Hong Kong Island is a distinct, single landmass located on the southern side of Victoria Harbour, across from the Kowloon Peninsula. It is the historical, political, and financial centre of the region. It measures about 78.59 square kilometers with a population of roughly 1.29 million people.
Victoria is the chief administrative, commercial, and cultural centre of Hong Kong and is the headquarters for several international banks and corporations.
Before moving on:
We ended yesterday with a walk to and around Temple Street Night Market, aka ‘Knock Off Central’…
All advice suggests ‘haggling’. You only need to go from a first price of 400HKD to 50HKD in 5 seconds flat, once, to fully appreciate the wisdom of doing so! It was fun though.
We wanted to cross the water this morning on the famous Star Ferry.
The National Geographic Traveller named the “Star” Ferry ride as one of “50 places of a lifetime” in 1999.
The Star Ferry traces its origins to 1880 when Dorabjee Naorojee Mithaiwala, a Parsee cook, embarked on a new vocation. He began a ferry service across Victoria Harbour with his steamboat, the Morning Star. The fledgling service was known as the Kowloon Ferry Company.
By 1890, the Kowloon Ferry boasted four single-deck Star Ferries. Later on, the ferries acquired a second deck. During the next ten years, businessman Sir Catchick Paul Chater bought all the boats and in May 1898 the Star Ferry Company, as it is known today, became a public company. Its name derives from the ferries, which all bore the name “Star”.
Before the ferry service was established, crossings were conducted on individually-owned sampans, or Chinese wooden rowing boats.
So, today, we honour Dorabjee Naorojee Mithaiwala, who arrived in Hong Kong from Bombay (Mumbai) in 1852, hidden as a stowaway aboard a ship bound for China. The Portuguese captain who rooted him out was kind enough to permit the young stowaway to remain on board as the ship’s cook. And the rest, as they say, is history.
On the way to the ferry terminal… a young lady places an order and is served by a robot…
She didn’t, but we did, take a look around the back of the robot-occupied kiosk…
Your good old trusty homo sapien on stand by!
Homo sapiens (noun)
the genus of human beings, 1802, in William Turton’s translation of Linnæus, coined in Modern Latin from Latin homo “man” (technically “male human,” but in logical and scholastic writing “human being;” see homunculus) + sapiens, present participle of sapere “be wise” (see sapient).
Source: etymonline.com
Ok, so homo sapien = ‘wise man’ or ‘intelligent man’ 🤣🤣🤣
Let’s see who ends up in the kiosk (back in) in the next decade or so, eh?! Pull the plug now guys before it’s too late! Or is it already too late?
Remember these?
STOP spoiling the memory, Donald! 🍊 ✋ 🛑
Opposite the YMCA, the Old Kowloon Fire Station, built in 1920.
Haven’t you always wanted to?!
On a more serious note, firemen and firewomen do such a wonderful job don’t they. We still remain moved by the 9-11 Memorial at Ground Zero, New York; a place we visited in 2013. The full range of emergency service workers was involved on that fateful day, of course. It was, however, the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) who paid the heaviest price, with 343 firefighters killed in the line of duty.
The Star ferry crossing from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island is 5HKD (about 50p).
Getting around Hong Kong is made easier by a labyrinthine series of elevated walkways.
Stick your head out at any point and you often find you have prime view of, well, anything…
We went to prison for a drink and cake… a repurposed prison, that is.
Tai Kwun (大館) is now billed as a centre for heritage and arts. It was the former Central Police Station Compound, built between 1841 and 1925. It includes the former Magistrate’s House ,with jail blocks. In 1899, the former Central Prison was renamed Victoria Prison.
The main compound is a lovely space. Enthused, we sat down, looked at the menu, clocked the prices, and simultaneously came to the conclusion that the cafe owner needed locking up somewhere if he thought we were 1. content with a ‘finger-size’ croque monsieur, or 2. willing to pay his going rate! Not to mention the price of the drinks.
We broke out and headed up Shelley Street, one of many Hollywood Road (such an exciting, interesting, vibrant road) offshoots. Who would be lucky enough to live in such a district, we wondered!
Every now and again the decisions you make – in this case, breaking out of prison – go off like a skyrocket, don’t they. Get yourselves 1. to this district, and 2. up Shelley Street.
In no particular order…
1. the smoothies, here…
2. the cakes here (more to the point, the cheesecake)
We opted for New York cheesecake. Leaving the Pistachio cheesecake for our next visit.
Recharged and ready to go again, we headed for Manmo Temple, an oasis nestling in amongst the madness.
We liked the fact that Man Mo Temple is dedicated to the Chinese folk god of literature, Man Tai (文帝), and the martial god Mo Tai (武帝). The two deities were commonly patronised by scholars and students seeking progress in their study or ranking in the civil examinations in the Ming and Qing dynasties.
What a day, again! Hong Kong is pure energy. We headed back down to the MTR station, unashamedly knackered!
Great name, and very fitting for the vast majority of streets in Hong Kong. It’s hilly, and its hilly!
Which takes us nicely to the fact that it is widely reported that people in Hong Kong have the longest life expectancy in the World.
The question as to why is now being well researched; it comes with a complex answer, as you would expect. However, common to many reports is thinking around the physical and built environment that typifies Hong Kong. Hong Kongers do have an efficient and effective transport network but you do need to be agile – and maintain that agility – to get around, and to and from places. And that transition does involve lots of ups and downs.
Which takes us back to ladders…
Maybe not this set of ladders, for most of us mere mortals…
Previous China daily blogs here
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