Hong Kong
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Hiking in Hong Kong: the highlights
By Ellen Smith, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Lunar New Year in Hong Kong
By Ellen Smith, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong The largest celebration each year in Hong Kong is Lunar New Year, usually falling between late January and mid February. It’s essential to check the dates a couple weeks in advance as most shops, restaurants and attractions will shut for a number of days. However, there are numerous other activities that are on during this time which cannot be missed. There are so many food and market stalls, spread out all over Hong Kong. If you’re living on the island I’d recommend going to Victoria Park, in Causeway Bay. This one is typically one of the largest and also includes a…
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Christmas Break in Japan
By Anna Belsham, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong During my four week Christmas break from HKPU, I met my Dad in Japan for two weeks over Christmas and New Year, only a short 4 hour flight away. I have always dreamt of visiting Japan and it was everything I imagined and more. While I was there I spent 7 nights in Tokyo, 2 nights in Osaka, 2 nights in Kyoto and 4 nights in Fukuoka, I loved everywhere but I would say that my favorite places where Tokyo and Kyoto and if I went back I would spend more time in Kyoto. I have never been anywhere that is…
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An Accident Abroad
By Madeleine Dodd, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong, Hong Kong As the beginning of my exchange drew near, the long checklist of forms, flights, visas and necessities weighed heavy. Ensuring everything is in line to avoid issues along the way, alongside the nerves of moving across the world encouraged me to rely on the help of the program staff. Months later, I paid a heavy price.
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A Long Weekend in Taipei
By Madeleine Dodd, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong, Hong Kong The great thing about being situated in Hong Kong is that any national holiday (and there are a lot) is an invitation to travel. For the 75th Anniversary of Republic of China, we jetted off to Taipei, Taiwan.
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Top Places to Visit Whilst on Exchange in Hong Kong
By Anna Belsham, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Out of any place I have been to in my life, I would say that Hong Kong has the most things to do! From such a vibrant city full of museums, temples, parks, shopping, food, to endless beaches and hikes and even islands, it can become very overwhelming when you first arrive, it is hard to know where to begin. This blog post will hopefully give you somewhere to start, but there are still endless amounts of places in Hong Kong that are still on my list to go to, that are not included.
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Long Distance Relationships: overcoming the distance
By Madeleine Dodd, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong, Hong Kong Leading up to my departure of 5,981.38 miles away, the reality of beginning a long distance relationship became a daunting and heavy feeling. You can only prepare yourself so much, but I will offer you some of my experience in navigating this difficult chapter. Although a hard decision to make, turning down an important life opportunity in favor of a more comfortable relationship is something I promised myself I would never do. And I’d never want my partner to either. Especially with today’s technology, it is not impossible and the growth and lessons learnt through such an experience will…
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Settling into life in Hong Kong: the honest truth
By Anna Belsham, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong I have now been in Hong Kong for four weeks and have just completed my third week of studying at HKPU, it has flown by. I came to Hong Kong with a friend that is doing the same course as me and I had already lived with her for two years and we are sharing a room in Hung Hom halls, this took the pressure off a lot as we were in it together and I did not have to worry about meeting a new roommate, however, I have met so many other exchange students who came on their own and…
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Reflecting on my year in Hong Kong
By Gemma Dignam, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Having been back in the UK for about a month now, I think I’m able to really look back and reflect on my time abroad. What I loved the most, what I’ll miss, what I learnt, what I would do if I had to do it all over again- and I really wish I could! For me, the cliché came true, my year abroad really did become the best year of my life. Going back to how I felt a year ago, I was so excited. I had been looking forward to my year abroad throughout my whole degree and had…
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Small ways to make moving home from your year abroad more environmentally friendly
By Gemma Dignam, University of Hong Kong I left Hong Kong earlier than planned, in March, as Covid restrictions became strict and University moved online for Semester 2. Therefore, I had to pack up my things at quite a short notice and significantly reduce my belongings as I am travelling for a few months before returning to the UK. Here are some tips to reduce your waste when moving back home or if you decide to travel before returning back to the UK:
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Everything you should do on your exchange in Hong Kong
By Gemma Dignam (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) Now I have finished my exchange in Hong Kong, I’ve put together a list of everything I recommend an exchange student to do whilst you’re there- from climbing the tallest peak in Hong Kong, to the best rooftop bars to watch the incredible skyline.
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Goodbye Hong Kong…
My time in Hong Kong ended prematurely, as Covid restrictions became stricter from January onwards and our teaching moved online from Semester 2, I decided it was safest to move out and continue my studies remotely. Whilst I was sad to leave Hong Kong, as I loved spending my exchange there, I was excited for where I would go next. I planned to go travelling with the friends I met at HKU for the rest of the semester and study remotely.
