Wong Tai Sin Temple and The Walled City of Kowloon

Wong Tai Sin is famous for the many soothsayers that are outside the temple. Quite a change from the quiet, reflective world of the Chi Lin Nunnery. There are lines of people crowding in with burning joss sticks, which makes manouevering around dangerous, and fortune tellers jostling each other for the next customer. The Walled City is now a park, but used to be a fort, then a triad ghetto. Parts of the wall still are there, but it's quite tranquil now.

Chi Lin Nunnery

Also spectacular gardens and inside (which you are not allowed to photograph) gold statues of the Buddha and everybody's favorite: Avalokitesvara, Goddess of Compassion - give it up for the Goddess!

Nan Lian Garden

In the middle of bustling Kowloon is this beautiful garden: a recreation of Tang Dynasty glory. It's connected to an equally beautiful nunnery, and wandering through it, time slows down, and the city fades away.

Signs

Pak Tai Temple

Dedicated to Cheung Chau Island's patron diety who protects the Islanders from getting the plague. And hopefully the Island visitors, as well.

Cheung Chau Island

It used to be a Pirate Island, now supposedly ghost filled. I was there only during the day, so saw no pirates, or ghosts. But I saw alot of delicious fish in many forms...dried, steamed, fried and alive. And the beach is a nice respite from the noisy hot city.

MOON FESTIVAL!

These photos doesn't do it justice, and because I am a cheapskate and have a crap camera, this is the price I have to pay. Last Sunday night, when the moon was full and beautiful, everybody went out with lanterns to look at the moon. In Victoria Park, there is a festival of lanterns designs, and the whole area seems lit up from everywhere. Even the next day, remnants remain, melted wax on the ground and still cheerful lanterns hanging.

More Pictures

It was very hot this Sunday. Actually, it's been very hot every Sunday, and will be hot for quite a few more Sundays to come. But a boat ride seems like a good way to cool off, for both man and beastie. Seems, but isn't really. This Sunday's adventures took me to Discovery Bay on Lantau Island, which is oddly reminiscent of San Diego, then to Kowloon, and then back to ever teeming Causeway Bay. Next weekend is the Moon Festival, and everbody is stocking up with Mooncakes, which are the dense-est dessert item known to man. Each weighs about 5 pounds, and consists of dough, grease, lotus seed paste and preserved egg yolk. An aquired taste, I would say.