Up to Hong Kong (again) - March 12th-21st 2010

Top

March 19th 2010: Western District and Coastal Defence Museum


Page 1 of 2.
Click on images below to enlarge:
Western District
This street is called Des Voeux Road West (Dried Seafood Street) for a reason. There are blocks and blocks of these stores.
One store close-up.
Man Wa Lane is filled with stands selling chops (basically Chinese stamps used as signatures).
Man Mo Temple.
This street is called Des Voeux Road West (Dried Seafood Street) for a reason. There are blocks and blocks of these stores.
One store close-up.
Man Wa Lane is filled with stands selling chops (basically Chinese stamps used as signatures).
Man Mo Temple.
Incense rings?
No Picture Associated With These Comments
Hollywood Road has many antique shops. Here's a sample.
Upper Lascar Road (a.k.a. Cat Street) has even more curios (counting the stalls).
Incense rings?
Sorry I don't have more photos of Man Mo Temple; they were generally prohibited.
Hollywood Road has many antique shops. Here's a sample.
Upper Lascar Road (a.k.a. Cat Street) has even more curios (counting the stalls).
On Ladder Street, typical Hong Kong climbing. Notice the additional steps (almost washed out in color) beyond this set.
Hop Yat Church, next to Caine Road Garden park/playground (on the left).
The peaceful Blake Garden.
A 360 degree panoramic movie of the Chinese-style Hollywood Road Park. There's quite a contrast here between the screaming children (listen to the sound) and the older people doing tai chi (see, for instance, the lady in blue halfway through the movie) or meditating.
On Ladder Street, typical Hong Kong climbing. Notice the additional steps (almost washed out in color) beyond this set.
Hop Yat Church, next to Caine Road Garden park/playground (on the left).
The peaceful Blake Garden.
A 360 degree panoramic movie of the Chinese-style Hollywood Road Park. There's quite a contrast here between the screaming children (listen to the sound) and the older people doing tai chi (see, for instance, the lady in blue halfway through the movie) or meditating.
Ko Shing Street (Herbal Medicine Street) has many shops selling its namesake goods. Here's a sample.
Wing Lok Street specializes in Ginseng and Bird's Nest, though it does have other dried and specialty goods as well.
Wing Lok Street as a whole.
A quick panoramic movie of the Queen Street Cooked Food Centre, something like a hawker center. Notice the entire lack of English. Incidentally, a few blocks away I found a similar but much larger cooked food centre, again with not a drop of English.
Ko Shing Street (Herbal Medicine Street) has many shops selling its namesake goods. Here's a sample.
Wing Lok Street specializes in Ginseng and Bird's Nest, though it does have other dried and specialty goods as well.
Wing Lok Street as a whole.
A quick panoramic movie of the Queen Street Cooked Food Centre, something like a hawker center. Notice the entire lack of English.
Incidentally, a few blocks away I found a similar but much larger cooked food centre, again with not a drop of English.
The Edwardian-style Western Market is now a small mall.
The mall's inside keeps some of the outside's charm.
The mall's upper levels are even more charming. They currently house a restaurant, appropriately named The Grand Stage.
The Edwardian-style Western Market is now a small mall.
The mall's inside keeps some of the outside's charm.
The mall's upper levels are even more charming. They currently house a restaurant, appropriately named The Grand Stage.
Lunch
My lunch destination, Danish Cake Shop, is a cross between a bakery and a short-order takeout diner. It supposedly serves great non-traditional Hong Kong style burgers.
My fish burger was exactly like a fish fillet you'd get at any fast food restaurant. I didn't finish it, thinking it wasn't worth the calories.
Hui Lau Shan, a chain of fruity dessert and drink shops found everywhere in Hong Kong. It's generally what people refer to when they say a Hong Kong style dessert shop.
"Mango pudding in mango juice with extra mango" and mango ice cream. Sweet luxury (though the pudding was too jello-y for my tastes). What a delicious fruit. :)
My lunch destination, Danish Cake Shop, is a cross between a bakery and a short-order takeout diner. It supposedly serves great non-traditional Hong Kong style burgers.
My fish burger was exactly like a fish fillet you'd get at any fast food restaurant. I didn't finish it, thinking it wasn't worth the calories.
Hui Lau Shan, a chain of fruity dessert and drink shops found everywhere in Hong Kong. It's generally what people refer to when they say a Hong Kong style dessert shop.
"Mango pudding in mango juice with extra mango" and mango ice cream. Sweet luxury (though the pudding was too jello-y for my tastes). What a delicious fruit. :)
I'll roughly translate my mango dessert as cold mango essence or divine mango ice. Literally, it's mang2 guo3 (mango) shen2 (God/divine/spirit/essence) bing1 (ice).
I'll roughly translate my mango dessert as cold mango essence or divine mango ice. Literally, it's mang2 guo3 (mango) shen2 (God/divine/spirit/essence) bing1 (ice).
Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence
Looking across Victoria Harbour toward Kwun Tong (right) and Kowloon (farther away, left) from atop the fort that houses the Museum of Coastal Defence.
Yau Tong's apartment towers, also across the harbour.
A panorama of Yau Tong (the town on the left) and Lei Yue Mun (the channel of water on the middle and on the right).
The hills on the east side of Hong Kong island.
Looking across Victoria Harbour toward Kwun Tong (right) and Kowloon (farther away, left) from atop the fort that houses the Museum of Coastal Defence.
Yau Tong's apartment towers, also across the harbour.
A panorama of Yau Tong (the town on the left) and Lei Yue Mun (the channel of water on the middle and on the right).
The hills on the east side of Hong Kong island.
Apartment near the fort. I think this is the town of Chai Wan.
A 270 degree panoramic movie from atop the museum. It begins my looking west, then south, then east at the water (Lei Yue Mun), and finally north to the towns across the water.
Giant ditches ring the fort.
Military equipment on display. Look to the right; the whole hill the fort was on was pretty. This is a sample of what I walked past. You've already seen a number of samples of what the views from the top of the hill were like.
Apartment near the fort. I think this is the town of Chai Wan.
A 270 degree panoramic movie from atop the museum. It begins my looking west, then south, then east at the water (Lei Yue Mun), and finally north to the towns across the water.
Giant ditches ring the fort.
Military equipment on display.
Look to the right; the whole hill the fort was on was pretty. This is a sample of what I walked past. You've already seen a number of samples of what the views from the top of the hill were like.
Damaged buildings. These used to be soldiers' quarters, but they were destroyed during fighting between the Japanese and the British in WWII.
The path down to the shoreline. Yau Tong is in the distance.
A sign describing the Brennan Torpedo, the first guided torpedo, and how it works. It's ingenious.
A sign describing the Torpedo Station and how the torpedo is launched. I'm sorry some of the text is cut off. Nevertheless, it's still understandable.
Damaged buildings. These used to be soldiers' quarters, but they were destroyed during fighting between the Japanese and the British in WWII.
The path down to the shoreline. Yau Tong is in the distance.
A sign describing the Brennan Torpedo, the first guided torpedo, and how it works. It's ingenious.
A sign describing the Torpedo Station and how the torpedo is launched. I'm sorry some of the text is cut off. Nevertheless, it's still understandable.