Outstanding new Hong Kong timelapse video!

The travel videos and timelapses I've been posting here are inspiration for both you, the viewer, as well as me. If I can't be out roaming the streets and harborfronts of Asia, at least I can watch what others have done. This piece is simply amazing; the music ("Bruce Lee Never Died" by Istanbul Disco Mafia) takes the video work to a completely different level. Enjoy!

Book Review - Exploring Hong Kong by Steven K. Bailey

This travel guide recently appeared at my local Barnes & Noble and immediately set itself apart from the traditional books on its shelf. After leafing through a few pages I recognized Mr. Bailey’s approach to travel writing had much the same spirit as what we are trying to do here at weninchina.com.

The book is oriented by geography much like other travel books (Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, New Territories, etc.), runs a similar page length (just over 180 pp) and price ($14.95). However, it is different from the usual Fodor’s or Lonely Planet guides in two important ways: first, it does not go into any depth on which restaurants / clubs / hotels are in the must-see-and-be-seen-at category; no HK Disney reviews; and no interviews with local tastemakers. (After all, despite its recent 2009 copyright, these things change in a blink in HK.) Second, the author uses very specific activities - such as riding the Travelator from Central up to the Mid-Levels, hiking down from Victoria Peak, or crossing Lamma Island by foot - as a framework to tell longer stories of the history and people of Hong Kong.

And instead of trying to cover every neighborhood, Steven goes into depth on a narrow set of places that a first- or second-time visitor may be more likely to explore. His chapter on Victoria Peak, for instance, runs 22 pages. Steven also dedicates multiple pages to specific enthusiast activities that I’ve never seen in traditional guides - airplane spotting, train watching, military history, law enforcement, and several more. (I learned about a pair of excellent airliner-watching spots that I’ll have to try next time!)

Another unique and handy section is dedicated to activities especially appropriate for hot and rainy days, that kids and parents can all enjoy.

There is a thoughtful emphasis throughout the book on how to get around Hong Kong quickly but inexpensively - often including walking directions from MTR stations or ferry terminals (as that’s how the locals really move about).

Photography in the book is by Steven’s wife, Jill Witt, and is of high quality, although I’d have liked to see much more to accompany and illustrate the conversational text. There is some repetition in the book’s “how to get there” sidebars as well, although not noticeable if you aren’t reading the book straight through. Maps of local neighborhoods give the basics but could be a bit more fleshed-out (although if you’re also using a conventional guidebook or one of the many free maps you can get in HK, that is perhaps not a big issue.)

Overall, the book strikes the tone of a friend who lives in HK and wants to take you to the things people don’t see when in an organized tour group - often just a block off the ‘beaten path’ or around the corner of a building. My family’s experience holds this to be true, too - we found Victoria Peak to be a much more relaxed and friendly place once we walked to the back-side of its shopping center so our daughter could ride on the playground equipment and we could watch the Pacific Ocean - or in walking along the footpath on the side of the mountain almost to ourselves. Along with the expected and still-exciting activities like riding the Star Ferry and watching the evening laser light show on the harbor, Steven shows us the quieter and less-stereotyped vision of Hong Kong that is no less fascinating.

If you’re planning to spend three or more days in Hong Kong, even if you have been there before, this book is highly recommended reading, especially for families.

For other reviews of media, products, and services around travel in Asia and understanding Asian culture, visit http://www.weninchina.com/Reviews/Reviews/Reviews.html

Our Hong Kong-related articles can be found at:

http://www.weninchina.com/Travel/Hong_Kong_Stopover.html

http://www.weninchina.com/Airports/Hong_Kong.html

Video: Night Taxi Timelapse in Hong Kong

Posted tonight on YouTube by Agence-France-Presse (AFP); nicely done. I really miss Hong Kong...

New Hong Kong video! With Hello Kitty!

Epic levels of cuteness abound.

Come see our other videos at the weninchina YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/weninchina and our Hong Kong "stopover guide" at http://www.weninchina.com/Travel/Hong_Kong_Stopover.html

Video - Hong Kong Victoria Harbour

Day or night the narrow strait separating mainland Kowloon from Hong Kong Island is abuzz with activity that kids of all ages will find fascinating. There are many family-friendly museums on the waterfront, and shopping malls and hundreds of food vendors are in easy walking distance. The Star Ferry is the traditional way to cross the harbor and only takes a couple minutes. At 8:00 every night, the city puts on a massive light, music, and laser show, using most of the skyscrapers on both sides of the harbor. Tourists and locals line up along the water for the spectacle, and everyone leaves with smiles.

This is our third Hong Kong video, and I think we may have good footage from our trip there last November for one or two more. Visit our YouTube channel to see them all!

Video - Tram Ride from Central to Kennedy Town

Here's another video we've just edited based on footage from our Hong Kong trip last November.

Hong Kong is a vibrant, multi-layered city with something unique and interesting in every neighborhood. A great way to get to know the place better - for very little money - is to hop on one of the iconic double-decker trams that run across the north side of Hong Kong Island. They're not fast, but that's not the point: the view of everyday street life can't be beat. You can see every class of citizen, every kind of shop, the glossy to the mundane, all from your open window seat.

The trams are crowded in the financial districts but loosen up as you get further away from Central. By the time we reached the end of the line at Kennedy Town, we had the whole upper deck to ourselves. It's a great way to spend a few mid-day hours; you can hop on and hop off if you see something interesting - your Octopus transit card is happily accepted, and there are trams every few minutes.

Video - Hong Kong Stanley Harbour

One of my most favorite places in the entire world - the easygoing town of Stanley, on the southeast tip of Hong Kong Island. A quick and inexpensive bus ride from Central puts you right in the heart of this former fishing village turned artists' colony / shopping center / upscale retreat. Lots of dining choices, plenty of spaces to sit down and watch the world go by, and even playgrounds for the kids - you could easily spend the day here breathing the clean ocean air and listening to the waves.

Hong Kong Airport Guide now posted!

The 70th article at weninchina.com is now up - a handy family-friendly guide to China's front door, Hong Kong International Airport. Like our other guides to North American and Asian airports found in our Travel pages, we'll walk you through the arrival process, finding your way around the airport, talk about food and shopping options, review the restrooms, and point out kid-pleasing features.

HKIA is an amazing facility, and a popular choice for families adopting kids due to its closeness to Guangzhou, convenient flight options, and Hong Kong's Western customs, food, and lodging. With no transit-visa issues, Hong Kong is a great place to spend a couple days with your new child en route back home.

More airport guides are being prepared - watch for notices here and on our Twitter feed!

Look at this.

I work in the educational publishing business, which shares many of the same suppliers with the much bigger toy industry. Among the many trade magazines that find their way into my mailbox, each quarter one arrives from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, chock full of feature stories and advertisements from the many design firms and factories in the Pearl River Delta.

It's fun to read through the magazine to see what new characters I can recognize. And I'm always on the lookout for that one advertisement to totally blow the minds of my coworkers. Last quarter it was for a factory that specialized in extremely - disturbingly - accurate reproductions of assault firearms ... placed next to an ad for baby toys. How sweet.

This quarter, well, see for yourself:

Yes, an entire factory devoted to producing nothing but eyeballs. Could you see working for a company like this? At some gut level I realize that *someone* has to make all the eyes for dolls, plushies, robots, what have you, but somehow this seems a bit TOO specialized.

Wonder what kind of vision insurance they offer?