travel
Man Mo Temple
Po Lin Monastery
Po Lin Monastery
gondola ride provides beautiful vistas to Portuguese Empire since the mid 16th the South China Sea on a clear day and century and was one of the last European you can opt to ride on a glass colonies remaining in Asia until bottomed crystal cabin for that 1999. Nothing is more extra wow factor. Once at the memorable than Buddhist complex, make your Best known at ‘the Vegas of hopping on to way up 268 steps for a closer China’ the Macau special adminthe Star Ferry view of the iconic bronze statue istrative region is where Chinese from the Victoria (world’s largest outdoor Buddha high rollers flock for a spot of statue) while dodging the count- harbour to head gambling - it actually dwarfs over to Hong less pilgrims from all over Asia! Vegas’ gambling revenues by Kong Island... a considerable margin and it The Po Lin (precious Lotus) shows. High-rise glitzy casinos Monastery is an interesting and colourful with some eclectic designs (peppered piece of architecture complete with its with many a jewellery store) dominate the nice gardens and devout monks. This is skyline here but beyond this lie some very definitely a good contrast (and respite) to ‘Mediterranean’ vibes in what is another the high-rise overload of the main city. cultural hotpot.
the wrought iron balconies and the painted wooden window shutters that reminded me of home, and it made for a nice change to all that neon. The most famous monument as you walk up some stone stairways (expect masses of tourists - as in all UNESCO world heritage sites!) are the ruins of the Church of Saint Paul also known as the ‘Gates to Nowhere’. They are the remains of the stone facade of a 17th century catholic church that was burnt down in 1835. It was one of the greatest monuments to christianity in Asia and it’s definitely worth a look.
Day trip to Macau If you have the time, it is definitely worth spending a day in nearby Macau, 64km to the west of Hong Kong across the Pearl River Delta. Macau was part of the
As I walked through many of the paved streets of Senado Square and narrow alleyways, it actually reminded me a lot of Gibraltar. There was something about the architecture,
You will need your passport for this trip, but it is relatively straightforward to get there from Hong Kong Island. Head over to the Hong Kong Macau This temple Ferry terminal and catch the fast is a tribute to TurboJET ferry - which has a the ‘God of regular schedule to get to and from Literature’ (Man) Macau - and in little over an hour and the ‘God of you will be munching down on War’ (Mo). some nice Portuguese Egg Tarts!
Victoria Harbour
Top tip: make sure that the weather is nice and clear as my experience was marred by heavy fogs which led to a three-hour delay (both ways!) as we lay stuck in the middle of the South China Sea with little more than two-metre visibility! Flavours In my opinion you can never immerse yourself in another culture without exploring their culinary habits yourself; you have to taste a culture to understand it and in some ways, many of my highlights
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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2016