Me, Jamie | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong | 48 years living in Hong Kong - I know the culture
… and yes, I am a proud Yorkshireman
The Ultimate Hong Kong Tour Blog
The New World Order
© Jamie Lloyd | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong | 2011 - 2020. All rights reserved. Click on the image to enlarge to full screen
March 28th 2020 | Coronavirus - Covid 19, the New World Order?
It’s a Saturday night and over 10 weeks since I did my last blog post and I am simply incredulous at how my own little world in Hong Kong has gone to the dogs in less than 8 months, firstly with the so called Pro Democracy Riots in Hong Kong and just when things were improving we get hit by the Covid 19 virus.
I am going to say a few words only given that there are simply millions of articles on both subjects circulating, suffice to say that as I am 59 years old I have been through an awful lot, ie Serious Pandemics, Financial Collapses around the World, some very serious medical issues, yada, yada and petty much like most people my age, so my views on what has gone on and what is going on differ somewhat markedly to someone who is 20, 30 or 40 years younger than me
I was 21 months old at the time of the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis when the World really was on the brink of Nuclear War… we got past it
I had completely forgotten about the 1968 Hong Kong Flu pandemic which infected 500,000 people in Hong Kong ( we did not arrive here until 1972 ) but actually killed over 1 million people worldwide, a very sobering figure and frankly you would be hard pushed finding anyone in Hong Kong who actually remembers it.
I was lucky to make it to the 1970’s!
So you will forgive me for not getting caught up in the mass hysteria that has gripped the World in the past few months… I use a bit of common sense and like to put things in perspective, I will say that I am somewhat peeved at the seemingly gleeful end of the world reporting which is dominating the headlines everywhere.
It helps that I get my news which I check twice a day from 2 main sources
The South China Morning Post in Hong Kong
The Guardian in the UK
I basically ignore anything and everything on social media, in order to keep my sanity on an even keel, I have self isolated myself for over 6 weeks now and have been out twice, once for a haircut and another for a routine Hospital appointment, I keep in touch with my friends on Whatsapp.
I have used my time constructively working up to 18 hours a day every day on my website and my Flickr images site and doing a lot of reading, I have a thirst for knowledge when it comes to Hong Kong.
This is my way of dealing with the current “crisis”
I am not looking more than a few days ahead given the situation changes by the minute but my calm rational thought tells me things will improve, I have no idea when, but it will and if people want to panic and buy 6 months stock of toilet paper and bleach then good luck to them, each to their own.
For me now, it is all about preparing for normal times to return to Hong Kong because they will, unless we have an alien invasion over the next 2 to 3 months or the Zombie Apocalypse in the USA
I am going to increase my output of blog posts knowing full well that no one is going to read them anytime soon if at all, but at least they are out there!
Keep safe and healthy everyone.
The Ultimate Hong Kong Tour Blog
The 10,000 Buddha Monastery
© Jamie Lloyd | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong | 2011 - 2020. All rights reserved. Click on the image to enlarge to full screen
March 28th 2020 | The Ten Thousand Buddha Monastery, Shatin, Hong Kong and there’s a dead bloke coated with lacquer and gold leaf in the glass cabinet!
Visit Hong Kong | The Ten Thousand Buddha Monastery, Shatin, Hong Kong
Known locally as Man Fat Tsz established in 1949 and it opened for business in 1957.
Pavilions, Pagoda’s, troops of nasty wild monkeys, funny signs, weird and freaky gilded statues, 13,000 Buddha’s not 10,000, mummified human remains in a glass box, a very confusing entrance, fake Buddhist Monks, packs of wild dogs, sounds amazing doesn’t it....
....and it is except for one small detail | 431 steps, that’s right, you heard me, 431 nasty, steep steps and yes, I am guessing that the 500 gilded statues that line the steps are designed to distract you from the exertion.
There is no secret entrance with an elevator, it is not linked to the Ancestral Hall next door. | even in Hong Kong’s cool, dry winters it is challenging and frankly most of my guests are simply put off by the thought of doing these steps and I agree with them, speaking bluntly, it is simply horrible even for young fit people!!
This is not a working Monastery by the way, it is actually hard to describe, to me it is a large columbarium as quite a few of the buildings store cremated remains in line with local beliefs and customs, so it is a privately owned business enterprise designed to make a profit and has been from the day it opened for business.
Anyway once you have made it to the Monastery, enjoy yourself, for me the fascinating thing is in the main Temple building which houses the 13,000 Buddha’s - you will notice a glass box and inside a statue which apparently is the real remains of the founder of the Monastery the Venerable Yuet Kai, this was his dying wish and his body was coated with lacquer and gold leaf, it is a great legend, I am a little sceptical based on the fact that there are very strict rules and regulations about disposing of the deceased in Hong Kong and there always has been.. So believe what you want to believe... I think it is a little creepy.
Finally, two things
The grounds of the Monastery are on 2 levels, make sure you walk up the steps to the 2nd level, it is fascinating
The rhesus macaque monkeys there (sometimes you do not see them) are not cute and friendly, they are quite nasty with huge teeth, hunt in packs and carry off bags, possessions and small children. You have been warned.
The Ultimate Hong Kong Tour Blog
Visiting the Big Buddha on Lantau Island
© Jamie Lloyd | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong | 2011 - 2020. All rights reserved. Click on the image to enlarge to full screen
March 28th 2020 | Visit Hong Kong | The Iconic Po Lin Monastery, The Big Buddha (Tian Tan Buddha) + The Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car, Lantau Island, NT, Hong Kong
The Big Buddha or Tian Tan Buddha (nobody actually calls it that!) Is magnificent in all weather conditions, I have been there in fog and driving rain when you have to stand next to it for a picture, it is very atmospheric! It is a bronze statue 112ft in height | be aware that you have to walk up 268 rather steep steps to stand next to the Buddha, quite challenging when it is hot and humid, it is something you should really do as the views from the top are magnificent and naturally 268 steps up means 268 steps down.
When you get back down, it is onto the iconic Po Lin Monastery which has been around for a very long time, it is literally a 5 minute walk from the main entrance to the Big Buddha.
Please be aware that there are two Po Lin Monasteries (just to confuse everyone) the relatively new, NEW Po Lin Monastery which opened in late 2014 is behind the original Monastery and is huge by comparison, when you see the interior it takes your breath away, photo’s do not do it justice.. It is quite magnificent - the security guard who is inside and more often than not, napping does not seem to mind if you take pictures from the doorway.
I generally skip the Vegetarian Restaurant next to the Monastery simply because of time and frankly the food is awfully bland but that’s a personal opinion.
Then a 10 - 15 minute walk to the NP 360 Cable Car Station which includes a walk through the Ngong Ping Village (which is owned and operated by the MTR (Subway) and who operate the Cable Car) it has an essential purpose which includes souvenir shops, fast food restaurants including a Starbucks and clean western style bathrooms but has NO cultural value despite all the advertising you might see.
I always take the crystal cabin with the “glass floor” for the cable car ride as the line / queue is generally a lot shorter and it makes the actual ride more interesting, the ride which is about 25 minutes through the mountains is splendid and you get a rather magnificent overview of Hong Kong International Airport and in the distance, Mainland China.
When you get off the Cable Car you then have a 10 minute walk to the Tung Chung MTR (Subway) Station, just follow the people and the signs.
The Ultimate Hong Kong Tour Blog
Dried Seafood on Cheung Chau Island
© Jamie Lloyd | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong | 2011 - 2020. All rights reserved. Click on the image to enlarge to full screen
March 28th 2020 | Hong Kong Culture - Dried Seafood, key ingredient as flavouring in Cantonese Cooking
Visit Hong Kong | Amazing Cheung Chau Island, NT, Hong Kong
This image was taken on Cheung Chau Island but vendors selling dried seafood are in every district of Hong Kong as this is one of those cultural things that has been around forever and yes, dried seafood can be very, very expensive… so if you are on Cheung Chau Island, immerse yourself in the dried seafood culture and maybe buy some so can experiment in the kitchen.
I am a huge fan of visiting Cheung Chau Island, my first visit there was in the spring 1972 and I have to say it never seems to change much no matter how many times I go there. I always tell my guests that Cheung Chau is an ambling place, you simply amble around, the Island is not that big so there is no need to rush around, you have the time to explore and really get a feel for the place.
What makes Cheung Chau so different is the lack of tall buildings and the lack of cars | buses and such, the main mode of transport for the resident population is a bicycle but I get the impression that most people just walk. The permanent population is roughly 25,000+. Fishing was always the major money spinner historically along with smuggling and such (there are all sorts of stories about the Pirates of Cheung Chau!) these days fishing is banned in Hong Kong waters on a commercial basis so the Island relies on "tourists" to bolster the Island economy and I imagine a lot of residents engage in “smuggling”!
The majority of people visiting Cheung Chau are actually Hong Kong residents particularly on a weekend, the Island has long had a reputation for being a weekend retreat as well for young folk who love to stay at the wonderfully named | Miami Resort | best if I keep my comments to myself, you just have to see the place.
The Island has a great beach, plenty of places to eat with all manner of food available, there are bars, there are plenty of shops selling weird Cheung Chau trinkets and some very interesting Temples but for me it has always been the slow pace of life and walking the back streets that has fascinated me, it is the total opposite to living in Hong Kong proper.
I do have a few gripes particularly when it comes to what I call the motorised lawnmowers that are incredibly noisy and race up and down the main promenade (but it is part of the character of the place), you have to see and hear them to understand my gripe.
I also love the ferry ride to and from the Island, where possible I try and take the slow ferry (50 minutes each way) which has an outdoor deck where you can sit and watch the world go by, I just love it... so all in all a visit to Cheung Chau Island is a very pleasant way to spend half a day or longer and see a part of Hong Kong that doesn't really fit.
Oh.. and did I mention that if you do not like Chinese street food, the Island does have a McDonalds!
The Ultimate Hong Kong Tour Blog
The classic green Bentley HK 7
© Jamie Lloyd | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong | 2011 - 2020. All rights reserved. Click on the image to enlarge to full screen
March 28th 2020 | Car Number Plate - HK 7
I have a thing about this image, simply because it is a relatively expensive licence plate, it is on a classic Bentley and I just love the colour of the car!
On a few levels this is a bit of a cultural conundrum
green is not a particularly lucky colour for Hong Kong Chinese
7 is not a particularly lucky number for Hong Kong Chinese, the number can be good or bad…
Oh well!! there are always exceptions to the rules, no matter it is still one of my favourite cars in Hong Kong.
This is NOT how I do tours! There are NO flags, whistles, stickers or large groups!
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