Very often, we make up opinions based on news, other people's views, media reports etc and relegate the subject to a pre-defined category. So it was for me with regard to Hong Kong. Since a long time, all I ever thought about the island was how it was one of the most crowded places on earth, and expensive too, and most of my friends who had been there offered no other impressive details except for the fact that it was a close clone of Singapore in all aspects, with the added bonus of Disneyland and Madam Tussad's. So, when I decided to visit Hong Kong, this January,I was in for a very pleasant surprise!And also I made up a firm mind never to form impressions on a second person account for it is my belief that perceptions change drastically between people.
Hong Kong, meaning "Fragrant Harbour" in Cantonese, is situated along the southern coast of China, 60km from Macau. It was a British colony from 1942-1997.Currently, both Hong Kong and Macau are deemed as Special Administrative Regions(SARs) of the People's Republic of China.
Hong Kong consists of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories and over 200 offshore Islands of which, the largest is Lantau Island.
Day1:
This very beautiful scene is en route to Lantau Island from the Ngong PingCable Car and offers a bird's eye view of the whole area.
This is part of the Ngong Ping Village, a picturesque hamlet with cobbled streets good for shopping and food.
This first day in Hong Kong just enamoured my heart to it. For someone who loves Buddhism, this is a perfect retreat as this island is serene, beautiful, and dreamy and a far cry from the crowded, neon lit poster pictures that define Hong Kong ubiquitously.
