Stanley Walking Trail

Stanley Walk

Walk to Stanley Market via a wooded and shady trail with views over Deepwater Bay and the Golf Course. The trail continues round the valley to Repulse Bay before heading down to Stanley. At Stanley you can visit the reconstructed Murray Building and shop at Stanley Market. Walk Time - 2 hrs WALK HONG KONG is a Company which specialises in taking tourists to explore the REAL Hong Kong away from the Shopping Centres and skyscrapers. The Guides will take you by Public Transport on a variety of walks. The walks have been categorised as Urban Walks, Rural Walks and Rural Hikes. See Hong Kong the way the locals see it.

The Challenge of Learning the Chinese Language

The Challenge of Learning the Chinese Language By John Davison Chinese is a language, or a group of languages, spoken by 1.3 billion people worldwide. If you believe Chinese to be one language, rather than a grouping, it is the single most commonly spoken language on the planet. It is spoken in countries like China, Taiwan Singapore, and Malaysia. If you are interested in learning Chinese, it can be intimidating and challenging. But learning Chinese can also be rewarding, and knowing it can have benefits for your career, and help to improve your travels to Asia. If you decide to learn the Chinese language, there a number of ways you can go about doing so. As a college student, you can study Mandarin Chinese and earn a degree in it. Earning a college degree in Chinese will provide you with a solid knowledge of formal, or Mandarin, Chinese. You will also be proficient in reading and writing the alphabet, which is a standard alphabet throughout the Chinese-speaking world. If you are established in your career, and find it necessary to learn Chinese for business dealings and /or business-associated travel, you can enroll in an accelerated Chinese language course online, or by purchasing audiotapes that teach quick techniques, which will help you to rapidly learn how to speak basic Mandarin Chinese. Learning to speak Chinese this way is convenient if you need to learn it before an important business trip. There are several learning centers that provide accelerated online programs in Chinese, and many lesson on tape available for purchase. If you are a student majoring of minoring in Chinese, or if you are a tourist with a desire to travel to Asia, an ideal way to learn the Chinese language is through participation in an immersion program. By doing this, you will not only learn how to speak Chinese, but you will learn about and experience Chinese culture. By studying Chinese in a city like Beijing, where the language is natively spoken, you will become part of the life and culture, and you will find learning to speak the Chinese language is much easier than you thought. Since it is a total immersion into the Chinese world, you will learn all conversational and idiomatic styles of the language. You will interact everyday with people who are native speakers of Chinese, and who can’t or won’t speak English with you. You will be taken on guided tours of the famous landmarks, as well as the everyday places. You will grow to understand and recognize the value of the ancient Chinese culture: the history, the art, the architecture, the food, and the people. You will attend courses in which you will learn the complex Chinese alphabet, how to read it, and how to write it as well. Learning the Chinese language by attending an immersion program is an ideal way to go. If you are fluent in the Chinese language, not only could it help you if are established in a career, but it could also open doors to new careers for you. For example, you could take a job as a foreign language translator, where you would be responsible for translating websites, training documents, and other important business documents, while helping to bridge the communication gap between two very different cultures. You might also consider a career as a teacher if English as a second language. You have the opportunity to relocate to a Chinese-speaking nation, and teach the English language to Chinese students. Being fluent in Chinese will definitely make your relocation less stressful. Learning how to speak, read, and write the Chinese language has many advantages. It gives you the potential to enhance you career by working and/or traveling abroad, or you would have opportunities to embark on new careers as a translator or a teacher. If you plan to travel to Asia, learning Chinese will make your journeys less stressful and more enjoyable. Taking the time to learning the Chinese language will open your eyes to a new and often misunderstood culture, and is an achievement that can be personally and professionally fulfilling. John is a director of numerous Internet companies and is a published author. Many articles have been produced on a variety of subjects with excellent content and depth. All his articles may be reproduced provided that an active link is included to Language Schools Find the essential information on where and how to learn a new or second language at Chinese Language Article Source:

Asian Gambling Basics

By Mansi Aggarwal Gambling became popular in China in the last phase of the imperial dynasty i.e. from 1644 to 1912. Canton, Macao, Shanghai and Hong Kong became the famous for their liquor and gambling. These areas inhabited foreigners, usually Americans, who were known to be rough. Moreover, majority of these inhabitants were males. Chinese natives indulged in gambling along with the foreigners. Famous gambling games in China include Mah Jongg and Pai Gow. Pia Gow consists of a bank having one woodpile. The banking duties are entrusted to one of the players. Other players are given four tiles of the woodpile, which they have to group in pairs of two such that the player’s pair should have a greater value than the bank. If the player succeeds then he wins the bet. A lot of money can exchange hands over this game. Mah Jongg, meaning ‘sparrow’ is an ancient game which was developed primarily for the rich class of China. The game is said to have been invented by a fisherman to prevent sea sickness. It is said that the fisherman invented this game to distract the other fishermen from the surroundings, so that they do not feel sea sick in the middle of the sea. Later, a Chinese general heard of the game and engaged his soldiers in it at night to prevent them from falling asleep. The game underwent a lot of variations and every region called it with a different name. Finally, the game was standardized in early 1990s. the game consists of 136 to 144 tiles depending on the whether the players choose to play with flowers or seasons. The play resembles rummy except for the fact that the game is played with tiles. The game also uses a pair of dice and chips to keep the score. It requires four players, the aim of each being to obtain a set of tiles. The set types that are permitted are “kong”, “pung” and “chow”. A complete hand contains four sets and a pair of similar tiles. The fist one to have this combination of fourteen tiles wins. Another game is Sci Bo, meaning ‘two dice’. This game is a betting game with players betting on the total of their dice. It is played with three dice. The bets include small bets that is the total may fall; between the range of four to ten, or big bets i.e. the total may fall between eleven to seventeen. The players shake the dice in a cup and keep the cup upside down with the dice hidden in the cup. Wagers are then made on the outcome. The player guessing the total can earn hugs sums. It is rumored that skilful players can predict the total by hearing the clanking of dice in the cup. In casinos the entire game is mechanized. Bets are placed on the number marked on the table. The dice are then shaken using a vibrating platform. The results are displayed on a screen. Other famous gambling games include Keno and Pachinko. Despite the popularity of these gambling games, not all Chinese states are ready to legalize it. While Macao has legalized gambling, Shanghai carries it on illegally. In Hong Kong, only horse raising is legalized and The Hong Kong Jockey Club earns huge revenue. Mansi aggarwal writes about. asian gambling. Learn more at http://www.asiangamblinggames.com.

Hong Kong Cantonese Food

The most common Chinese food in Hong Kong is Cantonese, from China's southern Guangdong province. Dishes consist of extremely fresh food, quickly cooked and only lightly seasoned. Popular ingredients are fruit and vegetables, fish and shellfish, though the cuisine is also known for its more unusual ingredients – things like fish maw, snake liver, dog and guinea pig – which most Westerners would baulk at eating. Cantonese restaurants also have the best selection of dim sum ('little eats'), a midday meal consisting of small flavoured buns, dumplings and pancakes, washed down with copious amounts of tea. The food is wheeled in trolleys through the restaurant: they'll come to your table and you select what you want. Most things cost the same, around HK$20–40 each, and you'll find it hard to spend more than HK$90–120 a head. Restaurants that specialize in dim sum open early in the morning, from around 7am, and serve right through lunch up until around 5pm; many regular Cantonese restaurants also serve dim sum, usually 10–11am until 3pm. It's best to go in a group so that you can order a number of items to share."

Tsui Sha Tsui

Tsim Sha Tsui

The tourist heart of Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui, is an easy place to find your way around. The Star Ferry Terminal, for ferries to Hong Kong Island, is right on the southwestern tip of the peninsula. East of here, along the southern shore, facing Hong Kong Island, are a number of hi-tech, modern museums and galleries built on reclaimed land, while Salisbury Road, just to the north, is dominated by the magnificently traditional Peninsula Hotel. Running south to north right through the middle of Tsim Sha Tsui, and on through the rest of Kowloon, is Hong Kong's most famous street, Nathan Road, jammed with shoppers at all hours of the day and night. The distinctive ski-slope roofline of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, which occupies the former site of the Kowloon Railway station, about 100m east of the Star Ferry Terminal, is unmissable. Inside there are concert halls, theatres and galleries, including, in an adjacent wing, the Museum of Art (daily except Thurs; HK$10, free Wed), which is definitely worth a visit. As well as calligraphy, scrolls and an intriguing selection of paintings covering the history of Hong Kong, the museum has a good Chinese antiquities section. Immediately to the east, the domed Hong Kong Space Museum (Mon & Wed–Fri 1–9pm, Sat & Sun 10am–9pm; HK$10, free Wed) houses some highly user-friendly exhibition halls on astronomy and space exploration. The highlight here, however, is the planetarium, known as the Space Theatre, which presents amazing wide-screen space shows for an additional fee (HK$32, concessions HK$16; call 2721 0226 for show times). Immediately east of the Peninsula Hotel, running north from Salisbury Road, neon-lit Nathan Road dominates the commercial hub of Kowloon and boasts Hong Kong's most concentrated collection of electronics shops, tailors, jewellery stores and fashion boutiques. The variety of goods on offer is staggering, but the southern section of Nathan Road, known as the Golden Mile for its commercial potential, is by no means a cheap place to shop these days, and tourist rip-offs are all too common. One of the least salubrious, but most exotic, corners of Nathan Road is the gigantic Chungking Mansions, 200m north of the junction with Salisbury Road. The shopping arcades here on the two lowest floors are a steaming jungle of ethnic shops, curry houses and dark corners, which seem to stretch away into the impenetrable heart of the building, making an interesting contrast with the antiseptic air-conditioned shopping malls that fill the rest of Hong Kong. The upstairs floors are packed with guesthouses – the mainstay of Hong Kong's backpacker accommodation. A few hundred metres north of Chungking Mansions, Kowloon Park (daily 6am–midnight) is marked at its southeastern corner by the white-domed Kowloon Mosque (not open to tourists). There's also an indoor and outdoor swimming-pool complex in the park, with Olympic-size facilities (daily 6.30am–9.30pm; tel 2724 3577). Over on Chatham Road South, east of Nathan Road, are two hulking museums that are worth a browse. The first, the Hong Kong Science Museum at 2 Science Museum Rd (Tues–Fri 1–9pm, Sat & Sun 10am–9pm; $25, Wed free) has three floors of hands-on science exhibits especially designed for children. Just opposite is the new $390 million-Hong Kong Museum of History (daily except Tues 10am–6pm; $10, Wed free), where you can walk through four million years in a couple of hours in the ambitious permanent exhibit called "The Story of Hong Kong". The exhibition has been put together in a blaze of colour, and is supplemented by video screenings, light shows, computer interactive software and life-size reproductions of everything from patches of prehistoric jungle to a 1960s cinema screening a documentary.

Hong Kong Disney income can cover expansion costs

Disney income can cover expansion costs

Views heard: Secretary for Economic Development & Labour Stephen Ip takes questions on a radio talk show. Hong Kong Disneyland's operating income will cover the cost of expanding its facilities, Secretary for Economic Development & Labour Stephen Ip says. Speaking on an RTHK talk show today, Mr Ip said a million visitors have visited the theme park since its opening. With a daily average of 14,000 visitors - only 1,000 less than the Government's estimate - he said the park's operating income will be sufficient to cover expansion expenses. The Government will not need to inject any funds. He said the park must enhance Mainland marketing as the Individual Visit Scheme has been expanded to cover 200 million people in 38 cities. More Hong Kong Parks mooted More than 19 million people visited Hong Kong in the first 10 months of the year, putting the year's target of 23 million well within reach. The theme park and the Individual Visit Scheme are some of the many factors which help boost tourism. The Government is discussing building more theme parks. When asked whether the WTO 6th Ministerial Conference will benefit tourism, Mr Ip said more than 10,000 people will take part and most hotels in Central and Wan Chai are fully booked. As some visitors may want to avoid coming to Hong Kong during the conference, the Tourism Board offers updates on the latest situation on its website. 2011 Hong Kong Cruise terminal Mr Ip said a site at the end of the old Kai Tak Airport runway is suitable for proposed cruise terminal facilities. To ensure the site selected is the best available and acceptable from a town-planning viewpoint, a two-month open invitation for expressions of interest was launched last month. It will ascertain whether there are suitable and feasible sites other than Kai Tak for a new terminal. Mr Ip said if a site cannot be identified through this call for expressions of interest, the Government will focus on developing a terminal at Kai Tak for 2011.

2005 Macau International Kart Grand Prix

17 & 18 Dec Karting is recognized worldwide as the entry point for young racers and leading international motorsport teams watch the category closely in their constant search for future champions. On November 17 & 18, Macau will host the 2005 Macau International Kart Grand Prix The event will be run at the Macau Kartodrome, a specially constructed facility on Coloane Island and probably the finest in Asia. This year, several 'Formula A' contenders from Italy, Finland, Germany, England and France have been invited to join the race on the 1.2 km purpose built circuit. The karting track is accessible to both adults and children and exceeds the International B Standard. A motor sports themed restaurant inside the circuit offers food and beverages, and grandstands are available to watch the fun. Start Time: around 10:00 a.m. | Venue: Kartodromo, Coloane | Ticket Price: MOP$100 (Complimentary) Organizers: Macau Sport Development Board, Macau Government Tourist Office, China-Macau Autosports Club Telephone enquiries: (853) 726 578, 882 126

Two new Tricat Catamarans MK2009 and MK2010 joining TurboJET Hongkong Macau Route

Press Release (Hong Kong- September 2, 2005) Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Ltd. held a celebration cocktail this afternoon at the New Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal to announce the acquisition of two new TriCat Catamarans MK2009 and MK2010. The ceremony was officiated by Mr. Ao Man Long, Secretary for Transport and Public Works of Macau SAR and Ms. Pansy Ho, Director and CEO of Shun Tak- China Travel Ship Management Limited. At the occasion, TurboJET reiterated its dedication towards the promotion of Macau tourism through establishing the city as a premier destination and transit node within the Pearl River Delta. Committed to Building the Future of Macau The strongest fleet of high-speed passenger vessels in Asia, TurboJET, has sustained continuous growth in passenger volume over the past years. In particular, TurboJET Sea Express plying the airport routes has experienced considerable growth since its launch. In response to such demands and an anticipated surge in passenger volume with the launching of various upcoming large-scale tourist attractions, TurboJET is enhancing its exceptional services through the acquisition of two new Tricat Catamarans- the MK2009 and MK2010, to offer more frequent and enjoyable services to customers. At the celebration cocktail, Director and CEO of Shun Tak- China Travel Ship Management Limited, Ms. Pansy Ho indicated, “As the leading high-speed passenger fleet in Asia, TurboJET is determined to extend a multi-modal air-sea transit system within the PRD in order to complement Macau’s vibrant development and the resultant surge in passenger volume. The acquisition of two new TriCat Catamarans marks another important step to realize this vision we had as early as year 2002.” Ms. Ho further continued, “As Macau is an important gateway to the PRD, TurboJET will continue to utilize its profound experience in the passenger shipping industry, and take on a leadership role in promoting the city’s tourism, as well as reinforcing its strategic advantage as the region’s transit node.” Two New Deluxe Catamarans- MK2009 and MK2010 TurboJET’s newest members, two deluxe TriCat Catamarans, arrived in Hong Kong on August 15, 2005. Each of the watercraft measures 45 metres in length and weighs 185 tons, and are expected to commence service in September and later in the year respectively. The two luxurious catamarans are named MV 2009 and MV 2010. Fitted with powerful 60M twin turbines, the TriCats deliver a service speed of 45 knots per hour and are both equipped with the signature night sailing system uniquely developed by TurboJET. Each vessel has a seating capacity of 333 passengers, offering Economy and Super Class services plus an optional VIP cabin. In addition to servicing our flagship Hong Kong-Macau route, the two vessels will also service sailings between Hong Kong, Shenzhen and airport routes. Significantly increasing capacity in the existing 8 TriCat vessels In order to enhance service volume, an upgrading program for the current fleet of 8 TriCat catamarans is underway since July 2005. Vessel interiors will be reconfigured to increase seating capacity by 10% (from the current 303 seats to 333 seats). Completion of refurbishment is scheduled for year 2006, upon which time, each of the 10 TriCats will offer 282 Economy Class seating and 51 Super Class seating (including 6 seats in VIP cabin). The upgrading program is estimated to cost HK$16.56M. Macau routes experiencing multi-fold growth With the series of spectacular events lined up for the rest of the year including the International Firework Display Contest, East Asian Games, Grand Prix etc., it is expected that millions of tourists will be swarming to Macau via sea routes. Moreover, the launching of world acclaimed attractions, including Hong Kong Disney, Macau Tower Sky Jump and UNESCO World Heritage “Historic Centre of Macau”, are expected to draw a significant volume of overseas tourists to the two cities. In light of such, TurboJET is upgrading its fleet to maintain its service pledge of providing the ultimate in speed, comfort and smoothness. Keeping up with PRD's significant boom in tourism, Shun Tak-China Travel strives to expand its service coverage from its flagship Hong Kong-Macau route to new sailings interconnecting major cities within the PRD. The launching of its Macau-Shenzhen route in year 2002 and the establishment of TurboJET Sea Express in September 2003 which provides ferry services connecting the Hong Kong International Airport, Macau International Airport and Shenzhen BaoAn Airport are good indicators of its foresight and dedication, aiming to provide travelers with an innovative and convenient sea travel alternative. For enquiries, please contact your local TurboJET office: Macau (853) 7907039, Shenzhen (86 755) 2777 6241 or Hong Kong (852) 2859 3333.

Chamber Music Concert in Macau

Chamber Music Concert in Macau

Dec. 11, 2005 The St. Pius X Music Academy, founded in 1962 by Fr. Áureo Castro, is Macau's leading institution in promoting music education and fostering young artistic talent. Music lovers now have the chance to listen to inspiring classics by teachers of the Academy and musicians from Hong Kong in the gracious surroundings of the Military Club, one of Macau's finest historic buildings. The programme features one of Beethoven's earliest and most popular works - the Piano Trio in C minor - as well as a sextet for violin, viola, cello, clarinet, horn and piano by Ernst von Dohnanyi, who is regarded as the greatest Hungarian pianist and composer after Liszt. The concert will also include piano duet favourites from Faure's Dolly Suite. Time: 6:00 p.m. | Free admission | Venue: Military Club of Macau, Rua da Praia Grande, No. 975 Organizer: St. Pius X Music Academy | Telephone enquiries: (853) 355 654　| www.s-pio-x-mus.edu.mo | source: mgto

Exhibition: City Skin - Images of the Contemporary Metropolis

Macau Exhibition: City Skin - Images of the Contemporary Metropolis

City Skin' examines the relationship between broadcasting and the contemporary metropolis. In addition to exhibiting at Tap Seac Gallery, displays can be seen near St. Lazarus and Mount Fortress. In Tap Seac Gallery, the exhibits are mainly visual and dimensional multimedia items showing the relationship of history to culture. In the St. Lazarus district, the exhibits are divided into the 'City Skin Poster Series', 'Touch Series' and 'Water Reflections' in a combination of visual and sensory experiences. Photographs, posters and designs will be on display at Mount Fortress and its Corridor, with lamp boxes and video subjects showcased. Opening Hours: Tap Seac Gallery - 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Open on public holidays) Address: Av. do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida, No. 95 Mount Fortress and its Corridor - 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. St. Lazarus district - 24 hours | Free admission | Organizer: Cultural Affairs Bureau | Telephone enquiries: (853) 335 140 | Source: MGTO