Hong Kong - Part 2

The rooms overlook Victoria Harbour, constantly changing, the 1100 square km that form Hong Kong today stretch towards the Pearl River delta and along the shores of the South China Sea. The city developed thanked to its maritime trade: the area is reaming with ships today and many cruise liners drop anchor here. In fact, there is nothing more pleasant than taking the ferry that links Kowloon to the island of Hong Kong. The 10-minute journey, which features in the film La Moustache by Emmanuel Carrere, provides you with an unrestricted view of the two shores.

Since 1997 according to the principle of “one country, two systems”, the city with its seven million inhabitants has been a Special Administrative Region of the Peoples’ Republic of China and is a hub for international trade. World events, such as Art Basel, take place here every year. Half the galleries at the contemporary art fair exhibit work by emerging Asian artists. Well known Chinese artists, such as Shen Han Vu, revisit the Communist era lost in a faceless community. In the trendy neighbourhood of Soho, Mah-jong players and stalls that sell medicinal tea surround the Police Married Quarter.

This old building, which formerly housed married policeman, has been transformed into a shopping centre for young designers. The designers sell their clothes, accessories and furniture on every floor. From here, you can take an 800-metre long escalator known as the Mid-levels Escalator. Film buffs will remember it in the film Chunking Express by Wong Kar-Wai. At peak times in the morning, it allows inhabitants from the island’s heights to come down to the town centre more quickly, during the rest of the day, it goes in the opposite direction allowing you to visit the heights.

In the same neighbourhood, the little Man Mo Temple, built in 1847, is swallowed up by the skyscrapers. In a smoky atmosphere, parents burn incense to protect their offspring. At tea time, a queue forms outside Lan Fong Yuen in the central district. A tea and coffee based drink is available here all day long, served with ice cubes and a bun.

One sunny day, we take the steepest funicular in the world to Victoria Peak. In the space of seven minutes, the city speckled with skyscrapers is laid before us, with its bay, its harbour and its lush green hills. Central is Hong Kong’s business quarter and economic hub. Two emblematic towers stand out: The HSBC tower designed by Norman Foster and the Bank of China designed by Leoh Ming Pei from China, who is responsible for the Louvre Pyramid. Between these two buildings, on the last floor of the Island Shangri-La, the pop of a bottle Perrier –Jouer champagne can be heard.

At the Horizon Club, in a voluptuous gilded atmosphere, you can sip your glass of champagne and enjoy the panoramic view, before settling down to an evening of fine dining at the Summer Palace, a Chinese restaurant with 2 Michelin stars. Opened as a Hotel in 1971. Since the district is home to the headquarters of many banks, the clientele, mainly from the business world, is part of the decor. Today, the dishes mix Cantonese tradition with the audacity of Chef Ip Chi Cheung.

Hong Kong, the dynamic metropolis which stretches out along the shores of the South China Sea, elegantly displays the multiple influences that have shaped its oriental and Western personality! ! ! !