Standing on one leg in a park in Hong Kong at 7am and desperately trying to balance as I mimicked the movements of an old Chinese couple dressed in silk pyjamas was not what I expected from a short break in the Far East.
Wasn’t a visit to the region all about consuming copious amounts of Chinese food, battling with bustling crowds and haggling for fake designer goods? Of course, all this can be found on every street corner but to find some peace and relaxation you need to look just a little bit harder.
And so it was that I arose at dawn to join The Hong Kong Tourist Association’s new initiative – free one-hour tai chi in the Park classes for tourists. I was not alone. A group of 10 tourists joined me in adopting a series of poses to calming music while our antics amused commuters passing by.
Indeed, for those who want to escape the immense skyscrapers and ubiquitous shopping malls, Hong Kong offers an array of options.
Driving from the airport, tourists will spot numerous islands, vast expanses of greenery and national parks as well as an undulating landscape. Some 40% of Hong Kong’s 400sq miles is preserved as official country parks, most of which lie a mere 45mins drive from the city.
But for those on a short stopover who want a quick break from Hong Kong’s hectic streetlife, a cup of tea is the perfect option – and, like Tai Chi, it is entirely free. There are hundreds of tea houses in Hong Kong. The preparation that goes into a good brew is intricate but well worth the wait. Customers sit while the salesperson reveals an extensive menu of around 80 types of tea leaves before being invited to smell and taste a small selection in order to pick the right blend.
Milk is never added because very few locals eat any dairy products at all and the tea is drunk with every meal to help with digestion. There are many restaurants serving a range of styles from Peking to Cantonese, each with a delicious array of dishes ranging from scallop dumplingsto mango pudding.
Indeed, with 6.3m inhabitants, Hong Kong probably has the highest number of restaurants per capita in the world and the biggest problem is deciding which one to go and then trying to master the art of using chop sticks so you don’t end up with egg fried rice in your lap.
1. Do as the natives do and visit one of the Taoist temples to have your fortune told. Simply make an offering of fruit, meat or joss sticks, think of a question and shake the numbered fortune sticks until one falls out. Note the number and visit a fortune teller (costing around 16p a question) who will give you an obscure answer – hopefully one to your liking.
2. Eat liver and other meaty dishes at a vegetarian restaurant. The dishes may appear to be made of meat but are actually all made of tofu and are very tasty. Try Kung Taki Lam, a Shanghai vegetarian restaurant near Causeway.
3. Buy a Prada wallet or handbag for around £10 in Ladies Market or Temple Street Market. OK, so it might not be the real thing but it looks surprisingly similar.
4. Take a hike in one of Hong Kong’s 22 national parks which are only around 45mins from the city centre.
5. Throw your bikini and sunscreen in a bag and relax on the beach. Try Repulse Bay or Tai Long Wan.
6. Visit one of the nearby islands. Lantau is the biggest and features the hilltop Po Lin Monastery which is a religious retreat and features the largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha in the world.
7. Shop in the Jade Market for jade goods, considered to be one of the most precious stones among Chinese. Alternatively, visit the colourful fish and bird markets, prized pets among the locals due to the lack of space in city-centre homes.
8. Eat a traditional Cantonese breakfast – congee, boiled swollen rice with meat or vegetables with steamed rice flour rolls and black tea. Try the Cheerful Ginseng on Chatham Road. The meal will set you back around £2.50.
9. Tai Chi classes in the Park. These 1hr lessons are free to tourists and usually take place a couple of days a week from around 7am-8am. Contact the tourist board or your hotel for information.
10. Visit a tea house. There are around 150 types of tea. Tastings are absolutely free.