Recently in Hong Kong Category

Hong Kong is very much an urban place, but it has a wild side that's worth exploring as well. Since this special administrative region of China is bordered on three sides by the South China Sea, it makes sense that one of its biggest outdoor attractions is dedicated to ocean life. Ocean Park Hong Kong offers visitors an up-close look at marine animals such as jellyfish, sea lions, dolphins, and sharks, but it has not forgotten its land-loving creatures such as the graceful giant panda. They have four now, and they celebrate the panda throughout the park. The park is not just about putting animals on display, though. Through its Ocean Park Conservation Center, it runs conservation programs such international coastal cleanups, a clean air project, and a plastic bottle recycling program. The sheer scale of the park is impressive, and as they don't do anything small in Hong Kong, be ready for out-sized amusements like the world's second-longest outdoor escalator, and an extensive sky train system, which rewards visitors with amazing panoramic views over the ocean toward the harbor islands. It's certainly not for the acrophobic. Ocean Park Hong Kong is just steps from Le Méridien Cyberport.

Hong Kong has a rich tradition of organized horse racing, dating back to the founding of the Hong Kong Jockey Club in 1884, and the sport remains wildly popular today with fans both young and old. Hong Kong's two premiere racing venues, the Happy Valley and Sha Tin racecourses, host high-stakes races from September through July, drawing fervent hordes of spectators who come to cheer on their favorite jockeys and steeds for the big win and bigger payoff. Happy Valley, situated in a residential area in the northern part of Hong Kong Island, is considered the "city track," and it hosts races on Wednesday nights with a striking backdrop of glimmering skyscrapers. Weekend races are held at the "country track" of Sha Tin, widely considered one of the world's finest racing facilities. Sha Tin hosts the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races, the world's richest day of turf racing, every December, and the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby is held every March. And if the thoroughbreds at Sha Tin aren't interesting enough for you, check out the longest TV display in the world, a high-resolution Diamond Vision screen 26 feet tall and 231 feet wide, giving everyone a great view of the action. Both Happy Valley and Sha Tin are easily accessible by taxi or public transportation from the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers and Le Méridien Cyberport. The 2007-2008 racing season is just getting started in Hong Kong, so get to the track and pick a winner.

Like New York, Hong Kong doubles as a world business center and a capital of style. In Sunday's New York Times, we found a style map of Hong Kong. As for style a la NYT, it's a diverse assortment. There is the legendary tailor Ascot Chang on Chater Road, upscale unisex boutique D-mop, the uber-posh Landmark mall ("supermarket-size outlets for Louis Vuitton and Gucci") and gastrochemistry destination Ice House. Although the Ice House's Chinese sausage sorbet and litchi foam are quite appealing, our vote for high priced finance style goes to the One Bar: a bar/restaurant located inside the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The Le Meridien Cyberport is among Hong Kong's most stylish hotels.