Hong Kong - 2007

This is the towering pagoda at the summit of the mountain at the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery in Sha Tin. A long and steep climb takes you past thousands of images of Buddha, and onwards to several small temples - with the ultimate destination of the reflective Buddha inside this tower.

My journey to Hong Kong has become a great adventure. I was invited to be a visiting scholar at the Hong Kong Institute of Education for four months. Since arriving a month ago, I have settled in to my palatial office and humble flat on the campus at Tai Po, in the New Territories. Situated north of the island of Hong Kong, the New Territories are a vast land tract, full of high subtropical rainforest mountains, inlets and coves, and massive housing estates. The area was once the garden of Hong Kong, but in the past few decades has become the home of millions. Nonetheless, beauty spots still remain, and I am trying to see Hong Kong as a local.

Tai Po is a normal community - full of shopping centres, housing estates, industrial sites and people. Tourist guidebooks consider the area to be of little interest, but actually it can be quite an interesting spot. The natural beauty of the area is something very special - vast areas of green mountains and big tracts of water distinguish Tai Po. A large area, it is quite diverse and interesting. There are prolific numbers of butterflies and dragonflies in the sky, and birds are heard in the early morning. If you want to see the stars at night, you can - if there is no haze.

Shopping in Tai Po can be very interesting. There is a large market in a modern building, replacing the traditional outdoor market - probably for reasons of hygiene. The market has everything for the table - a wet market area with fish, vegetable and fruit sellers, odds and ends, and at the top floor, a large restaurant area with inexpensive food. Few people speak English, so for me it is a matter of pointing, or even sketching, what I want or need.

Public transport is plentiful, and from the bus/train terminal, you can take off for many destinations. So far, my travels have focused on the island and nearby Kowloon. The island is what everyone thinks of as Hong Kong - the centre of its commercial and financial life. The island is a fantastic place - full of energy at every hour of the day and night. Also full of pollution... To travel to the island, it takes about 50 minutes by bus and train from my location at Tai Po. On Tuesday, 25 September, I travelled to the city to view the scene for the biggest family event on the Hong Kong calendar - the Mid Autumn Festival. The city was packed with revellers - from 6 pm until the wee hours of the morning, families gathered at Victoria Park to view the giant lanterns set up as displays and to take part in the entertainment offered by the city. Nearby, in the park, families set up small areas for picnics, and hung lanterns lit with candles to settle in for an evening of conversation and dining on the grounds of the beautiful parkland setting.