December 2017, the final chapter
The last AsiaVIDEO trip was also the most crowded one: a few short days in December, a tripod, and a city that never stays still long enough for a timelapse.
The film is a collection of moments rather than a story: the view from Victoria Peak, incense smoke at Man Mo Temple, the painted blocks of Choi Hung, the stacked windows of Quarry Bay. Pier G helped behind the camera, everything was shot on a Canon EOS 1300D, and the music is “Shamisen battle” by Pascal Krieg, from musiquelibre-cc.fr.
Early in 2018 I added one more short film, a day trip to the fishing village of Tai O on Lantau. It was one of the last things AsiaVIDEO ever published.
Four days cover the city well, five if you want Lantau too. Distances are short, and an Octopus card plus the metro will take you everywhere.
Victoria Peak
Ride the Peak Tram up (the carriages were replaced in 2022) and, instead of fighting for space on the viewing deck, walk the Lugard Road path: same skyline, far fewer elbows. Go on a weekday in the late afternoon and wait for the lights to come on.
At weekends the tram queue can be long. Bus 15 from Central is slower, cheaper and also has a view.
Sheung Wan, Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei
Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road is dark and smoky with hanging incense coils, a few steps from the antique shops of Sheung Wan. On the Kowloon side, get lost in the markets of Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei: fruit, live fish, jade, neon. To cross the harbour, take the Star Ferry; it costs almost nothing and is a joy.
Quarry Bay
A cluster of residential towers wrapped around a small courtyard, made famous by films and by Instagram. People live there, so keep it brief: no shouting, no blocking doors, and follow any no-photo signs.
Choi Hung Estate
One of the oldest public housing estates in the city, painted in the colours of a rainbow. The car-park rooftop and the basketball court became a photo spot, and access to the roof has sometimes been closed. Same rule as Quarry Bay: this is someone’s home, not a film set.
Lantau Island
Houses on wooden stilts over the water, salted fish drying in the sun, little boats that go out looking for the pink dolphins. From Tung Chung metro station, bus 11 takes about 45 minutes. Or ride the Ngong Ping cable car to the Big Buddha first and come down with bus 21. The Tai O film is here.
Best monthsMild or muggyTyphoon months
Dry, clear and mild: good light for photos and perfect for hiking. The film was shot in this season.
Pleasant temperatures but sticky air, and fog that can hide the view from the Peak.
Hot, very humid, and typhoon season. When Signal No. 8 goes up the city stops: stay inside and follow the Observatory.
Here eating is half of the sightseeing, from famous dim sum halls to a plastic table in a cha chaan teng.
These notes are for travelling today, not for the year the film was made. I went through them again in . Border rules change without much warning, so please confirm on the official sites below before you book anything.
With an Italian or most other EU passports you can stay up to 90 days without a visa. The passport has to be valid for at least a month after you leave. Hong Kong runs its own border, separate from mainland China.
Get an Octopus card at the airport, or add one to your phone wallet: it works on the metro, buses, ferries and in convenience stores. The metro gates and many buses also accept a contactless bank card or phone.
The Airport Express is in Central in about 24 minutes, and free shuttles go from Kowloon and Hong Kong stations to the big hotels. Buses take longer and cost much less.
Hong Kong dollars. Cards work nearly everywhere, but small eateries and street stalls may want cash or Octopus.
Between June and October keep the Hong Kong Observatory app handy. Typhoon Signal No. 8 or a black rainstorm warning shuts down transport and offices.
220 V with British three-pin sockets (type G). Tourist SIMs at the airport and in 7-Eleven; an eSIM is the easy alternative.
Around 40 percent of Hong Kong is country park. The Dragon’s Back ridge and Lantau Peak are stunning: bring water, start early and check the forecast.
Ferries and the long bridge get you to Macau in about an hour. Mainland China has separate visa rules that change often, so check them on their own.
I made AsiaVIDEO between 2008 and 2018. Then life went in another direction, the camera ended up in a drawer, and the project stopped. No new films will appear here.
The one thing I still update is the “Before you go” box on each trip page: visas, money, transport, seasons. Last pass: October 2026. Rules change quickly, so always double-check on the official sites listed there before you book.