It’s hard to keep anything a secret for long in Hong Kong. The walls between the global city and the world are thin. His people travel far, and they speak loudly.
But the city has some amazing experiences that aren’t widely known, either because of accessibility issues or simply because they’ve been forgotten.
If you’re looking to get under the skin of this Asian city, here are a few of our favorite Hong Kong secrets.
Dinosaur Age Rocks.
One of Hong Kong’s most spectacular scenic spots yet relatively unknown to tourists, the hexagonal volcanic rock columns of Saiking are part of the UNESCO-recognized Hong Kong Global Geopark.geopark.gov.hk), which contains spectacular rock formations (volcanics and sediments) dating from 140 to 400 million years ago. The most geologically impressive of the volcanic gems can only be seen from a boat, so the best way to see them is to join a boat tour or charter your own.
The tour lasts about three hours and lets you see a variety of marine and air-formed wonders – massive sea stacks, steep cliffs, secluded bays, sea arches, sea caves – at fairly close range. . And on these geologic features are rock columns that have a honeycomb-shaped cross-section — lined up in inclined clusters like fingers pointing skyward, the entire rock face covered with the pipes of a giant organ. cover like, or are arranged selectively like a metaphor. For citizens of Hong Kong. The acidic, silica-rich rocks are a bright yellow, making for stunning images against the blue of the sea and sky. The color is also geologically unique – the most similar formations in the world are dark gray basaltic lava.
The tour takes place inside what was once a super volcano over 20 km in diameter. The hexagonal columns are actually lava and volcanic ash that cooled and contracted after a violent eruption in the Cretaceous period. The walls of the hollow volcano collapsed, creating a wide depression called a caldera. Sea level rise and erosion complete the job.
Recommended Geopark Guide System (hkr2g.net) has tour recommendations.
Old school karaoke
In Yau Ma Tei, you can see ‘restaurants’ with faded glamor portraits of women plastered near their entrances. These are single long parlors. Yau Ma Tei, an area once known for its nightclubs and mahjong parlors, where budding artists sang street opera, before busking was the norm. In the 70s and 80s, shelters came into existence with showers on stage and Christmas lights so that rain would not interrupt performances. A handful still exist, tired but otherwise unchanged, offering a taste of grassroots entertainment from a bygone era. Each parlor has an organist and a group of singers who can take on anything from Cantonese opera to The Carpenters.
The HK$20 entrance fee buys you tea and some peanuts. Customers are encouraged to ballot it for a ‘tip’ (HK$50-100 per song) or request a song (HK$50). Most of the patrons are regulars – eccentric types from the neighborhood; Old men with whiskey flasks who know all the dames. Although women may seem excited at times, remember that only 60% to 80% of ‘tips’ go into their pockets. So even if you’re just there to people-watch, consider tipping every few songs (minimum HK$20 per patron); Just put your money in the box near the stage. Parlors have afternoon sessions, but after 9pm is when the action heats up. Since these locations do not serve food, you are welcome to order delivery and purchase beverages from nearby convenience stores.
Try the Canton Singing House on Temple St. and next door the cheap but affordable Jiut Wan Gu Zou.
Dypedong With ties to the ocean
Overlooking the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter, the sprawling Up Le Chow Cooked Food Center is one of Hong Kong’s most unique hawker styles. daipaidong (Open air food stalls). Ap Lei Chau Island and the nearby fishing port of Aberdeen are home to Hong Kong’s largest population of tanka fishermen and their descendants, a group that lived on boats until the 1980s. Because of this, the wet market just below the food court sells a wonderful variety of seafood, including jewels you won’t find anywhere else in the city, like wild yellow croaker and goose barnacles. One fun thing to do is to buy your seafood from the bottom and pay one of the operators to cook it for you the way you want it. Pak Kee (2555 2984) and Chow Kee (2555 2052) are open for dinner. Prices are much cheaper compared to seafood hubs like Saikung and Lamma Island, but still, make sure you know how much you’re paying before slipping your fish into the pan.
The minor venue is also the con of dragon boating. In the evenings, when the locals gather here for cheap beer and good conversation after their dragon boat practice, you’ll find yourself sitting next to some of the world’s top teams. Mind you, this is noise – fishermen are not known to whisper.
Hong Kong’s Overlooked Photographers
A city like Hong Kong, with its complex textures – juxtapositions of substance and void, light and shadow – can produce interesting photography. And he has; There are enough excellent, internationally competitive Hong Kong photographers to fill a museum. Award-winning master street photographer Fan Ho (1937 – ) is known for the stunning cinematic quality of his works. Nancy Sheung (1914-79) had a keen eye for space and form and a preference for female subjects. Emerging art photographer Gavin Au (1982 – ) makes socio-political commentary through provocative art.
Lumen Visum holds regular exhibitions of works by Hong Kong photographers.lumenvisum.orgWhile the AO vertical art space (aovertical.comBlind Spot Gallery and La Galerie (lagalerie.hk) feature Hong Kong and other Asian photographers. Hong Kong International Photo Festivalhkipf.org.hk) is held every two years from August to November, with a month-long version in the middle year, usually in November.
Budget Sleeps – Hip or History?
If you want to stay amidst fruit trees and history, the Heritage Lodge, perched on a leafy hillside, can fit the bill. with the beautiful Jao Tsing-I Academy (jtia.hk), with its galleries and lily pond, the hostel occupies a site that once served as temporary quarters for mainland Chinese coolies on their way to the British-owned gold and diamond mines in South Africa. It later became a prison, and later, a hospital for infectious diseases and mental disorders. There are beautiful Victorian-era brick buildings with rooftops and a wonderful blend of European and Chinese architectural styles. All guest rooms feature antique Chinese-inspired decor under the themes of music, chess, poetry, calligraphy and painting. The site is named after the literary giant Jao Tsung-I.
Even more affordable and very different from Heritage Lodge is hip playground Wontonmeen – the place to go if you’re a design-minded backpacker who wants to mingle with like-minded people and laser-cut your wallet. In addition to the spacious dormitories, Wintonman has a small cafe and shop with doors facing the street, and a living room cluttered with cinema seats, movie posters and other retro Hong Kong paraphernalia. Wontonmeen also offers film screenings and neighborhood tours. For those brave enough to brave the city traffic, there are also bicycles for rent.
21st Century Buddhist Monasteries
If you like Buddhist architecture, try visiting the new and modern Tasz Shan Monastery (tszshan.org) – is a feat of contemporary Chinese architecture inspired by tradition and a spiritually calming place to visit. Commissioned by Li Ka-shing, one of the world’s richest men, the 500,000-square-foot compound is state-of-the-art but elegantly dressed in Chinese antiques. The layout of the statues, halls and courtyards are designed to express Buddhist beliefs. The entire structure is steel clad in African zeitan wood, eliminating the need for pillars (except for decorative purposes) and interlocking brackets below the edges. The roofs are paved with gray tiles, echoing the gray color of the courtyard. The result is a clean modern look that harmonizes wonderfully with the minimalism of the Tang Dynasty aesthetic. Try to book early, as places are limited. Alternatively, you can view the monastery’s most prominent feature, the statue of the Goddess of Compassion, from a distance. At 76 meters (twice the height of the Big Buddha on Lantau Island), it is visible from miles away.