Lowes Travels

May 2-3

Let’s get back to our normal programming, after our exciting river rafting trip.

Let’s see, where were we? On May 2-4, we were cruising across the South China Sea from Ha Long Bay, Vietnam toward Hong Kong. As a refresher, my last Asia post was about our cruise in Southeast Asia and our final port stop in Vietnam.

This post documents the beginning of a new segment of our Viking cruise, the Far Eastern Horizons itinerary from Hong Kong to Japan.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong was a British overseas territory until 1997. Now it’s a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a 430.11 square-mile territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the world. And wow, it’s really dense!

When in Hong Kong, it’s all about the skyscrapers, and I mean skyscrapers as far as you can see. The skyline is characterized by them, and they are a result of the city’s high population density and limited land space. According to our tour guide, Hong Kong holds the most skyscrapers in the world. With over 9,000 high-rise buildings, more than 4,000 of them are skyscrapers, defined as standing taller than 328′. There are over 567 buildings above 492′ here as of 2025.

The skyline of Hong Kong Island is known for its unique layout, featuring mountains with Victoria Harbor amongst those many skyscrapers. Viking Orion was docked at the Ocean Terminal in Victoria Harbor, offering a 360º view of these buildings. Historically, New York City had the most skyscrapers with 317 until 2003 when Hong Kong (567) and Shenzhen, China (444), surpassed it.

We joined an excursion that took us around the city limits, then we boarded a quaint funicular railway that took us up to Victoria Peak. It’s the island’s highest point and we enjoyed a panoramic view of the city below. Then we hopped aboard a sampan boat for sightseeing around Aberdeen Harbour, and finally we window shopped at Stanley Market, which is a typical example of a traditional old open-air market.

When I last visited Hong Kong in 1985 our host had urged me to taste Dim Sum, which is a culinary tradition that consists of a variety of small savory food items served in steamer baskets or on small plates. It was so good having Steve join me to experience the real deal! Dim Sum has become an essential part of local culture. They were all yummy, and nothing was left on the plate after our meal – we loved it!

Back on the ship, we had dinner al fresco with Hong Kong Island in the background:

As the sun dipped, the lights came on and the city turned into a dazzling fairyland:

Taipei, Taiwan

Taiwan has been on the forefront of the news lately because of its contentious political status, but we didn’t focus on that during our visit. Instead we were in anticipation of setting foot in Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan and considered the world’s most technologically advanced city. As a matter of fact, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMCL), a Taiwanese global leader in advanced chip manufacturing is building a major advanced manufacturing facility right here in Arizona, just a few miles from where we live.

Our excursion had two planned visits while in the capital city: the Taipei Martyrs Shrine and the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. These are both symbolic places and among the top things to do while in Taipei.

Taipei Martyrs Shrine

According to our guide there are about twenty memorial shrines in Taiwan, but the Taipei Martyrs Shrine is the largest of them all. It is dedicated to the fallen members of the Republic of China Armed Forces. It also houses the Spirit Tablets that honor almost half a million people who were killed during the various engagements dating back to the founding of the Republic of China in 1912. 

The building is impressive, and the imposing columns and beautiful red doors with their massive supports provide an amazing view of the main hall:

 We thought the Martyrs Shine was an impressive destination in terms of its architecture.

National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and the area surrounding it is one of the most prominent landmarks in Taiwan. It’s also one of the most popular destinations for tourists visiting Taipei. It is one of the most revered monuments in honor of the leader who led nationalists from mainland China in 1949.

The hall and square became the hub of events in the 1980’s and early 1990’s that ushered Taiwan into its era of modern democracy. 

The park’s architectural design is impressive, and its large size made us appreciate the traditional design with a modern twist:

A visit to Taipei would be incomplete without seeing and posing next to a prominent landmark. The famed Taipei 101 was the world’s tallest building (1,667′) from 2004-2010. Time did not permit us to go to the top for a panoramic view of the city:

A visit to Hong Kong and Taiwan offered us a glimpse of countries influenced by Chinese culture. But they have distinct differences in histories, political systems and economic structures. Hong Kong is a former British colony, now a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, while Taiwan is a self-governed island with its own government and constitution. While Hong Kong excels in finance and trade, Taiwan is a leader in information and communication technology which now extends to Arizona with the construction of the TSMC with an investment now pegged at $165B!

Time to relax, thankful for the Chinese experience and ready to meet the awesome Japanese people next!

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Next Up: Nagasaki, Japan