Hong Kong: Structured Chaos (2025)

[hkskyline]

Nice photos. The light show is going away later this year, and hopefully a newer update will come online in its place.

[38 Geary]

Originally Posted by hkskyline

Nice photos. The light show is going away later this year, and hopefully a newer update will come online in its place.

Thanks for the info! Wasn't sure if it was just me, but it did seem to me that there weren't as many buildings with light displays as in years past. It'll be interesting to see what replaces it.

[38 Geary]

Day 9:

Woke up and decided to head on over to Hong Kong Island to ride the infamously vibey and beloved Hong Kong Tramways, also known affectionately as 叮叮 (Ding Ding).

The endearing nickname ‘ding ding’ comes from the bell’s warning sounds, and this distinctive sound is a living symbol of everyday life in Hong Kong and has become a cherished part of the city’s identity. It has been operating since 1904 and was Hong Kong’s first large-scale transportation system and a historical symbol of the city’s transformation. Initially they were single decked but as demand grew, it expanded to double decker trams in 1912. Hong Kong Tramways now holds the Guinness World Records title for the world’s largest double-decker tram fleet in service with 165 tramcars.

It's definitely not as fast as the MTR since it has many stops and shares the street with vehicular traffic, and so it offers an alternative leisurely and relaxing pace in contrast to the daily hustle of HK life. While it's popular with tourists there's still plenty of locals that use it as part of their daily commute or to get around town. I highly recommend it for anyone traveling to HK, and definitely sit up on the second deck.

First, gonna grab some breakfast and then make my way over to Kennedy Town, the most western terminus of the system





Quiet mornings, the city wakes up slowly and then all at once

[38 Geary]

Day 9 (continued):

Kennedy Town (堅尼地城). One of the premier up and coming neighborhoods of Hong Kong. Formerly a quiet industrial area, it's now turning trendy and high end. Due to its distance from major commercial cores and longtime inaccessibility by train, urban development in this area was less vigorous than in other parts of urban Hong Kong. But since the MTR was extended to the area in 2014, it began rapidly gentrifying, with many older businesses, such as vehicle repair workshops and cha chaan tengs, making way for new luxury developments, bars, and restaurants.























Rolling through 石塘咀 (Shek Tong Tsui)









The bamboo curving up gracefully with the setbacks of the building is peak



Rolling through 西營盤 (Sai Ying Pun)



Rolling through 上環 (Sheung Wan) with the 中環 (Central) skyline coming into view







Entering 中環 (Central), Hong Kong’s frenetic business and retail heart, crammed with skyscrapers, swanky malls and luxury hotels

[mousquet]

I like the light green color of these cars.

Originally Posted by homebucket

Originally Posted by homebucket

They look like Granny Smith, some sort of acidic apples.
Needless to say, I would pick the Lambo over the Audi, but the latter is cute.

Other than that, their modern concrete buildings often look gritty, but high density somehow makes it all attractive (and overpriced to locals).
That's the magic of density.

[38 Geary]

Originally Posted by mousquet

I like the light green color of these cars.

They look like Granny Smith, some sort of acidic apples.
Needless to say, I would pick the Lambo over the Audi, but the latter is cute.

Other than that, their modern concrete buildings often look gritty, but high density somehow makes it all attractive (and overpriced to locals).
That's the magic of density.

The colors of the cars do stand out quite nicely against the patina of everyday Hong Kong life, with its weathered pastel concrete blocks.

[38 Geary]

Day 9 (continued):

Entering deep into the heart of 中環 (Central), we have entered its primary chambers.







The HSBC Building, an iconic skyscraper designed by Norman Foster, standing at 44 floors and 587 ft tall



The Henderson (L) designed by Zaha Hadid and the Bank of China Tower (R) designed by I. M. Pei





Standing at 1,205 ft tall at 72 floors, this was the first supertall skyscraper outside of the US. Currently the 4th tallest building in HK



Cheung Kong Center, designed by Cesar Pelli, is a 70-storey building standing at 928 ft tall. It's currently the 9th tallest building in HK. Its height was determined by drawing an imaginary line from the Bank of China Tower to HSBC, since it sits in between those two.



Glassy jungle where dreams are made of



The Henderson is a 36-storey, 623 ft tall skyscraper that was built on the world's most expensive plot of land, at $3 billion USD. Its curved silhouette drew inspiration from a Bauhinia (a Hong Kong orchid) bud in full bloom.



Hopping off at 金鐘 (Admiralty), which is at the base of Lippo Centre, a twin tower complex with Tower I being 46 storeys at 610 ft tall and Tower II being 42 storeys at 564 ft tall, designed by Paul Rudolph.



Walking through 金鐘廊 (Queensway Plaza), a shopping mall atop the Admiralty MTR Station



Had lunch at the newly renovated Admiralty 麥當勞 (McDonald's). It's the busiest McDonald's in the world, averaging 1 customer every 3 seconds.

[Pavlov]

Good God I love Hong Kong. Can't wait to go back with my two sons (4 and 7) and watch it blow their minds.