AN EXPAT IN PARIS: LIVE IT UP IN CITY OF LIGHT » H6 HH1 !%#  ! ! !   !   ! ! "#"  ! !$ !   !  ! " !!  TRAVEL          VAN01156141_1_1

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER !" | %&!' | [email protected]

ASIA

THEYin &Yang OFHong Kong

often overwhelming throngs. The Diamond million, I was completely alone. After a Despite its size, Hong ELAINE O’CONNOR Hill retreat, which dates from the 1930s, was blissful, solitary turn spent watching rain- Kong is tailor-made for SPECIAL TO THE SUN rebuilt in the Tang Dynasty style a decade drops pock lotus ponds, I ducked into the exploring on foot. And with ago — each pagoda produced without a sin- Chi Lin Vegetarian restaurant for steam- its delightful street life, it fter fighting the human crush of gle nail — and its serene grounds, tea trees ing green tea and delicate Buddhist cui- needn’t be expensive. Kowloon’s chaotic streets, step- and koi ponds are the yin to the city’s nerve- sine. Refreshed, it was back into the fray ping through the stately gates of jangling yang. to marvel at the confluence of wealth, con- ’s classical Nan Lian As I wandered its winding paths, the sumerism and sheer humanity that make Garden comes as a relief. The gar- skies opened and sheets of rain sent what this Asian supercity a must-see. Aden, with its bonsai pines, Banyan groves, tourists there were scurrying for the shel- and peaceful pavilions, is home to the Chi ter of shrines. For the first time since arriv- Lin Nunnery, a welcome respite from the ing in this frenetic global capital of seven CONTINUED ON H% % -

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VANSAF49197_1_1 H2 || TRAVEL BREAKING NEWS: VANCOUVERSUN.COM | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

FROM PAGE H!

THINKSTOCK.COM

THINKSTOCK.COM ELAINE O’CONNOR For a respite from the frenzy, duck into Man Mo temple, left, or escape to Nan Lian Garden, with its Pavilion of Absolute Perfection, top right. Day-trippers can chill out on Lamma Island, bottom right. The yin and yang of Hong Kong: Plunge into street life

More than 54 million travellers vis- after 10 a.m. Head up while it’s cool, selling dried fish and unpronounce- ited Hong Kong last year, and with grab a nai cha, Hong Kong milky tea, able ancient Chinese herbs. multiple daily direct flights from Van- from a Peak Galleria café and fit in Double back to Central’s Welling- couver, it’s easy to join them. But an hour-long stroll along Lugard and ton Street for a classic diner dinner leave the five-star hotels, Michelin- Harlech Roads. If it’s open, stop at the at Mak’s Noodle, where chefs make starred restaurants and luxury bou- Tai Cheong Bakery for one of the best chewy strands by hand right in the tiques of Causeway Bay to the jet set. daan taat egg tarts in the city, then window as they’ve done since this A stopover doesn’t have to be stress- take the tram down and head off to institution opened in the 1960s. A ful, or expensive. There’s no need to explore. bowl of won ton noodles and some max out credit cards if you focus on Start with a wander through nearby braised gai lan will set you back the affordable delights of local street Hong Kong Park, an urban jungle about $8 and is Anthony Bourdain- life. Despite its size, the city is tailor- oasis where seniors perform tai chi approved. Craving something more made for exploring by foot, with a at daybreak and photographers stalk substantial? Tuck into a full Canton- superb public transit system of cheap butterflies around a central lake. Bird- ese menu or at the gorgeous trams, metros, ferries and taxis. watch at the in-park aviary (home to art deco Luk Yu Tea House on Stanley Here’s how to see the best of the city 600 birds from pheasants to mynah) Street. while keeping both your qi and your then take a light lunch at the park’s Finish the evening in true Hong budget in balance. lovely Lok Cha Tea Shop and museum, Kong Style — that is, not until the Spend your first day among the for dim sum with a choice of a hun- early morning hours. To get the full cosmopolitan crowds of Hong Kong dred teas. impact of this 24-hour city, stay in the Island. Start early to sidestep crowds Then head west through Central’s heart of the chaos in Lan Kwai Fong, and take in sweeping views of the chock-a-block coffee spots and high- a nightlife district where revellers skyscraped landscape from Victo- fashion shops to wander SoHo and party into the early morning hours. ria Peak. The precarious ride up the Sheun Wan for a taste of the old city. The neighbourhood’s boutique Hotel Peak Tram (founded in 1888) to the Following Hollywood Road, make LFK by Rhombus makes a good stay 1,300-foot summit requires queuing your first stop a stroll through the at a reasonable price (no easy feat in 160-year-old Graham Street wet mar- this city of high-end hotels) and offers    ket and admire unusual produce, from a minimalist respite from the frenetic rambutan to durian. Duck into one of street beat. Enjoy a nightcap on its the many galleries and antique shops Azure Restaurant and Bar terrace or a along the way to browse everything morning snack of lai won boa custard THINKSTOCK.COM from celadon pottery to modern Chi- buns in the sky-high restaurant. Light an incense off ering to the gods of war and literature at Man Mo Temple. 0) 1  %)# nese art. On day two, cross Victoria harbour       Follow wafting incense to the mid- on a Star Ferry and devote the day to to Mong Kok’s street markets. Green 19th century Man Mo Temple and slip Kowloon. The ferries are a city institu- thumbs will gape at walls of orchids Island escape  22  ,  inside to burn an offering to the gods tion (dating to the late 1880s) and pro- in the flower market. Bargain hunt- Hong Kong’s 250-plus islands make $$(         of war and literature honoured here. vide exceptional views of the water- ers can binge on jade jewelry and sat- the perfect day trip, with frequent ') /+ 1 /2 /2& Track down souvenirs and trinkets at front skyline for pocket change. Alight iny cheongsams at the Fa Yuen Street ferries to several locales, some of  )  )*. !** %"( the nearby Cat Street Market before at either Central or Wan Chai pier and markets and Tung Choi Street ladies them less than an hour and $5 away. !*  %0)* heading into Sheun Wan, a boho disembark in Tsim Sha Tsui, steeling market.   * Lamma Island’s main attraction is

  area of temples, cafes and galleries, yourself for the human multitude that When the masses get to be too much,       Hung Shing Ye beach, a white-sand plus blocks of traditional businesses is Kowloon. Here, two million people retreat for a cup of yin yeung (half-tea    spread considered one of the best in   are packed into 47 square kilometres: half-coffee concoction) and a bo law the region, if you overlook the view VAN01180525_1_1 that’s an astonishing 43,000 people bao pineapple bun at the Mido Cafe, of the power station. Take a half-hour per square kilometre. Walking along a cha chaan tang vintage teahouse on walk from the town of Yung Shue Nathan Road, the district’s main drag, Temple Street. For a longer escape, Wan where you’ll dock, grabbing it seems like all of them are out. take the metro north to Nan Lian Gar- bottles of honey green tea and oven- The southern end of the road, known den or rest in Kowloon Park, admir- fresh pineapple buns for a picnic. The as the Golden Mile, is a shopping ing its lake of flamingos and topiary protected swimming area is popular mecca thronged with pedestrians, mazes. place to spend the day (take note of where international luxury boutiques In the evening, ramp up your yang coexist with street vendors and hawk- energy again with a waterfront walk the posted shark warnings). Hikers ers. For more affordable shopping on the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade. can continue to the other end of the check out the gritty Chungking Man- Stay for the Symphony of Lights, a free island and ! nish with a seafood feast sions nearby (hot cellphone anyone?) nightly light, sound and laser show at in the town of Sok Kwu Wan. or hop on the metro and head north 8 p.m., a popular attraction that’s been * Lantau Island o" ers the famed Po running for over a decade. Then catch a Lin Monastery’s big bronze Buddha,   )+ #0+ +%!-*& ! cab to the Temple Street Night market reachable via steady climb or by 1 !&&!( ! ! $*$!(- a 25-minute ride on Ngong Ping .+(-!! !*+-.+!, , )+-! "+)'( )./!+ -AUI #ONDOS with its carnival of fortune tellers and "OOK BY  3AVE  roving singers. Dine at the cable car to Lantau Peak s. There are  '( (-+ +&0% ,5$ ) 4" % ,.  -$"( (- ) ON STAYS THROUGH  food stalls on an array of wok-seared beaches and waterfall hikes, or visit +&05$( " 0"*# . .1(/$ "#(.$/(#$+ 0$&,     & ! -0  '-     -"!"!' ,*      !$$   - & +IHEI s7AILEA s7EST -AUI seafood, and favourites like cheong the Tai O ! shing village for pictures ! &  & ,0 !.* *-!+ '& )!&  !1&      of its quaint stilt houses.        !"LQJ      fun (rice noodle rolls in sweet sauce),   -      )/  +IHEI !KAHI s-AUI +AMAOLE egg waffles and fried fish balls. For the * It takes about an hour to walk   3+    *+     2   '(+ +&05$ -$"0 "1) . 1()(+   4/ +AMAOLE 3ANDS s +AUHALE -AKAI adventurous, there are any number of around the sleepy car-free outpost of  '(+ (- +&05$( * "(!$0#2$+!01.$/*  ,# 4/       (- !  ( +(*"# )  ,# questionable delicacies from stinky tofu tiny Peng Chau Island, taking in the    -!'      to fried pig intestines. For the rest of us,   -     s -AUI#ONDOCOM wet market and temples, and view   3+*+2  VAN01160432_1_9 Hong Kong itself, with all its sensory from Finger HiIl. +#,"'(+ 6($0+ * *!,#( delights, is feast enough for the senses.  4 #$)13$,1. If you go: !,&%  ' ! !& !,/ ! '& &     '!& - &'! $'& / Cathay Paci! c (800-268-6868, %'!!% ( & #'* ,   twitter.com/elaine_oconnor  (    !   + .+(-!! !*+-.+!,  cathaypaci! c.com) and Air Canada +#( 6) //(" )//$+"$  4 #$)13$ ,1.      (888-247-2262, aircanada.com) # y $ ! !(-* * &+! *   "-* ' *&+!           (  ).+ , )+-+)'( )./!+ Travel funding was provided by the Asia Pacifi c daily, non-stop to Hong Kong from                            Foundation of Canada’s Media Fellowship Vancouver. Visit the Hong Kong    Program, supported in part by Cathay Pacifi c Tourism Board at discoverhongkong. 7R DGYHUWLVH LQ WKLV 'LUHFWRU\ FRQWDFW 7UDF\ &DWWHUDOO DW  WFDWWHUDOO#VXQSURYLQFHFRP 25      Airways. This piece does not necessarily refl ect com/canada for more. -HQQ\ )DLUOH\ DW  MIDLUOH\#VXQSURYLQFHFRP   the views of either organization. VAN01180522_1_1 VAN01174737_1_3