It was a pleasant contrast from the burnt dusty earth of Beijing to come to Mission Hills golf complex comprising of 12 championship courses designed by world famous golfers. Mature trees, lush green grass and tropical shrubs adorned the manicured golf courses. The courses are floodlit so that players can play in the fading light of the evening sunset. This is a golfer’s paradise. The China Open is held here. There is a golf academy attached where young caddies are trained and accompany golfers in their buggies, dressed in their uniform colourful attire. The non golfers in
the party relaxed in luxurious surroundings by the pool. This is not my idea of a holiday so I went to a Folk and Cultural Park called “The Splendid of China” with friends.It was a theme park like Bunratty Castle, showing ancient traditional houses, temples, pagodas, settlements, ancient windmills, a replica of Chairman Mao’s house, the burial site of the famous terracotta warriors and all famous monuments including the Great Wall. We crossed over the border into Hong Kong.
Hong Kong was very much a far-flung outpost of the Chinese empire until European traders started importing opium into the country from India. The Chinese people became addicted to the “foreign mud” as it was known. The Chinese army destroyed a huge British shipment of the stuff. The British retaliated, defeated the Chinese army and hoisted the Union Flag in 1841on Hong Kong Island.
Noodle Soup with fried egg and two slices of ham - delicious even if it does not look it!!
Hong Kong suffered at the hands of the Japanese and Koreans. On December 18th 1941 shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbour they sprung a surprise attack on the Royal British Air Force. They were unprepared and their air defenses were destroyed. Japanese law was quickly enforced and their currency and language became the official language of Hong Kong. To reduce the population of the island thousands of Chinese were repatriated back into rural China and some were sent to concentration camps. This continued until the atomic bomb hit Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan with devastating affects 1945. The Japanese surrendered.
Hong Kong then established itself as one of the world’s most dynamic manufacturing and financial services. In 1997 China took over from Britain at a ceremony presided over by Prince Charles and Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister. Hong Kong retained its free market economy as well as its social and legal systems for 50 years.
your life. We visited the town of Aberdeen. We rode sampans (traditional boats) to view the last remaining houseboats of the region. This village will make way for huge highway. We spent a few hours in Ocean Park – a huge amusement and educational theme park complete with roller coasters and other rides. Dolphins and seals entertained the crowd with their acrobatic feats within the park. 
We also saw the amazing Panda Bear eating his daily diet of bamboo shoots. There is little chance
I took the metro across to Kowloon where I spent a few pleasant hours browsing through the History and Science museum – well worth a visit.
Hong Kong is a city of opposites with its opulent hotels and crumbling tenements – a city of class and sleaze. My trip to China was really confined to cities and I regret I didn’t see the countryside. Perhaps another time!
Mary Kyne