Saturday, April 25, 2009

Tsim Sha Tsui (TST)

tsim sha tsui, ferryI spent a large part of my time in the tip of Kowloon area - Tsim Tsa Tsui (also known as TST for short). This is like the area to visit, apart from HK island. So, while even I stayed in HK island, I took a ferry ride across.

tsim sha tsui, hk island viewUpon arriving to mainland HK, the one thing that greets is the breathtaking and rather familiar HK skyline (if only the big junk boat has its sail up, this would be the postcard of HK - East meets West!).

tsim sha tsui, clock towerAnd just by the sea, is this long stretch by the shore, with lots of people having time off for leisure. And there's the landmark of HK Clock Tower (also known as Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower)

tsim sha tsui, hong kong arts centerAnd just behing it, the Hong Kong Cultural Center - where they actually show performances and exhibitions.

tsim sha tsui, avenue of starsAnd not far off - the one reason I came to visit this part is the Avenue Of Stars. These tourists were getting all excited as well!

tsim sha tsui, avenue of stars concertThis is actually a very long stretch, all by the sea, and with HK island as the backdrop. Interestingly, there are the open air performances as well, which were quite entertaining - the singers sung in English, Canto, and Mandarin (even the kwai lo singer - in another outdoor performance).

tsim sha tsui, avenue of starsThen of course... the main attraction (apart from the Bruce Lee statue) is the signatures & hand prints of the HK stars themselves! So from Tony Leung to Andy Lau, Jet Li, even our very own Michelle Yeoh... they were all here.

But there was one star that I was looking for (it's a bit hard to find - especially to keep looking down, plus the many shoes in the way)... yes, the star of them all - Jackie Chan. And yes, I found it after a good search. The only ones I missed - Aaron Kwok & Ekin Cheng.

tsim sha tsui, symphony of lightsEven after 'catching all the stars', I hanged around for a while... waiting for one more thing - the Symphony Of Lights. This world's largest permanent light and sound show is quite a unique performance. The key buildings on the island are all lit up, and music played at the back in sync with the movements... (somehow, it reminded me of the Shanghai skyline, minus the show!).

tsim sha tsui, hong kong space museum, the peninsulaThe other things around this tip point are - the semi sphere shaped Hong Kong Space Museum, plus the grand The Peninsula hotel.

tsim sha tsui, the peninsulaI actually didn't thought much of The Peninsula hotel, but with so many recommendations, I thought I'll check it out. So I did another day.

The interior was grand with its high ceilings, and English like setting... and the best thing to do - enjoy an afternoon tea (of coruse, if one can afford the hotel room, that will be cool as well... otherwise tea will be fine). But I just didn't feel up to it on that day and gave that a skip - maybe another time.

tsim sha tsui, nathan roadAnyway, by then, I was already staying back on this part of HK - yes, right in the heart of the busy, popular & long Nathan Road - which is known for shopping.

tsim sha tsui shoppingOne can go street shopping, or also visit the Harbour City mall - HK's largest mall with over 700 shops! Though that wasn't what I was into - not this trip.

Looking back, this part of HK is quite unique. Like HK, what I enjoy is that this place has its own 'character' and 'soul'.

But on more unique things, wait for the next post - HK hotels! :)


*The Symphony Of Lights start at 8pm, and has 5 themes (Awakening, Energy, Heritage, Partnership & Celebration).

6 comments:

  1. The open air performance looks inviting. I would love that.

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  2. Wow. Lovely architectures...

    Have a nice weekend, QuaChee! :)

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  3. Wow! Lovely lovely lovely - all the pictures. And I especially love the one of The Peninsula dining room of high ceilings, ornate decor and natural light. What a place to spend time. The Peninsula is one of Hkg's best hotels.

    What?! You couldn't find your own star? Oops! Ekin's. I mean. LOL!

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  4. hi Quachee.. sorry, been quite some time since i last came here.. yes, me too pretty busy .. so u went to Macau Hongkong.. I went to shanghai on the 7th..
    the places u showed here reminded me of the last trip in HK 2years ago.. HK is not bad but where shopping and eating is concerned, it is pretty expensive..

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  5. War...now you at where already? TST? Nice buildings!The second photo...I mean the boat...very..classic huh! :D

    Anyway you enjoy yourself ya!

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  6. TST is indeed a very nice place to visit. Would love to enjoy the Symphony Of Lights! The Peninsular Hotel looks very grand indeed. Nathan Road - very popular place for shopping, but I think very expensive too, no?

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Oh hey, thank you for commenting! :)