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We had decided to head to Northern Thailand and Laos for the Christmas and New Year season in order to avoid the crowds on the Thai islands. What a fortunate decision that turns out to have been! I will be writing about our experiences in Thailand in the next update, but in order to maintain the chronological order of events this is our travel update on Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. <br />

Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan

Odv
2006-04-13 20:03:23

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We had decided to head to Northern Thailand and Laos for the Christmas and New Year season in order to avoid the crowds on the Thai islands. What a fortunate decision that turns out to have been! I will be writing about our experiences in Thailand in the next update, but in order to maintain the chronological order of events this is our travel update on Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

It had been 12 years since I last set foot in Hong Kong. Back then, in 1992, the territory was still under British rule. In spite of the Chinese flag now flying over Hong Kong surprisingly little has changed in its commercial culture, it is still a bustling city where you can get whatever you want 24 hours a day.

The skyline, which in 1992 was already quite impressive is now even more so. The Bank of China building, which at the time was the tallest is now dwarfed by even taller buildings. Hong Kong has not stopped, it has grown. Hong Kong is also the biggest investor in mainland China, creating an interdependence between the two.

Fortunately none of the Chinese media restrictions apply to Hong Kong, instead the Hong Kong media is accused of applying self censorship. But at least the Internet is unhindered by Chinese censorship and even the Falung Gong, using very graphic photos and films, loudly protest Chinese atrocities against its members on many street corners.

The former Portuguese colony of Macau, just across the Pearl river delta, has its own little economic boom going on, mostly on the back of legalized gambling.

Fortunately Macau has some other attractions that make it a pleasant side trip from Hong Kong. These include some colonial architecture and a more relaxed atmosphere.

Taiwan
Our Chinese travels began and ended in Taiwan. The capital, Taipei, has what is currently the tallest building in the world, Taipei 101. It has 101 stories and is 508 meters high. It was not yet opened when we visited, but ...