Hong Kong is the dense megalopolis I thought Taipei would be before I came here. While there are plenty of aspects I prefer about Taipei (YouBikes, Mandarin Chinese, clean streets with orderly pedestrians, etc), Hong Kong is simply magnitudes more metropolitan. It felt like an Asian NYC. It felt like a sudden abundance of high-end dining and classy cafes/bars. We managed to eat at two separate Michelin star restaurants in the less than 48 hour period we were in HK to renew my friend's Taiwan tourist visa. Some aspects felt especially British (double decker buses, red taxis, a tram), while other aspects felt especially Chinese (public housing skyscrapers, knockoff goods), but overall it just felt more cosmopolitan (more foreigners, more English, more athleisure clothing). The hidden staircases that acted as alleyways between hilly streets were particularly charming--I have never lived in a city with so much elevation change before.
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| Start of the Central--Mid-Levels, the world's longest outdoor covered escalator system |
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| The walkways and escalators traverse over 2,600 ft of distance and 443 ft of elevation |
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After taking the escalators as far as possible, we hiked up several trails to get a view of the city from Victoria Peak.
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| Man Mo Temple with extraordinary amounts of incense burned inside |
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| Nan Lian Garden |
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Nan Lian Garden
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| Chi Lin Buddhist Nunnery |
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| Kowloon Walled City Park |
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| Ladies' Market |
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| Garden Hill |
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| Salisbury Road |
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| Cafe near the Avenue of Stars |
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| Symphony of Lights after taking a ferry across Victoria Harbor |
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