It’s not on most tourists agenda, but I would highly recommend that if you go to Hong Kong you check out Kowloon Walled City Park. It’s not the park that’s so interesting, rather it’s what used to be there. First, some history. In 1841, the Brits took over Hong Kong Island. Understandably, the Chinese were… Continue reading Kowloon Walled City (Park)
Tag: architecture
Kowloon Street Signs
One of the unique features of Hong Kong – and Kowloon (where we stayed) in particular – are the street signs. They’re ubiquitous and they hang over the streets, offering each store’s wares. You can almost think of them as parasites that anchor on the sides of buildings and try to drown out the sky… Continue reading Kowloon Street Signs
Skyscrapers All The Way Down
Hong Kong’s buildings are like plants in the jungle. All of them compete skyward for a limited swath of sun. It makes the city very imposing: Occasionally, the apartment buildings are actually fighting with the jungle: While imposing, when you get a chance to admire it from afar, it’s quite the effect:
City of the Sublime
When you pull into Kyoto, you could be forgiven for naively thinking that it’s just another industrial Japanese city. However, the city is actually full of some of the most incredible castles, temple and shrine you’ll ever see. You can turn corners and find yourself face to face with some of the largest wooden buildings… Continue reading City of the Sublime
Tokyo Old & New
I mentioned the other day that Tokyo is a modern medieval city. However, it’s not an Akira-esque city of only new edifices. Instead it’s a mix of very old (the rare wooden structure that survived the earthquakes and bombings of the early 20th century) and the very new. Part of the joy of the city… Continue reading Tokyo Old & New