Tai O is a remarkable fishing village on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. We have spent the morning ascending to Ngong Ping to visit the Big Buddha and we arrive by local bus at an unremarkable cement covered terminus.… Read the rest
Tai O
Big Buddha
This Buddha is big. Really big. He stands 34m on top of a hill at Ngong Ping and can be seen for miles around. We get our first glimpses from across the hills as we (finally!) approach Ngong Ping on the cable car.… Read the rest
Ocean Park
A bit of a late night out on the Star Ferry exploring last night sets us back in getting out the door again this morning. Luckily the Hong Kong metro is efficient and we arrive at Ocean Park from our apartment in Causeway Bay in about half an hour, virtually no time!… Read the rest
Victoria Peak, Man Mo & The Star Ferry
It’s nearly 10am before we leave the apartment headed for Victoria Peak. So much for my daily schedule. Though I shouldn’t be too hard on us, we’re all exhausted after the Thursday night flight and did quite well to get through our arrival and first afternoon in Hong Kong relatively unscathed.… Read the rest
Hello Hong Kong!
It’s a bit grey and there is a chill to the air as we arrive in Hong Kong. Technically our day started yesterday as we have flown overnight and there has been barely a night’s sleep between the four of us.… Read the rest
Terracotta Warriors
Not a trip for the unyielding traveler, finding your way from Xi’an city to the Terracotta Warriors is an exercise in patience and luck.
We set out from our hotel with views of catching the very reasonably priced local bus out to the site of the Warriors, around an hours’ drive away.… Read the rest
The Forbidden City
The only word that comes close to describing the enormity of the Forbidden City is “vast” and even this doesn’t seem to do it justice. It’s hard to comprehend that the Forbidden City (Palace Museum) was built in the Ming Dynasty (around 1420) and served as the primary imperial residence until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. … Read the rest
Drum & Bell Towers
Together the Drum and Bell Towers, which stand opposite each other at the end of Drum & Bell Square, were used as the city’s official time keepers (right up until 1924!), the drums were beaten and the bells were rung to mark the time of day.… Read the rest
Temple of Heaven: Imperial Walkway Bridge
The Temple of Heaven Park is a vast green space in the heart of Beijing with the not-so-green Temple of Heaven structure as its centerpiece. By no means is the Temple the only structure though and the buildings and surrounds are as vast as the park that they are set in.… Read the rest
Temple of Heaven: The Imperial Vault of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven Park is a vast green space in the heart of Beijing with the not-so-green Temple of Heaven structure as its centerpiece. By no means is the Temple the only structure though and the buildings and surrounds are as vast as the park that they are set in.… Read the rest