2020 and Marvel area in 2023. Maybe if I had gone now I would have had a better opinion about Hong Kong Disneyland, but it was just too small and not enough to do when I went there. I am hoping when I go to Disneyland in Asia to see major improvements.

                                                                 MACAU
                  
   One excellent day trip would be to take a ferry to Macau, the Las Vegas of Hong Kong! It has a lot of the same resorts that Las Vegas has such as the MGM Grand and the Wynn. There are many casinos and resorts that make it feel like The Strip and the resort city in Southern China. This was a former Portuguese colony that got returned back to the Chinese in 1999. There are many tall buildings and great views for photo opportunities. As a friendly reminder, please be sure to bring your passport if you go here as Macau and Hong Kong are two separate countries! 

                                                   AVENUE OF STARS

   As mentioned throughout the blog, Hong Kong is notoriously known for its tall buildings and outstanding views. My favorite photo opportunity was the Avenue of Stars. Similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it honors the celebrities of Hong Kong’s film industry. It opened on April 28, 2004 and is located along the Victoria Harbor in Kowloon. Some of the Hong Kong celebrities honored include Bruce Lee, John Woo, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Stephen Chow. This is an excellent tourist spot for those who want to see statues of actors and get a Hollywood-style experience!

   Overall, I really loved Hong Kong. I felt that with the breathtaking views, waterfront, buildings and tourist spots, there's a LOT to check out and it’s a vibrant and lively city! This is Stephen Gaiber, The Autistic Traveler…stayed tuned in the coming weeks for my Texas blog!