ISABEL GARCÍA Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Updated Friday, February 23, 2024-21:35
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Maybe they eat
dim sums
in pairs as if there were no tomorrow, they prepare the five o'clock tea with all the
British
paraphernalia .
They also celebrate the
Lantern Festival
(one of the most important festivals in China, which marks the end of their New Year) who go to the racecourse on Sundays to watch a horse race
in the purest Ascot style
(with extravagant headdresses included). , clear).
Anglican cathedrals also alternate along its streets, such as that of San Juan Evangelista (
headquarters of the
Japanese Gestapo during
World War II
), with Taoist and Buddhist temples where health, money and love are requested with curious offerings of Kit Kats or cigarettes.
This is Hong Kong, the most frenetic, fascinating and eccentric city in Asia (and half the world).
And
the least Chinese in all of China
.
Things about having been a British colony for more than 150 years (from 1842 to 1997), on the one hand.
And currently belonging to the Beijing government as a "special administrative region" (like
Macao
), on the other.
Hence it has its own flag, passport (tourists do not need a visa), currency and parliament and its motto is One country, two systems.
That is their daily life, halfway
between East, West and outer space
, if we press it.
Here are some examples of that mix.
An old boat sails through the bay.
Its inhabitants (7.35 million) speak English, but also Cantonese.
They eat
fish and chips
and lacquered goose.
They move in modern, colorful and narrow
double-decker trams
in the London style and in very old sailing boats called junks, characteristic of the
China Sea
in which we find ourselves.
This delimits the surface of the region (1,100 km2), divided between a peninsula joined to mainland China (Mainland) and 236 islands, including Hong Kong itself or the artificial airport designed by Norman Foster, which had to be expanded up to four times.
Then there would be that imposing
skyline
overlooking the bay topped with
scalextrics
and colossal futuristic buildings designed, of course, under the laws of
ancestral feng shui.
Not in vain, to request a construction permit it is necessary to present a project that includes this technique signed by a qualified master.
Atmosphere in the center of Hong Kong.
Tell it (again) to
Sir Foster,
who had to crown the 43 floors of the
Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank
(HSBC) - designed with the simple goal of being the best banking headquarters in the world - in the financial district with two enormous cannons that point to its competitor, the Bank of China, standing opposite.
Thus the "direct attack" (in feng shui terms) of the latter is counteracted with the
"poisoned arrows"
that it launches at its enemies through the edges of the façade.
The biggest sound and light show
They are just two of the
7,864 skyscrapers
that populate the city, according to the International Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (yes, it exists), being the one with
the most towers
of this type on the planet, no matter what they say about New York, which occupies the third place.
Such power had to be shown off.
Therefore, every day at dusk, most of these giants spread on both sides of
Victoria Harbor
illuminate synchronously in
A Symphony of Lights
, the largest permanent light and sound show on Earth, according to the Guinness Book of Lights. the Records.
The famous 'skyline' of the metropolis.
The best place to see it is the
Avenue of Stars,
so called because it emulates the Hollywood Walk of Fame, paying tribute to local celebrities such as
Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee.
With so much neon in tow, it is not surprising that Hong Kong is the main consumer of electricity on the planet.
This area of West Kowloon has recently been transformed into the cultural district by hosting spaces such as the
Xiqu Centre,
the new home of the Cantonese opera designed in the shape of an old tea house;
the space-focused M+ Museum;
the
open-air Art Park
and the
Freespace
, dedicated to contemporary performing arts such as experimental dance or multimedia experiences.
The Mid-Levels escalators.
We must add the Exhibition Center and the Palace Museum, with exhibitions, a theater, restaurants and shops.
These are multiplying around us, led by brands such as
Louis Vuitton, Prada and company.
Let's not forget that here is the most expensive square meter in the world and the largest number of Rolls Royces, Porsches and other high-end cars per inhabitant.
With these hits, it is not surprising that the best luxury hotels also come together.
As an example, there would be
The Upper House
, number one in Hong Kong and fourth in the entire planet, according to the prestigious annual list of
The World's 50 Best Hotels.
Located in the
exclusive area of Admiralty,
it was conceived by local architect and interior designer
André Fu,
one of the most influential in the world, as an
urban oasis that seeks harmony
and guest pleasure following the guidelines (of course) of feng shui. .
Salisterra Restaurant at The Upper House hotel.
Avant-garde, luxury and elegance in equal parts, hallmarks of the
Swire group
to which the hotel belongs, one of the most powerful in Hong Kong (and Asia) with properties, ships, food industries and the Coca-Cola franchise. partly from
Asia and the USA.
It would be missing its crown jewel, Cathay Pacific, the leading airline and the eighth best in the world.
Its ties with Hong Kong are such that it has agreements with local companies such as
two of the most famous restaurants
to introduce some of their dishes on flights:
Duddell's
(Cantonese haute cuisine with a Michelin star) and
Veda by Ovolo
(premium vegetarian led by the Spanish Raúl Tronco).
King crab at Duddlell's restaurant.
The company's 78 years are told at the
Swire Archives Centre,
in Quarry Bay, one of the most interesting museums in the region, compiling much of its history with old images, collector's items and interactive games.
As a curiosity, a few meters away is the most photographed building on the island,
The Monster Building
, a huge Tetris of 2,243 mini-homes integrated into five 18-story blocks and immortalized in
video clips, series and films
of the
Transformers
saga or
Ghost in the sell. ,
with
Scarlett Johansson and Juliette Binoche.
Swire Archives Centre, Quarry Bay.
It's time to go shopping, a national sport in these parts.
Excessive contrasts emerge again, as both the
mega-luxurious shopping centers
of luxury brands and the busy street markets are popular.
There are daytime ones (from the
Ladies Market,
suitable for all types of public despite the name, to those on Fa Yuen, Tung Choi or Cat streets) and nighttime ones.
The king of the latter is
Temple Street,
famous for its electronic goods, its karaoke bars, its oyster omelettes and its psychics using tarot and crystal balls at the end of the street.
Night markets
In the crowded stalls of all these shops it is possible to find parakeets,
colorful fish, flowers, jade stones,
antiques, fortune cookies, second-hand (or second-hand) mobile phones and various concoctions to put an end to impotence, evil by eye or whatever is needed.
Queue at the Good Spring Company Limited store on
Stanley Street
(Central District), where since 1916 they promise that you will leave as good as new if you don't mind trying, among other delicacies,
deer tail
or monkey entrails.
"They are perfect for expelling sputum and getting rid of colds in children," says Mr. Lam Kwan-hing (fourth generation at the head of the business) with conviction, referring to the latter.
Fa Yuen Street Night Market.
There is also no shortage of modest Michelin-starred
establishments
to devour between cutlery and plastic chairs for four or five euros a plate of
chicken
noodles or dumplings.
Two samples:
Tim Ho Wan and Chan Ho Meng.
Although there are no awards involved, another essential place in the middle of the street crowd is
Lan Fong Yuen
(Gage Street), where a buttered bread dipped in milk tea is a winner.
Literal.
Not in vain, it is part of many gastronomic tours, such as the one organized by guide Olivia Tangü, which mixes history with coconut sweets, legends with
egg tarts
and anecdotes with
egg cup-shaped
pancakes
filled with pork, matcha tea or seaweed. .
The meeting point is
Central Market, a beautiful colonial building from 1841 next to the
Mid-Levels
escalators ,
the longest in the world (800 meters).
"Most people live in the mountains and that way they can go up and down," says Tangü before stopping at
Tai Kwun,
a group of protected buildings such as the Central Police Station or Victoria Prison (where
Ho Chi Minh
was held). ) converted into a cultural and leisure space with museums, exhibitions and restaurants.
The walk continues in Soho, full of antique shops,
graffiti, shops, galleries and a thousand bars
open until late.
This is the city that never sleeps...
The Great Buddha of Tian Tan.
It's time to leave the center and climb
Victoria Peak
, the highest mountain in Hong Kong (552 meters) and where its best viewpoint is located.
It can be reached
by funicular
, as well as the top of Lantau Island, home of the statue of the
Great Buddha of Tian Tan
, the largest seated statue in the world at 34 meters high and weighing 250 tons.
At its foot is the
Po Lin
or Lotus Flower Monastery, the most important Buddhist center in the region.
All that remains is to discover one of the many hiking routes that run through it, that of the
Sai Kung Natural Park,
declared a UNESCO World Geopark for its rich landscape, full of
tropical forests, cliffs
and photogenic bays.
"I've been here for 20 years and there are still itineraries that I don't know," says Swiss guide Sabi Baumgartner.
"Tourists also don't know that there are
paradisiacal beaches with turquoise waters
that look like the Caribbean," she adds.
Or charming fishing villages where you can taste crab with garlic sauce fresh from the sea.
Hiking route in Sai Kung.
PRACTICAL GUIDE
HOW TO GET
Cathay Pacific
(www.cathaypacific.com) is the only airline with direct flights to Hong Kong from Madrid and Barcelona (as of June 17), with three weekly frequencies on both routes.
With three categories, its award-winning Business class offers total comfort and intimacy through the design of the seats, becoming a 100% flat bed.
WHERE TO SLEEP
The Upper House.
With views of the port and the mountains, it is the fourth best hotel in the world.
Designed by acclaimed local architect André Fu, it is an urban oasis based on harmony.
WHERE TO EAT
Salisterra
.
Mediterranean bistro with excellent seafood on the 49th floor of The Upper House.
Duddell's.
Cantonese cuisine in one of the best restaurants in Hong Kong, with a Michelin star.
Veda by Ovolo
.
Vegetarian food with Indian overtones from Spaniard Raúl Tronco.
MORE INFORMATION
On the website www.discoverhongkong.com
Entertainment on board Cathay Pacific.
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