Good views from my queue line waiting to see the Big Buddha
The Big Buddha - from a distance
Healthy climb to get to the top
Almost to the top
Bye Big Buddha
Town leading to the Buddha statue
Great cable car ride
Views out cable car window
Views from cable car
Tram to "The Peak"
That's the shot - generally at night - of Hong Kong
Tall building in background is the International Commerce Center, the building in the foreground is the Two International Finance Center
View out over the bay
Another overview shot
International Commerce Center in background
Busy waterways
Tall buildings everywhere you look
One last photo
1/2 mile long escalator on Hong Kong Island
A full day of action in Hong Kong. I slept in a bit, then had a really nice breakfast at my hotel. My first item on the agenda -- Tian Tan Buddha. I took the metro over to Lantau Island (very near the airport). I've read that the cable car journey up to this mammoth Buddha on the hillside is a top attraction in Hong Kong. After my time spent today, I would agree and the area did not disappoint.
I got to the cable car area to find a pretty lengthy line. I happened to be standing my an English guy who was on holiday. He teaches business in Shanghai (for 15 months). It was nice getting his take on China. The 45 minute queue went by pretty fast with some interesting conversation.
Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha, is a large bronze statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. It was completed in 1993 and symbolizes the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and faith. The cable car ride went up this mountain side and over the ocean bays below. Outstanding! I've done these rides up ski slopes, etc -- but another flavor being over the water. Upon arriving at the top, there was a small town with shops, food, and a variety of walking paths. The Buddha stood atop this big hill, hundreds of steps leading to the top. I made this happen. A little morning workout - all good stuff. After some great pics - I took the cable car back to the metro. The photos from the cable car were even better on the return trip.
Next up -- the Peak Tram on Hong Kong Island. A lot of promotional pictures you'll see of Hong Kong are taken from "The Peak". It is also known as Mount Austin, and sits on the western half of Hong Kong Island with an elevation of 1,811ft. I got lost a bit out of the metro station on my way to the tram entrance. I sort of did this on purpose to get a chance to walk the streets and see more sites. Once I arrived at the Tram station - there was another pretty significant queue. It went fairly fast however, I was in line around 30 minutes or so before boarding. Well - see pictures above - the wait was certainly worth it. Shanghai has an incredible skyline, but is generally surrounded by hazy skies. The Hong Kong skyline is equally as impressive and generally offers some blue skies for better picture quality. I talked with the guy this morning and he said there are a few days you'll get some clearing - but not very often in Shanghai. This is another difference between mainland China and Hong Kong.
Correction I have to make from yesterday. I had taken a picture of a building on Hong Kong Island that I thought was the International Commerce Centre (#11 tallest building in the world). My viewpoint from Kowloon did not allow me to actually see this building. The International Commerce Centre is on the Island of Kowloon and the building I took the picture of is actually the Two International Finance Centre (#25th tallest building in the world). I show these in photos above.
I spent a good hour atop "The Peak". There was a walking trail I spent a little time on. Hong Kong, just like all the other Asian cities, is immense in size. It's always good to get a bird's eye view to put things into perspective. After taking the tram down, I walked more of Hong Kong Island. It's a very hilly island - reminds me of the city of Seattle. They have an escalator that extends for 800m (1/2 mile from the bottom of the hill (Central Station) to the mid level point of the city (where many business, etc are located). It's not 1 continuous escalator (as there are areas you have to walk between sections), but it truly is amazing. It only goes up, you have steps to walk down beside it. I did a section to check it out.
Doesn't sound like much today - but I covered a lot of ground and got a really good idea of what makes Hong Kong special. Hong Kong is a former British colony. Just about every person I spoke with speaks good English. I think the city has a very dense population (even more so than Beijing or Shanghai), but is very lively. It you like non-stop action, good food, shopping, and great views -- this is the place.
Onward to new countries - tomorrow I fly to Taiwan. Have a good night!
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