Aug 14
For such a small place, Hong Kong packs a lot into its 1,100 square kilometres. Just behind the soaring skyscrapers and traffic-clogged streets lie a surprising array of beaches, hiking trails and windswept islands. Read more
Jun 24
Comfortably positioned on an upturned keel, with legs outstretched on the rocks, I take in the saltiness of the ocean breeze. In the distance the race lanes are lined by a double row of pleasure boats, each one loaded with an eager throng of spectators. We hear the distinct ‘pop’ of the starting gun, then the muffled beats of drums, gradually building in intensity with each passing second. Read more
Jun 15
Evening traffic, Sheung Wan
Marooned on a traffic island, I pause for a moment as the neon lights reflect off the double-decker buses in a dazzling blur of colour. Free-wheeling, raw, and packed with an unquenchable energy, Hong Kong is a bite-sized assault on the senses. Read more
Apr 13
At the market – gaai sí
Although it can often sound like a constant disagreement to non-speakers, Cantonese is playful, witty, and at times, a poetic language. In Hong Kong the spoken word evolves notoriously quickly, suffused with waves of new expressions that come and go with the seasons. As a result, being away for a few years can have the effect of drawing baffled looks. Read more
Apr 3
View from the pier
Many years ago, in the waters of Hong Kong, there lived a notorious pirate by the name of Cheung Po Tsai. At the height of his power it was said that he commanded a fleet of 600 ships and a following of 50,000 men. So great was the threat of piracy that Portuguese mariners named the islands “as Ilhas de Ladrões” – the islands of thieves. Read more
Apr 1
Kowloon Star Ferry Pier
On a remote island in the South China Sea, there once stood a fishing village that occupied the head of a small, sheltered inlet. Along the inlet stacks of incense, grown and harvested in the nearby countryside, were stored before being shipped out for sale. Passing fishermen reported that the aroma could be smelled many leagues out to sea, and so it was named Heung Gong, or “Fragrant Harbour”. Read more
Mar 31
The café owner looks at me long and hard, his eyes almost piercing beneath a full head of silver hair.
“I remember you. Didn’t you come here as a young boy?”
Astonished, I manage a simple “yes”, wondering how he could have recognised me after all these years. Read more
Mar 24
Calligraphy
Above the crowds of Causeway Bay, the late afternoon sunlight floods onto oversized billboards and stacks of grimy air conditioner units. The traffic light is ticking red as a mass of pedestrians swarm noiselessly across the intersection. Read more
Jan 1
Central street scene, Hong Kong
Last November, I finally bought a DSLR. Although I had toyed with the idea for a long time, it took a small tumble at Niagara to realise that my old Nikon really needed a replacement. On one of my early test runs I decided to try my hand at tilt-shift photography – under the right circumstances the world beyond the lens comes out like a scene in miniature. Read more
Sep 29
Victoria Harbour
For any visitor to Hong Kong – first-time or otherwise – there is one view that is worth the heat, the long queues, and the sea of merchandise that awaits on the mountaintop. And part of the allure is the journey itself – in a rickety old tram that shudders as it climbs the hillside at a 45-degree angle. Welcome to Victoria Peak, the home of billionaires, overpriced restaurants and our very own Madame Tussauds. Read more
Plus Ultra 