On a last week’s trip to Guangzhou I knew I’d be arriving at 5AM and have a day to kill before my business there began. I had made one brief visit to Hong Kong from GZ years ago on the ferry, but I felt I didn’t have time to get as much in as I’d hoped. This visit, the sun was shining and I hopped the bullet train from Guangzhou South Railway Station for a quick one-hour ride over to this Chinese territory arriving to Hong Kong Kowloon Station. 

After crossing through customs and immigration, I found myself in the heart of Hong Kong. I walked on foot to a few nearby places of interest like Shanghai Street and Nathan Road to check out the vibrant street life. From here I walked to Man Mo Temple where I took a quick look around this quant and quiet park, then grabbed a bus over to the Star Ferry where I boarded a boat across the Harbor. 

Here I toured around and made an excursion to Yick Cheong Building to take in the expanse of the urban cityscape and snap a few fun photos. From here I went to Hong Kong’s premier destination, Victoria Peak. I took the Tramway to the top which was quite an exciting experience and began operating in 1888. It is also possible to reach this summit via the Ngong Ping 360 Gondola. Perhaps I will try this next time. I made my way to the top of Peak Tower at the Ski Terrace 428. This is truly a spectacular view on a clear day. I was beyond impressed and slightly ashamed I had not made this journey sooner, given my frequent visits to Hong Kong. 

Since I only made a day trip, I began the multi-phase journey back to the the W Guangzhou via trams, buses, taxis and trains. Once here I rewalked the streets near the train station to get a feel for these night markets. The Temple Street Night Market is a bustling place. They are so fun, and it made me regretful I did not have another day. This trip I was tight on time and skipped the portions of the city I managed to see last time like the Yuen Street Bird Garden, Goldfish Market and the Flower Market.

I look forward to my next business trip to China, and my next opportunity to spend more time in Hong Kong. Perhaps next visit I will add more time, so I can also venture to Choi Hung Estate and the Po Lin Monastery. I would also love to revisit many of the cityscape viewpoints but at night to take in the lights and feel of this place in another light. I plan to hit Sky 100 Hong Kong Observation Deck to do this.