Hong Kong
Some 1985 Photos
In 1985 Hong Kong was still part of the British Commonwealth.
Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after Qing China ceded Hong Kong Island at the end of the First Opium War in 1842.
The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 after the Second Opium War,
and was further extended when Britain obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898.
The territory was transferred to China in 1997.
Kai Tak was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998,
when it was closed and replaced by a new one at Chek Lap Kok, 30km to the west.
Flying into Kai Tak International Airport in 1985.
With numerous skyscrapers and mountains located to the north and its only runway jutting out into Victoria Harbour,
landings at the airport were dramatic to experience and technically demanding for pilots.
The History Channel program, Most Extreme Airports, ranked it as the 6th most dangerous airport in the world.
The Thai jet for the next leg of my 1985 trip, a flight to Taipei and on to Kyoto in Japan.
Some 2006 Photos
I stopped over in Hong Kong, now part of China, for 3 nights at the start of my 4-week IntrepidTravel China trip.
A ride on the Star Ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island is a bargain. It costs less than 50c a trip.
Nathan Road, the main drag of Kowloon, on the mainland of Hong Kong.
The Peninsula Hotel, one of the "top" hotels in the world. Too up-market for me!!
There has been a funicular Peak Tram on Hong Kong Island for over a hundred years.
Clearly, unwanted visitors are not welcome at the former Government House.
Margaret and I saw this movie, Pirates of the Carribean II - Dead Man's Chest, featuring Keira Knightley and Johnny Depp,
in the week before I went to China.
After catching up with the tour leader, Stony Zhao, and the other 11 passengers on this Intrepid tour,
we had dinner together and then we walked through the Goldfish Market area of Hong Kong
We left Hong Kong and crossed into Guangzhou in China proper.
We changed to driving on the right hand side of the road.
Formerly called Canton, this area, stretching for 200km or so across the border, has undergone massive economic growth in the past 2 decades.
Guangzhou is now the third largest city in China with a population of over 10 million and was the home city of our leader, Stony.
Before the trip I was apprehensive about the 5 overnight train trips in China.
However, we all ended up loving them.
The high-speed trains were very smooth an it gave us a chance to get close to the locals.
| Trips to Hong Kong 1. 1985 - I had a
2-night stop over in Hong Kong on my way to
Japan, the Trans-Siberian-Railway and Europe.
2. 2006 - I stopped over in Hong Kong for 3 nights at the start of my 4-week China trip. |
Some 1985 Photos
In 1985 Hong Kong was still part of the British Commonwealth.
Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after Qing China ceded Hong Kong Island at the end of the First Opium War in 1842.
The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 after the Second Opium War,
and was further extended when Britain obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898.
The territory was transferred to China in 1997.
Kai Tak was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998,
when it was closed and replaced by a new one at Chek Lap Kok, 30km to the west.
Flying into Kai Tak International Airport in 1985.
With numerous skyscrapers and mountains located to the north and its only runway jutting out into Victoria Harbour,
landings at the airport were dramatic to experience and technically demanding for pilots.
The History Channel program, Most Extreme Airports, ranked it as the 6th most dangerous airport in the world.
The Thai jet for the next leg of my 1985 trip, a flight to Taipei and on to Kyoto in Japan.
Some 2006 Photos
I stopped over in Hong Kong, now part of China, for 3 nights at the start of my 4-week IntrepidTravel China trip.
A ride on the Star Ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island is a bargain. It costs less than 50c a trip.
Nathan Road, the main drag of Kowloon, on the mainland of Hong Kong.
The Peninsula Hotel, one of the "top" hotels in the world. Too up-market for me!!
There has been a funicular Peak Tram on Hong Kong Island for over a hundred years.
Clearly, unwanted visitors are not welcome at the former Government House.
Margaret and I saw this movie, Pirates of the Carribean II - Dead Man's Chest, featuring Keira Knightley and Johnny Depp,
in the week before I went to China.
After catching up with the tour leader, Stony Zhao, and the other 11 passengers on this Intrepid tour,
we had dinner together and then we walked through the Goldfish Market area of Hong Kong
We left Hong Kong and crossed into Guangzhou in China proper.
We changed to driving on the right hand side of the road.
Formerly called Canton, this area, stretching for 200km or so across the border, has undergone massive economic growth in the past 2 decades.
Guangzhou is now the third largest city in China with a population of over 10 million and was the home city of our leader, Stony.
Before the trip I was apprehensive about the 5 overnight train trips in China.
However, we all ended up loving them.
The high-speed trains were very smooth an it gave us a chance to get close to the locals.
