We continue on our Hong Kong adventure in this blog. Last time we explored some of the green oases nestled within the skyscraper packed city. We continue down that path and visit some temples and monasteries and also explore Hong Kong’s culture – both traditional and modern.

Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin temple

We exited the metro at Wong Tai Sin station and walked over the temple next to it. There were some cultural programs happening next to it – with songs and dances being performed on a stage. The vibe outside was very similar to an Indian temple – many shops outside selling incense sticks and other offerings to the gods. The architecture was beautiful with arches at the entrance and bright colours everywhere – once again, we felt like we were in a movie.

This was a Taoist temple dedicated to the deity of healing – Wong Tai Sin. After the first set of steps, we arrived at a landing that had statues of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. A quick Google search told us that my zodiac was the Horse and Nam’s was the Metal Goat. Parth’s animal was the Metal Ox. People kept rushing around them, some praying to them, others walking into the main hall.

Inside the main temple, there were a lot of lanterns hung up. It was an open air area and the lanterns were rotating automatically, powered by solar cells. In the shrine, there were idols and statues, storks and other animals and scrolls. People were kneeling in front and shaking bamboo containers that had sticks with numbers on them. The entire scene reminded me of the Kung Fu Panda festival scene inside the palace courtyard. 

Fortune tellers

The people with the bamboo containers were actually shaking what were called fortune sticks – each one had a number. These fortune sticks were waved in the smoke of the incense sticks coming from a large cauldron. The ritual was to close your eyes, pray for something particular and stop shaking when one of the sticks fell down – note the number on the stick along with what you prayed for. You can repeat it for any other prayers. Then with all this information, visit one of the fortune tellers who would explain your fortune. It was fascinating – we could have tried it out if we had been with someone who knew Cantonese. 

Tranquil gardens and more temples

Behind the main temple was a garden called the Good Wish Garden. There were giant koi fish in the pond and it was a very relaxing place. We walked around the bridges over the pond and also explored the other temples in the premises. It was a very unique and immersive cultural experience overall.

A quick stop at Chi Lin nunnery and Nan Lian garden

We took the metro back to a station called Diamond Hill and went to Chi Lin nunnery – a Buddhist temple complex made in the traditional Tang dynasty architecture. As you climb up the steps from the busy road to the complex, you feel like you’ve stepped through a portal. 

The temple halls with the garden in front in a sight to behold. What makes it even more striking is the backdrop – skyscrapers! It is the perfect blend of incense and neon – ancient and modern within one frame!

The garden had bonsai trees everywhere. There were ponds with lotuses of different colours. The weather was really good – so we could take a leisurely walk around the garden. Inside the temple halls were statues of Buddha in his various forms.

We crossed the main road and went to the Nan Lian garden opposite the nunnery. This was a good place for a stop to relax our legs and recharge. That’s exactly what we did!

Crossing over to modern culture

Our next stop was the Avenue of Stars (we took the metro from Diamond Hill to East Tsim Sha Tsui).

This was a walkway celebrating famous people from the film industry. The Avenue started off with their most celebrated star – Bruce Lee! For many people in India, Bruce Lee was the first introduction to Chinese culture and martial arts. The waterfront area offered a beautiful view of the Hong Kong skyline.

Next to the walkway was the K11 Musea mall – absolute luxury and beautiful decor inside. After window-shopping for some time, we headed to Kowloon’s high speed train station. The modernisation of the city with all these new-age facilities did not come at the cost of the historical landmarks – both co-existed and we got a chance to really appreciate it on this day. 

Our destination was Tim Ho Wan – to eat their famed Michelin star dimsums! We picked up 3 varieties – pork and shrimp siu mai, fresh shrimp dumplings and baked bun with BBQ pork. Everything was exquisite – especially the baked bun!

Concert time!

Next up was the main reason that started this entire trip – the Imagine Dragons concert! The concert venue was the AsiaWorld Expo hall which was located right next to the airport. To make the journey more economical, the authorities had a discounted ticket on the airport express metro if we showed the concert tickets – only 60 HKD per person for both ways – normally the same ride would cost us more than double that rate. They deducted the amount from our Octopus cards and gave us 2 single visit cards. It was so well-planned.

Hong Kong acts as a focal point for all top music bands and tours in this region. And they authorities have made sure that they have world-class infrastructure to host them. This sets the tone for the modern cultural scene in the region – making world class entertainment very accessible for the local public!

Imagine Dragons on stage

We managed to get there on time. Our seat was at the far end of the venue and right next to the stage. We had an unobstructed view of the stage – something we didn’t know at the time of booking our tickets – we had got the tickets on Viagogo and the seat numbers were not mentioned. The whole arena erupted when the band got on the stage! Everyone sang along as they played their hits one after another.

It was a brilliant concert overall – amazing energy from the band. It went on for about 1.5 hours overall. We were both a bit sad that they didn’t cover 3 songs that were part of the tour playlist available online. But it was still an unforgettable experience. We could see that kids above age 3 were allowed to enter – they were sitting wearing headphones to muffle the sound. Maybe we can get Parth next time!

Expert crowd management

As soon as they finished their last song and walked off the stage, we rushed out. The crowd continued to chant “Encore” but from our seats, we could see that the band had removed all their mics, handed over their instruments and moved out of the arena. So there was no point waiting. We wanted to avoid the rush at the metro station. 

Even though we were among the first few to leave, there were already people stationed all along the entrance to the station as well as the escalators and platforms to regulate the crowd. There could easily have been a stampede-like situation but they had already planned for it. 

We got into the second train out of AsiaWorld. We noticed that the first 3 coaches were reserved for the airport travellers – they did this to ensure that the people who had arrived at the airport would have some seats on the train. 

A glimpse of the multicultural city

We got down at Hong Kong station and walked to Central looking for a place to eat dinner. It was arond 10:30 pm and most places were closed. We found a Lebanese place called Beyrouth Bistro that was open (and in fact, bustling). We ate lamb shawarma, falafel and hummus. The owner of the place was warm and welcoming – asking people their names and trying to form a bond with the community. We noticed that a lot of his customers were regulars.

This was truly a day where we witnessed ancient meeting modern and forming the unique culture that is there today in Hong Kong.

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Check out all the Hong Kong blogs here:

• The Hong Kong Itinerary (with Macau) – plan your perfect trip to HK!
• Lantau Island Hong Kong – Day 1 of the HK Trip
• Hong Kong’s Urban Oasis – Peaks & Parks
• Incense and Neon – Hong Kong’s culture
• East Meets West – the Macau Mosaic
• Feast for the Senses – the Hong Kong Foodie