Play hard, pray hard in Hong Kong

From the brash, in-your-face commerce to the tranquillity of offshore monasteries, Hong Kong is a city of extremes, writes travel editor STEVE HART.

Nowhere else has an atmosphere quite like Hong Kong. From the moment the 23-minute rail journey from Chep Lap Kok airport ends near the heart of the city I am caught up in this buzzing, exciting metropolis, full of fun, contrast and diversity.

It's easy to see why it is called the City of Life. There's so much to do and explore: the New Territories, with their ancient buildings and Hong Kong's only historic pagoda (Tsui Shing Lau); Lantau Island's monastery; Kowloon with its "take no prisoners" approach to selling electrical goods to tourists; and, of course, tarty Hong Kong Island.

There's food glorious food at every turn in Hong Kong and the opportunity to immerse oneself in the city's culture is irresistible. Just stand on any street and watch the daily grind and sweating brows of the rank and file working just metres away from the opulent luxury of fine restaurants, cool bars - great for people-watching - and clubs.

The chatter of a thousand conversations, the horns of cars and trams fighting for the same patch of road and the all-consuming odour of fish, meat, poultry and rice overwhelms the senses.

During the day the place is buzzing, you can almost feel the commerce in the atmosphere. Money is being made, and lots of it for some.

Among it all are millions of people, many sharing accommodation with up to 20 others - the cost of rent puts sole occupancy out of reach of the average wage earner. Perhaps that's why many young people appear to stay out late working, shopping, eating and drinking - returning home only to rest.

Get out early, stroll to any park or open space, and you'll probably spot people practising tai chi, some on their own, others as part of a group, and westerners joining in with the locals and having a go.

Husband-and-wife team William Ngu and Pandora Wu (a tai chi master) are keen on spreading the good word of this martial-art-cum-callisthenics at free, open-air classes.

An invitation to join them can't be refused, but after a long flight and a poor night's sleep I'm not in the best frame of mind to stand in a park, watched by who knows how many people, doing slow-motion exercises under Pandora's watchful eye and William's keen instructions.

I quickly discover that, like many things, tai chi is much harder than it looks. The harder I try, the worse I get, until I start to relax and follow my leader.

I figure I must look like a walrus trying to perform something from Swan Lake.

Pandora is one of Hong Kong's best-known masters of tai chi. Created in the 12th century, tai chi is said to balance the yin and yang of our bodies, doing as much for the mind and soul as for the body.

Today, this deceptively difficult exercise of fluid motion remains one of the most popular ways of keeping fit in China, especially among the older generation.

"Tai chi, in the philosophical sense, explains everything in the universe," says William. "It treats the universe as a unity. Tai chi possesses two parts completely different in nature, yin [negative] and yang [positive].

"Everything is said to posses yin and yang - it exists in the north and south poles, in day and night, summer and winter.

"Tai chi is a way of finding yourself and your own special path through life. It's much more than just a physical exercise. To a great extent it is about inner spirit, meditation and the harmony of body and mind."

After an hour of tai chi I do feel much better and am even prepared to have a go at a routine using a fan with Pandora. She has a great sense of humour and shares my laughter as I try to match her expert balance and co-ordination. Tai chi certainly seems to be a healthy option.

If you're into healthy foods, the area of Queen's Rd West and Des Voeux Rd West (get there from Sheung Wan MTR station) is a must-see. Shop after shop sells dried foods such as orange shrimps (by the bucketload), strings of fish, flattened squid and shelves of pale-yellow shark fins.

They don't need signs announcing what they sell - you can smell it two blocks away. It's great. It's life. Breathe deeply and absorb the atmosphere - get stuck in.

Take the Star ferry from Hong Kong to Kowloon for a great shopping experience. There are markets and scores of stores selling domestic electrical goods - but few are priced-up in the window.

Go in and ask the price by all means, but only the determined tourist leaves without making a purchase.

If you're serious about buying something there, do your research before you go. Pick an item, price it and then you'll know if you're getting a bargain. Be prepared to haggle to get at least 20 per cent off the asking price.

Evening offers the young at heart the chance to shop and party as Hong Kong's iconic shop lights and bright neon signs spark into life, making night almost as bright as day. The club culture swings into action - a true, in-your-face "work hard, play hard" ethic that gets the pulse racing. It's infectious.

In some areas people spill on to the streets going from one bar to the next, stopping at street vendors along the way to grab a portion of fresh noodles to soak up the spirit of their adventure.

Despite the party atmosphere and throngs of people, Hong Kong is a safe place to stroll around on your own. And it's a place where the happy hour of cut-price drinks often stretches to five hours, which is just as well as at HK$50 ($15) for a glass of beer, few people can afford to party for too long.

SoHo (South of Hollywood Rd) in the central district is an area for bars, restaurants, more bars, a variety of themed clubs and (more) bars. It's not a place where one could be left hungry or thirsty. There's a restaurant for everyone - those who want to go traditional Chinese and those who would rather not.

But even at night the thirst for business doesn't stop. Bar promoters try every trick to get you into their establishment. One even hands out cards offering a free drink - needless to say no free drink is forthcoming on arrival, but having made the journey I thought it rude not to buy one, especially with just five minutes of the "happy hour" left.

Another SoHo bar is offering punters an hour of free drinks - trouble is, it won't reveal which hour it would be. If you know the score, being part of the Hong Kong nightlife is fun, but I can imagine some visitors feeling a bit short-changed by the experience until they get into the swing of it.

Culture-vultures are well-catered for, with plenty of museums, galleries and old buildings to visit.

And a trip across (or under) the water to Lantau Island is a good adventure for those in search of spiritual enlightenment.

I catch a bus for the journey to the Po Lin Monastery, established in 1924, and am soon transfixed by the distant site of a silhouetted Buddha (Tian Tan) sitting with its back toward me on top of Muk Yue Peak.

Built from 16 prefabricated sections and completed in 1993, the 26.4m tall icon is the world's largest, seated, outdoor bronze Buddha and has become a key attraction along with the monastery.

Cast in China, assembly of the Buddha began in 1988. It weighs 220 tonnes (you'll have to take my word for that) and 278 steps - I counted them - lead to the foot of this giant, which is surrounded by six smaller Buddhas.

No one is rushing around here, there's a calmness in the air that is helped by the sound of chanting monks coming from loud speakers at a snack bar-cum-gift stall. As nice as it is, the stall seems to cheapen what is otherwise a serene and wonderful experience.

Leaving huge red-hot bowls of burning incense sticks behind me, I take the steps to the Buddha - one at a time to savour the experience.

Half way up and I conclude that I'm walking up the down side and concede that I am yin and yang challenged.

Standing beneath the giant, one wonders if this is one of those man-made objects you can see from space - like the Great Wall of China. It's an overcast day so hopes of photographing this giant in all its shining glory disappear, much like my enthusiasm to leave.

I want to enjoy the atmosphere a little longer and maybe, with help from my interpreter and guide, find a monk to talk to - I have a million questions. But the bus driver is beckoning me back to the here and now. I've got to leave.

More time and I could have explored the monastery, its artefacts and maybe enjoyed something at its vegetarian restaurant where monks prepare food for hungry visitors. Next time ...

* Steve Hart was a guest of Cathay Pacific and The Excelsior Hotel, Hong Kong.

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Case notes

Tai chi

Free tai chi classes with Pandora Wu and William Ngu are held at the Waterfront Promenade, behind Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, between 8am and 9am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Po Lin Monastery

Open from 11.30am to 5pm daily.

Take a ferry to Silvermine Bay (Mui Wo) from Hong Kong's Central Pier, and Bus No 2 to Po Lin. Or take the MTR to Tung Chung Station, and Bus No 23. Allow a full day for the trip and, depending on your schedule, consider a meal at Silvermine Bay or Tung Chung before boarding the bus.

If going to Po Lin, make the effort to visit the traditional fishing village of Tai O where you'll see houses on stilts and copious quantities of dried fish for sale.

Getting there

Cathay Pacific flies daily to Hong Kong from New Zealand. The return economy class fare is $1699 and the return business class fare is $4499.

Hong Kong Tourism Board: 09 307 2580