Just crowned again this week as the world’s most-expensive city (along with Paris and Zurich), Hong Kong has always had the reputation of being a rich place. So it was a bit shocking to see how much the city has gentrified in the 22 years since the U.K. returned it to China – and I last visited.
With its world-leading numbers of skyscrapers, it’s easy to assume that Hong Kong is a faceless urban jungle, paved over in concrete, glass and steel. But with so many people packed in so tightly, the human spirit has found ways to blossom through the cracks in the sidewalk.
Built in 1886 to be the Notre Dame of Indochina, Hanoi’s St. Joseph’s Cathedral became the symbol of French domination over Vietnam for 70 years. Today is Hanoi’s oldest church and the center of Vietnam’s Roman Catholic world.
When you come to photograph Hong Kong, tall buildings are going to be a big part of what you point your camera at. The former British colony is one of the world’s most densely populated cities, with 85 percent of its buildings considered skyscrapers, or more than 14 stories tall.
On Saturdays, every segment of Hanoi’s population can be found at the city’s Hoàn Kiếm Lake.
With most bars and clubs closed at midnight, Hanoi is not what you’d consider a “party town”. But, for foreigners, there is still an active nightlife scene, as long as you start early.
Trấn Quốc Pagoda is the oldest pagoda in Hanoi, originally constructed in the 6th century. Originally it was sited on the shores of the Red River. But confronted with the river’s encroachment, the temple was relocated in 1615 to the Golden Fish islet of West Lake. Visitors are given incense to be burned before offerings of food or small amounts of money are presented as presents to the gods for good luck.
Lacquer art and dishware are some of Vietnam’s signature exports. Here’s a look at Hanoi’s Thu Hương Lacquer Arts factory and how artisans there undertake the painstaking, time-consuming process to make wall paintings, plates and vases
Like everywhere in the world, Hong Kong’s signature neon signs are giving way to Eco-friendlier (and boring) LEDs. But if you walk Kowloon from top to bottom, as I did over 2 days, you’ll still find some.
It’s hard to believe, but Angkor Wat, the largest and oldest religious monument in the world, was virtually unvisited as little as 10 years ago. Today, the UNESCO World Heritage Site draws more than 2 million visitors a year and is a staple on the backpacker tour.
