My dad had only been back to China once since he immigrated to the USA as a teenager. My uncle and aunt recently got their US citizenship and were eager to visit their previous homeland. So the time was ideal for me to make my first trip to Asia as I would have the chance to travel with family.
Going on this trip, I knew that as an American born and raised person of Chinese descent, it would invoke a mixture of emotions and would yield some culture shock. I had read about Asia, seen films and heard stories from people who have lived there. However, nothing could prepare me for what I would experience.
What follows is my travelogue of a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Hope you will enjoy the photos and find my observations and travel tips useful. Enjoy!
Me and my parents at home before going to the airport.
Welcome to Hong Kong airport! We didn't fly that to get here!
Hong Kong's new airport is a marvel of modern technology. Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China since 1997 when the British returned Hong Kong to the PRC. The airport project was the last big initiative of the British before the handover.
Hong Kong is composed of numerous islands. The airport is located on Lantau Island. From the airport, we took a train right into Central district of Hong Kong Island. It takes a mere half an hour.
For our first day, my aunt decided to take us back to Lantau Island via ferry. Here I am at the dock with the famed skyline of Hong Kong Island behind me.
While on the ferry looking back at the receding skyline, smelling the sea air and feeling the wind on my face, it was sinking in that I really was here!
