Hong Kong 2024 - Destinations for repeaters (Part 1)
I have been to Hong Kong relatively regularly in the past. However, due to Corona and work-related changes, it's been a while since I was last there. So it was time to visit again and save the rest of my vacation from expiring.
I had picked out a number of destinations that I wanted to revisit or see for the first time. The focus was on photography. I skipped the usual suspects like a trip to the Peak or Macao - I've been there often enough.
So that this post doesn't get too long, I'll split it into two parts. I'll include the destinations for the day here - those for the evening will follow next time.
at the Royal Pacific Hotel
The Royal Pacific Hotel is located in a building complex at the Ferry Terminal in Kowloon. You can already see the golden facades from the street. However, in order to capture the reflections, you have to get to the restaurant level - either via the escalator inside the building or via the bridge that leads to Kowloon Park.
West Kowloon Station
West Kowloon Station [↗] or Hong Kong Terminus is the station that connects Hong Kong with China's express train network.
Of course, you can't get to the tracks. As everywhere in China, the procedures here are similar to those at airports. You can't get through security without a ticket, let alone to the gates or tracks. Not to mention that border controls also take place here.
I actually thought that the large entrance hall would offer a lot of interesting perspectives, but the ones I found were quite limited.
Xiqu Centre
I already visited the Xiqu Centre in 2020. But since it is quite close to the train station, I went there again. You can find a more detailed description of my last visit here.
Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
I had already visited the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery [↗] several years ago. It is located in the New Territories, but is quite easy to reach by metro. The path up a hill is lined with life-size Buddha figures - each one different. At the top there is a photogenic pagoda, among other things. The 10,000 Buddha figures can be found on the walls of a temple where photography is prohibited.
As the monastery is also mentioned in some travel guides, you will also find other tourists here. However, the majority are Asians. At higher temperatures - so actually always - you should have enough water with you. The path up offers little shade and is quite steep.
Ride on the streetcar
A ride on the double-decker streetcars on Hong Kong Island is certainly not an insider tip. In fact, I hadn't even planned on it. But when I was in Kennedy Town to scout a spot for the evening, I passed one of the end stations. A train was just leaving there and the next one was already waiting. So I got on, went upstairs and secured one of the seats in the front row. The windows to the front and side can be opened - best conditions for taking a few photos during the journey.
Art Lane and Sai Ying Pun MTR station
On Hong Kong Island you will find quite a bit of graffiti. There is even an alley called Art Lane. As it's not far from my hotel, I went there again even though my last visit wasn't that long ago.
The neighboring metro station is also interesting. If you walk from the entrance near Art Lane through the underground corridors towards the trains, you will pass some walls on which various street scenes are displayed as sculptural images.
You can find more examples of street art in the area in this report. If you are interested in graffiti, you should not miss the area shown there.
Lin Fa Temple
The Lin Fa Temple just serves as an example of the many small local temples that can be found all over Hong Kong. Avoid the big touristy ones like the Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road [↗]. But if you pass another one, feel free to go inside. Sometimes you are allowed to take photos, sometimes not. Just look for the respective signs.
