Ada is going to Horizon Plaza in Ap Lei Chau for some bargain hunting. Instead of tagging along with her like a clothing tag, i decided to do some sightseeing myself in Ap Lei Chau (鴨脷洲 lit: Duck's Tongue Island), and Aberdeen across the harbour.
 |
|
The only thing that's the slightest tourism worthy is the northern water edge of the Ap Lei Chau that consists 3 green spaces: Ap Lei Chau Park, Ap Lei Chau Waterfront Promenade and Ap Lei Chau Wind Tower Park.
 |
| Entrance to the ALC Wind Tower Park |
The google street view below is showing the same view as my photo above before the entrance was being erected. The Macky opposite also hadn't been opened.
After the entrance, there's a series of posters detail some of the history of this place as well as information regarding the traditional fishing and boat building, etc.
 |  |  |
The following art installation of window tower gives this park its name.
 |  |
There's also a museum that contains some exhibits, displaying tools of ship building.
 |
| Traditional tools of shipbuilding |
 |
| Capstan replica (I guess this is where the word "captain" comes from). |
There's zero chance that I wouldn't share a photo of sundial when I come across one.
 |
| Sundial. It's solar powered timepiece. No sun today, so no time keeping. The problem of not being base-load. |
Perhaps, the building that I find the most interesting in this park is the Kwun Yum Temple (觀音廟) because of its prominent tree in front of the temple. Normally, a tree of such size and/or location or shape would be cut down to make way for the building. In this case, the tree is the reason for the temple to be built there.
Doesn't this tree that's wrapped in tendrils looks like a dragon? No sane Taoist who believes in fengshui would chop down something like that. This is a Taoist temple, and Taoists are the fengshui originators.
 |  |  |
 |
| The plaque says "Shui Yuet Kung" |
 |
| Decorative plaque (click to enlarge) |
A "pediment" or more correctly a decorative plaque sits atop a beam just behind the entrance of the temple. It shows various operatic scenes. The top rectangle shows musician playing instruments. The middle bottom shows the well known scene of Zhuge Lian's Empty City Stratagem (空城計). On the right hand side (in gold) shows the name "Ap Lei Chau", but with the word "Lei" written as 利 (= "favourable) instead of 脷 (= "tongue").
Nestled between ALC Park, and ALC Waterfront Promenade is the bigger and more well known Hung Shing Temple. Unfortunately, it was closed off with lot of structures around it.
 |  |
I want to go to Aberdeen across the harbour, and the easiest way is by sampans or some watercraft. Several members of the Tripadvisor mob said that the sampan ladies would try to tout anyone who looks the slightest like a tourist.
I have been walking around the green strip of ALC for nearly 1.5 hours (and 45 mins on Aberdeen opposite). My bulky DSLR should alert to sampan rowers like a beacon in an harbour at night that put a spotlight on me that I was a tourist. Nobody approaches me. Either they aren't interested in my business, or that the tourism authority had a chat with them regarding to touting.
 |
| Tanka fisherwoman on a sampan. |
 |
| You could say that she's an icon for Hong Kong Tsai (Aberdeen) |
The closest thing I see of a sampan rower is this sculpture, which depicts a fisherwoman. She doesn't pay attention to me and gives me a steely (okay, a bronze) look.
After giving up being touted by lady sampan, I took the ferry to get across to Aberdeen for a fare of $2.10 HKD. I actually didn't have change, and they - like buses - don't give change. But the driver knew i was a tourist, and let me take a free ride.
After giving up being touted by lady sampan, I took the ferry to get across to Aberdeen for a fare of $2.10 HKD. I actually didn't have change, and they - like buses - don't give change. But the driver knew i was a tourist, and let me take a free ride.
 |
| Ferry pier where you board. Like buses, you need exact change or Octopus Card |
No comments:
Post a Comment