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Lying just a half-hour ferry ride from Central, Lamma Island is the third largest of Hong Kong’s islands and is a unique escape for Hong Kongers from the hustle and bustle of urban life. There are no cars here and few buildings are over three storeys high. Trails meander along hills and coastline and the beaches are actually quite clean and inviting!

My earliest memories of Lamma Island were as a young boy heading with my family to eat fresh seafood on its shores. Over the last 20 years the site has become much more commercial and small stalls where we lunched have now given way to rows of seafood restaurants that ferry customers to and from Hong Kong Island.

Lauren and I recently took a day excursion to the island and walked from north to south between the island’s two main villages. It’s a slight climb and can be done in under two hours.

Yung Shue Wan

Our route took us first to the small village of Yung Shue Wan. Until a few decades ago, this was a small village relying mostly on agriculture and fishing. It has expanded in recent years mostly to accommodate people attracted to the lower rents and laid-back lifestyle. Walking the narrow streets between the tightly packed buildings, you’ll see shops and restaurants that reflect his mixed heritage: stalls with dried fish, shops selling TVs and outlets with ghastly clothing.

Hung Shing Yeh Beach

This beach was surprising clean (for Hong Kong) and would be one of the few places I’d actually consider swimming.

Lamma Winds

At the top of a long, windy paved road is a single wind generator. This was built as a testament to Hong Kong’s commitment to alternative energy and a symbol of the regions need to pursue forms of clean technology. We trekked to the top and took some photos of the Hong Kong island and the wind generator.

Pavilion

Though there are a few small woods, the vegetation is mostly sparse grassland and scrub. At the top of the hill there is a pavilion with nice panoramic views of Lamma and nearby islands such as Cheung Chau and Lantau (site of the Hong Kong airport and Giant Buddha).

Lo So Shing Beach

During the Tang Dynasty (7th to 10th century AD), this was a center of local industry where seashells were baked to make lime. There are kilns nearby and many make shift docking stations for rich Hong Kongers to dock their boats while they snack on fresh seafood at the nearby restaurants. As you walk from Lo So Shing to Sok Kwu Wan, you’ll see tunnels that were used during the Japanese occupation in the Second World War. These tunnels were known as Kamakaze Tunnels as the Japanese used to camp in here to await unsuspecting enemies.

Sok Kwu Wan

As you’ll see, seafood restaurants dominate Sok Kwu Wan. They mostly serve people arriving on pleasure junks but are also a great place to eat lunch after a long walk. We had a fixed price meal for two (HK$320) at the Rainbow Seafood restaurant that was surprisingly good and include a free ferry ride back to Hong Kong island!

Lantau is the largest outlying island in Hong Kong – almost twice the size of Hong Kong! More than half of Lantau has been designated a country park area. Its tranquil and green environment makes it a popular spot for nature lovers and hikers. Incidentally, the island is also home to Hong Kong’s top notch international airport, Chek Lap Kok, and much maligned Hong Kong Disneyland which opened in 2006.On a side note, as an illustration of how the Chinese language sometimes loses its beauty when translated, we’ve included the following picture. Here’s some useful information on the Lantau Island Ferry. Note that it still gets the point across:

Giant Buddha and Po Lin Monastery

The 34 meter high Giant Buddha, the world’s tallest, outdoor, seated, bronze Buddha statue, sits on a lotus throne above a three-platform altar and weighs 250 tons. We purchased an admission ticket with includes a vegetarian meal at the staircase in front of the Giant Buddha. As you can see from these pictures, its really an awesome sight as you approach it from the road and see the clouds surrounding Buddha. We also had a great vegetarian lunch in at the monastery dining hall and we were told that you can stay there for a night if you are seeking enlightenment.

The nearby Po Lin Monastery, set amid spectacular mountain scenery on the 520 meter high Ngong Ping plateau, has a fabulous vegetarian restaurant where we had a hearty lunch!

We visited Ngong Ping Village, a Hong Kong culturally-themed attraction. You can travel by Ngong Ping Skyrail (aka cable car) to the Ngong Ping Village which includes three themed attractions: Walking with Buddha, Monkey’s Tale Theater and Ngong Ping Tea House.

The Wisdom Path

This is an outdoor wooden replica of the centuries-old Heart Sutra, one of the world’s best known prayers that is revered by Confucius, Buddhists and Taoists alike. It has been erected in the form of the symbol for infinity (∞) which represents immeasurable splendor and the concept of nothingness.

Tung Chung Fort

Occupying a 70 meter by 80 meter site, Tung Chung Fort was built in the early 19th century as part of a short-lived attempt to suppress the opium trade and defend the coastal area from pirates. The fort was declared a monument in 1979.

In 1997, the British set sail from Victoria Harbor and Hong Kong became the new Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Today it’s business as usual in the former colony. Beneath all of the ultra-modern clothes and haircuts and the glossy building exteriors, however beats the heart of old Hong Kong. CEOs head home to light joss sticks and pay homage to Buddha in front of ancestral shrines. The gliding junks and incense-clouded temples of Hong Kong’s past endure, somewhat obscured by McDonald’s golden arches and shelves upon shelves of Gap khakis.

My wife and I had the unique opportunity to grow up in Hong Kong during its rise as an “Asia Tiger”. During the 1970s and 1980s, Hong Kong evolved from a back water entreport into a global financial center to rival New York, London and Tokyo. Much has changed since we left for North America. Gone are the rickshaws that populated the Star Ferry and the abundant number of foreigners that gave Hong Kong a colonial, cosmopolitan feel. Much has changed. For instance, in place of the many British are now many tourists from Mainland China. Both most things remain the same – if not more abundant. Skyscrapers are even more prevalent as are the number of taxi cabs and . Domestic help from south east Asia countries such as Philippines and Indonesia appear more abundant than ever – particularly on Sundays in key parts of Central. And the pollution seems to keep growing at an ever increasing pace…However, going back to Hong Kong always gives my wife and me a sense of nostalgia. It is truly a unique place and I highly encourage you to visit if you ever find yourself in Asia. You will not be disappointed!

The city is definitely a must for anyone thinking about traveling to the region and is an ideal location to start any journey through southeast Asia. I personally lived there for over 13 years so I can recommend places to eat and things to see during your visit. I’ve included my pictures and descriptions of some of the sights that I was able to see during my visit from July 4 to July 12, 1999. Enjoy!

The Peak

The Peak is one of my favorite places in Hong Kong because it is here where you can truly experience the sharp contrasts of city, harbor and green. The great vistas make it one of the most popular tourist destinations and the clean air makes it a novelty in a city full of smog and congestion! On a clear (aka rare) day, you can see Tsing Ma Bridge, Hong Kong Disneyland, Lamma Island and other outlying islands. You can get here either by taking a bus or the Peak Tram from Central. I highly recommend the Peak Tram which has been providing unforgettable views since 1888. The cable pulled tram travels along a track so steep that nearby buildings appear to be tilting!

Western Market & Sheung Wan Fong

The Western Market, an Edwardian-style building originally called the Harbour Office, was built in 1906 and later became a food market before closing in 1988. Two years later, it was declared a historical monument, renovated and re-opened as the Western Market in 1991. Next to it is a compass-like piazza named Sheung Wan Fong. I encourage you to visit this market to see how people in Hong Kong bought meat before the advent of mass supermarkets. I remember coming here as a boy and seeing all the carcasses hanging from hooks and listening to the local butchers yell out the latest deals of the day. The smell of the place still lingers in my mind and if you ever get a chance to whiff the air you’ll know what I mean.

Man Mo Temple

One of the first traditional style temples built during the colonial era, Man Mo Temple’s magnificent external architecture reflects its historical roots. Inside, the air is thick with plumes of aromatic smoke from the coils and incense sticks that are said to carry prayers to the spirit world. Gold altars and red shrines pay homage to the Taoist gods of literature (“Man”) and war (“Mo”) – “Man” with his calligraphy brush and “Mo” with his sword. There is also a statue of Pau Kung, the god of justice, and another of Shing Wong, the god of the city. The plaques near the entrance give an interesting perspective on the history of the temple and its gods. The temple’s historical relics include a bronze bell dated 1847 and imperial sedan chairs made in 1862.

Avenue of the Stars

Located in Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon is Asia’s first Avenue of the Stars. Here you can see plaques honoring celebrities from the Hong Kong silver screen and those behind the camera.

Clock Tower

Located next to the Kowloon-side Star Ferry is the clock tower. Part of the original Kowloon-Canton Railway Terminus, the clock tower was completed and came into operation in 1921. This is a landmark from the Age of Steam, a time when people spent days traveling across Europe and Asia.

Victoria Harbor

Nothing demonstrates the pulsating growth of Hong Kong more than Victoria Harbor. As you can see in these pictures, Hong Kong has grown rapidly from a small island into a thriving metropolis with skyscrapers that rival New York and Tokyo.

In the first picture below, the Bank of China designed by I.M. Pei (of the Louvre museum fame) and the HSBC bank can clearly be seen. In addition, the following pictures show the Hong Kong convention center constructed for the handover ceremony of Hong Kong to China in June 1997.

View of the Hong Kong Convention Center.

Obelisk memorializing the handover of Hong Kong.

Wong Tai Sin Temple

This very large and active Taoist temple was built in 1973 and contains some sights that are very common in Chinese culture but may seem usual for people from the West. Aside from the people praying and giving offerings to the gods, there are galleries of fortune tellers, people shaking joss sticks for good luck and fortune telling, beautiful stone gardens carved in traditional Chinese style and numerous urns for burning incense. Below is a picture of Lauren having her fortune told by a local fortune teller. In addition, I’ve included pictures of numerous bas-reliefs of Kowloon (Nine Dragons) at the Wong Tai Sin Temple.

Longest Suspension Bridge In The World

This bridge that links Hong Kong Island to Lantau Island (site of the new airport and the giant Buddha statue) is reputed to be the longest in the world (take that San Francisco!!).

Longest Escalator In the World (Travelator)

At 800 meters long, this is the world’s longest covered escalator. It links Des Voeux Road Central near the harbor to Conduit Road (where I lived) in the Mid-Levels. The escalator is a convenient way to see the city hillside which contains great restaurants and shops. Traveling the entire length takes about 20 minutes. The escalator runs one-way downhill from 6 am to 10 am and then uphill from 10:20 am to midnight. This hillside escalator is known locally as a travelator. We took it many times to travel from Central to the Mid-Levels of Hong Kong Island in an effort to avoid the horrendous traffic.

Tiger Balm Gardens

Officially known as the Aw Boon Haw Gardens, these gardens are three hectares of grotesque sanctuary in appalingly bad taste but are a sight to behold. Aw Boon Haw made his fortune from the Tiger Balm cure everything medication and this was his gift to Hong Kong. Its meant to teach people about heaven and hell and famous Chinese religious beliefs. Unfortunately, its scheduled to be torn down before the beginning of the Millenium so if you want to see it you must hurry! Below I’m standing in front of a few murals depicting life in Hell. Not exactly the Sistine Chapel…

Ching Chung Koon Temple

Located on the north east side of the New Territories, this temple is a classic illustration of Chinese temple architecture. These pictures show the classic urns for incense burning, the furnaces for burning paper objects so that they can be used in the afterlife (e.g., money, cars, clothes, etc.), porcelain paintings, and tiled frescoes.

Above is a typical furnace used for burning offerings and all things made of paper including money, cars, houses, etc. Essentially anything you want to take to the after-life or sent to your ancestors in the after-life.

Yuen Yuen Institute

This Taoist temple complex pays homage to not just Taoism (ancestor worship), but Confucianism and Buddhism. The temple has a blend of Confucius, Buddha and Tao and contains several very Zen-like stone gardens. Coincidentally, we bumped into a business school classmate here, Anthony Soohoo!

Food!

If not for the amazing sights, you should at least head to Hong Kong for its culinary delights! Although we have lived in Hong Kong for many years and eaten many exotic Eastern and Western dishes, nothing was quite as unusual as pillow toast. This is a loaf of bread that is full of butter and toasted. The outside is hard but the inside tastes rather buttery and gooey. Definitely an interesting Eastern play on a very Western food!