Sunday 22 March 2026
It’s been an overnight stay in Hong Kong, a most fascinating place. East meets West here giving us a sense of familiar and exotic all at the same time. For a two day visit to this legendary location we chose three curated opportunities, a Hidden Hong Kong tour, a Chinese Cultural Extravaganza folkloric stage production, and a Grand Tour of Hong Kong to give us an introductory look at this amazing metropolis. outside the very modern Kai Tak Terminal where Queen Mary 2 is berthed. Once the location of the civilian airport, it’s a location close to the heart of Hong Kong. Our first destination on this tour was the Chi Lin Nunnery only about 3.5 miles away. An active community of Buddhist women reside, run a school and medical clinics here, and welcome pilgrims and visitors to their Great Hall and the immediately adjacent Nan Lian Garden. Both locations have been crafted in the Tang Dynasty style and provide a peaceful oasis in the heart of a bustling city. Our next Hidden Hong Kong stop was a city park created on the site of the Kowloon Walled City, originally a Chinese fort built at the tip of the Kowloon peninsula across from Hong Kong Island a thousand years ago. When Britain leased Kowloon from the Chinese the walled city was not included. It remained as a residential enclave within Hong Kong then in the aftermath of World War II refugees flooded into this enclave outside of British control. As the population grew to 35,000 residents within 6.4 acres so did lawlessness. Ultimately in 1993 after all the residents had moved out, the buildings of Kowloon City were demolished save for the Former Yamen building preserved for remembrance and education. Today as a city park, it is a sanctuary within a busy metropolis but with the memory of an incredible megastructure, history well worth preserving for many reasons. Saturday’s third destination was Hong Kong’s Museum of History. After perusing the National Security Exhibition on the first floor we enjoyed the time we had in the history galleries on the second and third floors but before long it was time to be transported back home to our ship where we enjoyed a Chinese Cultural Extravaganza with traditional musicians, a dragon dance, a Chinese ribbon dance, and a Chinese opera face changing performance. Then this morning we were off again on the Grand Tour of Hong Kong headed to Victoria Peak, known locally as “The Peak”, the highest point in Hong Kong commanding views of Victoria Harbor, the Central District, and nearby islands. That is when it isn’t fogged in as it was this morning when we arrived. After a quick visit we were off to Aberdeen Fishing Village where the British first set foot upon Hong Kong Island. There we enjoyed a most delightful sampan ride in Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter, a naturally protected harbour and floating village of boat dwellers before heading off again for a foray into the Village of Stanley and a chance to shop the pleasantly uncrowded Stanley Market. Next we headed to the Tsim Sea Tsui neighborhood for a peek at a high end jewelry outlet and a Dim Sum Lunch on the 23rd floor with a view across the water of the Hong Kong Convention Center where the 1997 Handover Ceremony was held establishing the “One Country, Two Systems” principle. From there we walked past the historic Peninsula Hotel to the Kowloon Public Pier for a delightful afternoon boat tour of Victoria Harbour including views of Queen Mary 2 at Kai Tak Terminal and a venture south to Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter again. Back aboard ship we concluded our visit to Hong Kong out on Queen Mary 2’s deck seeing bits of the nightly light show during sail away. It’s been a fascinating opportunity to expand upon the bits we knew about and learn some of the stories behind the international news stories. What a fascinating introduction to an incredible culture.
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