Golden Bauhinia statue - Hong Kong

It is located in the Golden Bauhinia Square that is popular most days with mainland tourists but it is well worth a visit even if just for a couple of a photo snaps.  The square is on one of the Big Bus tour routes so if you are planning on using it then you can hop off and have a wonder around the Square. However, it is not a must see in Hong Kong.  The Golden Bauhinia is located in the square next to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, facing Wan Chai waterfront

Tourists at The Golden Bauhinia Square Hong Kong

The Bauhinia flower is a genus of more than 200 species of flowering plants in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the large flowering plant family Fabaceae. There are hundreds of species of bauhinia, and they all have characteristic orchid-like flowers and 2-lobed leaves. Many of the commonly grown bauhinias come from China, where they are known as sheep’s foot trees, because each leaf looks just like the cloven hoof of a sheep.

This commemorative sculpture known as the 'Forever Blooming Bauhinia', which was given to Honkong as a gift from the People's Republic of China during the hand-over ceremonies in 1997. It is symbolic of the return of Hong Kong to the motherland after 150 years of rule by Britain.  So Each day, if weather permiting, there is a flag raising ceremony which is good to see.

The statue looks beautiful in the night however it is also difficult to take photo as lot of local tourist groups will flood it all the time.

Instant Photos at The Golden Bauhinia Statue

However, you can try one popular route that is You can have a short stop after seeing the Symphony of Lights show. Take a ferry across the bay to reach this place and be back the same way. The ferry is quite cheap and also will give you different angles of the beautiful lighting of the bay. The attraction may not be much fascinating for the kids but they will love to take a ferry.

Have a nice day! enjoy your traveling.

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Victoria Park - Hong Kong - the amazing place where people meet

This is a local park where locals go to exercise from early in the morning.  Do not expect to find scenic and untouched forest at this park, you will be disappointed to find that Victoria Park is more of a centre for activities. However, once you had accepted this you had a great time walking around looking at people playing sport, racing remote-controlled boats, doing Tai Chi etc. You don't need too long to explore the whole place, though.

Victoria Park Sign

While not the most tranquil of parks, it is a good site to take a break from the city streets and motorized traffic. There are few days that it is entirely tranquil in the park (try weekday mornings for the lowest usage), but it is a mostly green space for a stroll. The enclosed birdhouse is interesting to tour - there are many excellent chances to shoot a photo. Also, the fountains are an interesting distraction.

It is located in Causeway Bay, on the north of Hong Kong Island, between Causeway Bay and Tin Hau MTR stations. It is part of Eastern District, along the border with Wan Chai District, bordered by Victoria Park Road and then Victoria Harbour to the north and Causeway Road and Hong Kong Central Library to the south.

Some active facilities with Hire Charge are Tennis Courts, Bowling Green, Swimming Pool Complex, and the rest facilities are free such as: Soccer Pitches, Basketball Courts, Fitness Stations and Jogging Trail, Children Playground and Model Boat Pool

Tips:

• Victoria Park is one of the most amazing places where people meet, there are many different ethnic communities in Hong Kong and many of them will meet in Victoria Park. It is nice to see the diversity of this big community.
• Sunday is usually the Muslim community; people from the different sects of Islam meet in different spots, sharing food, their music, prayers and some even dancing. It is a wonderful sight to see. At one end they have a small market where clothes are sold and some people have professional pictures taken, also some art works.

Victoria Park Hong Kong 

• The Park, whilst not huge, does provide many peaceful benches and open seating areas to catch up with the Newspapers and there are cafe facilities both within and nearby. The Pacific Coffee Emporium just across the Road being particularly recommended. The gardens are open twenty four hours a day, Beautifully maintained and the ideal place for recharging personal batteries and planning the day ahead.
• On Sunday, you will also notice groups of Pilipino or Indonesia workers here because they only have a day off on Sunday. 
• Transport to the park is very convenient as it is just next to the busy Causeway Bay district. Visitors can arrive by MTR, getting off at either Causeway Bay MTR station or Tin Hau station. Dozens of bus routes and the trams also provide convenient access.
• Admission is free and park Opens 24 hours

Have a nice holiday!

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Gold Dragon guards the Causeway Bay

Located at the busy junction of Leighton Road, Morrison Hill Road and Wong Nai Chung Road, this giant gold dragon guards the entrance to Causeway Bay.

gold dragon guards the entrance to Causeway Bay

I can not find the reference of this statue. I think its for feng shui purposes. The dragon is the luckiest figure in Chinese culture and it is also believed to be able to guard your health and wealth just by placing a dragon figure near a door.

According to local legend, over a century ago, a few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, a typhoon and then a plague wreaked havoc on the village. While the villagers were repairing the damage, a python entered the village and ate their livestock. According to some villagers, the python was the son of the Dragon King. A soothsayer decreed the only way to stop the chaos was to stage a fire dance for three days and nights during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. The villagers made a huge dragon of straw and covered it with incense sticks, which they then lit. Accompanied by drummers and erupting firecrackers, they danced for three days and three nights – and the plague disappeared

Gong Xi Fa Cai

refference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Hang

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Spectacular views at Victoria Peak - Hong Kong

Victoria Peak offers spectacular views of the Central, Kowloon , Victoria Harbour, Lamma Island and the surrounding islands. With some seven million visitors every year, the Peak is a major tourist attraction of Hong Kong. It is a must see for tourist when visiting Hong Kong. You can come at daylight or even at night. Take a photograph or two of the panoramic view for your memorable souvenirs.

Hong Kong at night

Victoria Peak (Chinese:太平山, or previously-扯旗山) is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also known as Mount Austin. The mountain is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island.

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Hear The power of the ocean at The Grand Aquarium - Ocean Park Hong Kong

The Grand Aquarium is located at Aqua City in The Waterfront zone. The place is remarkable, with a big water fountain in front of it. The fountain can dance by the music. You can escape to here for a moment from tropical heat outside.

dancing fountain

Starting out from the sunny sea shore, you will find the darkest depths of the ocean floor. At this point, you will be able to hear the power of the ocean as water roars through a blow hole. Vibrant corals undulate as you pass the spectacular tank and stroll through a beach adorned with sand sculptures.

At the touch pool, children get hands-on experience with sea cucumbers and sea stars as they develop an appreciation for sea life with all 5 senses at an early age.

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Why the Hong Kong tram is called DingDing ?

Hong Kong Tramways is a tram system and one of the earliest forms of public transport in Hong Kong. The trams have been used for over a century. The well-preserved tram lines still serve as a crucial means of transport in Hong Kong, but also a major tourist attraction and one of the most environmentally friendly ways of travelling in Hong Kong. The tram system is powered by electricity and has a maximum speed of 50 km/hours. The maximum capacity of each tramcar is 115 people.

ding ding tram

The tramway runs on Hong Kong Island between Shau Kei Wan and Kennedy Town, with a branch circulating Happy Valley. Tram stops are densely located in an average interval of 250 metres (820 ft). Most of them are located in the middle of the road, connected by pedestrian crossings or footbridges.

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Grand Circle Tour with Disneyland Rail Road Hong Kong

Disneyland railroad is one of the many attractions that everybody can enjoy. The Railroad is the first attraction that you see when entering the park. It is also the most popular attractions in the park and tends to be busiest in the mornings. You can use it as transportation to other areas of the park or simply for the experience of the "Grand Circle Tour", from the Main-street to Adventure-Land, Grizzly Gulch, Toy Story land and Fantasy-Land. The railroad station is situated at the entrance of Disneyland and at Fantasy-Land station.

disneyland railroad

The train consists of 5 carriages, with a passenger capacity of 50 people each. The seats are arranged in 3 rows of bench-seating facing inward to the park for quick disembark/embark at the depots and for easier viewing of the park panorama.

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How does the Hong Kong Peak Tram climb?

The Peak Tramway (Chinese: 山頂纜車) is a funicular railway in Hong Kong, which carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island. Running from Central district to Victoria Peak via the Mid-Levels, it provides the most direct route and offers good views over the harbour and skyscrapers of Hong Kong.

The lower terminus station - Garden Road

A funicular railway, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.

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The famous shopping district "Causeway Bay" of Hong Kong

Causeway Bay (Traditional Chinese: 銅鑼灣) is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, located on the Hong Kong Island, and covering parts of Wan Chai and Eastern districts. The Chinese name is also romanized as Tung Lo Wan as in Tung Lo Wan Road (銅鑼灣道). The rent in the shopping areas of Causeway Bay is ranked as the highest in the world followed by New York's Fifth Avenue, which is only slightly less expensive. The rent of Causeway Bay is near a double of the third place's Tokyo's Ginza.

causeway bay at night

Causeway Bay borders the Eastern District. These areas include Tsing Fung Street, Causeway Bay market, the Victoria Park, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Jardine's Noonday Gun and the Police Officers Club. West of these sites, are Queen's College and the Hong Kong Central Library which belong to the Wan Chai District.

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9 tips for renting an apartment at Hong Kong

There are various kind of options for places to stay in Hong Kong, ranging from luxury hotels, star hotels, hostels, backpackers / guest house to an apartment. Location of the places was also influential in choosing the places. The accommodation is spread almost all over Hong Kong, but the majority located in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The Limited land available has caused property prices to be very expensive. Buildings in here mostly comprises a slim tall buildings with small size and efficient.

Daily rent apartment option is workable alternative if our budget is limited, especially if we are traveling with a family. However, not so many apartements can be rented due to their regulation. Some of the apartment owner offer their places at web sites, ask for the rate they offer, review the pros and cons of previous tenants if any. Do it before we decided to rent.

Some points based on our experiences on choosing to rent apartment instead of staying at hotel when travelled along with kids:

• Kids are more comfortable and feel at home. Usually a rented apartment has a living room furnished with a sofa and televison sets. They can play as well as at home.
• We can save costs because we can cook ourselves. Find an apartment that has a kitchen set as they usually come with cooking utensils. Shop at the supermarket for cooking needs.

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The Lion King Show at Disneyland - Hong Kong

The show is featured in the "Theater in the Wild" in Adventureland. Similar to the theater setting in Disney's Animal Kingdom, The show in Hong Kong has been arranged to a simplified version of the story of The Lion King along with the songs in the movie. 

The performance is mainly in English, but two actors dressed as monkeys summarize and translate Rafiki's lines into Cantonese in order to accommodate guests who do not speak English. Simplified Chinese subtitles, for Mainland Chinese visitors, are also projected onto the screens above each seating section. The show is presented to Simba by Rafiki (portrayed by a female actress, as in the Broadway musical) as a re-telling of Simba's life. Simba is represented by a large, elaborate puppet on a parade-style float decorated as a tribal-styled Pride Rock.

In contrast to the Simba of the Animal Kingdom production the puppet in this production wears red and black tribal bracelets and has braids in his mane.

simba friend

Narrative
Unlike the Festival of the Lion King in Orlando, which merely uses songs and imagery from the film, the Hong Kong version of the show contains a coherent narrative. It acts as a truncated version of Disney's movie "The Lion King," in which Simba the lion reclaims leadership of his pride after his uncle Scar usurps it. An actress dressed as Rafiki the baboon hosts the proceedings, revealing highlights of Simba's life and recounting specifics to the audience.

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The thrill of Jungle River Cruising at Disneyland Hong Kong

The Jungle River Cruise is an attraction located in Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland. The attraction simulates a riverboat cruise down several major rivers of Asia, Africa and South America. Park guests board replica tramp steamers and are taken on a voyage past many different Audio-Animatron Ric jungle animals. The tour is led by a live Disney cast member delivering a humorous scripted narration. 

The Jungle River Cruise

Guests board on the boat and meet the skipper. The boat then depart and head down the river, past Tarzan's Tree-house where the skipper tells us to wave goodbye to the guests traversing the tree-house  for they will never see them again.

ready to cruise

The boats then drift past a mother Indian elephant and her calf playing in the water, followed by another elephant showering in a waterfall. A large bull Indian elephant emerges from the water squirting a plume of water at the boats.

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Hong Kong: Madame Tussaud

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong memiliki koleksi patung lilin selebriti dan orang orang terkennal dari berbagai mancanegara. Mereka terkenal dengan berbagai peristiwa pada jamannya. Terdapat enam wahana tematik yang sangat menarik di musemum lilin ini.

Daya tarik fitur lebih dari 100 patung lilin selebriti lokal dan internasional dengan efek audiovisual yang menarik dan pengalaman interaktif untuk menciptakan saat-saat yang benar-benar ajaib untuk semua tamu.

  

Sejarah Madame Tussaud

1761: Madame Tussaud lahir Marie Grosholtz di Strasbourg.
1777: Model Marie penulis terkenal dan filsuf, Francois Voltaire.
1780: Marie menjadi art tutor ke adik Raja Louis XVI dan pergi untuk hidup di Royal Court di Versailles
1789: Pada malam Revolusi Perancis, Marie kembali ke Paris
1793: Marie yang dipenjara dengan ibunya di Penjara Laforce terkenal di Paris. Pada rilis dia dipaksa untuk membuktikan kesetiaannya kepada Revolusi dengan membuat topeng kematian bangsawan dieksekusi dan mantan majikan nya, Raja dan Ratu.
1794: Revolusi Perancis berakhir dan Marie mewarisi pameran lilin Dr Philippe Curtius '.
1795: Marie menikah Francois Tussaud

Dari Perancis ke Inggris Sejarahnya memiliki daya tarik tersendiri, dengan berawal dari Paris tahun 1770. Di sinilah Madame Tussaud belajar model mirip dari lilin di bawah bimbingan mentor nya, Dr Philippe Curtius. Pada usia 17, ia menjadi guru seni untuk adik Raja Louis XVI di Istana Versailles dan kemudian, selama Revolusi Perancis, dipaksa untuk membuktikan kesetiaannya kepada bangsawan feodal dengan membuat topeng kematian dari bangsawan yang dieksekusi. Madame Tussaud datang ke Inggris pada awal abad ke 19 bersama sebuah pameran keliling peninggalan revolusioner dan patung pahlawan publik dan penyamun.

Membawa Berita menjadi Hidup 

Pada saat berita ini disampaikan sebagian besar dari mulut ke mulut, pameran Madame Tussauds 'adalah semacam berita surat kabar, memberikan wawasan tentang peristiwa-peristiwa global dan membawa masyarakat public face-to-face dengan orang-orang berita utama. Artefak tak ternilai dari Revolusi Perancis dan Perang Napoleon dibawa ke peristiwa kehidupan di Eropa yang memiliki kaitan langsung pada kehidupan sehari-hari. Banyak negarawan terkemuka dan, dalam Chamber of Horrors, penjahat terkenal menempatkan wajah dengan nama-nama di bibir setiap orang dan menangkap imajinasi publik. Pada tahun 1835, Madame Tussauds mendirikan basis permanen di London sebagai Baker Street Bazaar - pengunjung dibayar' sixpence 'untuk kesempatan bertemu dengan nama-nama terbesar hari. Daya tarik pindah ke situs yang sekarang di Marylebone Road.

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Hong Kong: Halal Food at Masjid Ammar

Halal food, pork-free halal, in Hong Kong is very rare, there are some places that sell halal food. These foods are sold in restaurants as of istambul and Indonesia.

Masjid Ammar hongkong has a canteen on the top floor to the public. food sold like fried rice, dim sum, chicken ginger stew, fried vermicelli.

The Islamic Centre Canteen in the Masjid Ammar in Wanchai opened in 2005. It is one of two halal Chinese cuisine Restaurants in Hong Kong and the only one offering Cantonese cuisine.

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Hong Kong: Harbour City

Harbour City is a large shopping mall in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. It is part of a series of office blocks and hotels. It comprises several parts: Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Centre (with 1980s retro decor), the Gateway and the Pacific Club Kowloon. The complex is located along the west side of Canton Road, stretching from the Star Ferry Pier in the south to China Hong Kong City in the north.




The mall features many branded boutiques, such as MCM (Mode Creation Munich), Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo, Shiatzy Chen, Prada, Yves Saint Laurent, Polo Ralph Lauren, Versace, Burberry, and Hugo Boss.

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Meet Panda at Ocean Park - Hong Kong

Ocean Park Hong Kong is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, animal theme park and amusement park, situated in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern District of Hong Kong. Opened in 1977 by the then Governor of Hong Kong Sir Murray MacLehose, Ocean Park has grown to about 35 attractions and rides. The park has won several awards, including The World's Seventh Most Popular Amusement Park and 33rd Most Visited Tourist Attractions in the World by Forbes.

Covering an area of 870,000 square metres (210 acres) of land, the park is separated by a large mountain into two areas, The Summit (Headland) and The Waterfront (Lowland) respectively.

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Hong Kong: The Peak

Bertengger 396 meter di atas permukaan laut, The Peak Tower adalah salah satu ikon arsitektur paling bergaya di Hong Kong. Dengan desain avant-garde yang mewakili lambang arsitektur modern, menara spektakuler telah ditampilkan dalam jutaan foto dan kartu pos di seluruh dunia.

Di dalam The Peak Tower sendiri, ada deretan restoran, toko-toko dan tempat hiburan dengan latar belakang kota yang indah.  Selain itu, menawarkan tampilan platform 360 ° tertinggi - The Sky Terrace 428. Berdiri pada 428 meter di atas permukaan laut, Sky Terrace 428 menawarkan pemandangan spektakuler dari keindahan kota - dari Cityscape menakjubkan untuk ketenangan lanskap hijau

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