A Journey to Another World: Xi'an & Lanzhou, China

I hate to admit it, but I once carried some quiet prejudices about China. The kind you don’t announce out loud, but let settle somewhere in the back of your mind. They were shaped by headlines, by political noise, by narratives repeated often enough to feel convincing. And yes, by a few past encounters that lingered in memory longer than they should have. Travel, however, has a way of humbling you. It confronts your assumptions without ceremony and leaves you no choice but to look closer.

Hong Kong's Symphony of Lights

View from the Avenue of the Stars

At dusk, the sun settles over the western horizon. Buildings start to flicker and Hong Kong becomes more alive and more vibrant. Over the years of rapid developments, Hong Kong's population skyrocketed. Because land development is limited and expensive, there's no way but to go up, literally. This former British colony is tagged as one of the world's most vertical cities with numerous skyscrapers towering the islands of Hong Kong, New Territories, and Kowloon.

Photo Diary: Hong Kong in 50mm

Downtown Hong Kong

Every time I ask my friends on what was the first country they've visited, majority answered Hong Kong. Well, it's primarily because of two things: Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park, and its close proximity from Manila, Philippines (it only takes an hour and forty-five minutes to reach Hong Kong, the same travel time when you fly from Manila to Davao).

Hong Kong was a former British colony until in 1997, it became a special administrative region of China granted with a full autonomy. Rapid economic developments were seen in the early 70s and even after it was formally handed over to China, Hong Kong still remains as one of the most important cities not only in Asia but also to the world. No wonder why it was dubbed as the Asia's World City. This special administrative region of China also serves as an important hub or transit in air travel, making their one and only international airport as one of the busiest and  highly revered airports in the world in terms of connectivity, and passenger comfort.