China

4/23 Hong Kong and New Territories

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Thursday, 4/23/09 the New Territories

We went on an optional tour traveling through the eastern part of the New Territories, leased to Britain by China in 1898 for a period of 99 years. Known as “the land between” the peninsula across from Victoria Harbor consists of rocky coastline and lush, hilly farmland, a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city itself.

We went to the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden where pet birds are sold and traded.

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Yuen Po Street Bird Garden

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crickets

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Hong Kong New Territories Bird Market

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Hong Kong New Territories Bird Market: grubs

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Hong Kong New Territories Bird Market

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Hong Kong New Territories Bird Market

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Hong Kong New Territories Bird Market

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Hong Kong New Territories Bird Market

movie at the new territories Bird Garden

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Hong Kong New Territories Bird Market

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Hong Kong New Territories Bird Market

Then to a flower market adjacent to the bird garden

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Hong Kong New Territories local flower market

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Hong Kong New Territories local flower market

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New Territories local flower market

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New Territories street sweeper

We visited the Wong Tai Sin Temple, a colorful example of a traditional Chinese place of worship, built in 1821. It was interesting to see banners and demonstrations there for Falun Gong. Falun Gong is branded as an illegal sect, not a religion, and is banned from the Chinese mainland. On the mainland its proponents would not be allowed to demonstrate or have banners. But here in Hong Kong they are more tolerant of differences. When it is fully integrated into the mainland, Hong Kong will have to follow suit

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Wong Tai Sin Temple: Pro-Falun Gang demonstration at the temple

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Wong Tai Sin Temple

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our local guide, _, at the temple

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lighting incense for the Buddha

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praying at the temple

After leaving the temple, we passed through the soothsayers stalls where people were asking to have their fortunes told.

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fortuneteller helps a young lady

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Nancy & Charlie Ohlinger in the hall of the fortunetellers

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old woman

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old man

On to the Nan Lian Garden. It was built only 3 years ago and is 35,000 square meters. What a BEAUTIFUL garden! It was full of gorgeous rocks and boulders, fantastic trees, misting rocks (rocks with embedded misters), quiet niches that brought instant peace and harmony to the soul, and a lovely koi pond. How they could make a garden only 3 years ago that looks like it has been there forever is beyond me.

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gardener

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misting from pipes in the rocks

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Hong Kong New Territories Nan Liang garden

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braided trunks

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koi pond in the garden

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Hong Kong New Territories Nan Liang garden

We went on to the Sai Kung Fishing Village to the fresh seafood markets, where brave Gene Coupe held up a huge lobster, and where we had an incredible seafood lunch.

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old woman at the Sai Kung Fishing Village

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Sai Kung Fishing Village seafood market

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Sai Kung Fishing Village market: Gene Coupe holds a lobster

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shrimp

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Peggy Whigham, Gene Coupe, Nancy Polen, and Willa Brown at our seafood feast

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lots of shellfish and fish

We drove back along Repulse Bay back to our hotel.

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Hong Kong: Repulse Bay

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Sai Kung Fishing Village: fishermen fixing their nets

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Hong Kong: Qu Yi

That afternoon, Arthur and I decided to go to the Hong Kong Museum on our own. They had wonderful descriptions and scenes of the old and new Hong Kong.