All about 2012 Hong kong 3/3 [] Shopping mall > Ladies market > Fa yuen(shoes) street > Space museum > Sympony of lights > Clock tower

 2012 Hong Kong and Macau Trip

Not Quite China, But Close

After the huge loss on the plane ticket, I figured I could make up for it with the savings on duty-free shopping. It seemed like a good idea, but maybe not really. On my last day in Hong Kong, I went on a massive shopping spree, hitting up outlet stores and various shopping streets. However, since I only bought the accessories I had planned to, I wouldn't call it a stupid move. The places I visited were Harbour City, Lane Crawford, K11, and The One on the Kowloon Peninsula, as well as Times Square and Landmark Mall on Hong Kong Island. Are they shopping malls or department stores? Well, let's call them shopping destinations. 

While having a meal at the food court on the top floor of one of these malls, I was given a mission: Find out where the store was that the person sitting across from me had bought their shopping bags from. I’m not very good at English and rarely talk to strangers, so this was completely out of the blue. But I waited until the woman finished her meal, asked her, and she was kind enough to give me the store manager's business card with the address. I managed to find the place and made my purchase.

@Ladies Market  

Opening Hours: 12:00 PM – 11:30 PM (varies by shop)  

This place is packed with phone cases, accessories, and lots of people. If you’re looking for small souvenirs, this is the place to be.

@Fa Yuen Street  

Opening Hours: 11:00 AM – 11:30 PM (varies by shop)  

Known as Sneaker Street, it's full of shoe shops. The new models aren’t particularly cheap, but if you find the "Last One" sizes or heavily discounted models, you can score a good deal. I found a really comfortable pair of Nike shoes for just around 30,000 KRW.

@Hong Kong Space Museum  

And yet, here I am at the Space Museum... I’ve always loved science museums, so I popped in since I was passing by. It’s more geared toward students, but I enjoyed the interactive exhibits and the history of animals in space travel.

@Symphony of Lights  

Starts at 8:00 PM every day / Near Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Exit J, along the Avenue of Stars  

For about 20 minutes, a laser show synchronized with orchestral music lights up the high-rise buildings of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The buildings proudly display their lights in sync with the music. Since Hong Kong is famous for its night views, I’d recommend checking out the light show at least once. The prime spots are so crowded that if you take a picture, all you’ll see are people’s heads.

@Clock Tower  

Apparently, up until the 1970s, this area was near the terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which connected China and Europe. Now, there’s a ferry terminal and a bus terminal for double-decker buses heading to Hong Kong Island.

With a midnight flight to catch, I had my last Hurley San and bought some Bichunxiang snacks to take with me to the airport. It was truly a 1-day-1-Hurley San routine for me! Then, the next morning, I went straight to work. Despite the one-hour time difference, it felt as tiring as a ten-hour time difference.

Even in October, short sleeves and long pants were just right in Hong Kong. As I left, I promised myself I’d come back in the winter. 

This wraps up my first Hong Kong-Macau trip! I’ll be back with stories from my second and third visits soon.