Winter Quest for the Hong Kong Flavor in TVB: 4 Days in Hong Kong and Macau

I went to Hong Kong in January, wearing a winter coat and bringing spring/autumn clothes along to play. Previously, my impression of Hong Kong was probably that it's crowded and cramped, but after going, I didn't expect to like this city. Its politeness, strong cultural integration, and the blend of Chinese and Western European elements make its Hong Kong-style characteristics unforgettable.

Some notes:

Hong Kong and Macau Travel Permits: Hong Kong and Macau permits can be processed together, but Taiwan's is separate. The current permit is just a card, similar to an ID card. If you're from Hangzhou, you can make an appointment in advance, print the application form yourself (usually for one Macau entry and two Hong Kong entries), take an electronic photo (now it's all electronic photos, no need to bring a one-inch photo), then go to the counter with your appointment number and tell the staff you have an appointment. This allows you to process the endorsement early (it's recommended to apply for the maximum number of entries in case you need to cross the border multiple times). Appointments are much faster than waiting on-site; everything can be done in under an hour. It takes about 10 days to get the permit.

Direct flights from Hangzhou to Hong Kong are expensive, and the high-speed rail only has one departure with an inconvenient schedule, so we chose to fly to Shenzhen and take the high-speed train to Hong Kong instead. The high-speed train from Shenzhen to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station takes only 19 minutes—super fast!

Going to Hong Kong: Thursday evening, 24th, flew from Hangzhou to Shenzhen, stayed overnight near Shenzhen North Station. There is a direct bus from Bao'an Airport to Shenzhen North Station for 24 RMB, which takes 40 minutes even late at night. Originally we wanted to go to Futian Station, but there was no direct bus from the airport that late.

Hong Kong to Macau: 27th, from Hong Kong to Macau. Ticket office: Lower Level 1, Shun Tak Centre, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Price: 186 HKD, duration: 1 hour. Ferries run about every 10-20 minutes.

Return to Hangzhou: Monday afternoon, 28th. Direct bus from Hong Kong to Shenzhen Bao'an Airport. Ticket office: 1st Floor, Shun Tak Centre, Sheung Wan (Exit D of Sheung Wan MTR station is right at the ticket counter). Price: 110 HKD, duration: 2 hours.

Shenzhen: Sunflower Hotel (right outside Shenzhen North High-Speed Rail Station, convenient but took some time to find). Price: around 300 RMB.

Hong Kong: Mingle Hotel. The lobby was quite grand, the room wasn't big but clean and tidy with all amenities complete. However, hotel rooms in Hong Kong generally aren't large unless you spend several thousand. Price: 700+ HKD, hotel prices vary with current rates. Hong Kong hotels are usually a few hundred more expensive than mainland ones for the same class. Location: Next stop from Sheung Wan, exit B of Sai Ying Pun MTR station, then a few dozen meters walk. There's a small path you can cut through. It depends on where you prefer to stay; we stayed on Hong Kong Island, close to Central, reportedly where locals mostly live.

For 3-4 days, it's recommended to bring 1000 HKD in cash. Large stores accept UnionPay cards, and a small number of chain convenience stores etc. accept Alipay and WeChat Pay. But Hong Kong dollars are a must. For exchange in mainland China, it's best to go to Bank of China; not all banks offer it, e.g., Hangzhou United Bank and Rural Credit Cooperatives cannot exchange.

For transportation in Hong Kong, recommend buying an Octopus card. Around 150 HKD can be used for 3-4 days. It can be used on MTR, buses, trams, etc., and can be topped up at many places around the city. Hong Kong's public transport is generally 2-3 times more expensive than mainland China. One or two MTR stops cost over 5 HKD, buses are usually over 5 HKD too, while trams are cheaper at 2 HKD per ride.

Baidu Maps: Some say it's not good, but I think it works well and is quite accurate.

Google Maps: Maybe I'm not used to it. I still prefer Baidu. Anyway, my friend used Google while I used Baidu, and we both felt Baidu was easier.

Early in the morning, we took the high-speed train from Shenzhen North to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station. Remember, there are many high-speed trains from Shenzhen to Hong Kong (Shenzhen North and Futian stations), basically one every 10-20 minutes. After arriving, you go through border control. For first-time entry to Hong Kong, you need to go through the manual counter, not the e-channel.

After coming out, we couldn't read the bus stop signs in Hong Kong. They were like poles with very small text. After some studying, we finally figured it out. Interestingly, these bus stop signs are rotatable.

From Kowloon to our hotel on Hong Kong Island, the bus took less than half an hour. The roads on Hong Kong Island are much more interesting, with hills up and down.

Schools are also built along the roads, quite different from mainland schools.

After arriving at the hotel, we couldn't check in until 2 PM (many hotels in Hong Kong are like this), so we left our luggage at the front desk. The older gentleman at the front desk was very nice; he answered our questions warmly. I don't know his name, but I hope good people have good luck.

Today's itinerary was all along the Island line (blue line on the map). We took the tram all the way to Monster Building.

The tram has designated stops but doesn't announce them; you need to pay attention. The best seats for photos are at the front and back because of the large glass windows. The tram runs slowly, so you won't get motion sickness. Weaving through narrow streets and turning—this is an excitement you can't experience on the mainland.

Sitting on the tram and looking at Hong Kong, the tall buildings along the road, the signs, all the strong characteristics—the thick Hong Kong style was right there before my eyes.

After getting off, we randomly picked a place for lunch. I thought all noodles in Hong Kong would be delicious, but that's not the case.

One bowl of noodles cost 30 HKD in a very small shop. It's much more expensive than mainland's Sha County snacks, but 30 HKD for ordinary noodles is a common price in Hong Kong. After eating, we went to find the Monster Building.

Why go there? It's a fairly characteristic residential building in Hong Kong, so naturally we had to see it. Entering through a small path from the entrance, three sides were buildings next to each other. It felt quite oppressive; I wonder what it's like for the residents. It gave a feeling of no sunlight, a constant shade. Maybe that's why Hong Kong has so many laundromats.

There were lots of young people taking photos.

After shooting, we moved to the next place.

Causeway Bay is basically city streets with lots of shopping malls, great for shopping.

We stopped by for a dessert at 'Koon Sa Tseung Dessert'. It tasted similar to 'Cong Shao Dessert' in Hangzhou. Hong Kong-style desserts are pretty similar to Honeymoon Dessert etc.

When passing under a flyover, we saw a fortune teller!

My travel buddy wanted to see it, saying she had feelings for 'water dumplings'. So we went to look. Across the street was Victoria Harbour.

You can cross via a footbridge and then through a shopping mall. You can't cross at street level. Many streets in Hong Kong require footbridges.

This area is where Hong Kong's elite hang out. Although we didn't see much, just a lot of people, shopping malls, office buildings—bustling areas. I especially liked the red taxis.

While looking for dinner, we found the Mid-Levels Escalator from the movie 'Chungking Express', but we decided to eat first.

Without deliberately searching, we found a highly rated place on Dianping. This shop only sells noodles. We ordered a three-combination: wonton and beef were okay, but the super large fish ball tasted strange, seemed to have orange peel inside. The broth was fresh though. The bowl of noodles didn't look big but was quite filling.

Back to the Mid-Levels Escalator. This area has steep terrain, very high. The escalator is said to be over 800 meters long. I thought it would be one continuous escalator, but it's actually split into sections, and it looks quite ordinary.

At the end of the escalator, there were stairs going up and down. We chose to go up, and then we discovered a new world!

A prison in the city center.

At first, it felt like a spacious square surrounded by European-style buildings and bars, all full of foreigners. The atmosphere was lively. Then we noticed that the building with archways in the square used to be a prison.

Now it's a heritage site open for visits. It was already 8-9 PM. This prison is quite special; there are old rooms to visit, an art gallery (these places open during the day), restaurants, bars, etc. All full of foreigners, very lively. I've never seen this place mentioned in guides or recommendations. I highly recommend it! Very unique!

Lan Kwai Fong is also nearby, just through a small path. Before reaching the end, we heard loud noises—voices, singing, drinking. I didn't expect this to be a foreigner gathering place, a bar street. Many Chinese people were just looking. Not only was it crowded, but the atmosphere could be felt several streets away. For the first time, I truly felt the enthusiasm and openness of foreigners. Hong Kong has many foreigners from all countries.

Unfortunately, videos couldn't capture a third of the live feeling. At 10-11 PM, Hong Kong streets still had many people, probably mostly tourists.

Day 2's itinerary was mostly across the harbor in Kowloon.

Morning tea: Lin Heung Hei

This is a famous old tea house. As soon as we went upstairs, we saw many elderly people.

We found a seat, sharing a table with other tourists. Breakfast here: aunties push carts, and diners pick what they want.

Choi Hung Estate is in Wong Tai Sin District. On the bus, we could see colorful buildings along the road—this is a Hong Kong characteristic. The buildings may be old but not shabby. Choi Hung Estate is a large area of colorful apartments.

We got off the bus here; not sure if it was the main entrance.

The popular online photo spot is closer to the MTR station, near a building with red in the middle (different apartments have different central colors). We entered from another direction, searched around, and finally saw it—anywhere with many people coming and going is the place. Going up to the second-floor rooftop is a basketball court where many people were taking photos, mostly mainlanders. Somehow, you can tell mainland Chinese from Hong Kong people at a glance.

Afterwards, we also visited Wong Tai Sin Temple to pray. It was extremely crowded, with such thick incense smoke it was hard to breathe. No entry fee, but you can donate if you wish.

Sham Shui Po is known as Hong Kong's slum. It's a typical Hong Kong street area with colorful signs, old buildings. The houses are somewhat similar to those on Hong Kong Island, but without trams.

We found a Michelin restaurant 'Tim Ho Wan', a famous and affordable food place. Usually you have to queue. Their specialty is barbecued pork buns. I've had them on the mainland before and thought they were similar, but they were completely different—really delicious.

It was so crowded that we shared a table with a Hong Kong couple. The lady was Hong Kong local, the gentleman was Singaporean, settled in Hong Kong. They came specifically for the buns. We had a pleasant chat with them. When they knew we were from mainland, they were very warm. They said most Hong Kong people are good, though there are a few who aren't. We talked about hometown food, national welfare, etc. I think this conversation gave me a good impression of Hong Kong.

Then we walked towards Victoria Harbour, passing through Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui, etc. The route is the red line on the map.

On Nathan Road in Kowloon, it's basically modern Hong Kong with skyscrapers, a bit reminiscent of Shanghai. Didn't take photos...

This area, being a modern city, has many big malls and shops, great for shopping. I'd still recommend food.

Dessert: Yee Shun Milk Company

Both Yee Shun Milk Company and Australia Dairy Company are famous dairy shops, specializing in double-skin milk.

This shop in Yau Ma Tei had one downside: the boss or staff had a bad attitude, like 'take it or leave it'.

While continuing down, we took a very atmospheric photo when we turned into a small lane off Nathan Road. Hong Kong's streets are interconnected in many ways. At night with the neon signs lit up, it looks even better—dreamy Hong Kong style.

We also encountered an ice cream truck, so naturally we had to try it. The ice cream had a strong milky flavor and wasn't too cold, which was magical. The cheapest was 8 HKD.

This area is close to Harbour City, with duty-free shops nearby. We did some shopping. Harbour City is mostly luxury brands, right by the harbor, very close to Victoria Harbour.

Our last stop of the day: Victoria Harbour.

Victoria Harbour was lively, even at 10 PM there were many people. Street performers were singing. The harbor front is a long promenade you can walk along. It was quite cold with the wind at night. I used to think Victoria Harbour was something special, but after seeing night views of many cities' riversides, they all feel similar—like Shanghai's Oriental Pearl, Hangzhou's Qianjiang New City. Every city has its iconic landmarks; that's the only difference I can see.

We had wandered and seen the night view. We originally planned to take the bus back. Many Hong Kong buses run late, which is nice. Then we discovered that the Star Ferry could take us across the harbor. We went for it. The fare was cheap, just a few dollars, and can be paid with Octopus. It took about 10 minutes to reach Central on the other side.

Final recommendation: the graffiti wall opposite the hotel (Mingle Hotel, Queen's Road). Didn't notice it during the day, but at night we were attracted by the lights and people taking photos.

This day was really tiring, all on foot. Thinking we walked from Sham Shui Po to Victoria Harbour—quite impressive. Got back to the hotel after midnight.

As the title says, one day we visited three places: Macau, Zhuhai, and Hong Kong.

Woke up at 8 AM, went to Sheung Wan's Shun Tak Centre to buy ferry tickets to Macau, 186 HKD/person = 161.28 RMB. Also bought bus tickets for the next day back to Shenzhen Airport, yes, from Shun Tak Centre you can take a bus directly to Shenzhen Bao'an Airport, 110 HKD/person. After buying tickets, of course, we had breakfast. The old shop Lan Fong Yuen it was.

Breakfast: Lan Fong Yuen

This Lan Fong Yuen is different from the ones back home. Back home it's just a milk tea shop; here it's a Hong Kong-style tea餐厅. And we had to share tables again—I wonder if sharing tables is a Hong Kong specialty. I really regretted that the handsome guy at the door was sitting alone; we should have shared his table, haha.

After a hearty meal, we went to the third floor to wait for the ferry. Yes, third floor; coincidentally, Lan Fong Yuen was also on the third floor. If I hadn't taken the ferry, I wouldn't have known. Once on board, I regretted it. This boat, some kind of turbojet, was extremely light and extremely nauseating.

Oh right, the ferry has ordinary seats and first-class seats. Ordinary seats are on the first level, first class on the second.

After boarding, I noticed the windows were foggy, couldn't see outside clearly, and there wasn't much to see anyway. Worst of all, it was super bumpy and super dizzy. During that hour, I spent half an hour in the bathroom throwing up! My god, it was such a painful experience, the most nauseating mode of transport I've ever taken. Even after getting off, I couldn't recover for a while.

After disembarking, we went through customs. Outside, there were many free shuttle buses taking you directly to casinos. The ride was fast but not dizzying. Looking at Macau, it felt like a third-tier mainland city. (Pictures and text not suitable to post.)

This area is close to the river; across the river should be Zhuhai. At that time, we didn't know yet.

This road seems to be Macau's main street, I guess. Lots of tourists.

Walking further, we reached a square, with Portuguese-style buildings nearby. The square area has many attractions like churches.

This church is a museum with exhibition halls.

This 'Koi Kei' shop is a famous local specialty store. Many people buy almond cookies. Taste was okay, but I didn't buy any. Too crowded.

We headed towards the Ruins of St. Paul's. But the small lane was so crowded it's unforgettable—people packed together, barely moving.

If it feels different from your imagination, that's okay; reality and imagination always have gaps.

Behind the Ruins of St. Paul's, there is a small underground exhibition hall. You can check it out. I noticed there are many Portuguese staff or their descendants.

The hill on the right side of the Ruins of St. Paul's is the Macau Museum, admission 15 HKD. Even if you don't go to the museum, it's nice to go up there for a view over Macau. The hill's style is quite European.

There's a fort on the hill with a view. After touring around, we went down the other side of the hill. That road was very steep.

There were many winding paths, and we eventually found ourselves back near the original square area, on a street with many shops.

My friend wanted to go to 'Lemon Cello', which is just ice cream. We thought the mint flavor was better than the recommended lemon.

Bought ice cream, walked further, and came to another square-like area with many junctions.

There's also a post office. There are many attractions around here; you can explore thoroughly.

What next? Find a place for lunch. We ate at 2 PM. This 'Old Place' is a popular internet-famous shop that has been on TV. The owner is probably Portuguese, but his Chinese is perfect.

Food: Old Place

Even though it's an internet-famous shop, the taste was just average. Two dishes cost over 100 HKD.

Originally planned to go to The Venetian and Taipa Village, but they were a bit far on the other side of the island. Since we needed to return to Hong Kong that evening, we decided to wander nearby. It's said Macau is small and can be done in a day, but for a thorough visit, one day is not enough.

While walking, of course we took photos. My travel buddy's angles were mysterious.

Interestingly, tourists nearby saw us taking photos and also asked their friends to take pictures.

Macau streets are somewhat similar to Hong Kong but also different, like a mix of urban and rural with a touch of Hong Kong style.

This photo below was taken while wandering randomly; we saw some unique dilapidated buildings and snapped a picture.

This is a food street.

Even very small alleys in Macau are mapped. We chose a particularly narrow staircase to take photos—the need for an eye to find beauty. Doesn't it have a dreamy Hong Kong style?

Amazingly, even when wandering aimlessly in Macau, you can always find your way back to familiar places. When it got dark, we were back at the Ruins of St. Paul's. Even at night, there were plenty of people.

Since we had to return to Hong Kong, we decided to head back. Earlier at Old Place, the owner told us there was a place with a bus to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge port. We searched for a long time but couldn't find any bus or station. So we wandered aimlessly again and asked locals.

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port

Locals said buses 101 and 102X go to the HZMB port. So we went to the nearest stop. Many tourists there were also going back to Hong Kong. Macau's bus stops are similar to Hong Kong's but cylindrical. Fare to the border checkpoint: 6 HKD/person, about 10-15 minutes. Some stops didn't stop, not sure why; one bus 101 passed our stop without stopping. The buses were crowded, so we had to squeeze.

Also, before the last stop (the HZMB border checkpoint), at the second last stop, everyone got off. So we followed the crowd and walked a bit, then saw the border checkpoint building. I thought this was the HZMB checkpoint, but it wasn't! This was the Zhuhai-Macau border checkpoint!

Then we walked through customs, entering Guangdong—this was Zhuhai!! Oh, where's the HZMB port? It turns out you need to go to Zhuhai first, then take a bus to the HZMB port... Speechless. I'm not sure if Macau doesn't have direct buses to the port. In other words, from Macau to Hong Kong via the HZMB, you have to go through Zhuhai first!!!

After leaving the border building, it's the Zhuhai High-Speed Rail Station. Turn left, platform 9 is the bus stop to the HZMB port, 20 RMB ticket. But this bus only goes to the port; to go back to Hong Kong, you need to buy another ticket at the port. So much trouble!!!

On the way to the port, we saw Macau across the river—wasn't that the Grand Lisboa casino area?

Got off at the HZMB port.

This port has routes to Hong Kong and Macau; don't go to the wrong one.

It was already after 10 PM, and there were few people. Quickly bought a ticket. Fares vary depending on the destination in Hong Kong. We were going to Harbour City, so it was 120 HKD. Since it was late, many routes had no more services, so we had to choose the closest stop.

Late at night, there were very few passengers on the bus, just a few. And outside, nothing was visible because it was dark. I had wanted to experience the bridge, but ended up missing it.

On the way back to Hong Kong, the bridge had very few cars. Smooth journey. In half an hour, we reached the checkpoint near the airport. I tried to keep my eyes open to see how the traffic lanes changed, but I only noticed a tunnel in the middle. As for the famous lane-changing viaduct, I couldn't see it clearly. Felt like crying...

Anyway, we arrived at the checkpoint, got off for another customs check, then got back on the same bus? Or was it different? Not sure. The driver spoke Cantonese; when we said we didn't understand, he switched to Mandarin.

Back at Harbour City in Hong Kong, we went for a late-night snack. That shop 'Chee Cheong Fun' (actually Doggy Style noodles) had a queue.

Food: Shibazuo Doggy Style Noodles (Tsim Sha Tsui branch)

We ordered doggy noodles (the broth tasted like clam soup), fire duck wings (ducky flavor), fish skin dumplings, and fried meatballs. All delicious, and very small portions.

Surprisingly, there was a minimum charge. I noticed many small shops in Hong Kong have this, even though it's not expensive.

After eating, we ended the day. Truly midnight snacks. There weren't many people on the streets, but some were eating late-night snacks. The MTR was still running at midnight, convenient!

On the last day, we just checked off places we hadn't visited.

In my memory, this area was notorious for triads, extremely crowded housing, people living oppressively. But that's in the past. Now it's somewhat run-down, but the iconic building (Kowloon Walled City) is gone, turned into a park. So when you search for navigation, you'll find the Kowloon Walled City Park.

Since it's gone, we went to the next stop by minibus. From Kowloon City to Mong Kok wasn't far.

Today we visited two police stations. Hong Kong police stations look just like in Hong Kong movies.

This photo below caught a passerby guy; oddly the scene felt harmonious, probably because of the uniform color tone, very fresh.

We just looked from outside; can't go inside. Then we wandered along.

Even the fire station looked Instagram-worthy.

This place is a police station often featured in Hong Kong movies. It's now closed, but tourists take photos there. Oh, Temple Street is also nearby.

We had already bought tickets at Shun Tak Centre earlier, so we went to the hotel to pick up luggage and then directly went to the bus stop. The ticket office on the first floor of Shun Tak Centre is also the waiting room. The bus to Shenzhen Bao'an Airport took about 2 hours. At the customs checkpoint, we had to exit and re-enter Shenzhen. There were many people, including groups of elementary school students, probably studying in Hong Kong but living in Shenzhen. After passing through customs, we changed to another bus to the airport.

This trip was quite enjoyable. I don't know why, but I quite like Hong Kong. Even though I didn't visit every place, I think I've seen enough. Next time I come, I'll probably go to Victoria Peak and HKU. Farewell...

Travel Journal Index:

1. Day 1: Tram, Monster Building, Wan Chai Ferry Pier, Mid-Levels Escalator, Lan Kwai Fong, Central

2. Day 2: Choi Hung Estate, Wong Tai Sin Temple, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Victoria Harbour

3. Day 3: Macau, Ruins of St. Paul's, Zhuhai, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Hong Kong

4. Day 4: Kowloon City, Yau Ma Tei Police Station, Return to Hangzhou

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