Fall in Love with Hong Kong

I believe you've never really experienced a city until you've been to Hong Kong. That's not to say other cities aren't worthy of visiting. I've spent time in some of the world's most fantastic cities - Paris, London, Boston, New York, Shanghai, Dublin, Singapore - but none, for me, compares to Hong Kong.

My love affair with Hong Kong started the moment I arrived, crossing the threshold from mainland China, where I was living at the time, into Hong Kong's sparkling MTR train and waiting for the skyline to appear. The air felt humid and gritty. Around me, some passengers were sleeping, some reading glossy magazines across which Chinese characters were splayed, others eating deliciously greasy-looking snacks while we whizzed down the tracks. It seemed the ultimate crossplay between the slightly haphazard Chinese intensity and the composed politeness of the British.

It was that noisy, heaving, shiny, towering, beautiful mess of Sino-Britishness that I fell in love with and will never really get over.

Clichés like "there's something here for everyone" suddenly make sense in Hong Kong. Because it is so big and, well, there is something for everyone. Wonderfully grimy Chinese street food, sophisticated high tea, tailored suits, penthouse suites, dragon dances, Mexican dives, Indian saris, 7-11 stores, Australian wine. There is nothing you can't find in Hong Kong.

I've put together a short list of experiences I love about this magnificent metropolis. Some are quintessential, can't-miss-'em tourist attractions and others are a unusual pastimes of the sort that you'll only find in Hong Kong.

Dim Sum
You will never eat so well as you do in Hong Kong, mostly thanks to the sheer variety of choices, but also because the city has a long-standing culinary tradition that blends years-old traditions with modern cuisine. Dim sum is a huge part of that. Essentially, dim sum is a collective of snack foods that were (and often still are) eaten with tea. Dumplings (both steamed and fried), vegetable dishes, rice noodle rolls, meatballs, and a rice porridge known as congee are among the dozens of different options you'll experience in one dim sum setting. If you don't know where to start, try Yung Kee on Wellington Street in Central.

The Peak Tram
The first time I rode this rattling funicular railway up to the top of Victoria Peak felt like a death-defying experience. Overloaded wooden benches carried what feels like way too many passengers straight up a mountainside. At one point, my back was horizontal to the ground, while the tram shot straight upwards, mirroring the skyscrapers just a few yards away. The Peak Tram has been operating since 1888 and is a Hong Kong institution. The ride is a little nerve-wracking, but once at the top, you are presented with a stellar view of the city and harbor, with highrises nearly tickling the tips of your toes as you wait for the sun to set and the night's twinkling lights to appear.

Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
Sometimes Hong Kong can get a bit overwhelming, with its plethora of smells and noise; that's when you head for Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery. This Buddhist temple is in the peaceful Sha Tin area, north of the main city. It's not an easy walk up the 400-some-odd steps, which provide the only access to the top. But you are cheered along by rows of golden buddha statues lining the stairway, each with a unique facial expression and clothing. Once at the top, be sure to duck into the main hall, home to thousands of tiny golden buddhas which, together with the life-sized buddhas on the stairs and at the top, number more than 12,000.

Star Ferry
The Star Ferry has been transporting passengers across Victoria Harbour since 1888 and it is still a very important  mode of transportation for locals and tourists. Not only does the ferry provide cheap and cheerful passage from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island, but also it offers unparalleled views of the Hong Kong skyline, especially at night when the skyscrapers are all aglow.

Happy Valley Racecourse
I am not big into horse racing, so when a friend dragged me out to Happy Valley Racecourse one humid Thursday night, I really didn't know what to expect. What I discovered was a Hong Kong treat. Horse racing came to Hong Kong with the Brits, who ruled the territory for a century. Races run at Happy Valley all year on different nights. It costs about HKD$10 to get into the elite platform, where you'll hob nob with fancied up foreigners, place a few bets, and drink pitchers of beer. The best part? Feeling the rush of breeze on your face while you stand literally feet from the track as the horses speed from the starting gate.

Mong Kok Markets
You can buy pretty much anything you want in Mong Kok, a traditional Chinese neighborhood on the Kowloon Peninsula. Almost every street in this consumer's paradise has a theme: ladies' wear, birds, flowers, books...all of which overflow from busy carts and shops. You can't help but feel like you are truly part of something big and bustling and wonderful as you push your way through these crowded, colorful, pungent back lanes of Asia's Gotham City.

Have you had an amazing experience in Hong Kong or do you have a city secret to share? Leave us a comment below!

Photo 2: Robert Banh, Creative Commons 2.0; All Other Photos: Megan Eaves