Hong Kong Chronicles: Remarkable Food, Festivals, And Humorous Encounters
If you love traveling and seeing new places, one place that should be on your bucket list is Hong Kong. While every place is unique, read on and you’ll quickly understand why Hong Kong gets a special mention. The moment you land in the city, the first thing that will capture your attention is the towering skyscrapers. Aside from that, there are some sights, smells, and sounds that can only be found in Hong Kong.
The city means “Fragrant Harbor” in Chinese, and to be honest, it lives up to its name. If you’re a native English speaker, don’t worry. Hong Kong’s official languages are Cantonese and English, so you’ll be able to find your way around without using Google Translate too much.
Without further ado, let’s learn more about Hong Kong…
Snake Soup
The name of this meal may not do justice to its taste, but it’s a must-try. Elsewhere in the world, it’s rare to find snake soup, yet this delicacy is not uncommon in Hong Kong. Most people who tried this dish say it tastes like chicken, so you have nothing to worry about.
For tourists visiting Hong Kong, this soup should be on your list of things to try. Though you may still have doubts, the trick is just to close your eyes. Who knows, you may end up loving it and have a craving for more.
Giant Billiards
Billiards is a very popular bar “sport” that has a history stretching back to the 15th century. The game is difficult to master, but it’s fun for players of all skill levels. Pool tables can be found in bars all over the world…
…but Hong Kong has a unique bar. At Player 11, a bar in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, patrons can play giant games of billiards. There, the balls are as big as bowling balls, and players need to stand on the usually-well-preserved green table fabric.
Striking English Names
In Eastern Asian countries, it’s not uncommon for people to have an English name. Some choose to translate their given name, others go for similar-sounding names, and there are some that will go for whatever speaks to them. We think that this guy is in the former group…
We don’t know for certain if this is a Cantonese-to-English translation, and that’s really his name, or if it’s just a poor choice on his part. Whatever the reason, we can’t help but laugh at Never Wong. We trust what he says because he’s, well, never wrong.
Buddha Statues
Since Buddhism made its appearance in China, the Chinese people have shown great spiritual commitment to this faith. In most parts of China, it is normal to come across Buddha statues, and Hong Kong is not an exception to this practice.
This picture comes from the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery. As the same suggests, there are over 10,000 Buddha statues, though we think this one is the best. It looks like Mr. Fantastic reached spiritual enlightenment and is reaching out to call his friends to join him.
Flower Marketplace
If you didn’t already know, Eastern Asian and Middle Eastern cultures celebrate a different New Year. For these cultures, calendars are calculated based on the moon, rather than the sun. In East Asia, the new year doesn’t begin on January 1st.
Every year, as part of the celebration, a flower festival takes place in Victoria Park in Hong Kong. This picture doesn’t do the event justice. The blooms are breathtaking and vendors sell all sorts of flowers at the, appropriately named, Flower Market.
Quarry Bay
Cities all over the world are constantly expanding. And, with limited space to build out, architects tend to build up. Major cities like Hong Kong are often nicknamed “concrete jungles.” If you love nature, you likely won’t feel at home here.
This is the now famous “monster building.” The Yick Cheong building is actually five buildings, all connected and reaching up to the sky. Even looking at this picture we feel claustrophobic. But we give them credit for using the space efficiently.
To read the full article, click here.