Going to the United States must be a dream for most Asian people. The country has been one of the most popular destinations in the world. One of the attractions that becomes the magnet to visitors is its famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, where you could find hundreds of handprints of famous movie stars. Imagine yourself walking on a red carpet, welcomed by the screaming of hundreds of fans shouting your name. O yeah, you must love being in that situation. However, if you don’t have much money yet would like to have somewhat similar experience, you could go to the Asian version of Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hong Kong, called the Avenue of Stars. The site is a free attraction that can be enjoyed by all people of all ages.
For years, Hong Kong has been acknowledged as the leading country of filmmaking in Asia. Its film industry enjoys over than 100 years of history. In order to celebrate the glory of Hong Kong’s film industry, to pay tribute to Hong Kong’s film professionals, and to promote Hong Kong’s tourism, Hong Kong Tourism Board along with some other branches of Hong Kong government decided to build a promenade in front of the appealing Victoria Harbor, called The Avenue of Stars. The construction of this avenue has even boosted Hong Kong’s position as the “Hollywood of the East” country in Asia.
On my first visit to Hong Kong, Michelle and I, after visiting the Clock Tower, strolled around the Tsim Sha Tsui area to find the famous promenade. It is quite easy to reach there. You just need to take MTR and get off at Tsim Sha Tsui station and take exit E, or you could take a Ferry. The Avenue of Stars has unique beauty tourists cannot resist. Therefore, it becomes a must visit place for all tourists. The site is open to public visits day and night. However, the best time to visit it is either in the morning or late in the evening. In the evening, the view is even more breathtaking with the illumination of tons of twinkling lights.
Located at the Tsim Sha Tsui area, the Avenue of Stars is a 440-meter long promenade at the edge of the Victoria Harbor. The structure is modeled after its forerunner, the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the USA. No wonder this site is often referred as the Hollywood of the Orient. The original idea to build this avenue is to commemorate the history and achievements of Hong Kong’s film industry that for years has been very influential to the neighboring Asian countries even worldwide, and to honor movie professionals who have contributed to the success of Hong Kong’s film industry. It does not only honor movie makers, but also producers, directors and other well-deserving members of Hong Kong’s film industry community.
At the entrance to the avenue, a 4.5 meter-tall bronze statue of a woman triumphantly holding high a movie award is ready to welcome visitors. Located in the middle of the avenue, the statue has become the iconic symbol of the site.
Film awards statueThe sidewalk also features commemorative plaques emblazoned with the names and handprints of Hong Kong’s elected movie stars. 73 outstanding movie stars were carefully selected for the recognition at the Avenue of Stars by the Hong Kong Film Awards Association and the readers of City Entertainment. Those celebrities’ names are inscribed onto the surface of the avenue in a form of a tablet. Out of the 73 tablets, only 30 of them have the original handprints of the celebrities because the remaining celebrities are honored this way after their death.
Walking along the promenade, you will find over than 100 handprints of famous Hong Kong’s film workers who have contributed to the success of Hong Kong’s film industry. Some of the handprints belong to Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat, Andy Lau, Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, Stephen Chow, Yu So Chow, Miranda Yang, Patrick Tse Yin, Grace Chang, Gong Li and Aaron Kwok. Are you familiar with all those names? Some of the names are only recognizable to the locals or fans of Hong Kong’s movies, while some other names are also recognized by fans from all over the world e.g. Jet Li, Jacky Chan and Sammo Hung, who are known to be the king of Hong Kong’s action movie.
Bruce Lee’s plaque without his original handprints for he was honored this way after his death. 
Andy Lau’s plaque with his original handprints and signature
Jet Li’s plaque with his original handprints and signature
Jackie Chan’s plaque with his original handprints and signature. This is the most sought after plaque of all. To get a photograph with these handprints, you need to queue with other big fans of Cheng Long, the Chinese name of Jackie Chan. Cheng Long is the most famous actor in Hong Kong and because of his popularity, many people are eager to take picture with his handprints. When I put my hands into his handprints, I just realized that his hands are quite big
A metal handrail is put along the sidewalk to keep visitors from falling into the ocean below. 
A descriptive milestones of the development history of Hong Kong’s film industry
Life-size bronze statues of a filmmaking process. I feel like an actress here…
Life-size bronze statues portraying a filmmaking process 
This is the place where I could find a real freedom and relax myself. I love Hong Kong
The Avenue of Stars offers you the best vantage point to see the tall buildings in Hong Kong and enjoy the beauty of the adjacent Victoria Harbor. 
In the middle of the promenade stands a life-size bronze statue (2 meters) of Bruce Lee, the world’s most famous Kungfu martial arts star with his typical body gesture and action. The statue is a new addition to the site and is a memorial to the 65th anniversary of Bruce Lee’s birth.
When I reached this site, I was amazed by the view of Hong Kong skyline across the avenue. The tall buildings look like a paint in front of me. It was just so beautiful. I could breathe the fresh air, feel the calmness of the ocean and the warmness of the sun, enjoy the beauty of the harbor, and watch people walking along the avenue, making me feel so free. I could lay down all my burdens and see another side of life.
My boyfriend once told me when he was in Hong Kong whenever he had bad time, he would go to Avenue of Stars sitting on a bench facing the Victoria Harbor while playing his guitar and singing a song. He loved the feeling when he was spending time there. Gazing at the black sky and watching people strolling around, to him it is a perfect place for doing some personal reflection and cooling down. Yes, indeed I agree with him. The avenue is much more beautiful in the evening and is a romantic place to visit with your spouse.
Michelle and I were rushing to get here at 8 pm so we could watch the stunning nightly multimedia show of Symphony of Lights. Symphony of Lights is a light and laser show that always starts at 8 pm if the weather is fair. The performance lasts for 15 minutes. At this time, people would gather around the promenade to watch the stunning performance. Symphony of Lights has been recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest permanent light and sound show. The play uses lasers, skylights, searchlights, LED effects and some fireworks for visual effects. The lights are participated by over 40 of Hong Kong's iconic skyscrapers and buildings on the harbor in lighting up Victoria Harbor with pulsing, flashing lights, spotlights and colored beams, all choreographed to music. Initially, the technology was developed by an Australian firm and cost about 5 or 6 million USD. The narration is told in several languages. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the narration is in English. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, it is in Chinese. On Sundays, it is in Cantonese. Besides the Symphony of Lights, the Avenue of Stars also entertains its visitors by hosting a live music show every Saturday from 7-8 pm.
By the time we reached the site, we were impatient to wait for the show to begin. People started coming over and filled up the space. I was preparing my camera to record the performance. The show started with an introduction of each tall building, followed by the lighting accompanied by music.
I never saw such a beautiful sound and light performance like Symphony of Lights. The lighting of each building was in harmony with the music. While watching the show, I saw a dragon-like Ferry passing the ocean, adding to the beauty of the evening view. While watching, I recorded the show with my camera. Luckily, I got a position near the hand rail so I could see the whole view clearly. The Symphony of Lights ended with lightings flashing each other, which is a spectacular show to enjoy.
I love being at the Avenue of Stars. The place has given me unforgettable memory. This is the first place you must visit when you step your feet on Hong Kong. Feel the breeze, enjoy the beauty, shrink into the calmness and watch the show.
Sources:
Personal experience and additional information from other online articles
0 komentar:
Post a Comment