Journey to the metropolis

The myth of Hong Kong

The night markets are mostly clumsy fakes.

(Bild: BENEDETTA BARBANTI)

If the journey is the destination, then in our case it is a long one. It takes a good 20 hours to get to Hong Kong - but once you arrive, you are right in the middle of a fascinating, glittering, dynamic metropolis.

Hong Kong is called the "incense or fragrant harbor" in German - this comes from the spice traders. Or the sweet opium that was once traded here en masse. In 1843, after the wars over the poison, the British settled there. As booty, so to speak. It was called a crown colony until 1997, when the Union Jack, the British flag, was taken down once and for all. Today, the city of 8 million is a Chinese Special Administrative Region. And it is not called the "Asian New York" for nothing. Although that is a bit of a misnomer. It is the special blend of East and West that makes Hong Kong so unique.

Spectacular is the attribute that fits best. There are still a few old junks bobbing in the harbor in front of a skyline of skyscrapers that flickers colourfully, bizarrely and wildly at night. Speaking of the skyline: 7770 skyscrapers over 100 meters high make Hong Kong the world's number 1 in the skyline ranking - there really is such a thing. Breathtaking nightlife, rooftop bars and bustling traffic alternate with temples, winding alleyways and a green lung with exotic flowers and butterfly colonies.

But let's start at the beginning: Austrians don't need a visa for Hong Kong (and Macao), and by the end of the year they won't need one for mainland China either. The quickest and cheapest way to get from the airport to the city center - in just 25 minutes - is to take the Airport Express (approx. 11 euros). Our advice: use public transport - Hong Kong has a perfect system. With the Octopus Card, you can use the train, subway, ferries and buses. You load up with credit and off you go. And the card saves you the hassle of searching for small change.

Shopping metropolis of the world
You don't go to Hong Kong to relax, the city is too stressful for that. You are here to experience, to store. At markets, for example, colorful and vibrant. The flower market, the bird market - exotically fascinating. There are overflowing vegetable markets, a jade market, one for ornamental fish and even one for dried fish (only for those who are not sensitive to smells).

The night markets in Stanley and Temple Street or the Ladies Market in Kowloon are particularly popular with tourists. They offer junk, sometimes rather clumsily faked handbags from luxury brands, until midnight. There is nothing here that is not available. If you want quality, you have to go to the back rooms. And the fakes there are no longer cheap either.

And of course there are also designer luxury brands. In a completely exaggerated accumulation, but no cheaper than in other world cities. Because Hong Kong has the highest rents in the world, the good pieces are naturally also correspondingly expensive. Times Square in Causeway Bay, Pacific Place in Admiralty and the gigantic Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui are the best addresses.

INFO

GENERAL INFORMATION:
www.discoverhongkong.com

• Flight Vienna-Hong Kong, flight time with one stop in about 19 hours. Prices vary greatly depending on the time of travel.
• Cheapest flight from Vienna € 788 (Swiss and Quatar), Emirates from € 793.
• Austrian citizens do not need a visa for Hong Kong, only a passport valid for six months upon entry. The visa requirement has also been lifted for mainland China (until 31.12.2024 for the time being).

And because everything is so expensive, the locals are drawn to shopping in Shenzhen, just a few stone's throw away. You can be there in 18 minutes by express train. And once you have completed the immigration formalities - which can be a little complicated because the Chinese paperwork bureaucracy is in full swing there - you're ready to go. Luohu Center is the place of shopping dreams. On five floors, you feel like you're in Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Dior. Only - it's all fake: sometimes very well made, sometimes garbage. Either way, it's always an experience.

65,000 restaurants
But back to Hong Kong: food is an intensely lived love here, an essential part of everyday culture. Statistics show that, on average, 20 percent of income is spent in restaurants. And that is why Hong Kong has the highest density of restaurants in the world. There are 14,000 registered restaurants and 50,000 food stalls - so there's no need to go hungry. Cantonese is the main cuisine, and the Cantonese are said to eat everything that has four legs - except tables; everything that floats - except boats; and everything that flies - except airplanes

Nowhere else will you find such a wealth of dimsum (they were invented here), the small dumplings - steamed or fried - with an incredible variety of fillings. The richness of the cuisine is overwhelming, just try it - and it's often better not to know what you've just eaten anyway.

Longest escalator in the world
Hong Kong is mountainous, so if you want breathtaking views, you have to go to the "Peak", the highest point. Taking the retro streetcar is an experience. The downside: long waiting times, you may have to queue for two hours.

If you don't want that, there is another way to see the city from above. With the longest covered escalator in the world. The Central Mid-Level Escalator is 800 meters long and climbs 135 meters. It runs downhill from 6 a.m. and changes direction uphill at 10 a.m. If you are at the top, please bear in mind that you need good knees for the descent

Macau, gambling metropolis with 50 casinos
A trip to Hong Kong includes a detour to Macau. The former Portuguese colony can be reached by speedboat in an hour (38 euros for the return ticket). You end up in a curious combination of the Far East, a Portuguese city and a pompous giant Las Vegas. The gambling metropolis flaunts its pomp and splendor without restraint.

There are 50 casinos, open around the clock. 9000 slot machines, 4000 roulette tables, all together. In the "Venetian" - the largest of the gambling temples (550,000 square meters!) - the Grand Canal has been recreated. Well, Las Vegas has that too, but here the air-conditioned, kitschy pseudo-Venice is even bigger. And Paris, including the Eiffel Tower, and the Houses of Parliament in London are also replicas.

But Macau has more to offer than just gaming madness. A delightful, densely built-up old town, for example. The historic buildings have all been restored, some of which were already standing when Hong Kong didn't even exist.