Hong Kong China Travel Pictures

Hong Kong Shopping Times Square

Times Square is a multi-level shopping plaza a few blocks of the Causeway Bay MTR (subway) station, and lucky for me, there was a free shuttle ride from City Garden Hotel, when I stayed there. I took the escalators up to the top level (I wrote down in my notes it was the ninth floor), and worked my way down to the street again.

A musical instrument store offered a fabulous fire engine red fibreglass piano in an ultra modern design, the Disney Store had televisions shaped like Cinderella's coach, and the women's clothing stores featured wonderful cotton garments from Hong Kong designers. The main level held the international designer stores, and a separate glass walled elevator whisked diners up the outside walls to the penthouse restaurants. Heaven!

Hong Kong Statue Square Near Ferry Terminal

Returning from the Tsim Sha Tsui -- the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbour -- from the Star Ferry terminal dock, I took the very long pedestrian tunnel that passes under Connaught Road and surfaces near Statue Square. These colorful stone tablets brightened up the water feature, and many visitors were busy snapping photos. Big name designer stores line the streets for several blocks to the west, near the Central MTR station.

Hong Kong Fashion District Great George Street

From the World Trade Center Plaza, I headed inland a few blocks, along the Fashion Walk towards Great George Street. There are so many shopping areas in and around Hong Kong that the Hong Kong tourism bureau has published A Guide To Quality Shops that's the size of many country guidebooks. This area is just west of Victoria Park, near the Causeway Bay MTR station.

Our city tour guide cautioned us to avoid so-called 'cowboy shops': Shops that have no name over their doors -- just 'Tax Free', that use touts on the street to lure unwary customers to get their credit card info, then 'bait and switch'. He said the authorities arrested some 27 people not long ago, and that they are trying to close them down.

Spring Temple Fair Bun Tower Marks Festival

Replica buns (not real ones!) make a column of lights in the heart of Hong Kong's business area. Buns are the star attraction at the annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival, a 6-day celebration in early May on Cheung Chau, one of the outlying Hong Kong islands located roughly between Lantau Island (where the international airport is) and Lamma Island, known for its seafood restaurants. The Bun Tower shown here is part of the Temple Fair that takes place at the Star Ferry terminal in late April to promote upcoming local festivals.

Sticky Buns for the Bun Festival

Along the promenade at the Star Ferry terminal, demonstration booths are set up to showcase different aspects of Hong Kong culture. Here, bakers were busy showing how they make buns.
At the Bun Festival proper (in 2006, from May 1-6), giant towers covered with real sticky buns stand outside a temple.

At midnight on the final night, competitors climb the towers to grab the stickiest buns at the top. There are parades and processions with dancers and elaborately dressed youngsters. Unfortunately, I had to be leaving Hong Kong a few days before the start of the festival.

Cheung Chau islanders say there are two reasons for celebrating this festival. To placate the ghosts of pirates' victims (pirates once used this island as a lair), and to commemorate the islanders having been saved from a plague some 200 years ago.

Chinese Opera Demonstration At Star Ferry Pier

At the Temple Fair, performers presented short snippets to the crowd. On an earlier trip, I had taken advantage of the Opera Appreciation tour, one of several free cultural tours offered through Hong Kong tourism. (Tours may vary from time to time, as new themes and venues are added and others dropped from the itinerary.)

At that time, a 20 minute quick start guide to Chinese Opera -- how to read various characters by their costumes, and how to interpret the way the performers manipulated their costumes -- allowed us to follow along with great delight.

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