However, I am still not done yet with my Hong Kong trip. This post around I will write about 黃大仙祠 and The Snoopy World that I pimped during my recent trip there. Click to enlarge the the picture below for the panorama view of Hong Kong island. I still miss Hong Kong very much, very very much indeed.
In Hong Kong, this is one of the most important card that you cannot live without. It is even more important than your credit card. Remember to get this Octopus card at the nearest MTR station and it is just like a prepaid card where you can use in most convenience stores like 7-11s, etc, and not forgetting too, the public transport. This card is a MUST.
黃大仙祠 or in pinyin known as Wong Tai Sin Temple is the most famous shrines in Hong Kong. If you have not been there before, you most probably had a glimpse of this place before in some Hong Kong TVB dramas.
Getting there is pretty simple. Take the Kowloon line MTR and stop at the Wong Tai Sin station (obviously right?). Like any main MTR stations in HK, you normally walked through your way in some shopping mall greeted by a very helpful signages all over.
As soon as you step out from the station, it will be obvious that you are approaching the temple soon as along the way, you can see many stalls like the below selling joss sticks & prayer items. My advice is that, you can buy the joss sticks but not those burning papers because you end up not being able to bring it in.
This is the main entrance of the temple. Burning paper is strictly prohibited in the temple. First timers normally do not realize this until the guard warned. You will only be allowed to bring in joss sticks, those burning papers will be left in a special basket in front of the entrance.
You will be welcomed with a garden with pretty peaceful surroundings. You can see people busily praying and placing their joss sticks at the numerous shrines in the temple.
This is also the place Buddha devotees praying their Buddhist chants here. Everyday, the people of Hong Kong will flock this temple to wish for good health & prosperity. You can see mainly ladies will do the tradition of 求簽 (Kau Cim), a Chinese fortune telling methodology.
Neat & clean, it has clear signages to lead to various parts of the temple. Right behind the main altar, there is a garden where you donate minimum HKD$10 (if I am not mistaken) to enter. There is no ticket conductor or so, purely based on your sincerity.
In this garden, you can see traditional Chinese architecture resembling Pagodas. There is a pond which housed Japanese Kois, tortoises & lilies.
As you climb up, you will be greeted by a stream & a waterfall.
I managed to self-timer camwhored myself as I am traveling all by myself. Excuse this camwhore bitch ya :P
The view on top of this temple is simply amazing, with the not so hot weather, it is an enjoyable noon afterall.
Some large vending machines in the temple. Coke Diet is not that popular, in HK they have this Coke Zero.
After the 2 hours tour in Wong Tai Sin, from the Kowloon MTR line, I took the railway line to Sha Tin (沙田), direct translation 'Sands Field'. Like I mentioned before, in HK, you really do not need to own a car, the whole public transport system is so complete, car is not an essential criteria to get attached here :)
Upon reaching Sha Tin station, it is another shopping mall-cum-station called New Town Plaza. There is nothing much to talk about the shopping mall except that it houses IKEA furniture store (our Malaysian store is much larger though).
At the balcony of level 3 of this mall, that is where the Snoopy's World is. I thought it is a pay-to-enter kind of park, but it is absolutely complimentary. I am not a Snoopy fan though but cannot help myself to camwhore a bit in this park :P
Finally the last picture. My message on this picture to all my readers is that, "Traveling in HK is PEANUTS! You will never get lost"
There are more to come on HK.
Stay tune!
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