Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after Qing China ceded Hong Kong Island at the end of the First Opium War in 1842.The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 after the Second Opium War, and was further extended when Britain obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898.The territory was returned to China when the lease expired in 1997. As a special administrative region, Hong Kong's system of government is separate from that of mainland China.
Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, the territory has become one of the world's most significant financial centers and commercial ports. It is the world's seventh-largest trading entity, and its legal tender (the Hong Kong dollar) is the world's 13th-most-traded currency. Although the city has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, it has severe income inequality.
The territory has the largest number of skyscrapers in the world, most surrounding Victoria Harbour. Hong Kong ranks seventh on the UN Human Development Index, and has the seventh-longest life expectancy in the world. Although over 90 per cent of its population uses public transportation, air pollution from neighboring industrial areas of mainland China has resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates. Source: Wikipedia
Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on the Kawloon Peninsula across from Hong Kong Island
Where in the world are we?
The Sapphire Princess had an extended stay in Hong Kong today, which means that we had a nearly 13 hour day ashore. It is 11pm as I start this post, and we move clocks ahead a hour overnight, but, thankfully, tomorrow is another sea day. I promised myself I would sleep until at least 9am.
We were out on the open decks by 7am to watch as the Sapphire Princess sailed through Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour. As soon as the ship was at her berth at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, we went to the Horizon Court Buffet for breakfast. By 8:30am the ship was cleared and we were walking through the cruise terminal. The Kai Tak Cruise Terminal was opened in 2013 on the site of the former Kai Tak Airport. Called the “Rolls Royce of Cruise Terminals”, it more closely resembles a new airport terminal than a ship terminal. However, it is huge, and we were warned it would take about 20 minutes to go from the ship to the terminal‘s exit. It did. We walked over 18000 steps today and I think at least 3500 were just a round trip through the terminal.
State of the art Kai Tak Cruise Terminal
It may be the Rolls Royce of cruise terminals but it lacked an ATM, and I exchanged about US $75 in the Hong Kong dollars in the terminal. We had decided to skip HOHO bus tickets at US $72 each and put that money toward taxis and Ubers to get to just the sights we wanted to visit. We lucked out this morning; a couple from New Zealand behind us in the taxi queue were also going to the Victoria Peak Tram station on Hong Kong Island, so we shared the taxi. The dispatcher spoke English and told the driver where we wanted to go, and also gave us a card to give to a taxi driver on our return. It had the name of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Cantonese.
We drove through a tunnel underneath Victoria Harbour from the Kowloon Peninsula side to the Hong Kong Island side. After about 25 minutes, we arrived at the tram station and stood in a long queue to ride the funicular. Over an hour later, we had bought our tickets and were finally boarding a train up Victoria Peak. The Peak Tram was Hong Kong’s first public transit system and has been in operation since 1888. This is an incredibly steep funicular, and we were pressed against our seat backs at several times on the ride up.
Over an hour wait to buy tickets and board the tram.
Peak Tram entering the station
Once at the top, we had 360 degree views of Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong skyline. Hong Kong has more skyscrapers than any other city in the world. The high today was about 60F, but it was cooler and windier on Victoria Peak and we were glad we had dressed for the weather. We had waited in line so long that it was lunch time and we were hungry, so we ate at a restaurant offering Chinese food at the top and enjoyed the views from a window-side table.
Hong Kong and Kowloon skyline - Do you see the Sapphire Princess?
Looking toward Repulse Bay and Aberdeen
By the time we waited in another queue (not as long) to make the return trip back down the mountain, it was after 2:30pm and we were glad we had scaled back our plans for the day. We followed the excellent signs for about a 20 minute walk to Central Pier. We wanted to take the famous Star Ferry back across the harbor, and purchased tokens from a machine for the ride. The Star Ferry ride took only 10 or so minutes, and deposited us on the Kowloon side, but not near the cruise terminal.
Double decker tram
The famous Star Ferry
Central Pier
Hong Kong Maritime Museum
A Star Ferry
From the ferry terminal, we walked up to Canton Road, a major shopping street. The sidewalks were packed with people, and it took some time to walk over to Austin Road West, home to the International Commerce Center (ICC), the tallest building in Hong Kong. At 108 floors high, it was the fourth tallest building in the world when it was opened in 1998; it is now the 11th tallest in the world. We had purchased tickets to the Sky100 Observation Deck on the 100th floor. It was almost 5pm by the time we had walked through the Elements Mall to the base of the building and taken an elevator to the 100th floor. It is not at the very top of the building; the Ritz Carlton Hotel occupies those highest floors.
Observation Deck of the ICC Building
Hong Kong after dark
Kawloon side (and Sapphire Princess) on the left, Hong Kong island on the right
Ferry terminal
Symphony of Lights from the 100th floor of the ICC
Symphony of Lights
We were able to see the skyline during daylight (though it was pretty hazy by then), and then watch as darkness fell and the city lights came on. The view was beautiful, and there was a laser light show on the windows at 6:30pm and then we had coffees at the café up there and stayed until the Symphony of Lights, a laser light show on the Hong Kong skyline set to music, began at 8pm. To watch it from that height was amazing. As soon as it was over, we took an elevator back down and walked through Elements Mall to a taxi stand I have never seen so many ultra high end stores in one place. Hong Kong has the world’s highest number of billionaires per capita, and it would require that kind of money to shop at these stores.
We handed the taxi driver the card we had been given this morning, and, after about 25 minutes we arrived back at the cruise terminal. We had spent only about US $30 on transportation today (and walked a lot), so we returned to the ship with local currency left over, but that is better than running short. Our iPhone batteries were exhausted, our backup battery was exhausted and we were exhausted…and hungry. We grabbed a quick dinner in the Horizon Court Buffet, finishing just as it closed at 10:30pm. G was asleep in about 20 seconds, but I will only be able to sleep once this post is uploaded. And then I will crash.
We loved Hong Kong; it’s definitely one of our very favorite cities we’ve visited this season. It’s an extremely walkable town, with excellent signs and crosswalks, and we would love to return some day. So many places, so little time. ;-)