Interesting Facts about Hong Kong

There are few modern cities in the world that can actually hold might in front of the feng shui inspired skyscrapers, hilly topography and blue waters. With some of the best panoramic views of the world, the city is an enigma with its ancient rituals and action movies. Here are some very interesting facts about this beautiful city that you would be thrilled to know:

·         Hong Kong has the most number of skyscrapers within its boundaries. It has over 144 skyscrapers which are almost double the number of that standing in New York.

·         The term ‘Hong Kong’ means ‘fragrant harbor’. The place has been so named due to its various deep sea water ports that act as a major export and import hubs both for the national as well as international business community.

·         The whole of the city is built keeping Feng Shui in mind. In fact, whenever there is any new building th

at is being constructed, the architects and engineers always take the city’s Feng Shui in consideration to decide the placement of floors, stairs and doors. This helps them in ensuring that energy flow throughout the building remains consistent and positive.

·         There is a popular belief that eating noodles are a sign of long life. So, on a person’s birthday, it is considered to be a blessing to eat noodles as a mark of good life.

·         The population density of the city is said to be so high that the schools have to work two shifts a day. The first shift starts in the morning and ends in the noon while the other starts in the noon and ends in the evening. There is also the issue of burying these people in the cemeteries. In fact, there is so little space in the graveyards that the graves have to be stacked on top of each other.

·         The city of Hong Kong is a green area in totality. Around three quarters of the city consists of greenery in the form of gardens, parks , scenic areas and woodlands.

·         The locals of the city also one of the most intelligent in the world according to their IQ average. They have the highest IQ average of over 107 in the world.

·         In terms of tourist influx, Hong Kong is a popular choice for people all over the world. Going according to official figures, over 28 million tourists visited the place in 2011 making it one of most visited tourist destinations of the world.

·         Hong Kong has the largest fleet of double decker tram cars in the world that ply within its boundaries.

·         Instead of being one single area, Hong Kong is in fact made of 200 islands as well as some other polders which also includes land that has been reclaimed from the sea.

·         The population density of the city is 6540 people for every square kilometre. That is a pretty high figure!

Figuring some pretty interesting attractions, Hong Kong is an amazing place to visit that offers a multitude of colourful cultures and panoramas at a single place. The above mentioned interesting facts about the city only add to its allure making it a memorable addition to your travel itinerary. So, go visit this beautiful yet enigmatic place that is sure to add a feather to your vacation plans.

 

Must Eat Macau food delights

Most of the ardent travellers are also ardent foodies. In addition to visiting the tourist attractions, they find great delight in sampling the local flavours that add to the complete travel experience. In fact, many a times, food is counted to be as much a draw as the historical and cultural attractions of a city. Macau is no different. The city is a popular tourist attraction for its historical attractions as well as its multitude of must try foods that are popularly considered as cuisine signatures.

So, come lets take you on a tour that will treat not your visual senses but your palate and your foodies senses.

Portuguese Egg Tarts: Said to be the most famous food of Macau, the Portuguese Egg Tarts consist of a flaky pastry shell with a rich egg custard filling that is quite similar to a crème bulee with regards to its consistency. A warm caramelized top adds to the whole tasty experience.  You can taste this awe

some sweet dish anywhere in Macau as everyone from hotels to restaurants to even street vendors sell them.

Pork Chop Bun: Another seasoned yet well known street snack of Macau is pork chop bun. You can find various different versions of this simple dish in various parts of Macau. However, is you still crave to get the best of this dish, go have it at Tai Lei Lok Kei in Taipa that offers the winning combination of fresh baked crisp bun with tender juicy pork chop making it a scrumptious yet satisfying snack. The place starts making them at 3pm everyday and almost all stocks are finished by 5 pm so be sure to get your piece on time!

Mashed Potatoes: For something so simple, it may be considered madness to count it among the best Macau dishes. Yet, if you sample the same at the famous Michelin star winner restaurant Robuchon au Dome, you are sure to feel the temptation. This side dish is beyond imagination at this restaurant where its velvety and rich texture blows your mind away with its flavours and colour. There is a lot of butter and lot of potatoes all stirred together to make this simple yet flavourful dish.

Egg Rolls: Most of you may argue that Egg Rolls are hardly Macau’s speciality. However, due to their huge popularity in the area, they have taken on a unique local flavour specialist of the region . There are a number of stalls and restaurants serving this dish in the city but nothing beats the roadside stall of Taipa off the Rua Direita Caros Eugenio road where the snack is made with the combination of freshness and local color. Run by a local eccentric, the rolls are so sweet, crispy and light that you are sure to eat more than came for. Served hot off the girdle, the rolls are best for those looking for some light snacking of the local cuisine.

Serradura: Translated from the Portuguese word meaning ‘sawdust’, this unappealingly named dish is a much loved dish for most of the locals. Best served as a chilled pudding or as an ice cream, it contains of vanilla, condensed milk, cream, and a layer of sweet biscuits that have been crushed super fine to resemble sawdust. Found in most of the Macanese and Portuguese restaurants of the area, it is a hugely favoured item also sold by many vendors and bakeries. If you would like to get the best of the same, get the ice cream version of the same from Gelatina Mok Yi Kei in Old Taipa.

Almond Cookies and Sweet Pork Jerky: Often found at the same vendor, these two items are found everywhere in Macau. Best brought from the Koi Kee Bakery, branches of whom can be found all over Macau, these almond cookies have a nutty flavour and a gritty texture with a slight saltiness that makes the not too sweet. You can also choose from a huge collection of dried meats that range from wild boar to spicy beef to sweet pork jerky.

Black Garlic Chocolate: Black garlic, also known as fermented garlic, is a super food that has been shown to have high antioxidant content as well as a flavour and complexity that can be taken to its sweet extreme. At McPherson’s Sweet Shoppe, taste a rich treat with dark chocolate sandwiching black garlic gananche bringing a unique flavour to your mouth. There are also some delightfully different options of trying black garlic ice cream, frozen chocolate bananas as well as green tea ice cream.

These are just some of the samplers that we have brought to you. Get around to visiting Macau and you are sure to find some hidden gems in the streets of the city that are sure to take your trip to a completely new level.