DK Travel : Hong Kong

“A dream of Manhattan, arising from the South China Sea.” For succinctness, modern travel writer Pico Iyer’s description of Hong Kong has yet to be bettered. From opium port to Cold War enclave to frenetic financial capital, Hong Kong has never been boring. This is the hedonistic engine room of cultural fusion: East meets West in high style, and the results astonish and delight. Prepare to experience one of the most dramatic urban environments ever conceived.

Cheung Chau Bun Festival

Talk about a bunfight. Young men used to scale 8-m (26-ft) towers covered in buns until in the 1970s they started falling off and the practice was banned. It was revived in a tamer form in 2005.
Cheung Chau Harbour

Handsome high-prowed fishing boats, squat sampans and busy boatyards are just some of the sights (see Cheung Chau Island).
Cheung Chau Island

This former pirate haven retains much of its traditional character, from the small-scale shipyards at the harbour’s edge to the old temples and shrines that dot its narrow alleys. With many of its inhabitants still being fishermen, it’s a good destination for cheap seafood. There are also a couple of excellent beaches (see Cheung Chau Island).
Cheung Chau Island

Of the many islands around Hong Kong, tiny Cheung Chau is arguably the loveliest, with traces of old China (see Cheung Chau Island).
Cheung Fun

Rolls of rice pastry, filled with shrimp, pork or beef, and smothered in sweet soy.
Cheung Kee, Cheung Chau

Somewhat shabby premises, but the noodles are fresh and the dumplings and wontons just right. There’s no signage in English but it’s easy to find, just by the ferry pier.
Cheung Kong Centre

Big, boxy and glassy, another one of Li’s babies, on the site of the old Hilton. He lives on the top of this one. Note how it’s built perfectly parallel to the adjoining Bank of China for optimal feng shui.
Cheung Po-Tsai

The Lantau-based pirate king Cheung Po-Tsai wreaks havoc with international traders in 1810.
Chi Lin Nunnery

It is said that not a single nail was used in the construction of this lavish replica of a traditional Tang Dynasty (AD 618–907) place of worship. The nunnery opened in 2000, funded by donations from wealthy families, whose names are inscribed under the roof tiles. Few original structures survived the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, so this is a rare chance to see the ingenuity of ancient Middle Kingdom architecture. There are also impressive statues of the Sakyamuni Buddha, ornate gardens and gently whispering waterfalls, and the underlying hum of the chanting, shaven-headed nuns.

Chi Lin Nunnery complex
Chianti Ristorante Italiano

Stuff yourself with cut-price pasta at the buffet and marvel at the mediocre service.

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Restaurant price categories

For a three-course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal) and extra charges.
- under HK$100
- HK$100-250
- HK$250-450
- HK$450-600
- over HK$600