Canadian World Traveller Winter 2021-22 Issue

coloured blossoms; exotic miniature fruit-bearing
trees; candies in bright, shinny wrappers;
and a wild assortment of decorations for celebrating
the arrival of the Year of the Ox.
Bright red underwear (for women and men)
was also prominently displayed! As I discovered
that day, the 'couleur du jour' for Chinese New
Year is definitely red!
Dim Sum par excellence!
Lunch at Cuisine Cuisine was a very elegant
affair.
Along with the delectable dim sum tidbits of
this top-rated restaurant, I tried my first thousand-year-old
egg, which are only preserved for
about 100 days!
Colourful Wan Chai
After lunch, we took a leisurely walk through
Hong Kong's colourful Wan Chai District, known
for its lively nightlife, luxury apartments, swanky
hotels, shopping malls and modern office towers.
Riding the Ding-Ding
The most memorable part of our afternoon
Wan Chai promenade was a ride on one the
city's double-decker tramways.
The tramway system on Hong Kong Island
dates back to 1904. Today, its fleet of 163 tramcars
carry a daily average of 230,000 passengers
on the six extensive tramway routes.
Not Just a Flower Market
The Chinese New Year Flower Market held in
Victoria Park is an unforgettable experience. This
annual festive event held on the day before New
Year's Eve is jam-packed with people, young and
old, who flock to the market to get their lastminute
New Year's shopping done.
Hiking Enthusiast’s Dream
For anyone who loves the outdoors this is an
experience not to be missed. The Sai Kung
peninsula is a pristine area of Hong Kong's New
Territories.
We only did a part of the popular 100 km
MacLehose Trail, but at our highest point we had
a wonderful bird's-eye view of the coast of the
Sai Kung, including its fabled coves and sandy
beaches.
How Fresh is Fresh?
After our exhilarating hike, we took a refreshing
boat ride and a short bus ride to the seaside
town of Sai Kung where local fishermen in small
multi-coloured boats moored alongside the
docks offered an assortment of newly caught
seafood, some of which I could not readily identify.
And just offshore, sea birds hunting for their
supper dove gracefully down into the placid sea
to snap up their own well-earned fresh catch.
Seafood Feast
An extraordinary New Year's seafood feast
awaited us at one of the many restaurants that
lined Sai Kung's animated waterfront.
Outside each establishment, there were
stacks of huge glass tanks containing live fish
and other seafood. The idea was to make your
choices before entering the restaurant.
Happily, our guide Andy was more familiar
with our restaurant's exotic live offerings and in
about half an hour his selection became a banquet
fit for any ancient Chinese emperor!
Late-night Shopping
If you name just one activity that everyone
who visits Hong Kong does it has to be shopping.
Some elect to go bargain hunting on Kowloon's
Temple Street.
Others may prefer browsing through the
scores of high-end boutiques that line Nathan
Road where you can find genuine designer clothing
at one-third of the price you would pay in
Canada. And the well-stocked shops open till 11
pm every night!
New Year’s Lion
The first order of New Year's Day in Hong
Kong is to witness a Lion Dance, which promises
its spectators good luck for the coming year. The
lion also drives out evil spirits where he performs.
Boys as young as six years old are trained to
perform this intricate acrobatic dance with one
performer manipulating the lion's head and the
other its body.
Time to Pray
On my visit to the Wong Tai Sin Temple, a traditional
Taoist temple established just north of
Kowloon in 1921, there were crowds of young
and old worshippers lined up for blocks to get in.
Taste of The Golden Age
Located in the fashionable Tsim Sha Tsui
District of Kowloon, the T'ang Court justly
deserves its two Michelin stars.
Unfortunately, we could not linger here after
our splendid meal, as we were on our way to the
world's happiest party.
Lantau Island Outing
Lantau Island, which lies west of Hong Kong
Island, is sparsely populated.
However, northwestern Lantau is now experiencing
rapid population growth in its newly
established towns due to their proximity to the
manmade island where Hong Kong's
International Airport now sits.
Fishermen’s Domain
One aspect of Lantau Island that happily
defies change is the historic village of Tai O,
home to the Tanka people who built their houses
on stilts above the tidal flats for generations.
We strolled through the town's market street
past several stalls offering souvenirs made from
the region's beautiful seashells. Other street
venders displayed enormous fresh and dried fish
and other bounty from the sea in their tiny stalls.
Misty Buddha
Our second stop on Lantau Island was to see
the impressive Tian Tan Buddha, said to be the
world's tallest outdoor bronze seated Buddha.
As we climbed up the shrine's 286 stone
steps, we realised that a persistent heavy mist
would somewhat obscure our view of the
Buddha.
Though we were disappointed at not seeing
the entire 34-metre-tall (110 ft) Buddha, the mist
actually added a mysterious and almost mystic
aura to this monumental and highly revered religious
site.
We made a brief visit on the inside of the
Buddha where we encountered walls displaying
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Canadian World Traveller Winter 2021-22