Museum move to Central site causes splash

Hong Kong reader contribution

Edited by James M. Kelly

photo credit: karendotcom127

The relocation of Hong Kong Maritime Museum to the new Central harborfront has drawn energetic discourse in the 1st meeting of the Harbourfront Commission.

As the six-year lease of the Maritime Museum at Stanley’s Murray House expires the month after next, the recently created commission proposed to move it to Central Pier eight where it’ll sit as “the home of Hong Kong’s maritime heritage.”

The city’s only secretly started big museum, run by Hong Kong’s global shipping and maritime community, has been beset by finance problems for years as the existing income from ticket sales can only cover around 20 % of the operating costs. “If it is moved to Central, we predict to extend visitor flow to over 4 to 6 times,” a representative from the museum relocation project said to the meeting. The creation of the Harbourfront Commission was counseled by the the previous Harbourfront Enhancement Board when it concluded six years of work in Feb 2010.

Members of new commission were appointed by Boss Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and comprise generally non-official members from pro institutes, civic and environmental groups and the business sector. Boss Charles Nicholas Brooke recounted : “we shall spare no effort to recommend the govt on all harborfront matters with the purpose of delivering a top class harborfront for public enjoyment.” The commission also endorsed building 3 panels to work on the development approach of Site four in the new Central Harbourfront for commercial and leisure use, the construction being set to commence next year. At the one-hectare site, to the north of the Town Hall complicated, the Planning Dept has proposed to build 3 low-rise blocks – each with a height not surpassing twenty meters to fit with the waterfront setting.

“It’s the 1st time for us to adopt the public- personal partnership approach. I’m hoping it’ll speed up the entire project,” Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor expounded. “I do not want to see it turned into another West Kowloon or Kai Tak site – which have been left empty for years.” Members also gave updates on the development progress at Kai Tak harborfront and released a study on HK Island East Harbourfront.

MTR hit over fares that do not add up.

Hong Kong reader contribution.

Edited by James M. Kelly

photo credit: ACaDeMiK

The Democratic coalition for the Betterment and Progress of HK yesterday charged the MTR of random pricing and promised to bring the problem before the Legal Council.

It also counseled the govt, as a major investor of the company, to press MTR Company at board conferences to come up with a fair and clear pricing mechanism. DAB baby-kisser Lau Kong-wah said one reason for the chaotic situation was that the Kowloon-Canton Train line and the MTR had different pricing systems before they combined. But since all lines came under one management in 2007, the MTRC has done nothing to relieve the situation and keeps strutting out the same excuse – that fares are figured out on factors like traveling distance, business standing, the company’s financial condition and competitors ‘ fares, Lau related. Advert he claimed after receiving about thirty beefs from voters – often from the working class – since 2009, the party analyzed the fares of diverse journeys and found several absurdities. As an example, a ride between Tai Po Market and Tin Hau is HK$2.40 costlier than the one between Tai Wo and Causeway Bay, although both trips pass thru 15 stations. It’s the same problem on fourteen other routes, with the fare differences from HK$2.40 to fifty HK cents per trip. A ride from Wu Kai Sha on the Ma On Shan line to East Tsim Sha Tsui is eighty HK cents costlier than the one from Wu Kai Sha to Austin although the second is a longer ride. “the difficulty is extremely serious …

We’ve been following up this issue with the MTR but they just keep giving us the same reply each time. It shouldn’t drag on anymore,” Lau claimed.

He fears there could be a number of other ambiguities in prices that the DAB hasn’t analyzed and encouraged the company to conduct a full review and divulge details of its fare system. “If there’s no formula to pinpoint the fares, passengers may suspect the company of at random charging them,” he revealed, adding he can bring the issue to Legco when conferences resume. In the meantime , the Democrats charged the company of not compensating passengers when trains break down. It noted that Metro Trains Melbourne, which is also run by the MTR, compensates passengers when a train is out of order.

Red taxis to get black boxes

Hong Kong reader contribution

Edited by James M. Kelly

photo credit: kevinpoh

“Black box” information recorders will be installed in about eight hundred urban taxis beginning this week.

Thirty-two hours of speed and braking information will be recorded and 2 cameras also will be installed in the taxis. The black boxes will be locked to stop drivers from removing or messing with information.

The device incorporates an alarm, and drivers can press a help button in case of thefts. Security centres will be informed and inform police when necessary.

The Transport Office recounted the scheme is voluntary and taxi drivers may select not to install the devices. Taxi unions have differing perspectives on the scheme. Advert Urban Taxi Drivers Joint Committee honorary CEO Kwok Chi-biu welcomes the black boxes, claiming they can be a reminder for drivers to stay attentive.

“Since taxi drivers wouldn’t collect proof to watch themselves, the black box can act as a reminder of the seriousness of safe driving,” he announced.

But Leung Siu-cheung, chairperson of the Taxi Sector Union, opposes the scheme as the HK$280 regular charge for the device will increase operating costs.

He’s concerned that the money burden may stress drivers. Glad-hander Andrew Cheng Kar-foo recounted the campaign should be expanded territory- wide to avoid legal disputes.

For cheap travel insurance check out …

www.cheap-travel-insurance.reportingasia.com

Osaka

Reader Contribution

Edited by James M. Kelly

photo credit: zengarra bed and breakfast

Would like to see a kangaroo? Unless you are from Australia, you’d best either visit your local zoo or purchase flight tickets, as you won’t find them anywhere else! Yet for some strange reason, the residents in the Mayama mountain district of Osaki town in Miyagi prefecture ( 220 miles north of Tokyo ) believe otherwise, as they claim to have seen Japan’s spook kangaroo. KangarooSign the quest for Japans Ghost Kangaroo picture According to Brent Swancer at CryptoMundo, the initial kangaroo sighting in Japan occurred seven years gone. Since that point, there were at least 20 similar reports.

As late as October twenty-four, 2009, actually an eyewitness reported seeing a beige-colored creature 3.3′ tall with bright eyes. Right after in December, an old woman purportedly saw a kangaroo running through an open field close by.

Local Mayama official Tetsuya Sasaki, who was interviewed by ABC Stories, announced as a joke, some have put up ‘kangaroo crossing’ signs on their roadside properties.

But have they seen a kangaroo? And if therefore how the hell did it get to Japan? It’s possible a kangaroo or two left a local zoo, yet Swancer ( CryptoMundo ) reports that there were no reports of missing kangaroos. Another possibility is that some fool’s kangaroo pet broke loose and left ; this is likely since owning a kangaroo is fairly legal in Japan. But what if it isn’t even a kangaroo to start with? An official at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Mr.

Motayasu Ida, believes that the people living in Mayama have indeed seen a kangaroo. He explained : If the body is as sizeable as an Eastern Gray kangaroo, it’d be prepared to maintain its body temperature, regardless of if it’s cold. Japanese zoologist Hideo Obara concurred with Ida’s supposition, asserting, I wouldn’t be that surprising for a kangaroo to be living in Miyagi prefecture. Kangaroos are good at changing to different environments and some species live in areas where the temperature gets below freezing. Not everyone agrees. American cryyptozoologistsomeone who searches for animals considered to be legendary or or nonsexistbelieves that what everyone has been seeing is in fact a wallaby. He shared his feelings with Swancer, announcing, There are wallabies modified to colder climates that do nicely in north locations. They are the ones that are most often, incorrectly, reported as kangaroos. Well, until somebody makes an official confirmation, the chase for Japan’s ghost kangaroo continues!

Singapore:

In an effort to sustain the image of an island that is squeaky clean, Singapore has maintained its ban on chewing gum sales, which was first imposed in 1992. Known for its Esplanade and beautiful skyline, Singapore is a city in transition.

Chewing gum One Sticky Point: Singapore Maintains Ban on Gum

photo credit: Niklas Bildhauer

The question is: Does this work against the city’s desire to cultivate a more cosmopolitan image in the hopes of attracting more tourists and foreign investment? Singapore opened its first casino last month and began hosting Formula One races in 2008.

There is a method to the seeming madness of the gum ban. It is all meant to provide a means to reduce gum-related litter and vandalism. Punishment for these minor crimes can include canings.

Singapore maintains very strict laws against public demonstrations concerning religion and race, and for major infractions like drug smuggling, hangings are often in order.

“We remain concerned that lifting the ban could result in chewing gum litter resurfacing as a problem. The government stands by its decision to ban chewing gum as the rationale is based on maintaining a clean and comfortable living environment,” says Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, parliamentary secretary of the national development ministry.

For some, the fact that Singapore is internationally known for its ban on gum sales is rather annoying.

“Let Singaporeans be accountable for the consequences…If Singaporeans were seeking liberty in so many areas and the government does concede in some of these areas, why not liberalize the chewing gum ban,” asks Denise Phua Lay Peng, a member of parliament from the ruling People’s Action Party.

“A clean city is more important than the freedom to chew gum,” argues Mohamad. “Before the ban, gobs of gum had stopped subway doors from closing, creating delays… Our efforts at creating a clean, green and safe living environment have garnered much more international acclaim than criticisms of the ban of chewing gum.”

The ban was modified in 2004 to allow sales of gum that have medicinal value.

Still a very sticky issue.

Singapore reader contribution.

Edited by James M. Kelly

Hong Kong
Reader Contribution

Edited by James M. Kelly

Monuments in Hong Kong, truly reflects the colonial history

photo credit: Dennis Wong

Hong Kong is a perfect blend of eastern and western tradition and has lots to offer to its tourists. All the travelers, who visit this enchanting city, pay due visit to the famous monuments of Hong Kong, which are true representatives of the history of this city. Offering, exactly what the tourist wants to know about the interesting colonial history, these places have become very dear to them.

In comparison to the rest of the China, Hong Kong has a distinctive geographical position. With view to promote tourism in Hong Kong, even the government of China has taken initiatives and measures to save these monuments. This in turn is an attempt, to help tourists unravel the exciting facts they want to know about the history of Hong Kong.

To quench the thirst for knowledge of the tourists, the travel agencies provide several tourist guides in this city. Abreast with the colonial history, the tourist guides are very proficient in making a traveler acquainted with the different locations and sizes of all the monuments in Hong Kong.

Man Mo Temple, Tin Hau Temple, Old District Office Northern Rock Carving at Big Wave Bay, remnants of the former Four-old police Stanley, former Kowloon British School and Yi Tai Study Hall are few of the most important monuments in Hong Kong. A visit to these monuments is not an expensive affair, since one can access them at an affordable price. Not only the monuments, but also the museums in Hong Kong represent the glorious history of this city. And this is one of the reasons that the city is bustling with tourists all the year round. Few of the monuments in Hong Kong are renowned for the administrative significance, as they echo the political history of this city.

If one plans to spend a holiday in Hong Kong and wants to visit these monuments, hotels located in the heart of the city are readily available.

Beijing
Reader Contribution

Edited by – James M. Kelly

China has an elongated history of temple beauty that has been beautifully preserved over the eons. These temples allow an insight into the mysteries and legends of this wonderland. Some of the most attractive and culturally rich temples in China include:

White Horse Temple

The White horse temple was the first Buddhist temple built in China. It was built under the rule of Emperor Ming, and is one of the oldest temples in China. Located just about 12 Km from the modern province of Luoyang, the White Horse Temple was home to the first version of the Chinese Sutra pf forty-two sections.

Da Xiangguo Temple

The Da Xiangguo temple, located in The City of Kaifeng, Henan, is one of the most well known Buddhist temples in China. In one of the room of this temple is the magnificent statue of a Bodhisattva that is carved out of just a single trunk of the gingko tree. The unique feature of this temple is that it was destroyed by a flood during the end of Ming dynasty, and was rebuilt again at the beginning of the Qing dynasty.

Famen Temple

The Famen temple is famous for the legend, according to which there is a piece of the finger bone of Sakyamuni buried under its pagoda. Owing to the vast number of artifacts in this temple, two exhibition areas were especially dedicated to display them to the public

Guandi Temple

Known as the temple of the God of War, the Guandi temple is situated in the west of Xiezhou County, Yuncheng City. Out of the numerous temples dedicated to worshipping Guan Yu, this is the largest in China. The Guandi temple was built in 589 AD in the Sui Dynasty.

Confucian Temple

The oldest and the largest temple dedicated to Conficus is the Confucian temple, which is situated in the Shandong Province. Established in 478 AD, this temple was modified continuously for over 2000 years until it took the shape of the Confucian Temple of today.

Hong Kong
Bureau

Edited by – James M. Kelly
Discover the Best Places to Visit in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is known as the city that never sleeps due to the constant hustle and bustle that continues 24×7 in the city. A popular tourist attraction, Hong Kong, offers numerous contemporary as well as traditional sight seeing opportunities to tourists that visit this magnificent city.

Following are some of the most popular and most frequently visited tourist places:

Victoria Peak – Also known as, the peak, this scenic tourist spot offers a perfect view of the magnificent city of Hong Kong. Not only is the view from top of this peak breathtaking, but the entire journey to the peak is equally scenic. You can take either a tram or a bus to reach the Victoria Peak. A tram journey allows takes you literally straight up the mountain and presents a view that has to be experienced to believe.

Nathan Road – Nathan Road, also known as the Golden Mile, is the oldest road in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The main attraction of this road is the plethora of neon signs that surround the street. Apart from enjoying the brightly lit street, you can enjoy a host of shopping and eating opportunities that cannot be found in any other area of Hong Kong.

Repulse Bay – Repulsive Bay is the most spectacular bay in Hong Kong that offers luxurious dining, residential and aquatic activities. Swimming and barbeque are the most preferred activities in this area and the scenic beauty offers a perfect location to take photographs.

Temple Street night market – this is one of the busiest flea markets of Hong Kong and is a popular destination for tourists who are searching for a glimpse of Hong Kong’s nightlife. Starting at dusk, this market offers cheap merchandise and food items, and is also known as the men’s market.

Macau SAR – Macau is a city of contrast, with its colonial Portuguese style churches and fortresses on one hand, and the Las Vegas style gambling arenas on the other. For people interested in gambling, gold shopping and sight seeing, Macau is a must visit destination.

Bangkok
Correspondent

Edited by James M. Kelly
Luxurious Radisson Plaza Resort, now officially open.

Situated on the Southeastern coastline of Phuket Island, The Radisson Plaza Resort offers an accommodation to a whopping number of 211 guests. The resort comes under the management of Carlson Hotels, Thailand and is at a short distance of an 80 minute flight from Bankok.

“This resort is an important addition to our fast expanding Asia Pacific property portfolio and marks a significant milestone for the Radisson brand. I’m confident it will quickly become a leisure destination of choice,” said Jean-Marc Busato, managing director – Asia Pacific, Carlson Hotels Worldwide.

Guests will be treated luxuriously with the availability of facilities like kayaking, windsurfing, yoga and meditation. The services can be enjoyed in one of the nine ocean villas and 15 pool villas. Also, authentic Mediterranean cuisine is served at its restaurant, Azur.

“As a premium extension of the Radisson brand, and the first Radisson Plaza property to be launched in Southeast Asia, the Radisson Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach is destined to be a signature holiday destination,” said Greg Maloney, general manager of the Radisson Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach.

“The beauty of the resort lies in its direct beachfront access, Sino-Portuguese influenced architectural design elements plus the choice of three large free-form swimming pools and authentic Mediterranean dining at Azur, our signature restaurant.”

The hotel has three meeting rooms and a ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows, which can accommodate up to 120 people. Other resort amenities include Talay Spa, a wellness spa offering six treatment rooms; Form, a life-style fitness centre; Sapparot Club, a dedicated zone for children four to 12 years old along with a children’s only pool and waterslide; Edge, a swim-up pool bar, and Octo, a lobby lounge showcasing spectacular panoramic views over the emerald Andaman Sea.

Dhaka
Correspondent

Edited by: James M. Kelly

The infrastructural structure of Bangladesh was last in news in the year 1998, when the Jamuna Bridge was successfully completed. Before this bridge was opened, ferry was the only mode of transport across the Jamuna River, but they too were plagued by long waiting hours and unmanageable rush. Now nearly 2 million vehicles use this bridge and enjoy low transport cost and express transport time.

Its 2009 now and Bangladesh is again in the news for embarking upon another ambitious infrastructural project – The Padma Multipurpose Bridge. This project is even more complex and expensive than the earlier one, but the positive impact this project could make is much more significant. The southwest region of the country, which is comparatively underdeveloped than the rest of the country, will get a developmental boost from this bridge. It will improve telecommunications, railway links, power and gas transmissions and road links to that area, thus making it more integrated with the rest of Bangladesh.

The Bangladeshi government is leaving no stone unturned to make this project a success. They have hired an international consultant firm to handle all the major issues related to this project. In case of the Jamuna Bridge project, World Bank was a major contributor, both in terms of financial and project related expertise. This time also, the World Bank is designated to play a crucial role in project planning and implementation. One area of concern for the government would be to adequately compensate the people affected by the construction of this bridge. These people should be resettled in a proper and systematic manner.

The Padma Bridge, when completed, will be a great boost for Bangladesh. After having successfully completing two enormous projects like the Jamuna Bridge and the Padma Bridge, Bangladesh will be able to take forward the knowledge from these two projects and use it in further projects to improve the overall condition of the country.