Traditional – and nocturnal – Hong Kong.

When you hear the words “Hong Kong”, what springs to mind first? Go on – what images just appeared in your mind’s eye just now? Was it a film you’ve seen set there – maybe one starring Jackie Chan or perhaps Bruce Lee, or was it a Bond movie? Was it the skyscrapers and bright lights? For me, it’s normally a mixture of all the above…

Hong Kong is a very distinctive city (or special administrative region, to be precise). One could call it the result of a historical symbiosis between traditional Chinese and Western (British) cultures. And the views to be had here today often highlight this symbiosis perfectly; like here ->

Hong Kong by night is just as impressive as by day – if not more so. More on this later…

Curiously, if you drive just 20 or 30 kilometers from the center you end up in an entirely different version of “Hong Kong” (which I wrote about back in early 2020 – just before covid struck). It’s a version you never normally hear about, or see in movies or on the internet. So you have to go and see it in the flesh for yourself…

In this corner of Hong Kong it’s all about traditional fishing, and seafood markets and restaurants cafes – not a skyscraper or brightly-lit advertisement in sight:

The cafés are very down to earth and traditional. Nothing fancy whatsoever – but the seafood… – Oh my gourmet-gorgeous – the best to be found in Hong Kong…

Yes, the place doesn’t look much – to put it very mildly-kindly; but at lunchtime there’s never a spare (plastic) table to dine at!

Inside, the scenes are just as back-to-basics as on the outside. The main thing: the aquariums with all the varieties of fish inside: can’t get fresher than that! ->

You choose (not easy), they take your choice off to the kitchen, and minutes later – it’s on your plate! ->

So there you have it folks – authentic Hong Kong seafood dining for those in the know (who can do without elegant surroundings).

I’ve written a lot about Hong Kong down the years, so I may be repeating myself here today; apologies to those who read – and remember – every post!…

There’s a wonderful observation platform up above Hong Kong (on Hong Kong Island) at Victoria Peak. At least – it used to be called Victoria Peak. These days it’s just “the Peak” or the Chinese name – Chetsishan.

The Peak is somewhere up there above and behind the skyscrapers – not that we could see it this time (during rain season) ->

Despite the cloud, we still headed on up to the Peak – hoping the cloud might shift by the time we get there. Alas, it didn’t. We descended half-way down under the cloud line and the view was better – but not by much ->

In the foreground – the skyscrapers of the Hong Kong you normally see. In the background – Kowloon City District ->

Next up – ferry ride, making sure it comes back to the same spot and doesn’t take us off to one of the other islands and leaves us there…

Over there – Kowloon, or 九龍. Ah – I recognize the first symbol: it means dragon. Oh how the Chinese love that mythological beast!…

We bought out tickets, boarded, and off we ferried…

Assorted Hong Kong views:

We sailed from the historical Hong Kong toward Kowloon; the views – marvelous! ->

I whip out my panoramic lens:

A brief walk along an embankment:

A monument to cinematography! ->

Night falls; the light show begins!…

Turns out there’s a Legoland here too. Of course there is! (I’ve been to the one in Denmark.)

At 10pm all digital outdoor advertisements are turned off – probably so as not to annoy the locals at night.

Here’s a poser for you. Why do many a skyscraper here have a hollowed out section in the middle? Guesses/answers – in the comments!…

The rest of the photos from Hong Kong are here.