The Other Side of Hong Kong: November 2013

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Shing Mun Reservoir - the grass is greener where??

Shing Mun Reservoir, this is a reservoir situated in the area between Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin! Believe it or not, this reservoir is surrounded by dense forests! Yes, and this is Hong Kong!! There are also multiple hiking trails surrounding this reservoir. A friend (one of the blog owners from HomeMadeInHK) and I took a hike up to this reservoir looking for the greenery and a bit of an adventure! Needless to say, this place is absolutely beautiful (Just look at the pictures below), this probably be a different side of Hong Kong most foreigners rarely see on TV. If you are going to be in Hong Kong for a week, and if you are into hiking, definitely consider making a side trip to see this side of Hong Kong!

**Walking up the hill, we pass a tiny temple, then through a small village with simple houses and farms long the way before reaching the actual trail**

After you reach the end of the village, you keep walking uphill for another 10 mins, and the reservoir will be in front of you, then we headed right to get on the edge of it

The other side of the reservoir, you can see the dense forest, and if you look farther beyond the forest, you will see a shape of a lion lying down, and that's the famous Lion Rock Mountain!

After seeing a waterfall from above, we found our way down to take a better look

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Quarry Bay - WHERE?

Quarry Bay, Where?? If you don't live in Hong Kong, I bet you will be asking this question. Quarry Bay is an area located on the east side of the Hong Kong island. I don't think you will find this place on any tour books, but if you are interested in seeing some unique building structures, I still recommend you to take a quick trip here. Quarry Bay is mainly made up of restaurants, many office buildings and residential building, and there is also a trail up to Mount Parker. I've been to this area for lunch quite a few times, and recently, I've noticed on the news that the movie Transformers 4 was filming in this area (yes, Michael Bay and gangs were spotted here), well, they definitely found an area worth filming, and I encourage you to come here to snap a few photos.

Some of the most unique building structures that you can find in Hong Kong. The pictures are all taken in Quarry Bay. Yes!! This is one of the filming locations in Hong Kong for Transformers 4.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Yau Ma Tei - Part 2 - The east meets west within steps...

Walking south on Reclamation Street from the Fruit Market, towards People Square Street you will come across some more beautiful historical buildings, where the east meets west. If you head right on People Square Street, you will see a neoclassical building structure, and that's is the Yau Ma Tei police station. If you head to your left, you will come across a public square known to the locals as "Yung Shue Tau" or the head of Banyan, and directly behind it is the Tin Hau temple. The square and the temple is deemed as the heart of Yau Ma Tei. These historical complex and structures are definitely worth a quick visit!