Hong Kong - Part 1

The history of this Babel of Asia is marked by the opium war, which allowed the British to occupy the island in 1842, and then advance towards Kowloon and the New Territories on the 1960’s. The 20 or so Chinese fishing villages became the Crown’s new colony.

At tea time at the Peninsula, you are greeted by two lions posted at the entrance of the iconic building. And the gargoyles perched on high protect guests from evil spirits. You can just picture the ladies of fashion of yesteryear enjoying their scone with a cup of earl grey or pu-erh, a post-fermented tea from the Chinese province of Yunnan.

On the Avenue of Stars situated on the seafront in the Tsim Sha Tsui neighbourhood, or from the picture window of the Felix, the restaurant on the hotel’s top roof, you can gaze in wonder every evening at the Symphony of Lights, the biggest light and sound show in the world, which illuminates the bay’s with its skyscrapers and Victoria Peak in the background. The evening continues with a cheese fondue, based on a Swiss recipe, or Peking duck pancakes, one of the specialities of the Spring moon. This side of the island has a plethora of the open-air markets such as the night market, the flower market and the goldfish market, as well as the jade of bird market on Yuen Po Street. At the Ladies Market, you can compare Chinese trinkets and china bowls, before falling for silk fabric decorated with calligraphy, or a golden car waving its paw as a sign of good fortune.

If you stay on the Kowloon side, the W Hong Kong Hotel, founded by Yusimuchi Morita from Japan, unfolds before you like a magic forest right in the middle of the urban jungle. You are guaranteed an enchanting stay thanks to the Alice in Wonderland theme on every floor. The elevator button is hidden in a teapot and at the time, the chocolate lollipops will make the most disciplined adults melt. The child within us can’t fail to enjoy the pop sculptures that people the walls, while a coloured butterfly spread its wings on the ceiling. Further on, a tree trunk cuts through the first eight floors. In the Sing Yin Cantonese restaurant, giant screens replace the aquariums and show images of goldfish. In short, a universe where dreams reign supreme. The cherry on the icing: a heated swimming pool and Jacuzzi on the 76th floor.