We woke the next morning eager to explore Hong Kong. We decided to do a walking tour of the area that we were staying in because there was much to see. We started with the “Golden Mile”. This strip, that stretches up Nathan Road from the waterfront, is comprised of bars, restaurants, tailors, camera and electronic shops and a few topless bars. Normally this road is teeming with people, but today it was very quiet which made navigating it a breeze.
The Golden Mile, and our next destination, Kowloon Park, are located in Tsim Sha Tsui, also known as TST, is a profusion of world-class cultural venues, galleries and museums.
Kowloon Park can be equated as an oasis in the center of chaos. From the Golden Mile we climbed a set of stairs and entered the well-shaded and pretty park. There were numerous swimming pools, most outdoor, the one indoor pool we came across was giving a group of children swimming lessons. The aviary was circular and divided up much like a pie. Each slice contained different species of birds, including parrots, cockatoos, parakeets, quail, and my favourite, the Rhinoceros Hornbill. These birds have a long yellow beak with a horn on top almost the same length as the beak. Very odd-looking and shy too, they stayed far enough away that we weren’t able to photo them.
The Bird Pond was also a bird lovers paradise. The landscaping around the pond was amazing and a bridge crossed the pond making it easier to view the birds. We could see the black-necked swan, geese, many types of ducks, pink flamingos, turtles, koi and many more species of water fowl.
The Heritage Discovery Center included 2 blocks of buildings constructed circa 1910. These buildings served as barracks for the British army and the temporary home of the Hong Kong Museum of History. It includes a Thematic Exhibition Gallery, Lecture Hall, Library and Activity Room.
In the center of the park we noticed a totem pool, which looked out of place in this Asian themed park. The plaque beside it said that in 1991 Prime Minister Brian Mulroney had given the totem pole in a gesture of friendship to the people of Hong Kong. We found that to be quite interesting.
On our way back we stopped at the Harbour City Mall to grab a bite to eat while gazing out at the Causeway Bay. The shopping areas are amazing. Big, ultra modern, and very busy. The majority of the shoppers appear to be locals and prices are comparable to back home. These malls are everywhere, and on the streets there are well-dressed men and women trying to entice you into their many shops.
After lunch we took a walk along the boardwalk, along with much of Hong Kong it seemed, and came across the Avenue of Stars. Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan were the only names I recognized. This side of the harbor has the best views of Hong Kong Islands famous skyscrapers, and believe me, there are a lot of them!
We happened to walk past the Science Center and decided to stop in and look around. We ended up staying and watching a documentary about Arabia in the planetarium. It was a short film, about 40 minutes, and I fell asleep for a portion of it and Carl had to fill me in later.
We ended up just grabbing some supper at the hotel and later watched the Symphony of Lights from our hotel room. This is the worlds largest permanent light and sound show. Over 40 of Hong Kong’s iconic skyscrapers participate in lighting up Victoria Harbor. It begins at 8:00 and lasts approximately 14 minutes. As our room was on the 9th floor and faced the harbor, we watched the show every night. We must have had one of the best views in the hotel, even though a lot of the time it was smoggy.
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- Entrance to Kowloon Park
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- Swimming pool
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- Totem pole
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- Only photo we have of Rhinoceros Hornbill
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- Black-necked goose
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- One of the bridges in the park
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- Big Doll in a Discovery Center
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- Skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island
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- Along Avenue of the Stars
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- Hand print of Shek Kin and Carls hands
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- Zinnia in Kowloon Park
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- Along the boardwalk
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