Things to Do in China

Considered one of the best museums anywhere in China, the Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King (sometimes called the Museum of the Southern Yue Royal Mausoleum) houses the contents of the royal tombs of the Nanyue-ruler Zhao Mo.The tomb was discovered in 1983 when a bulldozing crew digging up a basement for a hotel uncovered the ancient mausoleum.

Zhao Mo ruled the southern Chinese kingdom of Nanyue from 137 BC to 122 BC after being sent south by the emperor to establish a new sovereign state. The skeletons of Zhao Mo, along with 15 of his courtiers who were buried alive to serve him in death and several thousand objects from the empire are on display, and the compact tomb sitting behind the museum is open to visitors as well.

An audio tour available in English will walk you through the history of the Han Dynasty by way of the relics and artifacts once housed in the tomb.

In Hong Kong’s South of Hollywood (SoHo) neighborhood, you’ll find the largest network of outdoor covered escalators on earth, known simply as the Central Escalators (or Mid-Levels Escalators). The series of 20 escalators and three inclined walkways stretch 2,625 feet (800 meters) with a 443-foot (135-meter) total vertical rise. This unusual Hong Kong attraction ferries more than 50,000 commuters and tourists between Central and the Mid Levels each day, moving downhill for four hours in the morning then uphill for the rest of the day.

The ride takes about 25 minutes one way, but part of the fun is getting off at the various stops to explore these busy Hong Kong neighborhoods. The streets and alleys to either side of the escalators, particularly at the Staunton Street and Shelley Street stops, are lined with bars and restaurants serving cuisine from all over the world. If you’re planning to travel up, start from the elevated walkway passing over Queen’s Road in Central District. Once you make it to the top of the system at Conduit Road, you can either walk back to the bottom or catch a bus or taxi to your next destination.

The Meridian Gate of the Palace Museum is perhaps the most recognizable landmark of the Forbidden City. Built in 1420 and renovated in 1801, the Meridian Gate is the largest and southernmost of the Palace Museum’s gates; currently, it’s the sole entrance into the Forbidden City. When the imperial family occupied the palace, the emperor would sit at the top of the Meridian Gate to proclaim sentences on prisoners of war brought before him.

The structure is made up of five towers, meant to resemble a phoenix in flight when viewed from above. The doorway through the central tower was for the Ming and Qing Dynasty emperors exclusively, though the empress was allowed to pass through this central gate on her wedding day. The door directly to the west was for the royal family, while the one to the east was for imperial officials. The final two doors were only used during ceremonies at the palace.

You’ll probably smell Man Mo Temple before you get there, as worshippers light enough giant incense coils within to turn the air an odd shade of blue and ensure everyone who enters leaves with a distinctive but pleasant Taoist perfume. Originally built in 1847, Man Mo is Hong Kong’s most famous temple, dedicated to the gods of literature and war. Students make up a significant portion of devotees who come seeking divine aid in their studies.

Within the temple, look for a statue of a man in green robes with a writing brush. This is one of the gods for which the temple is named -- Man Chung, the god of literature. Statues of Kwan Yu, the Chinese god of war, flank the main alter. As a famous general known for his martial successes, Kwan Yu is sometimes considered the deity of both the police force and the Chinese triads.

If you’re feeling particularly superstitious on your visit to Man Mo Temple, head into the hall to the right of the entrance to have your fortune told by an English-speaking teller who will divine your future using several bamboo sticks and a cup.

Mongkok, a district located in Kowloon on the mainland side of Hong Kong, is known for its busy street markets and abundant dining options. It’s one of the most densely populated parts of the world, and the buzz of activity here never seems to stop. Buzzing neon lights and sidewalks filled to the brim with people at times overwhelm the senses, but in a way that is 100 percent Hong Kong.

For inexpensive street shopping, Mongkok’s most popular attraction is the Ladies’ Market. Contrary to what the name might imply, the market sells all sorts of wares, from souvenir trinkets to pirated music and home furnishings. Ladies will find plenty of stalls selling cheap clothing, shoes and accessories as well.

Within the neighborhood, you’ll also find streets dedicated to the sale of pets, wedding dresses and flowers, among other things. At any of these mostly outdoor markets, haggling is the rule. For more upscale retail therapy, head into the air-conditioned halls of Langham Place, one of Hong Kong’s biggest malls.

Built by the Jesuits to repel an attack from the sea, the Monte Fort (Fortaleza de Monte) is the oldest military fortification in the peninsula of Macau. With construction beginning in 1617 the Monte Fort was also seen as a measure of defense for the minority Christians to defend themselves from ethnic Chinese who comprised the religious majority.

With walls over 330 feet (100.6 meters) long and walls nearly 30 feet (9.1 meters) high the Monte Fort was solidly built and capable of storing enough munitions to withstand a two-year siege. Though cannons were readied and defense preparations made, the only military action the Monte Fort ever saw was during an unsuccessful raid by the Dutch in 1622. Looking to gain an advantage in the lucrative East Asian trading route, the Dutch laid a surprise siege on the Portuguese at Macau. Heavily outnumbered and inevitably doomed, a Jesuit, Portuguese priest hunkered inside Monte Fort fired a lone cannon shot which miraculously struck a Dutch gunpowder storage. Devastated by the ensuing explosion the Dutch fell into retreat and ultimately failed in their effort to take Macau. Officially regarded as the only time the cannons were fired in defense, the same cannons today (though now defunct) now point at the towering Casino Lisboa and the ultra-modern skyline of Macau.

Classified as part of the UNESCO Historical Centre of Macau, visitors to Monte Fort are welcome to peruse the grounds of the old fort and walk through the subterranean tunnels. A strategic compound on the hill with a sweeping view of the city, Monte Fort once briefly served as the residence for the Governor of Macau before the construction of a meteorological observatory in 1965. Finally, in 1998, the observatory closed in favor of the Museum of Macau, a place which continues to educate visitors on the unique heritage of Monte Fort and the overall history of Macau.