By this Author: irenevt

I have been missing hiking so much, but all summer, it has just been too hot and too humid to even consider going on a long walk. To be honest, it's probably still a bit too hot, but nonetheless, yesterday I completed my first hike of the season. Naturally, I chose an easy one and made sure it was all downhill. I may as well ease myself back into it gently.

I started by going to Tung Chung and boarding the 23 bus to Ngong Ping and the Big Buddha. This is a very pretty journey which passes by beaches and a reservoir and climbs up a tall hill from where there are lovely views.

So much beautiful scenery on the way and I only managed to get a shot of the prison!

When I got off the bus at Ngong Ping Village, I passed through the huge gateway and walked past the statues of the twelve divine generals. These are the protectors of the Buddha and each one represents a different animal of the Chinese zodiac. There are some shops here, too selling incense and lucky charms and windmills, among other things.

Entrance gate at Po Lin Monastery.

One of the twelve divine generals and Lantau Peak in the distance.

One of the twelve divine generals.

Incense sticks for sale.

Although it was not part of my hike, I could not resist taking a look inside Po Lin Monastery, which is one of the loveliest monasteries in Hong Kong. If I had come earlier, this would still have had its Mid-Autumn lanterns up, but unfortunately these had already been taken down. It did have lots of beautiful lotus blossoms in front of the main hall, though.

Statue in the entrance gate.

Po Lin Monastery Main Hall across the lotus blossoms.

Lotus blossoms.

Lotus blossoms.

Lotus blossoms.

Po Lin Monastery was founded by three monks from Jiangsu Province in 1906. It was originally a much simpler structure and was known simply as The Big Hut. Nowadays there are two main halls open to the public. These are lavishly decorated and filled with golden Buddha images. Off to one side, there is a vegetarian restaurant. I have never eaten here, but it's supposed to be good. There's also a beautiful fish filled pond, which is best viewed from above.

Guard.

Guard.

Looking towards the main entrance from the main hall.

Looking towards the Big Buddha.

Temple decoration.

There were also two exhibitions going on here. One was about the construction of the Big Buddha and had some interesting photos of the statue being built. I liked the shot of the Buddha's face being lifted into position.

Exhibition hall.

This monk began on the strict path of constant meditation and prayer, before finding the middle way.

Golden Buddha statue.

Photos showing the construction of the Big Buddha.

Even Buddha is concerned about COVID!!

Monastery pond.

Vegetarian restaurant.

Outside the monastery, I found a pond with lots of gorgeous water lilies in a variety of different colours. There were lots of other lovely flowers, too and good views back to the monastery.

Water lilies.

Water lilies.

Beautiful red flowers.

Indian rhododendron.

Giant potato tree.

Beautiful yellow flowers.

Monastery building across flowers.

The Big Buddha has been covered up for ages and I had heard it was open again. It turned out that it is possible to see him, and he's looking good after his renovation, but it's not yet possible to climb up to him, as the stairs in front of him are still being done. Not being able to climb hundreds of steps on a hot day wasn't much of a punishment. The Tian Tan Buddha, to give him his proper name, dates from 1993. He is thirty-four metres tall, made of bronze and took twelve years to build.

Buddha through the gateway.

The Big Buddha.

The Big Buddha.

My intention was to hike the Fat Mun Ancient Path. I believe Fat Mun means something like Gate of Prosperity. The Fat Mun Ancient Path leads from Shek Mun Kap Village, just outside Tung Chung, to very close to Po Lin Monastery. On route this path passes by several monasteries and shrines. Some of these monasteries are still in use, while others have long since been abandoned. I believe the mountain the path ascends is considered holy by Buddhists.

To get to the start of my hike, I followed signs for the Wisdom Path. This took me past several ruined buildings, including the ruined tea garden restaurant.

Follow the signs for the Wisdom Path.

Houses that have been abandoned on route to the Wisdom Path.

Houses that have been abandoned on route to the Wisdom Path.

Houses that have been abandoned on route to the Wisdom Path.

Houses that have been abandoned on route to the Wisdom Path.

Houses that have been abandoned on route to the Wisdom Path.

Tea Garden Restaurant.

Then instead of going all the way to the Wisdom Path, I turned left and followed a sign for the Po Lam Zen Monastery. I soon passed by the S.G. Davis Youth Hostel and some public toilets. I reached a place where several trails met up. It was easy to find the start of my path, as it involved going through the Fat Mun Gate.

Sign towards Po Lam Zen Monastery.

Fat Mun Gate.

Fat Mun Gate.

The Fat Mun Ancient Trail is paved the whole way. Soon I was surrounded by greenery and peace and quiet. It was very very calming. There were several rocks with Buddhist inscriptions on them. There were lots of beautiful plants and some fruit trees. There were also some bamboo groves that creaked ominously in the wind.

Mountain scenery.

Mountain scenery.

Buddhist inscriptions on rocks.

Buddhist inscription on a stone.

Buddha by the side of the path

Fruit growing on a tree.

Bananas.

Seed pods.

Bamboo grove.

Not too long after I started, I reached the Midway Pavilion. This pavilion is a useful resting place for those who choose to walk the path up the way rather than down.

Midway Pavilion.

I continued past the pavilion and kept catching glimpses of a view through the greenery. The best place to enjoy this from was a little viewing area with seats up ahead. This allows you to sit and enjoy stunning views over Chek Lap Kok Airport, Tung Chung and towards Castle Peak in the distance.

View over the airport and Castle Peak in the distance.

View over Tung Chung.

View over Tung Chung.

View over the airport with Castle Peak in the background.

View over Tung Chung.

After enjoying the views, I continued onwards till I reached Po Lam Zen Monastery. Apparently Po Lam means Jewel of the Forest. This monastery was founded in 1955 by a young Buddhist monk whose dharma name means enlightenment. It is not possible to go inside this monastery, so I just walked around it to catch some glimpses of it. Next to the monastery there are several little vegetable gardens that are tended by the monks. This monastery is a world away from Po Lin Monastery and the Big Buddha, which can get very crowded. Here there is nothing but peace and tranquility.

Entrance to Po Lam Monastery.

Po Lam Monastery.

Po Lam Monastery.

Po Lam Monastery gardens.

Garden of Po Lam Monastery.

Garden of Po Lam Monastery.

Flowering pea plant.

From this monastery, I followed the signs for Tung Chung and within a hundred metres or so, I reached Fa Hong Monastery. This is no longer used, so I could just look at it through its gate. Opposite the monastery there is a little shrine where people still leave offerings.

Sign for Tung Chung via Shek Mun Kap Village.

Fa Hong Monastery.

Fa Hong Monastery.

Shrine outside Fa Hong Monastery.

From here I crossed a bridge over the Tei Tong Tsai Stream. From this point on the soothing sound of running water accompanied my hike.

Bridge over the stream.

The stream.

Soon I came to the Fat Lam Monastery, which is still in use, but not open to the public. This monastery dates from 1932. I peered through some of its gates to catch glimpses of the buildings and gardens.

Fat Lam Monastery.

House near Fat Lam Monastery.

There were several abandoned monasteries around this area, too. Again I took a peek at them through their gates. It's a shame they are not being used. Hopefully, they will still be preserved.

Monastery gate.

Monastery gate.

Entrance to an abandoned monastery.

Gateway to abandoned monastery.

Abandoned monastery pond.

At one point the Tei Tong Tsai Stream formed a lovely crystal clear pool with a tiny waterfall trickling out of the end of it.

Pond.

Mini waterfall.

After this I reached a shrine with pictures, statues and offerings. It was possible to take a rest here on one of the many seats. The sound of Buddhist chanting was being played at a very low volume inside the shrine. This added to the serenity of the area.

Shrine where you can sit and rest.

I then headed further down the mountain towards the last of the monasteries. There were views over Tung Chung from here including the cable car

The final monastery is called Lo Hon Monastery. This is located next to a cave, where monks used to go to meditate. It dates from the 1920's. This monastery had beautiful gardens. Apparently it is normally open to the public, but has closed its gates due to COVID, so I could not go inside. It is very colourful.

Gate at Lo Hon Monastery.

Lo Hon Monastery.

Lo Hon Monastery.

In the garden of Lo Hon Monastery.

In the garden of Lo Hon Monastery.

From here I walked down to the village of Shek Kap Mun and the end of the Fat Mun Ancient Trail. I saw a number 34 bus in front of me which I knew would take me back to Tung Chung. I had heard these were infrequent, but I wasn't sure I wanted it, as I hadn't looked at the village yet. I was still pondering what to do when it set off without me, so that was that decision made.

Shek Mun Kap Village has a little temple called Yuen Tan Temple and some shrines. I also saw a lovely tree here covered with purple flowers. This village looks like a peaceful place to live. After looking at it, I walked to Tung Chung Road where there were bus stops. I passed a stream on the way and there was another Buddhist monastery near the road. I can only find its name in Chinese, so don't know what it is called. Realising I wasn't that far from Tung Chung, I just decided to walk there. It was about another 2 km, making the whole walk around 7 km long.

Yuen Tan Temple in Shek Mun Kap.

Inside Shek Mun Kap Temple.

Village Hall in Shek Mun Kap Village.

Shrine by Shek Mun Kap Bridge.

Tree with beautiful purple flowers.

Monastery in Shek Kap Mun.

On my walk to Tung Chung, I passed Tung Chung Fort which I have visited before, but I took another quick look nonetheless. This fort was built in the twelve century. Soldiers were stationed here to try and prevent the smuggling of salt.

Tung Chung Fort.

Tung Chung Fort.

Tung Chung Fort.

Tung Chung Fort.

Back in Tung Chung I jumped on a DB01R bus to get back home having thoroughly enjoyed my first hike of the season.

The Aqua Luna.

I turned up at the Science Museum a few weeks ago and found I couldn't get in without an online booking due to the popularity of their dinosaur exhibition. Since then, I have tried several times to book a visit to this museum, but it has always been sold out. Well, the other night, I woke up at two in the morning and picked up my phone. I know it's fatal to do this, as once I have gone on my phone, it's very hard to get back to sleep. Anyway, it suddenly occurred to me, "I haven't tried to book the dinosaurs this week yet." I had a go and managed to secure a reservation. When I woke up the next morning, I had a vague memory and wondered if I had just been dreaming, then I saw the confirmation on my email. Thus it was that I found myself heading back to the Science Museum for midday on Friday.

The exhibition is called 'The Big Eight - Dinosaur Revelation' because it contains the skeletal remains of eight different dinosaurs. It describes these as 'eight of the most iconic creatures from the Golden Age of Dinosaurs.' The eight dinosaurs are: Tyrannosaurus Rex, triceratops, spinosaurus, allosaurus, hesperosaurus, diplodocus, hatzegopteryx and a baby sauropod.

In the words of the exhibition's blurb: 'This exhibition boasts an unrivalled amount of original fossil material, some of the most complete fossil skeletons in the world, world-class artwork, cutting-edge 3D renderings and the first scientifically accurate reconstructions of the world's largest predatory dinosaur and the world's largest flying creature'.

I arrived a bit early and stopped to take a picture of the nearby fountain, which was hosting quite a large gathering of pigeons.

Fountain, Tsim Sha Tsui.

Fountain, Tsim Sha Tsui.

Then I took another look at the displays outside the museum. These start with a model of dinosaur bones, away from which large dinosaur footprints lead to the museum's entrance.

'The Big Eight - Dinosaur Revelation' at the Science Museum, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.

The Big Eight - Dinosaur Revelation.

Displays outside the museum.

Displays outside the museum.

Displays outside the museum.

Fossil hunters.

Entry to the exhibition is free. Before I could get in, I had to scan my leave home safe app and my vaccination certificate. I decided to begin with the dinosaurs, then take a look around the rest of the museum later. I have been to the Science Museum several times, always accompanied by between sixty to ninety children during my primary school teaching days. It's a very child friendly museum with lots of hands on things to do. Our classes used to be able to run around, trying everything and having a great time here. Then we'd take them across to the History Museum, which is just next door, and the kids were not allowed to move or breath. The History Museum is one of the least child friendly museums I have ever encountered. I think you have to hate children to get a job there, which is a shame, because it is an interesting museum. Anyway, I no longer have to worry about such things. I no longer take my days out accompanied by large numbers of short, inquisitive, little human beings.

I started by taking a look at the diplodocus. This proved to be very hard to photograph, as it is huge and there isn't really a good place to stand and take the shot. At the side of the skeleton, there was an animation of several diplodocus, wandering around searching for food. Next to it there was an aeroplane which is part of the permanent exhibition here. Perhaps it was thought useful for size comparison.

Diplodocus means 'double beamed lizard'. At around 27 metres long, these gigantic plant-eating dinosaurs were the longest of all known dinosaurs. They weighed around 12 tonnes.

Diplodocus, easiest to photograph from the escalator.

Diplodocus.

Next I had a look at hatzegopteryx, the world's largest flying creature. This was displayed as a skeleton attached to the wall, but every so often an animation was projected onto it, showing how its body would have looked and how it would have moved its wings.

Hatzegopteryx was one of the biggest pterosaurs, with a wingspan of ten to twelve metres. It was found in Transylvania - a sort of earlier and bigger version of Dracula's bat, perhaps.

Hatzegopteryx and fan club.

Hatzegopteryx with animation.

Then I went to see triceratops, which means three horned face, a firm favourite with kids if I remember correctly. Triceratops had one of the largest heads of any land animal ever discovered. They may have had around eight hundred teeth. Quite a big bill at the dentist's for them then!

Triceratops.

Triceratops.

Close to the triceratops stood a mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, which means the tyrant lizard king. This is another dinosaur adored by little children, as they admire anything that can rip 100kg of flesh off their victims in a single bite. Still he has got a lovely smile!

T-rex.

T-Rex.

T-rex and Triceratops getting ready for a fight. Who do you think will win?

I think the next one was my favourite of the exhibition, not sure why. Maybe it's because we both like swimming. It was the spectacular spinosaurus. This dinosaur has a two metre high sail on its back that it used to seduce the opposite sex, while scaring off predators and retaining its cool.

Spinosaurus.

Spinosaurus.

Five dinosaurs down. Before seeking out the remaining three, I took a look at the time tunnel. Basically this is a tunnel where facts and different dinosaur images are projected across the floor while coloured lights swirl all round you. Every time the dinosaurs appeared little kids would chase them or sit on them or in the case of the tiniest and funniest little girl there, stamp violently on them with all her might.

Time Tunnel.

Time Tunnel.

Through the time tunnel there was a video playing. In the video a T-rex appears at a meeting of the United Nations and starts telling everyone off about climate change and warning that we could be facing extinction if we don't do something about it. The video was pretty well done, I thought. Here it was also possible to write a message or draw a picture of the dinosaurs and put it on the Dino board. There were some fun dinosaur displays in front of the windows.

Dino message board.

Dino message board.

What do you say we smash this window and go take a stroll around town.

Watch out behind you! No, in front of you. Just run!

The next part of the museum had a display of dinosaur and other animal eggs arranged in order of size. Too popular and too reflective to get a good picture of, but interesting nonetheless.

Dinosaur eggs and other eggs.

Then the next dinosaur I encountered was Hesperosaurus, which means western lizard. It's called this because its remains were found in Montana and Wyoming in the USA. This dinosaur shares some similarities with the stegosaurus

Hesperosaurus.

Hesperosaurus.

Next to the hesperosaurus was the mighty allosaurus. Lucky for hesperosaurus that it isn't exactly the same as stegosaurus, as apparently that was allosaurus's favourite dinner. How do I know? Well, apparently paleontologists have uncovered an allosaurus vertebrae with a puncture wound matching the stegosaurus tail spike, and a stegosaurus neck bone with an allosaurus shaped bite mark. Case closed.

Allosaurus.

Allosaurus.

Allosaurus claw.

The final dinosaur was just a little baby and he was exhibited in a very reflective glass case that always had lots of people all around it, so not easy to photograph. He was a sauropod. Apparently, his name was Toni! Toni is displayed in his original burial posture, he is the only articulated, nearly complete baby sauropod ever found.

Toni, the baby sauropod.

Toni the baby sauropod model.

One of the things I really enjoyed on this visit was looking at the winning entries from an art competition set by the Science Museum and the MTR. The competition was open to all primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. The children were to create artwork about dinosaurs and the MTR. The competition had both a painting and a digital graphics section. I thought the standard was very impressive.

Dinosaur and MTR Competition.

Dinosaur and MTR Competition.

Dinosaur and MTR Competition.

Dinosaur and MTR Competition.

Dinosaur and MTR Competition.

Dinosaur and MTR Competition.

Well that was me done with the big eight, but I had a quick look round the rest of the museum before leaving.

There was a section on natural disasters. In this, it was possible to see the inner workings of a volcano, create your own tsunami and enter a glass booth to experience a typhoon.

Making a tsunami.

Inside a volcano.

I liked the displays connected to nature. These included a fish tank filled with several different kinds of coral and colourful tropical fish. There were some Hong Kong animals on display, though I feel they could have done with more. Where were the wild boar, the monkeys, the barking deer and the leopard cats? There were also lots of displays about insects, which I rather liked.

Coral reef.

Coral reef.

Local wildlife. Civet cat. SARS jumped from bats to humans via this little fellow, it is believed.

Local wildlife porcupine. Apparently they are quite common, though I have yet to see one.

Turtle laying eggs.

Butterflies.

Butterflies.

Bees.

Beetles.

Dragonflies

Insect viewed through a microscope.

Sadly, I had a look in the Hall of Mirrors before leaving, always a mistake.

This is me looking elegantly tall and slim.

But sadly the next mirror was more accurate.

At first I was originally planning just to head home after my visit to the museum, but then I remembered there was a lantern display somewhere near the clock tower, so I took a longer route along the Avenue of Stars to see it. I was glad I went that way, as I was in time to see the beautiful Aqua Luna Junk passing by.

Passing junk.

Passing junk.

I recently photographed most of the statues on the Avenue of Stars, but I took some of the Hong Kong film awards statue this time. Again the Avenue of Stars did not have a single tourist in sight. The government here has finally scrapped quarantine, so I wonder if that will change. Quarantine for inbound travellers ends on Monday, though people entering need to do a RATS test every day and a couple of PCR tests and they are not allowed in restaurants!!! Not perfect, but I guess it's a move in the right direction. Naturally, I could not resist photographing the occasional flower on route.

Purple flowers.

Bright red hibiscus..

The Hong Kong Film Awards Statue.

I noticed the Space Museum has added a dinosaur to its dome. It also has some kind of dinosaur related exhibition on at the moment.

The dome of the Space Museum.

The lantern display was entitled 'Hugs Without Distance,' obviously looking forward to a COVID free world.. They were prettily arranged in the pond by the clock tower. I took a picture of the nearby Flying Frenchman statue, too.

The Flying Frenchman and the clock tower.

Hugs without distance.

Hugs without distance.

Hugs without distance.

On my way to the MTR, I stopped to take some photos of 'Lining up' by Ju Ming, which I think is quite cute.

Lining up by Ju Ming.

Lining up by Ju Ming.

Then I finally set off home.

On the waterfront..

When I went to the beaches near the Ting Kau Bridge last week, my bus passed lots of little animal models scattered along a waterfront promenade. I hadn't realised the walkway along the front stretched so far and was curious to find out what these models were, so on Tuesday, I set off to take a look.

I discovered that for some reason I had only ever walked along the waterfront on the left hand side of Tsuen Wan West Station. I actually think the walkway on the right, where the animal models are located, may not have even been built on my first visit, as it only dates from September 2021.

I exited the station through exit B1, making sure to buy a very large bottle of water before I went anywhere, then I headed off to the right. There had just been a downpour and fortunately the rain, plus a bit of a breeze, brought some merciful relief from the non-stop heat.

Tsuen Wan West Station.

I don't know why, but I started the day with low expectations, and then ended up really enjoying it. The light over the Ramblers Channel that separates Tsing Yi from Tseun Wan West was beautiful. The channel was filled with a wide assortment of large ships and smaller boats. It was a busy scene with lots to look at.

Ferry plying the Rambler Channel between Tsuen Wan and Tsing Yi.

Boats on the Ramblers Channel.

Ships.

Ships.

Along the walkway the white fence had been decorated with blue waves. I saw people who wanted to fish using the blue parts as footholds in order to climb the fence and set themselves up with their fishing rods on the rocks below. Since it is not long since Mid-Autumn Festival, there were also lanterns decorating the fence, too.

Wave fence.

Lanterns line the waterfront.

View with Din Dong, lanterns and ships.

View over the channel.

The waterfront.

As always in Hong Kong there were splashes of colour from several different kinds of flowering trees and plants along the way.

Flowering tree.

Crepe myrtle.

Crepe myrtle.

Beautiful yellow flowers.

Near the water, in some places, there were beautiful wild grasses growing. Most of this was the usual white colour, but some was purple, which I don't think I have seen before. And to think people climb mountains to see this grass!

Grasses.

Grasses.

Through the grass.

Through the grass.

The water through grass.

The Water through grass.

There were also several elegant looking egrets flying around or perched on rocks. One was willing to pose for me. There were also large numbers of sparrows and pigeons.

Egret.

Someone was gathering shellfish. There were lots of people fishing, jogging or doing exercises.

Collecting shellfish.

Fisherman.

Fisherman.

The models I had come to see turned out to be part of “Water Carnival by the Harbour”. Like the artworks I saw when I walked along the front from Central to Wan Chai, these are part of a festival aimed at getting people out and enjoying the waterfront. The ones here were based on Din Dong and his friend Jentle Cat. I had vaguely heard of them, as I think some of the children I used to teach had pencil cases or notebooks with Din Dong motifs on.

Din Dong is a cartoon cat, created by Hong Kong comic authors John Chan and Pam Hung. He has many adventures together with his friend, Jentle Cat. Din Dong is based on an actual pet cat owned by one of the authors. Din Dong is noted for always being positive and his motto is "Impossible is Possible". Apparently this character is very popular in several Asian countries. Personally, I found the models quite cute and I liked that a lot of thought had gone into the different ways they were depicted. Plus there were Din Dong themed things here for little kids to do, such as : slides, roundabouts, buses to sit in, windmills to explore. I reckon kids would love it. If you think some of the models are looking a bit the worse for wear, this is because the display has been here all summer through excessive heat, torrential rain and a couple of typhoons.

Din Dong's Happy Village.

Din Dong and Jentle Cat.

Welcome to the world of Din Dong.

Cat Bus.

Cat Bus.

Looks like Din Dong has been working out down the gym.

Din Dong Beach.

Din Dong Beach.

Din Dong Sailor.

Din Dong Windmill.

Din Dong Campsite and Mermaid Slide.

Mermaid Slide and Tent.

Din Dong boats and snorkeling.

Din Dong character.

Din Dong.

Din Dong Tree.

Din Dong photographer.

Din Dong Bench.

Jentle Cat.

Jentle Cat.

Asleep in a coffee cup.

Din Dong Farm.

Din Dong mermaid.

Din Dong fisherman.

Din Dong Fishing.

Din Dong is apparently all about optimism and kindness, so there were several inspirational slogans scattered around, too.

I am here with you.

You are amazing.

When it rains, look for rainbows. When it's dark, look for stars.

Of course, there was also another twenty-five years since the handover sculpture. These are ubiquitous. I left the promenade, went through a sort of orange tunnel, passed a little pier and took another look at the Ting Kau Bridge, not that I am obsessed or anything, honest. I didn't walk all the way to the bridge, but knew I wasn't far from where I got too hot and leapt on a bus last week. I noticed markers at 500m intervals along this walk, encouraging people to walk all the way to Sham Tseng, a village famous for its goose restaurants. Maybe I'll do that when it is cooler. I've been there just once before in a large group. We went to a goose restaurant. Someone ordered scallops and I tried one. I had a severe allergic reaction that ended up with me having to take ten days off work. The goose was good though, just in case you are wondering.

Twenty-five years since the handover.

Channel view

Pier on the Ramblers Channel.

Pier.

Ting Kau Bridge.

Ting Kau Bridge.

Tunnel.

Slope down to the walkway as I made my way back

I walked all the way back to Tsuen Wan West MTR Station and decided to take another quick look at the park and waterfront area on that side. I have visited both of these before. I was really, really surprised to hear roaring and discover that the robotic T-rex I went to see in Harbour City is now on display in Tsuen Wan. What a great idea to let others enjoy it, rather than just display it for such a short time.

I wonder what made these ?

What's that over there?.

Oh no, it's him again.

He's coming nearer.

Arrrrgggg!!!!

After my lucky escape from the T-rex, I needed a calming walk in the park, strolling across bridges, looking at waterfalls, turtles and frogs. Throw in some soothing works of art and I was all calmed down before boarding the train home.

Bridge.

Waterfall.

Fish statues and turtles.

Sleeping frog statue. Do you think if I kissed him, he would turn into a prince?

Peacock Stairs. Just checking that they are still there.

Viewed from a certain side this picture looks 3-d.

Viewed from a certain side this picture looks 3-d.

Back home Peter and I went out for a very enjoyable swim. It had been a very pleasant day.

Beaches and Bridges. Lido Beach.

Today, I decided to head to Tsuen Wan, then take transport to the nearby beaches. These are located very close to the Ting Kau Bridge and in the distance they look onto the Tsing Ma Bridge, too. I have been meaning to do this for a while, ever since my trip to The Gold Coast. On that trip my bus went on a flyover, high above these beaches and with only a limited view of them through the surrounding tall buildings. Today, I took a different bus, number 234B from the bus station in Tsuen Wan West, which goes along the coast and stops at several different beaches.

My main aim was to visit Lido Beach, but I noticed that the stop after it was also a beach, Hoi Mei Beach, so I decided to go there and walk back the way. Right from the moment I got off the bus, I had great views over the Tsing Ma Bridge and the Ting Kau Bridge.

The Tsing Ma Bridge from next to the Airport Core Programme Exhibition Centre.

Looking down at a beach near the Airport Core Programme Exhibition Centre.

I didn't realize that Hoi Mei Beach was right next to the The Airport Core Programme Exhibition Centre. To be honest I had never heard of this. The building the exhibition is housed in was originally called Homi Villa. It was built in the early 1930's by a private developer called, Jehangir H. Ruttonjee. For a while it was used as staff quarters for British army officers. Between 1971 and 1982 this building was the residence of Sir Philip Haddon-Cave, the Financial Secretary. It was converted into the Airport Core Programme Exhibition Centre in 1995. I didn't go in, but apparently there are five exhibition areas, displaying models, photos and descriptions of several airport-related projects.

The Airport Core Programme Exhibition Centre.

To get to Hoi Mei Beach I walked down lots and lots of steps, only to discover that the final few steps were taped off with a 'Danger, do not cross' sign. I momentarily considered just turning round and going back up, but then decided to climb over the danger tape and go onto the beach. There were several beach workers watching me, but no-one told me off. I'm still not sure if the beach was closed, or it was just that the last couple of steps were badly damaged. Either way, aside from the workers, I was the only person on this beach. It was sandy with nice views, and some barbecue pits.

Hoi Mei Beach Sign.

A view of both bridges from Hoi Mei Beach.

After looking at the beach, I climbed up a different flight of steps. I went past several buildings that seemed to belong to a sort of closed beach side campsite.

When I was back up on the road, I headed towards the next two beaches - Lido Beach and Casam Beach, which are next to each other. There were more wonderful bridge views on the way, as well as a lovely view back the way over Hoi Mei Beach.

Hoi Mei Beach from above.

The Ting Kau Bridge.

Casam Beach and Lido Beach from above.

There weren't as many steps to get down to Lido Beach, thankfully. I had not passed anywhere in Tsuen Wan to buy water on my way to the bus. There are a million shops in Tsuen Wan; they just weren't next to me. I thought: "No problem. I'll buy a drink at the beaches." However, there was nowhere to buy anything. I was already very thirsty when I reached Lido Beach. The snack kiosk there was shut. There was a drinks vending machine, but to my disappointment I couldn't get it to work.

Lido Beach and Casam Beach Sign.

I started off by walking to the smaller Casam Beach which is right next to Lido Beach. On the way I passed some war remains and a shrine. Casam Beach looked very pleasant and peaceful, at least on a weekday.

War remains between the beaches.

Shrine.

Many years ago the water here was clean, then it became very polluted and most of the beaches here closed. Nowadays things are improving again.

Tsing Ma Bridge from Casam Beach.

Casam Beach.

I then walked back to Lido Beach. This was bigger and a bit busier. It had beautiful silvery sand. There were people swimming here and life guards wandering around. There was also a volleyball court.

Welcome to Lido Beach.

The view from Lido Beach.

Lifeguard rowing away from Lido Beach.

Boat on Lido Beach.

Selfie on Lido Beach.

Lido Beach in the shadow of the Ting Kau Bridge.

Lido Beach.

Although it is beautiful, Lido Beach has had its share of problems. On the 2nd of July 1997 there was a landslide here. This would have been the day after the handover. I remember the torrential rain and that several landslides occurred at this time. There was a fatal landslip at the Ten Thousand Buddhas' Monastery in Sha Tin. We lived close to this at the time. In the landslide at Lido Beach, eight people, including two lifeguards, had to be rescued after being buried in mud. They were injured, but no-one died. Facilities here include volleyball courts, toilets, changing rooms. There's a winter swimmers' club building. There are some shady spots to sit in amongst some trees.

At the end of Lido Beach is the Ting Kau Sitting Out Area. Part of it is directly below the Ting Kau Bridge. There were several people fishing here and there were lovely views. I took some zoom photos of the views and of some of the boats bobbing around in the water. The end of the sitting out area was a dead end, so I had to double back and go back up the same steps I had come down.

Ting Kau sitting out area sign.

View from the sitting out area.

Fishing from the sitting out area.

View from the sitting out area.

View from the sitting out area.

Boats.

Boats.

Boats.

Tsing Ma Bridge and flowers.

Under the Ting Kau Bridge.

Ting Kau Bridge.

As I walked along the road above Lido Beach there were some fantastic views out across the sea. Despite being too hot, I was glad of the sunny weather to see blue skies and seas.

Views between Lido and Approach Beach.

Views between Lido and Approach Beach.

However, I really was starting to feel very hot, thirsty and sunstruck at this point. I was tempted to just get on a bus and get out of the sun, but I didn't, I ploughed on to the last beach I wanted to visit. This is called Approach Beach. The walk there took me past several posh buildings. I could not see them well as they were behind high walls, but I could see some of the beautiful flowers in their gardens. Some of the places I passed seemed to be guest houses.

The Haven.

Flowers.

Flowers.

Eventually I reached a stairway with a sign in Chinese, which I could not read. Thinking it might lead to Approach Beach, I followed the stairs down. They led to a pretty little beach, where lots of locals were playing board games at a table. I think this was probably Ting Kau Beach. I say that because it was so close to Ting Kau Village. This beach had shady seating areas and exercise machines. It also had several small shrines. I would guess not many people from outside the village come here, which actually made it a very local and interesting place. After taking a look around, I climbed back up to the road. I passed some Chinese paintings on the rocks on my way up.

Looking over Ting Kau Village.

Ting Kau Beach.

Ting Kau Bridge.

Ting Kau Beach.

Playing board games.

Shrine.

Chinese painting.

Chinese painting.

When I finally reached Approach Beach, I climbed down the steps and was absolutely delighted to see a drinks machine, as I was dying of thirst by this time. To my frustration I couldn't get it to work. Fortunately a very kind Chinese gentleman noticed my problem and came and helped me work the machine. It didn't have water, so I had to have pocari sweat. I've never tasted that before, to be honest. I was surprised that it was quite sweet. It wasn't even cold, but I was so thirsty by this stage, it was like nectar from heaven. I wandered along the beach for a while. A lady was busy cleaning the roof of the main beach building using a hose. She just missed soaking me. Part of me regretted that she missed as I was so so hot by this stage. After looking around, I then climbed back up to the road.

Approach Beach Sign.

Approach Beach.

Approach Beach.

Approach Beach.

Swimmer at Approach Beach.

I really wanted to continue on to the Tsuen Wan Waterfront Promenade which I had passed on the bus on my way in, but I knew I had already had too much sun, so I jumped on a number 53 bus and headed back to Tsuen Wan Station. On the walk to the bus stop I was surprised to see a long line of Macau type ferries.

A line of Macau type Ferries.

Views on the way to the bus stop.

Full Moon at Mid-Autumn Festival.

What a week it has been! It began well with our Silver Wedding Anniversary, but ended so sadly with the passing away of the queen. I don't consider myself a royalist, but the queen has simply been the queen forever and it just seems impossible that she isn't there any more. May she rest in peace.

Here in Hong Kong it is once again Mid-Autumn Festival. Tonight families will sit outside, eating brightly coloured round fruit and moon cakes while gazing at the full moon.

My friend, Iris, shared this picture of a Mid-Autumn dessert table with me. The boxes contain moon cakes.

Many people will be carrying lanterns with them when they go outside. This festival is linked to Harvest Time and is associated with a legend.

Long long ago, it is said that there were ten suns in the sky. It was always day time and endlessly hot. Plants struggled to survive in the heat and it was common for crops to shrivel up and die. The people were hungry and thirsty. One day, a skilful archer called Hou Yi got so fed up with the eternal heat and light that he pointed his bow towards the heavens and shot down nine of the suns. Hou Yi's actions improved life for the whole of mankind, so as a reward, the goddess Xiwangmu gave him a magic potion. Anyone who drank this would achieve immortality.

While Hou Yi liked the idea of being immortal, he only had enough potion for one person and he could not bear to live for all eternity without his beautiful young wife - Chang’e by his side, so instead of drinking the potion, he hid it under their bed. However, an evil man called Feng Meng, who was apprentice to Hou Yi, found out about the potion and wanted it for himself. One night, Feng Meng forced his way into Hou Yi's home when Chang’e was there by herself. He tried to make her give him the potion. Knowing she could not fight him off, Chang'e stopped him in the only way she could, she drank the potion herself. When she had finished, she became lighter and lighter until she began to float through the air. She floated right out of her window, up through the night sky and all the way up to the moon which became her new home forever and ever.

Hou Yi was heartbroken when he discovered his dear wife had gone, but knowing she was up on the moon, he would spend his nights gazing up at her. He also laid out fruits and cakes as offerings to her every evening until the day he died and from this practice Mid-Autumn Festival was born.

Now normally I have just started a new term at this point in the year and I am very busy and very tired. I don't usually have time to go out and look at all the Mid-Autumn decorations and activities, but this year I can do whatever I like. Yippee!!! I have been to three different places to see what is going on. I actually began with the nighttime one, but I'm going to show my photos the other way round, so that the earlier ones are by day and the later ones are at night.

On Friday I took a look at the relatively new East Coast Park in Fortress Hill which opened on September 25th 2021. To get here, go to Fortress Hill by MTR, then exit through exit A onto King's Road. Cross the road, go left to Oil Street. Walk down Oil Street, then turn left onto Electric Road. Walk along Electric Road till you reach Watson Road. Go right onto Watson Road and head towards the harbour. The entrance to the park is located under the Central Wanchai Bypass Flyover. This flyover makes it appear as if you are looking at the park through a huge window, so the park's architect designed the park's seating areas and other outdoor structures to also look like windows. This park is part of the harbour side promenade project. There is a construction site next to the park where the next phase of the promenade is still being built.

One unusual feature of this park is that it has a hundred metre long breakwater, offering 360 degree views over the harbour.There is a cylindrical vent shaft at the end of the breakwater, which bears a slight resemblance to the Burj Al Arab Hotel, earning this park the nickname Hong Kong's Dubai. Haha! There is also a word art installation spelling out Victoria Harbour. Apparently the letters are hollow and you can step inside them. I didn't go close enough to realise that.

Dubai comes to Hong Kong.

Victoria Harbour Word Art Installation.

Word Art.

Lanterns over Dubai.

The Breakwater.

The Breakwater.

The end of the breakwater.

View from the breakwater.

Looking back from the breakwater.

This park was beautifully decorated with lanterns. It also had many white rabbits, as Chang'e is associated with a white rabbit that lives on the moon with her. Plus it had lots of strange creatures I mistakenly thought were goats, but having checked, I now know these are actually Chinese dragon horses. These mythical creatures symbolise inspiration and are part of an art project called 'Drago Cavallo'. This project is the work of Chinese artist, Simon Ma. Apparently there are dragon horses dotted around various sights in Hong Kong, though these are the first I have seen. This project is sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. I think they are the ones doing the twenty-five years since the handover displays with the motto 'With you then, now, always.'

Celebrating twenty-five years.

Colourful Lanterns.

Window Shaped Shelters with Lanterns.

Window Shaped Shelters with Lanterns.

Window Shaped Shelters with Lanterns.

Lanterns.

Lanterns.

Lanterns.

Lanterns.

Large Dragon Horse with the motto of the Hong Kong Jockey Club - With you, then, now always.

Dragon horses.

Dandelions and Dragon Horses. Apparently the dandelions look like fireworks at night.

These rabbits appeared to be made out of oil cans. Oil Street is nearby. I think this was an attempt to link with the history of the area.

Rabbits and Dragon Horses.

Dandelions.

Mid-Autumn White Rabbits.

Lanterns.

Lanterns.

On my way to this park I had noticed a little temple so I had a quick look in there before heading to Victoria Park. It was pleasant and friendly, but very small, not much to see.

Temple.

Victoria Park in Causeway Bay is one of the main venues for seeing lanterns at Mid-Autumn. The lantern area is fee paying and only open in the evening. Fortunately, I had my camera with me, because I could really only photograph the lanterns with a powerful zoom. There were many of them, most of them were animal themed. I would like to see them lit up, but am sure this area would just be way too crowded at night.

Entrance.

Lanterns across the sky.

Central Library.

Moons.

Waving Lucky Cat.

Rabbits.

Horses.

Cats.

Cats.

Sea Creatures.

Animals on a boat.

Animals on a boat lantern.

Animal Lantern.

Robot Lanterns.

On the Thursday night, I went to Tung Chung in the evening and walked along the waterfront to see the colourful lanterns there. It was quite magical with all the lanterns lit up. It was also lovely to see so many people out celebrating, as over the last couple of years celebrations have been smaller or even nonexistent for so many events due to COVID.

Walk along the waterfront to get to the Lanterns.

Walking along the waterfront to the Lanterns.

Walking along the waterfront to the Lanterns.

Lanterns across the night sky.

Lanterns across the night sky.

Pink lanterns.

Lanterns across the night sky.

I kept seeing this extremely extrovert girl dancing everywhere.

Dogs and Lanterns.

Lanterns reflected in water.

A wall of lanterns.

Wall of Lanterns.

Wall of Lanterns.

In the centre of the display.

On my way back home I walked past the dancing musical fountain in Tung Chung's main square. It was not on, but the ground was all lit up where it would be. A painted display about local culture caught my eye as I headed for my bus home.

Tung Chung main square.

Tung Chung main square.

Artwork showing Hakka people carrying loads to market.

Tonight, which is the night of the actual festival, I took a quick walk to look at the moon.

The moon at Mid-Autumn Festival.

Our friend, Michael, sent us an amazing picture of the moon over Lion Rock which I will share here.

Great picture, sadly not mine.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!