Xiaomeisha Beach 小梅沙海滩 – Shenzhen, China

         My friends, I have finished talking about places I have visited in Hong Kong. Now, let’s follow me to explore Shenzhen, one of the busiest port cities in China that is located on the Pearl River Delta. The first time I visited Shenzhen was summer 2009 when my church friends asked me to join them in a tour to a beach in Shenzhen called Xiaomeisha. Initially, they decided to have this trip to gather Indonesian students who stayed in Guangzhou during summer holiday. I also invited my brother, who at that time was spending his holiday in Guangzhou, to join us. We then joyfully headed to the beach by a rented van.  Along the journey, we sang Christian songs happily, talked to each other and laughed together. 

Hanny, Farida, Fanny, Fali, Ci Lily and I in the van. Girls power… hahaha

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Hong Kong Disneyland 香港迪士尼乐园 – Hong Kong, China

        Hong Kong is almost identical with Disneyland. Almost everyone who visits Hong Kong will always put it on the first list of their travel plan. Is Disneyland that attractive? What does it have that people would love going there despite the pricey entrance fee? Mmh... I was trying to figure it out during my second visit to Hong Kong. This time I went with my mom and boyfriend. My mom always heard from her friends that she must visit Disneyland because it is the icon of Hong Kong. My boyfriend who has visited Disneyland several times also said the same thing. However, when we wanted to go there he could not join because he had a church ministry. So, finally only mom and I set off for the park.

        It was Saturday afternoon, and the sun was very sunny. Before we went there, we had expected that the Disneyland would be very crowded as it was summer holiday. Of course, many parents would bring their children to the park. Therefore, if you want to visit the park you’d better avoid weekends and peak seasons unless you want to end up having a time-consuming and tiring holiday. Actually, I dislike visiting too crowded places, but this time I had no choice because I had to accompany my mom since it was her first time at Hong Kong. I recklessly tidied up and then together with my mom rushed to the MTR. It was already 1 pm. and we did not want to waste our time.
 

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Golden Bauhinia Square 金紫荆广场 – Hong Kong, China

        Every time I visited Hong Kong, I always grabbed the free travel guides provided at the immigration entrance. The book mentioned that one of the tourist attractions in Hong Kong is the Golden Bauhinia Square. Since I had not visited the site during my first visit there, I was determined to go there on my second visit. I asked my mom and boyfriend to go there. We asked for directions and took the MTR to Wan Chai station. We then walked across a bridge and kept walking for about 15 minutes until we reached there.

        Located next to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center across the Wan Chai Star Ferry Pier that operates ferries to Tsim Sha Tsui, the Golden Bauhinia Square or also known as the Expo Promenade is an open area that has become a popular tourist destination in Hong Kong. The golden sculpture has a shape of Hong Kong’s very own bauhinia flower or known as the Hong Kong orchid that becomes the national emblem of the HKSAR and can be found all over Hong Kong as well as on the Hong Kong flag and on the back of Hong Kong coins.

 

   

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St. John’s Cathedral 圣约翰座堂 – Hong Kong, China

        Going to church is always a pleasant thing to do for me because I like to be in God’s house and dwell in His presence. His presence is just like a heaven to me. Whenever I have problems, a visit to church will always refresh me. So, if you are facing life difficulties and looking for a place that can take your burdens away, do not go anywhere but church. There you will experience God’s love and help. As I was waiting for the Big Bus to come and pick me up to go to the next destination, my mom and I visited St. John’s Cathedral that beautifully stands just across the Peak Tram station. Built in the style of Victorian Gothic, the cathedral is the oldest Anglican and the first Christian church in Hong Kong city. Dwarfed by the towering skyscrapers including the Bank of China Tower, the HSBC Building, the Legislative Council Building and the Central Government Offices, the church was constructed by the Governor, Sir John Davis on 11 March 1847 and finished in 1849 under the first Bishop of Victoria, Bishop George Smith. It underwent extension in 1873 and during the Japanese era, it was used as a club house for Japanese community that has caused severe damage on the building. It was then fully repaired and declared a historical building in 1996.

 

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Sampan Ride on Aberdeen Harbor – Hong Kong, China

        After visiting the Repulse Bay, we continued our Big Bus Tour to the Aberdeen Harbor. The bus dropped us at the Aberdeen station and then we were soon welcome by a Chinese guy. Then an old lady of 70 years old also approached us and ordered that guy to prepare his sampan. While he was turning on the boat machine, the lady asked us to show our sampan ride ticket. I just found out that she was the owner of the boat. We then boarded the boat and the boat operator warmly welcomed us. He took us around to see the fishing village and the Jumbo restaurant.

 

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