Behind Hong Kong’s High Rises

By Carla Waldemar

Hong Kong presents itself as Asia’s most “Western” city, but be aware that many travelers seek more than glitzy nightlife and shopping. The city’s tourist authority has begun to promote Hong Kong’s traditional culture and heritage; information is available at its Kowloon office at the Star Ferry Terminal and on Hong Kong Island. We took advantage of free daily tai chi lessons each morning at 8 a.m. along the Kowloon Harbour promenade. Great way to start the morning.

Next, join the locals for dim sum. To get admitted to the oldest dim sum house in the city, the Luk Yu Teahouse, it’s best to go with a native citizen to avoid being turned away. The tourist board can match you up with a willing, experienced resident. He’ll explain the classic dim sum ritual, the snacks’ ingredients, and further decipher the Chinese-language menu. Don’t even dream of taking pictures. For top dim sum in a more modern setting, try the daily offerings of the Harbour Plaza Hotel in North Point, where several dozen varieties are produced daily by the city’s premier dim sum chef. For an immersion experience, come for lunch on the weekend, when the locals gather in huge family clans (655 King’s Rd., Hong Kong Island).

Educational “insider” tours are offered by one of the tourist authority’s top guides, Nevin Lin, who gets his small groups into supposedly closed or private places, such as the recently-reconstructed remains of a clan village, and the newly-redeveloped (and recently opened to the public) Chi Lin Nunnery, a fine example of ancient Tang architecture. His insider tours can include treats like a “medicinal” lunch that incorporates traditional health-cure items like ginseng (for blood circulation), hawthorne (for blood pressure) and reishi mushrooms (to lower cholesterol and fight cancer) into tasty Cantonese dishes, or arrange for a traditional big-bowl feast (sort of like Chinese cassoulet, and just as lengthy to prepare), normally only prepared in homes for family celebrations.

On your own, you can simply take a ferry from the Hong Kong Island Terminal to Lamma (or another outlying island) to hike a paved path from one seaside village to the other, through its green and isolated hills, passing farmers in “coolie” hats plowing their fields. Lunch in one of the casual seafood cafes overhanging the harbor.

Hikers can leave skyscrapers behind and sign on for one of five guided treks of the region’s mountain trails (information at the tourist office). These vary in difficulty from easy to medium; most are 8 kilometers long. Self-guided walks within the city itself incorporate a little history and sense of place, too. Again, pick up a free booklet at the tourist office.

CARLA WALDEMAR is a veteran travel writer whose work appears frequently in Transitions Abroad.