Hong Kong Disneyland

When we arrived in Hong Kong many of our new friends told us that if we had been to any US Disney park, Hong Kong would be a disappointment. The park is small and definitely geared to families with smaller children. But we had to see for ourselves. Besides, who can spend a day at Disney (of any size or type) without smiling the day away.


Getting to the park is really easy and fun. Board the MTR to the Sunny Bay station. When you arrive at Sunny Bay you walk across the platform and wait for the Disney train. And who doesn't love a train whose windows are shaped like Mickey and so are the hand holders.

After a short ride through the mountain (literally) you arrive at the station and the entrance to the Magical Kingdom.

Upon entering, it would be hard to tell which park you are in. Main Street opens out before you and the castle lies ahead. It is a very familiar feeling.

This castle is a bit shorter and has a slightly different style, but it is a castle none the less. From here we entered Adventure Land. There are only two rides in this Adventure Land - Tarzan's Treehouse and the River Cruise.

There is something corny and wonderful about hearing the same jokes told when you were younger being told to the next generation - and with a Chinese accent. After our cruise we took a short musical break before moving into Fantasyland.

Fantasyland had many of the rides we are all so familiar with. We had our lunch there and I was quite surprised when I had a courtier pull out my chair for me in the royal cafeteria.

Since school was back in session and we were there on a Tuesday, we expected the crowd to be skewed more adult. But what a surprise to be in the loading queue for It's a Small World and realizing that there were no children ahead of us. Luckily there were some behind us so we knew we hadn't entered some sort of weird time warp or Benjamin Button kind of thing.


From Fantasyland it was off to Tomorrow Land and Space Mountain. Ken was a bit hesitant because of the dark thing, but he sucked it up and got on the ride with me. It was a blast.

One of the interesting spots in each area was the interactive fountains. These help the kids (large and small) cool off from the very warm temps. Users can play among the sculptures which periodically spray them with much appreciated water.

Ken has long been a huge fan of Buzz Lightyear. Well, he was happy to pose with his hero and then take his ride. 

In this attraction you are under Buzz's command in a battle against Zorg and his minions. Once in your space ship you take your laser gun and try to knock out as many targets as you can. Once you top 1 million points you have maxed out the score. So we set off on our space adventure. At the end of the ride there was my score...

...and Ken's...

... enough said!


We blasted out of Tomorrow Land in search of Main Street and the gift shops.

After wandering through all of the shops and buying some Mickey Mouse Mooncakes for the upcoming Mid Autumn Festival and having a milkshake break (I think it's required), we were ready for our front row seats for the parade. So was a young mom across from us who really got into the spirit. She's the one in the pink ears.

This year is the Fifth Anniversary of Hong Kong Disneyland and the parade was a celebration of that landmark. It was terrific.

It was a fun parade and we had completed the park. Since there were still four hours till the fireworks, we decided to save those for another visit and made our way to the station and life beyond the mouse.

Museum of History

Following our visit to the Science Museum, we crossed the courtyard and entered the Museum of History. We had already purchased movie tickets (Cowboys & Aliens) for later in the afternoon so we figured we would see what we could in and hour and a half. Well, we managed to do about three quarters of the exhibit on the history of Hong Kong.


The story starts about 400 million years ago and moves forward.

It really got interesting from there. The first section was about the geology of Hong Kong throughout the various periods. One section that caught my eye was on cyclones. We have had an extremely calm season this year with no storms coming close. After viewing the photos, I am doubly grateful.

Mankind eventually made an appearance and the exhibit on prehistoric and early man in Hong Kong included dioramas and artifacts. The animal exhibits showed lots which are no longer in the area. I am glad there are no more tigers to walk down the streets. The condition of some of the items on display is amazing. They look as if they were made just a few years ago. Due to low lighting for preservation purposes, it was difficult to get good photos on many of the displays.

As the timeline progresses there are displays on things more familiar like the walled city of Kowloon and the still continuing trade of salting and drying fish.

There is a display on one of the ancient villages complete with lanterns and a parade with a sedan chair. The heavily embroidered clothing of the period shows the level of craftsmanship at that time.

Unfortunately we ran out of time at this point. We still had not completed this area and there were two more floors to go. So the Museum of History is definitely on our list of placed to revisit.

Science Museum

We used our museum passes last Sunday to visit two great museums. The first of these was the Science Museum. This place is lots of fun. It is really geared to kids, but kids of all ages can enjoy it. There are four floors of hands-on, interactive demonstrations and experiments. It is very reminiscent of the Indianapolis Children's Museum but with the entire focus on science. 


We enjoyed the various areas and joined in on many of the experiments. The most impressive exhibit is a four story tall "machine" that does all types of energy demonstrations. It shows different types of energy ranging from pulleys to musical instruments. There were exhibits on human and animal science, weather, telecommunications throughout the years, shipping, nutrition, automobiles, city planning and more.

And of course, some of the best fun was watching the little ones enjoy their play time.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Museum

Ever since arriving in Hong Kong, I have seen signs directing visitors to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Museum. I knew it was nearby and after telling myself for the past four months that I needed to be sure to see it, I finally took the time to walk to the museum (uphill this time).

The legacy of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen was not terribly familiar to me. I knew that he was one of the leaders of the revolution that freed China from dynastic rule. After touring these exhibits I learned just how instrumental he was in leading the many revolutions until the one in 1911 succeeded. He began his education as a medical student and through his exposure to others of like-minded political persuasion, he was transformed into one of the most significant political figures in Chinese history. 


His secondary and university education was in Hong Kong and much of his political planning and financing was funneled through this then-British colony. I learned of his world-wide travels recruiting supporters and participants to the cause of a free China. I also learned of the sacrifices of so many to the cause. Dr. Sun died knowing China was no longer under dynastic rule, but was far from his hopes and dreams. What I thought would be a 20 to 30 minute walk through a few galleries, turned into nearly two hours of reading and observing the displays focused on this remarkable man.

Another surprise to this visit was the house where the museum is located. Kom Tong Hall was built in 1914 by Ho Kom Tong and is a blending of Chinese and Western architectural styles. Unfortunately, photographs were not allowed within the building, and nearby construction greatly limited the angles from which to take good exterior photos. But believe me when I say that the home itself was worth the price of admission.


The Museum is only the third occupant of this home. The family retained it through several generations and then sold it to the Mormon church. The church agreed to sell it back to the government for use as a museum. Before installing the exhibits, the home underwent a complete restoration. While adding necessary fire and safety equipment, great care was taken to disguise the modern requirements and retain the original look and feel of the home. The woodwork was all restored, the tiles reset, the railings redone and more. You truly felt like you were walking through someone's home and the wood and stained glass were most impressive. 


It was a great way to fill an afternoon and my brain. I hope to discover more of these great exhibits in the weeks to come. And thanks to the huge focus on cultural education in Hong Kong, it will be easy. For US$12 a person can buy a  pass good for seven of the largest and most impressive museums in Hong Kong for one year of unlimited admissions. For Ken and I it was only US$6 because we are over 60. Additionally, each museum has one day a week of free admissions for those who cannot afford the modest entrance fees. The emphasis on cultural education should be a model for all.

Sculpture Park & Chater Garden

Once again I decided to take a walk and stumbled upon a beautiful area right in the middle of the city. I was heading to the Sculpture Park and according to the map it is located next to the original city hall. It is a short distance from our apartment and an easy downhill walk.

The old city hall is a fine example of British architecture from the colonial period. Much of the statuary area was under construction but there were a few nice examples still on display.

When I walked to the far side of City Hall, I once again discovered a gem of a park. This one is called Chater Garden and is different in that the water feature is more structured and the trees and shrubs are labeled for the education of the visitors.

Among the trees I saw were both a breadfruit tree and a jackfruit tree. The breadfruit was not bearing at this time, but the jackfruit was and to my surprise the fruit grows on the trunk rather than hanging from the branches.

Hong Kong is a never ending array of beautiful surprises and I am grateful to be able to explore so many.

Victoria Harbor 8 P.M.

Every evening at 8 P.M. Victoria Harbor comes alive with lights and music. It is a celebration of the best kind. People gather by the waterfront to enjoy the beautiful evenings and see the spectacle.


If you travel to the Kowloon side of the harbor and watch from the Cultural Center, you are treated to an introduction to the individual buildings along with a projected light show on the main performance hall walls. It is not merely the buildings displaying lights, but also laser shows timed to the music and some individual building lights actually "dance" to the music. The colors are vibrant and it is like Fourth of July and a block party all rolled into one. You never tire of seeing it. Once the show has finished, the lights remain on to keep the city looking bright and happy each and every night.