The first tunnel underneath Victoria Harbour was only opened in 1972. The Eastern Crossing was added in 1989, the Western Crossing opened in 1997. For most of Hong Kong’s history, people have been commuting by ferries between the various office and residential centers around Hong Kong. Many of these ferry lines still exist and are delight to take. Some of these lines continue to be popular with locals and tourists, such as the Star Ferry, while others only have a small following to keep them afloat.

Thanks to the revival of one line discontinued in March 2011, it is possible to zigzag forth and back Victoria harbour in almost its entirety from Central to Lei Yue Mun in the east since June 2020. To maximize our pleasure ferrying between the stunning city scape, we will being our journey in Wan Chai:

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No matter if from 深圳 Shenzhen, 九龍 Kowloon or 香港 Kong, the cheapest option to 赤鱲角 Chek Lap Kok is a combination of 港鐵 MTR and public bus, costing a total of 23.3 HK$ from the Island, and 16.1 HK$ from Kowloon (荔景 Lai King), an unbeatable 2 US$.

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Skyscrapers not only make a beautiful and impressive skyline, they also provide great opportunities to view the city from high above. However, not all skyscrapers have public viewing platforms or are accessible, and some, like the Sky 100 in ICC charge a lot of money.
There are a couple of cheap opportunities to observe the bee hive from above.
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As many most developed cities like New York City, London or Paris have long forgotten their long history of chaotic, low-regulated street markets, Hong Kong still allows hawkers, mongerers and chafferers to strive in some designated zones. Some particularly exciting ones stretch all the way from Mong Kok Stadium to Austin Road, featuring live animals, souvenirs, magic, stones and antiques.
Economically speaking these markets easily demonstrate econ 101. There are plenty of merchants and customers, nobody seems to have any abnormal market power, and because all shops are found in a small area, customers can easily compare prices, and competition is fierce. Margins are low, and the consumer seems to win, at least judging by the comparatively great deals you can get.
To find a more profitable niche, shops have to specialize, leading to a huge variety in products and services.
The market, however, is not as free as you might think. Just like in Taxi licensing, many problems come from the restrictive licencing of such markets. In many cases new licences have not been handed out since the 70s, and reform is not in sight.
I invite you on this stressful but rewarding journey through which you can buy literally anything that the endless factories of mainland China have to offer.

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Less than 25% of Hong Kong’s landmass is developed, and 40% of the SAR are designated as Country Parks and Natural Reserves. This provides for quite a few getaways, which may take up to one day of your time. One of my favorite day trips is to cross Lantau on its south side. There is a lot to see, and plenty of opportunities to hang out or hike.

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Hong Kong can be stressful, busy and so full of skyscrapers, you barely see the sky anymore, not to speak of the stars. It will come to you as a surprise that a getaway to China brings you fresh air, small lovely towns and beautiful scenery beyond the polluted backyard of 廣東 Guangdong.

Our journey brings us through 廣州 Guangzhou to the small town of 陽朔 Yangshuo from where we go hiking and relax. We will see 興評 Xingping, near where the picture for the 20 Yuen bank note was taken from and the 龍勝 Longsheng Rice Terraces. We go back through Guilin and Guangzhou to Hong Kong.

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Hong Kong only collects import tariffs on four kinds of products: Tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, ethyl alcohol and liquor. Since 2008 there is no more tariff on wine and beer. In addition, Hong Kong has some of the most liberal laws concerning the sale of alcohol in the world. The legal drinking age is 18, however, there is no legal obligation on retailers to refuse to sell liquor to a person on the grounds of age.
That is because the drinking age only applies to places that have to be licensed, for instance bars or clubs. It is perfectly legal in Hong Kong for a minor to walk into a 7eleven and buy as much alcohol as they want and drink it in a place that does not need a liquor license.
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On the second day of the Lunar New Year (Jan 24, 2012) Hong Kong celebrates with a massive display of fireworks. The fireworks, according to Chinese mythology, are supposed to scare away the evil 年獸 Nian creature (literal translation: Year Beast).
The Hong Kong fireworks are said to be the most expensive in the world in the past 12 months and at least partly sponsored by the 中國共產黨 Communist Party of China.
However, I couldn’t find any sources for this, and sponsoring also seems quite useless if noone knows about it.

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Hong Kong does not have the best climate in the world, we know that. Either it’s too hot or too cold and maybe raining at the same time.
I found the public buses to be the best way to explore Hong Kong beyond the standard tourist sites.
They are cheap, air-conditioned, have a roof top, run frequently and all over the islands. Most of these buses are double-deckers too, so make sure to enter at the first station to get the good view.

This is my list of my favorite bus lines through Hong Kong. I will regularly update it, so do come back! Also, feel free to suggest your own routes!
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