House of travel Hong Kong and China | Page 6

6 TIPS for your Hong Kong & China Holiday 2 Food glorious food Hit the shops For the kid in all of us Glazed and syrup-coated, then hung dry and roasted, Chinese cuisine will have you salivating at the mere thought of it, but none more so than traditional Peking duck. Attracting an almost cult-following, it’s best enjoyed in Beijing - with lashings of sweet bean sauce. Put Hong Kong’s Temple Street Night Market on your wish list because it’s a magical mix of traders, talent and fortune tellers. Weave your way from vendors to opera singers, and endless festivity. Nothing in Hong Kong is done by halves, which is why the super kid- friendly Ocean Park is not solely an amusement park, but also a marine mammal enclosure, oceanarium and animal park. Boasting over 80 attractions, there are interactive areas showcasing everything from the North Pole to historic Hong Kong. An impressive blend of entertainment and education. With a little nod to its British past, Hong Kong delivers one of the best high teas in Asia at the renowned Peninsula Hotel. Served daily in The Lobby, the food’s refined, the service faultless and the cream, well it’s Devonshire and clotted of course. For an eclectic mix of east meets west, Shanghai’s Xin Tian Di Street is a pedestrianised area replete with galleries, cafés, boutiques and restaurants. With original 1920s facades, traditional China meets the modern day, and because western influence is rife, expect to find big US chain stores amidst a niche choice of Chinese designers. Don’t leave China, mainland or otherwise, without eating your own weight in dumplings. Be sure to try Xiaolongbao in the Jiangnan region (and Shanghai especially) which are unbeatable. Steamed in small bamboo baskets they’re lightly ‘soup-filled’, so you get a good dose of meat as well as jus. If you can handle the crowds, Nanjing Road is Shanghai’s main shopping street. More than just a shopping district, there are parks, People’s Square, museums, art galleries and opera houses. At 6 kilometres long, Nanjing Road is also the world’s longest shopping street - credit cards at the ready. Hong Kong Zoo opened in 1871 and includes the city’s lush botanical gardens, located on the Northern slope of Victoria Peak. Admire an inner-city sanctuary framed by skyscrapers and then head to the playground and aviaries. As with Disneylands everywhere, kids and adults love them! Indulge in a whimsical holiday when you venture to Hong Kong Disneyland or Shanghai Disneyland, or make your mark at both… a Disney extravaganza!