Submitted by:
Henri Mitchell - 11 years old
Danielle Mitchell - 9 years old
Taylor Mitchell - 7 years old

One day our parents told my sisters and me that we were going to Hong Kong for our school break vacation. I was so excited and happy that I was finally going to Asia. My sisters felt the same way as me except one didn't know where Asia was.

After we got really excited our parents told us that we had to do a little research project on Hong Kong. We researched the places that we could see, the types of culture and the religion. We got all sorts of information, so we put it in project form and presented it in front of our parents and relatives. We had a list of six places we wanted to go. By the time we were all done our projects we were all Hong Kong wizzes.

We were all pumped up to go a week before. We told all our friends that we were going to Hong Kong and before we knew it a week was up and it was time to go.

We arrived at Hong Kong at around 10am Hong Kong time, which was really 9pm for us. We were tired. We got to our hotel by taxi and when we looked out the taxi window we saw lots of apartment buildings, offices, warehouses and the sea. It was beautiful. The buildings were tall like small mountains. The streets were really crowded.

We stayed at the Great Eagle Hotel in Kowloon. It was a great place to stay and so close to everything - including the Star Ferry. Everyday we would take the Star Ferry and we would cross the sea to the other side, Hong Kong Island.

We went to many markets but we went to two main markets called the Ladies' Market and Stanley Market. At Ladies' Market we saw clothing, videos, watches, video games, watches and lots, lots more. Everything was as cheap as can be. There were real leather wallets for $3 dollars Canadian when here in Toronto they were $30 to $40 dollars. At Stanley Market there was over 100 stores. They had even more things to buy than the Ladies' Market. At Stanley Market we bought Chinese kimonos and a Chinese watercolour painting. At the markets you bargain. We bargained an $80 painting down to about $45. That painting is hanging in my room. After we shopped we went to an amazing dim sum Chinese restaurant near the Stanley Market. Two older people we meet on the double-decker bus going to Stanley recommended the restaurant.

We went to two different religious places. One of the places was Man Mo Temple. Our family was walking down a street when we saw a sign that said "Man Mo Temple." Our parents didn't know a thing about Man Mo Temple. We went to the temple only because we talked about it in our project and we convinced our parents to go because we knew all about it. When we went in, it was amazing. We saw people praying on their knees and everywhere around us was a smell of these special Chinese candles. The candles were placed in a shrine. We saw a lady with sticks with writing on them and she shucks them. We got told that whichever stick came out first was that person's fortune. Then we went to the world's biggest sitting Buddha. It was a ferry and long bus ride to get there but the ride was worth it. There in the middle of nowhere we saw the bronze sitting Buddha. To get to the temple inside the Buddha you have to climb many, many flights of stairs. Inside the Buddha there was a huge temple. They believed that the Buddha was their god.

The Chinese food was amazing. We ate Cantonese food and dim sum. It was delicious. Our parent's friends from Hong Kong introduced us to a new type of Chinese cuisine called Chiu Chow. The Chiu Chow food came from a Chinese tribe. Some of the Chiu Chow foods that we ate were pigeon, noodles and all sorts of seafood. We learnt how to eat the head of a fish. We didn't eat the brains of the fish but we ate the cheek of it. We learnt that it was an honour to eat the head of the fish.

We went to a place called Ocean Park. We had read about it on the Internet. Ocean Park was an amusement and marine park. There were roller coasters. We went on a roller coaster called The Dragon and it was in the Guinness Book Of World Records. Not only were there roller coasters but there was also a pagoda, rare fish, a dinosaur exhibit, butterflies exhibit, a shark aquarium and my favourite - the Panda Bear exhibit. Ocean Park was built on the side of hills. So we had to take a gondola to the top. The gondola ride was the best. It had the best view of Hong Kong ever. Also it was rated one of the top 10 views in all of Asia and Europe.

One day we went to a place called Aberdeen. Aberdeen was a seaport. Obviously Aberdeen was on the sea. In the water we saw the biggest floating restaurant in the world - it was called Jumbo. We didn't eat there but we took a junk for a ride. A junk is a Chinese type of boat. It was low and had a small motor. The ride was fun and it was a great experience. We found a tour lady in a junk and asked for a tour of Aberdeen. She took us on a ride and boy, was Aberdeen great. We saw lots of houseboats on the water. Then we saw a boat market where the boat was full of food and the boat would go around to all the different houseboats selling food - it was a floating supermarket.

My Dad got us a tour bus pass and one day we went all around Kowloon touring different markets and exhibits. Our favourite was the Bird market. It was neat to see the Chinese men walk their birds in a cage to meet other bird walkers. Next to it was the Flower market. We bought fake flowers for our rooms.

A week in Hong Kong was over and it was time to go home. We got on the airplane, flew to Vancouver and then home to Toronto.

Hong Kong was a great experience and my sisters and me will never forget it. The next day our parents asked us where we wanted to eat. Dim sum we said.

"I'm the only 10 year old I know that has ever been to Asia - that trip was so cool," said Danielle. Taylor my youngest sister said, "I've been to Hong Kong and I am only 7."

As you see Hong Kong isn't only a place for adults, it's also a place for kids and the whole family.


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