Hong Kong: Quest for real soul

Dumplings, wontons and dim sums are what make Hong Kong a foodie’s delight. The smell of meat soup wafting through Hong Kong’s old streets sends both bag-packers and pin-striped Wall Street bankers, starving. On Peak Road in Wanchai, egg tarts from the traditional Tai Cheong Bakery are a must on everyone’s culinary agenda. A milk tea and 'French toast’ from Lan Fong Yuen or a simple sugarcane juice from the six-decade-old Kung Lee on the Hollywood Road is mandatory too.

The tumble of Hong Kong as an international trade haven has paved the way for a spectacular rise of an entertainment, amusement, shopping and tourism hub. As China drew the trading crowd to its shores, Hong Kong lost its role as a gateway to the mainland. Two Chinese container ports of Shanghai and Shenzhen have taken a march over Hong Kong while the third one, Ningbo-Zhoushan is just a whisker away.

Two decades after Hong Kong was handed over to China by the UK on July 1, 1997, ending 156 years of British rule, Hong Kong’s journey to find its soul continues unabated. Vicissitudes on the ground may not be easily palpable but one can’t miss the undercurrents. Slowly, Cantonese has begun to be replaced by Mandarin; Hong Kong’s constitutional laws made in the 1980s were amended; an influx of more than a million immigrants from China since 1997 brought inexorable changes in the cultural fabric of the city.

In the inevitable switch, Hong Kong has emerged triumphant as a new tourist destination. An endless swathe of tourists is climbing 'The Peak’ to take an exclusive peek into the stunning city.

On Hollywood Road, one of the first roads built in Hong Kong, where Chinese traders first brought their goodies from across the border to trade with the British and European traders, new-age businesses continue to flourish. Hollywood Road has evolved as an art hub, with various contemporary art galleries, antique shops and boutiques filling almost every available space.

Lying in close proximity, Poho, a funky neighborhood around Po Hing Fong, has a row of cafes, little boutiques and art galleries. (‘Po’ means ‘treasure’ in Chinese).

What amazes every visitor to the city is the diversity in its offering. The all-new Harbour City Deck gives you a splendid view of the Victoria Harbour as you sip a glass of sparkling wine. A dinner at Xihe Ya Yuan with its traditional Chinese dishes and Beijing duck is a world of an experience.

Apart from the iconic Disneyland and the Ocean Park which are huge attractions for the young crowd, Hong Kong provides a breath-taking experience on a 25-minute ride in the crystal-clear cable-car cabin that connects Ngong Ping plateau with the town of Tung Chung. The panoramic vistas of Lantau Island and beyond are unassumingly mesmerising.

The cable-car connects you to The Big Buddha and the remote Po Lin Monastery, nestled in lush mountains.

“China tops the chart when it comes to guests to Hong Kong. We also get visitors from Australia, Middle East, Europe and the US, apart from other Asian countries,” says Kelly Kay Jin Teo, director of sales & marketing, Island Shangri-La. At the iconic hotel’s Michelin Cantonese restaurant, Summer Palace, barbecued suckling pig platter and pan-fried vermicelli with prawns, are a must try.

Shangri-La’s brand-new Kerry Hotel on the Kowloon waterfront is an “urban resort” with an overarching light and space theme to attract the millennial. Over 1,000 pieces of art can be found throughout the property, many of which were specially commissioned for the hotel from leading Asian contemporary artists. “A majority of 546 guestrooms offers panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong Island skyline,” says Sharon Foo, director of communications at Kerry Hotel.

CATHAY’S FLIGHT TO INDIA

• Cathay Pacific’s newly launched premium economy class offers a luxurious trip to Hong Kong on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The airline, offering services to nearly 200 destinations, is looking to expand its market in India

(The correspondent’s visit to Hong Kong was hosted by Cathay Pacific, Shangri-La and HKTB)