Hong Kong Trip '09
Part 6
Discover Hong Kong Island
Part 6
Discover Hong Kong Island
[Causeway Bay]
Causeway Bay (銅鑼灣) is one of the most popular shopping district on Hong Kong Island. Getting there is easy with MTR to Causeway Bay or Tin Hau stations. The shopping malls at Causeway Bay offer mainly import upmarket labels.
Huge banner welcoming Adidas Flagship Store in Causeway Bay.
The prominent 13th-storey SOGO Departmental Store is a crowded and common meeting place for Hong-Kongers.
Yes! agnès b. cafe integrated into its boutique.
agnès b. chocolates for the sweet tooth at agnès b. delices.
Unless you didn't know, every nook and turn is an agnès b., simply because they are super popular in Hong Kong.
Around every building in Causeway Bay, there are streets left to be explored by the curious tourist.
[Central]
Central (中環) is the Central Business District of Hong Kong, where multinational financial services corporations and consulates offices are located. It is also like the heart of Hong Kong where MTR Island Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Tung Chung Line and Airport Express inter-connects, Central Bus Exchange for KMB, First Bus, City Bus services, as well as ferries to the outlying islands.
Narrow office and retail buildings scattered all over the Central district.
Around Wellington Street is where I find good food. Mak's Noodle is one shop to visit.
According to a Hong-Konger, my bro, Mak told me that Mak's Noodle (they are no affiliated in any ways) is more like a tourist trap for their miserable portions. Indeed, the portion is what I can finish in two mouthfuls, but trust me, they are bloody good! I love the strong alkaline taste of true wanton noodles. The soup base is spectacular! Their noodles are made using duck eggs instead of factory-made using chicken eggs, no wonder their noodles taste fabulous! After I had tried their wanton noodles, I never ate any in Singapore! 100 years of history can never be wrong!
Damn it, can't wait to go back and go for a second round!
Mak's Noodle
G/F, 77 Wellington Street
Wang Fu dumplings are also recommended in the tourist guide. Famed for being very authentic to its China origin, I was not to surprised to find that familiar to those sold here by the well-migrated Chinese. Do not underestimate these dumplings! Order yours and you will have to wait for the chef to make them fresh!
Wang Fu
65 & 68 Wellington Street
There is something for everyone in the countless street stalls in narrow streets in Central.
Lin Heung Tea House is one of the oldest tea house in Hong Kong. If you want to savour the experience of yum cha (literally translates to drinking tea, but commonly used to describe drinking tea and having dim sum) in old Hong Kong style, Lin Heung Tea House is the place!
Lin Heung Tea House
Lin Heung Tea House
G/F, 160-164, Wellington Street, Central
Another of my favourite street will definitely have to be Gough Street! I love HOMELESS and the art galleries there. On Gough Street, there are the HOMELESS flagship store and HOMELESS Wun Ying Gallery (dedicated to the celebrated painter Carrie Chau). AT HOMELESS, you can find the most chic and hip gifts, furniture or decorative pieces for the artistic.
In Central, one prominent feature is the numerous steps and steep elevation.
Man Mo Temple is an age old traditional temple erected during the colonial period paying devotion to Taoist God of Literature (Man) and War (Wo).
[Mid Levels Escalator, Central]
The Central-Mid-levels escalators (中環至半山自動扶梯) in Hong Kong Island is the longest outdoor covered escalator in the world. The entire escalator system covers over 800 meters and climbs over 135 meters. It links Des Voeux Road with Conduit Road in the Mid-levels. Travelling on the road via vehicles up the hilly terrain would take much longer than 20 minutes ride up the escalator. However, it is not one continuous stretch of escalator, but consists of twenty escalators and three moving sidewalks. The escalator daily runs downhill from 6:00am to 10:00am and uphill from 10:30am to midnight. Apart from serving as a method of transporting, it is also a tourist attraction and has restaurants, bars, and shops lining its route. See if you can recognize the filming locations for famous movies such as "Chung King Express" and "Batman: The Dark Knight". There is an entrance and exit on each road it passes, hence you can just hop on or drop off anytime! I had to try this!
After around 20 minutes on the escalator, I could the temperature dropping. I found myself at the Mid Levels (半山區). As I had mentioned in earlier post, Mid Levels is an expensive residential district of Hong Kong where the rich locals and expats lives. The Mid Levels is also halfwat to Victoria Peak, it is no wonder the air is much fresher there. Since I was up there, I took some time to walk around this expensive district and slowly find my way back down through the steep winding main roads.
At such steep elevation, I would not take any chance running down the sidewalks.
I finally made my way down back to Central. There I was at the Duddell Street Steps and Gas Lamps. These gas lamps were built between the period of 1875 and 1889, however, they have since been converted to become electricity-powered.
The famous night spot Lan Kwai Fong looks so naive and ordinary before sun down.
Saving the best for last! The best egg tarts in Hong Kong!
Hot, smooth and runny, tasty egg custards in warm flaky crust! Tai Cheong Bakery has perfected them! Seriously, nothing in Singapore compares! These egg tarts are the contributing reason that I will visit Hong Kong again!
Tai Cheong Bakery
G/F, 35 Lyndhurst Terrace
Hong Kong MTR
Once again I salute the efficient metro system that commutes many thousand commuters each day! With the MTR system, tourists can get around Hong Kong easily with just an Octopus Pass.
In the next part, we will walk the Avenue of Stars!
Do check out previous entries here:
Hong Kong Trip '09: [PART 1] From SIN to Kowloon
Hong Kong Trip '09: [PART 2] Big Buddha (天坛大佛)
Hong Kong Trip '09: [PART 3] Madame Tussaud's Hong Kong
Hong Kong Trip '09: [PART 4] Walk, Shop, Eat in Kowloon
Hong Kong Trip'09: [PART 5] Repulse Bay
Photography & Editing by William Tan 2009
Documented using Nikon D200 with Tamron 18-270 VC and Panasonic LUMIX-LX3
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