Hong Kong

The Star Ferry has crossed Victoria Harbour between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon since 1888, and the fare still runs to barely more than pocket change, a small, enduring detail in a city that's otherwise defined by scale. Hong Kong holds more skyscrapers than any other city in the world, dense enough that the harbor crossing itself, with both skylines visible from the open deck, remains one of the best free views in the city.

Victoria Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island, has been reached by tram since 1888 as well, climbing a route steep enough that the ride itself feels like part of the attraction. The viewing terraces at the top look out over the full harbor and both skylines, a view that changes character entirely after dark when the nightly Symphony of Lights show illuminates dozens of buildings along the waterfront in a coordinated light and laser display.

Hong Kong operates under a "one country, two systems" framework established at its 1997 return to Chinese sovereignty from British colonial rule, maintaining its own currency, legal system, and border policy separate from mainland China. That distinct status still shapes daily life visibly, from double-decker trams and English street signage to a visa system that lets many nationalities enter freely without the paperwork mainland China requires.

The city's food scene spans an unusually wide range within a compact area, Michelin-starred restaurants sitting a few streets from dai pai dong street food stalls and dim sum restaurants that have served the same recipes for generations. Temple Street Night Market and the older lanes around Sheung Wan give a more street-level version of that same food culture, alongside fortune tellers, market stalls, and some of the city's oldest surviving shopfronts.

Man Mo Temple, one of Hong Kong's oldest temples, sits along these older streets, its interior thick with the smoke of enormous hanging incense coils that can take weeks to burn down completely. It's a quieter counterpoint to the density of the skyline just outside, and part of what keeps Hong Kong from feeling like skyscrapers alone.