Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Hung Hom Promenade Walk

I was in the Hung Hom area, just checking out my old Hong Kong stomping grounds.  (This is where I first moved when I came to Hong Kong all those years ago.)  Hung Hom district is such a great area for food and living.  I just love the fond memories I have of walking the blocks around here. 

There are loads of different restaurants around every block.  The housing is pretty standard…there are all the conveniences of life just nearby…And the transportation to Tsim Sha Tsui (or anywhere in Kowloon), Central (or anywhere on Hong Kong island), and, even to Lantau Island, is just so convenient!

It actually sort of feels like a young college district too, since it is quite close to Hong Kong Polytechnic University.


After lunch, my friend and I went for a walk to burn off some calories…as you do.  We headed down to the Hung Hom Promenade, which is a great place to do a nightly summer jog…because it isn't too long.  So, if you are a beginner, the length, the flatness, and the lack of crowds is perfect.

Though it's been nearly five years, the promenade hasn't changed much.  It's still a lovely, flat, clean area to walk/run and enjoy the scenery.  It also looks out onto Kowloon Bay, when, in the evenings, you can see the Mega Box Mall in all its lit glory.


In the evenings, as well, when the Symphony of Lights is running, the Hung Hom promenade (nearer to the ferry pier) is a great place to enjoy the show.

The promenade extends from the Hung Hom ferry pier all the way back past some residential apartment complexes.  It's a pretty safe area in the evenings, but it seems quite abandoned in the day time.


The promenade reminds me of the seaside because of the scale-like tiling on the walkway.


The view over Kowloon Bay and also over Victoria Harbour are spectacular…


Along the promenade, there are multiple areas to sit, which is such a great thing!!!  It makes me want to pack a lunch next time and have a waterfront picnic.




Besides the calming of the lapping water, the green islands and also the bushes along the walkway make this place even more serene than some other promenades that I've walked.


It's pretty awesome to just get lost in your thoughts here…with all the fast-paced-ness of Hong Kong…it's really quite nice to find such a peaceful place in the city.


Walking along the promenade, there were also a few line fisher people who were trying to fish.  There were a few guys with buckets, bate, and fishing poles…I think they were out there more for the socialization than to really catch any fish.


There was also this woman who had dropped her hook and line down into one of the holes in the walkway to try to catch something.  I think she was more there for committing to do something interesting for the afternoon than to really catch any fish as well…!

It's really interesting to just sit and watch what these fisher people get up to.  It makes me think of how Hong Kong used to be made up of fishing villages... It also reminds me a lot of Seattle, where you can watch people crabbing down by the waterfront or fly fishing at the beaches.


Fun Fact:  Hung Hom's promenade is where the Cross-Harbour Swim begins.  It's a race that was really popular back in the early 1900s until 1979.  A few people have told me that the race was cancelled because the pollution in the Harbour got so bad.  But, the race was reinstated in 2011 and has been an annual shindig ever since!



We doubled back to the Hung Hom ferry pier, where there is a public restroom to use just in case!

There were some people fishing over here as well...



And we were lucky to catch a glimpse of the famous Hong Kong sampan skimming across the Harbour…


Because of my new initiative to begin 2016 with being more active…basically, walking more, I've really started enjoying discovering new places where I can just walk and let my mind wander.  It's even more fun to have someone to walk with me…

I'm a lover of walking…but having someone to chat with makes the time pass by more pleasantly!