Hong Kong: A City of Surprises
© Imaginexxus LLC
I awoke early that first day in Hong Kong. My head was still fuzzy from jet lag but I was anxious to start my adventure. As I opened the bedroom curtains, I was treated to a pastel sunrise. Perfectly graduated strokes of color stretched across the sky’s canvas. Monet couldn’t have painted it any better.
However, it’s what I saw next that took my breath away. Mountains.
The travel books I’d paged through and discussions with friends who’d been here didn’t prepare me for this view. I knew I’d see a city crammed with buildings monopolizing every square centimeter. I anticipated the waterways would be filled with hundreds of boats jockeying for position in the harbor. And I fully expected to be jostled about on streets packed with busses and trams, not to mention a gazillion people. But, I definitely didn’t expect the landscape would include such a lovely chain of mountains spread over several islands.
What a pleasant surprise to find incredible beauty and nature in this frenetic megalopolis.
If you enjoyed this story in our series, you may also enjoy about the classic Star Ferry and a traditional Chinese medicine shop, as well as our travel book, The Unguidebook Hong Kong & Macau.
Here is a mini slide show featuring more views of Hong Kong’s mountains during different times of day.