John L.
Yelp
The blue sky, the tall buildings, and the reflective water... Add some puffy clouds during the day and some bright lights during the night... Wherever the setting might be, those are the key ingredients to a very fantabulous view. San Francisco, CA has its share of skyscrapers as the backdrop of the San Francisco Bay as can be appreciated from Treasure Island (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/city-of-san-francisco-san-francisco?select=OGWxnIJF9mct9eij_7DToQ). Factoring in the Bay Bridge, the scenery becomes even more dramatic (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/city-of-san-francisco-san-francisco?select=oQKxRnJD5Byhna68x2tw2g). San Diego, CA has its own grand version, best enjoyed from Coronado Island (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/city-of-san-diego-san-diego-31?select=qLhjGOQPza893XWtMyHkrQ). During our 2016 summer trip, I really looked forward to seeing what Hong Kong had to offer.
Named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, the Victoria Harbour lies between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. As a British colony back in the day (hence taking the British English spelling of harbour instead of harbor), it provided refuge for the British fleet and would later become one of the busiest ports in the world. Coming from a Lantau Island day trip to visit the Big Buddha, we arrived at Kowloon's southern tip at Tsim Sha Tsui to finally experience Hong Kong's top destination. Honestly, it was indeed a sight to behold...
We got off the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR railway stop, worked our way southwest where the Clock Tower stood, and headed east to the Promenade. The harbor was full of life with red-sail junks, ferries, cruise ships, and boats navigating through the water. The Hong Kong skyline on the other side was much closer than the San Francisco and San Diego encounters, which made me wish I had an ultra wide-angle lens. Photo-stitching or smartphone's panoramic mode could have yielded a wider shot, but I'm not a fan of either of those so I did not even bother. Superman can leap tall buildings in a single bound and it actually made me think how he could have accomplished that feat here. From the Star Ferry terminal to even further east of the Avenue of Stars (which was closed during our visit), there were plenty of sweet spots to choose from and it was just a matter of getting the right lighting. Our late afternoon arrival was perfect because the intent was to wait for the 8pm "A Symphony of Lights" show. A ride at one of the Chinese junks or ferries would have been a welcome addition to our itinerary, but we did not have much time to spare. After a quick bite, we headed back to get our front row seats for the light and sound event. As it got darker, the lights from the Hong Kong skycrapers that started bleeding through the harbor was downright gorgeous! Although the show did not live up to the hype, it did not have any negative impact on how beautiful the skyline and harbor were at night.
The next day, it was time to go to Victoria Peak to see the harbor from the Hong Kong side. It was very hot and humid when we were there, but the 360-degree view from atop the Sky Terrace 428 was not to be missed (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/C_CJJ3-aoVcn8TmCICzR9w?select=dwl390Ya_YwO05YEFNxdRg). The vantage point was also breathtaking (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/jy8tEjuOnsV96MmpD0M5MA?select=UbkpbKfvf0Bb9a9WIWD9FA)! All that was missing was a rainbow, but that would be pushing my luck too far. It would have been great to witness this spectacle at dark, but we had to catch our flight home that night.
Whether it was from ground level or at an elevation, the view of the harbor and the skyline was nothing short of sensational. My draft (along with plenty more) had been sitting for about 8 months now, but my memories of Hong Kong are still vivid. Sometimes life takes a turn or life simply happens and it becomes a bit of a challenge to complete a review, but I had to make sure I got this one out... with stil about 2.5 hours before Game 2 of the 2017 NBA Finals. Go Dubs!