Vignettes of the World
I was looking for a place of worship that has both historical and architectural significance. It came to my attention that the Hung Shing Temple in Wan Chai is a declared monument. I decided to pay a visit. The History of Hung Shing Temple Also …
The Guia Fortress would be the final stop for this historic excursion into the roots of Macau’s proud history. After lunch at Wabi Sabi, I made me way up a gentle incline to the Guia Fortress. Guia Hill is the highest point in the Macau …
The Houhai Zhongxinhe Park (Houhai Central River Park) has been showing some spring colors and I took a walk there in February. The date of visit is February 8, 2026.
Meaning Houhai Central River Park, the recreational space at Houhai Zhongxinhe Park features a large area intended for children. A sandy patch and a Netherlands-styled windmill together welcome children to play. Usually, a windmill would feel a little gaudy in a Chinese park, but this windmill does not appear to be too out of place. The sandy patch is where people can play “beach volleyball.” The vibe there is deliberately “foreign,” but I think it is well done.
From its northern end at Dongbin Lu Road to its southern end at the mouth of the river at Shenzhen Bay, the park covers an area of 64,000 square meters. The park is part of the effort to beautify the coastal area of Shenzhen’s southwest, in the Nanshan District, as with the Guiwan Park in Qianhai (“Qianhai” means “the sea in the front” and “Houhai” means “the sea at the back.”).
The Zhongxinhe River, which is formerly a canal built to address flooding issues only, becomes the central theme of this beautification effort. The banks of the river are extended to connect to the network of footpaths surrounding the park. The rows of purple tabebuia trees on the river bank serve ornamental purposes, especially during the early spring, when the blooming trumpets become the stars of the show.
Both sides of the river are park areas, and there are rows of purple tabebuia lining the banks of the river. If I had gone at an earlier date, then the purple tabebuia would have made a much better scene, but even at the tail end of that floral season, the trees are beautiful.
As with always, I was keen on the photography and so I spent all the time taking pictures. However, the point of visiting the park should be to walk around and enjoy the environment. I did walk from the river area through to the river mouth, which leads one to a 180-degree, wide open sea view. It seems as if the Shenzhen Bay Bridge is within grasp.
The tabebuia impetiginosa (commonly named trumpet tree) is a deciduous tree, which sheds leaves at certain time of the year. The flowers of the purple tabebuia come in a cluster. When viewed closely, you see handfuls of bouquets hung on the branches.
The tabebuia tends to thrive in warm and humid climates, and it is a species native to Central American countries. The species’ blooming bouquets have made it one of the most popular transplanted species in all parts of the world.They are planted mostly for ornamental purposes.
Quite a few locations in Shenzhen feature the purple tabebuia. Some of them line the sides of motorways, some of them are in the parks. They make fantastic opportunities for seasonal photography.
Besides the purple tabebuia, the park administrator also planted an abundance of bougainvillea, a thorny floral bush. It was at full bloom when I visited. It added an extra touch of auspicious color and significantly enriched the scenery. Where it was slightly disappointing that I was visiting at the tail end of the tabebuia bloom, the flourish of bougainvillea certainly made up for it.
The closest subway station to the Houhai Zhongxinhe Park is Wanxia Station, and you may walk about 15 minutes from there. The closest boundary crossing is the Shenzhen Bay Port, and from there you can take Bus Routes M484. From the Futian Boundary Crossing, calling Didi would cost you something like HK$48.
The Shenzhen Municipal Uban Management and Law Enforcement Bureau, the Eco-Pathway of Zhongxinhe River (Chin).
Sam Shing of Tuen Mun is known for its seafood. It is a pretty popular place and people come from all over Hong Kong to have a proper seafood dinner. My parents live in Tuen Mun and so we also go to Sam Shing’s seafood …
Fortaleza do Monte in Portuguese, the Monte Fort has great historical significance to Macau. This is the site of the battle between the Dutch and the Macanese during the Dutch Invasion of 1622. The tale is one of heroism at one shot. The Jesuit priest …
Plums do not compete with snow for whiteness; snow, however, pales in comparison in fragrance. ~ Snow Plum, by Lu Meipo
There is Chinese poetry written for almost every flower on earth. Along with pine and bamboo, the plum blossom is known to be “the three friends of winter” in Chinese culture. Both pine and bamboo are known for their evergreen qualities during the winter. The pine has significance for its perseverance. The bamboo stands for humility and temperance.
The plum blossom blooms in the severest of a snowy winter. Its cultural significance is shown in one who blossoms in the most trying times of life. Historically, poets and painters represent these three trees in the realm of spiritual pursuits and character formation.
The above-quoted verse is a poem from the Song dynasty poet Lu Meipo. In seeing the scenery of plum blossoms in snow, the poet lauds the plum blossom for its fragrance, something that his words can’t convey.
The plum blossom is also the national flower for Taiwan.
After lots of winter foliage comes the season for plum blossoms. I took a short trip to see a grove of plum blossoms at Meiyuan. The date of visit is February 3, 2026.
Quite unlike the poetic experience of Lu Meipo when he wrote his poetry praising the plum blossom, I did not smell the fragrance there. Or maybe it was because the crowds there distracted me from a true appreciation of nature’s blessing. In my mind’s eye I pictured the scenery before me without the throngs of keen photographers.
Meiyuan, meaning “the Garden of Plum Blossoms,” is the only spot of significance within Shenzhen’s urban area to view plum blossoms.
I went last year on February 11 and was enormously disappointed because the season had ended already. I almost had the park all to myself that day, because there was nothing to see at all.
This year, in early February, the plum blossoms there are at full bloom. I wanted to visit the park when the lighting is favorable for pictures, and it seems like everybody else had the same intention. There were so many tourists there. I could hardly get any shots of the trees.
The park features both pink and white plum blossoms. There should be about four to five different kinds of plum blossoms there.
Photograph: This kind of white plum blossom has straight branches. It branches do not grow upward but spreads out instead.
From the Lianhuabei (蓮花北站) Metro station Exit B, I walked a footbridge across to reach the bus stop for either Bus Routes 358 or 364. Ride for about five stops. Get off at the Beihuan Xiangmilijiaoxi (北環香蜜立交西站) stop and Meiyuan is right there.
China ancient poetry and books net, Snow Plum.
What I had in my mind for the day is the Monte Fort, but before then, let’s go through the St. Paul’s Ruins and the Na Tcha Temple, both of which are on the way. The St. Paul’s Ruins Originally the St. Paul’s College and …
It is the tail end of the winter foliage season and on this sunny afternoon I went to the Honghu Park to take photographs. The date of visit is January 25, 2026. The Honghu Park is an urban park space spanning an area of approximately …
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the 1980s steakhouse Anna Restaurant stands at the core of Hong Kong’s collective memory. That is, at least, for my generation of Hong Kong people.
In those times, what was considered a proper steak was served on a sizzling hot skillet with thick black pepper sauce. When the waiter pours the sauce over your steak, it gives way to a theatrical genie of smoke and meaty fragrance. The diner would have to block the splash with a napkin. The steak dinner was not just about the steak, it was about the fun of a hot splash hissing as the prelude to the main course.
I went to Anna Restaurant for its hot plate steak dinner, driven by a desire to revisit a nostalgia that is surely to disappear in time. I found myself a “soy sauce western” meal meeting all indications of classic Hong Kong cuisine.
Anna Restaurant was established in 1980, a whopping 46 years ago. It has always held on to its footing in Yuen Long. By now, its local presence is nearly-eternal — known to all native Yuen Long residents. These days, people would come to Anna Restaurant from all over Hong Kong in search of its nostalgic vibes. From the front door to the interior décor, the restaurant teems with the sentiments of the 1980s, frozen in time.
Needless to say, that in almost half a century of its business, the restaurant has had some severe crises to weather. The two pandemics that almost paralyzed the Hong Kong economy, SARS and Covid-19, did stop the clock at this otherwise very popular restaurant. The staff had to take a cut in their pay as the restaurant closed its doors. But it is certainly with the spirit of resilience, for which Hong Kong is known, that Anna Restaurant emerged from these crises. When it reopened, itcontinued to serve customers in the same manner, remaining ever so true to its dedication.
The restaurant is two generations in the running and the second-generation owner will take up the business going forward. Anna Restaurant is an epitome of “soy sauce western,” the earliest understanding of fusion food in Hong Kong. Another decades-long restaurant, the Flying Eagle in Sham Shui Po, is also known for “soy sauce western,” a kind of old-fashioned western food that is no longer so common in Hong Kong.
On this weekday evening, I arrived at Anna Restaurant before 6pm and found quite a few tables already occupied by eager patrons. By the time I left before 7pm, the house was 80% seated. Besides the nostalgia, the restaurant also attracts customers with its reputation of serving generous portions. Perhaps even its business model is frozen in time.
I arrived at Yan Lok Fong in Yuen Long to find a pleasing sight of the restaurant’s exterior, dressed in a distinctively 1980s décor. In my mind’s eyes I see the original intention of its cute green doors with a faux pediment. Its walls are lined with what appears to be bricks, painted in white, a kind of classic cottage vibe that would have conveyed a sense of easy, western luxury in those golden days of the 1980s.
In the aesthetics of today, perhaps this layout is somewhat contrived. But in a very local community like Yuen Long, this exterior is cute and certainly nostalgic. I would not change a thing at Anna Restaurant.
The staff greeted me warmly. It is a typical feature of the “soy sauce western” restaurants that the staff are older, long serving and loyal. That is part of the reason why they earn the perpetual loyalty of their patrons. I rejoiced in the warm hospitality and atmosphere of Anna Restaurant.
Photo: The interior of Anna Restaurant is every bit nostalgic as the exterior, perhaps even more classic.
The sirloin steak dinner set costs $137. It comes with buttered toast, soup du jour and a big slab of sirloin cut over hot skillet. The toast and the soup met every expectation of nostalgia—just as I remembered it from my young days.
My sirloin was so big, so thick, that it took up the whole surface area of the skillet. When the waitress poured the thick black pepper sauce onto my steak, the sauce bubbled in the hot plate and caramelized into the crinkle cut fries. As to the taste, it was every way soy sauce western.
Photo: The cow-shaped skillet is also a classic feature of 1980s Hong Kong steakhouses.
In this oldest rendition of fusion food in Hong Kong cuisine, a standard feature is the tenderization of the meat with baking soda. As such, it comes with a smooth tenderness that is somewhat artificial as compared to the aged steaks at fine dining. The steak was nonetheless tasty. No modern gravy compares to the thick, full-bodied black pepper sauce that graces the steak with flavors and zest.
As the hot plate meat entrees are the stars of the show, they are served at anytime the restaurant is open, not just during the dinner section. Besides the steak, the restaurant is also known for its roast spring chicken and German pig trotter.
I finished off the meal with a cuppa milk tea, brewed in the Hong Kong style over their hot stove. I say the milk tea at Anna Restaurant beats any Cha Chaan Teng’s in Hong Kong.
On the second day of the heritage tour in Macau, I visited the Moorish Barracks first, and then headed over to the Monte Fort and the Guia Lighthouse before going home. It was a very hot October day and the walking did amount to a …