Hong Kong: 10 Things to Do
Introduction
City Guide:
Hong Kong
I was born and have lived most of my life in Hong Kong, and whenever I travel to the other two members of the Nylonkong triumvirate I see immediate connections. But if you really want to compare the soul of Hong Kong to that of another Western place, it's not New York or London. It's Sicily, of all places. Like us, Sicilians are islanders — tough and maritime. They have known colonization, revolution and emigration. They have their cosa nostra, we have our triads. Both the Sicilians and the Cantonese are obsessed with seafood, smuggling, secrecy and saving money. O.K., Hong Kong isn't The Godfather, but pay attention as you work through our list below: There's a hint of Palermo in the hilly, narrow alleyways of old Central and in the shirtless, tattooed men lounging in Kowloon doorways. The city of Hong Kong may rub shoulders with New York and London, but its feet still dangle in the brackish water of a sultry, southern port.
Connect to this TIME Story
More in Travel
Time.com Best & Worst Lists
Most Popular »
- Einstein Was Right All Along: 'Faster-Than-Light' Neutrino Was Product of Error
- Jeremy Lin Won't Be an Olympian. At Least Not for Team USA
- Marsquake! Scientists Find New Signs of Rumblings on the Red Planet
- Your Facebook Profile Can Predict Your Job Performance
- The Endless Pathos and Hubris of L'Affaire DSK
- The Titanic's Final Lunch Menu Is Up for Auction
- Arizona GOP Debate: Santorum Finds Himself in the Spotlight and On the Defensive
- Top 10 Weirdest Theme Parks
- Nepalese Man, 72, Hopes to Be Named World's Shortest
- Why France Pays for Postpartum Women to "Re-Educate" their Vagina
- Marsquake! Scientists Find New Signs of Rumblings on the Red Planet
- Choking on Growth
- Education: Antidote for Cynicism
- Zero Tolerance, Zero Sense
- A Cure for Cold Sores?
- Kodachrome
- Shanghai: 10 Things to Do
- Albert Einstein
- Preparing for Long-Term Care: Any Good Options?
- Should Kids Be Bribed to Do Well in School?
