On my fourth time in Hong Kong, I went on an unconventional tour to see with several PR agencies from around the globe. Aside from the shopping and the theme parks, we visited the outskirts of Kowloon and went to see what life is like outside the mega shopping centers in HK. It was a sort of hidden-HK-themed.
The first stop for the day was at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center for the exhibit "Transforming Minds. Buddishm in Art." With no prior knowledge about Buddhism, I have to say I was blown away!
A bit of a history about Buddha, Buddhism, and the religion's relevance to the exhibit stirred something in me and brought me to thinking about the life I'm living now. I felt a certain need to seek my own version of transformation as a human, and how I perceive things about myself and my surroundings. This trip was what truly got me interested in Buddhism, and by the end of 2014, I started feeding my hunger to know more. I allowed Buddhism to guide my spiritual life, thanks to my trip to HK in 2012.
(Too bad we weren't allowed to take photos inside though. The gallery was amazing.)
I was part of a 20-something group of PR and communications practitioner working with the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Under the blazing sun we started with the "Secret" tour in Kowloon City. The folks called it as such because it's something that is not known by the common HK traveler. They also used to trade secrets as payment for the tour before commercialising it for foreigners.
We went to a garden that used to be a very densely populated walled city in Kowloon many, many years ago. A one-square kilometer of land used to house 100,000 HongKongers in high-rise buildings! Above is a miniature replica of the city. Pretty sure the actual city in its prime looked like an extravagant movie set. Imagine your favorite Jacki Chan movies.
Here is a print representation of the walled city.
We also went to see some humble stores and locations that depicts the daily life on the other side of Hong Kong--the side without the glitz and glamour. The street food snacks were cheap but delicious.
We ended the day in a temple they call Chi Wan. Chi means peace and Wan means cloud. We climbed more than a hundred steps to try to get inside but to no avail because there was on-going construction. What a waste. =( But I have to say, it looked majestic outside and I'm pretty sure it's even better inside.
Outside the temple is a 10-foot dragon sculpture that looks like it will soar to the sky.
The first day was quite tiring but memorable. I think I was the youngest in the group and I must say I felt a bit shy approaching the people I'm with. I was truly fascinated how well-traveled they all are that I said to myself I have to find a way for me to travel more and enrich my knowledge about the world and other cultures.
I know that right now I'm looking at so many directions in my life. But everyday I find another reason to be inspired, and a different interest pops up that keeps me wanting to get going and do something productive or inspiring. Some paths may not be that clear and some might be too direct, but surely, sooner or later I'll figure that out.
My first day back in HK was a whole lot more meaningful (amid the heat and the sweat) than going to Disneyland or shopping in Mongkok. I'm glad I got to experience it.
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