It seems like every time I’ve visited Hong Kong since I left in 1998, I’ve wanted to go back to Kowloon Park, a place where I used to wander around and chill out back in my twenties. I’ve gotten close several times, but I always try to cram in more than I have time for and, honestly, I love seeing my friends so I hadn’t had time to actually walk into Kowloon Park until this summer.
The hand sculpture above is new since I left Hong Kong. This is a stretch of Nathan Road alongside Kowloon Park. Back during my first year in Hong Kong, it looked like this:
Now the staircase going into the park is lined with these cartoon characters. I have no idea what they represent, or if they are even actual characters.
This is the outdoor pool and I thought for a moment that I could swim here each morning, but that wasn’t really realistic since I was staying far from the park. Maybe another time. I swam in at least four pools when I lived in Hong Kong, from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon to the New Territories. So walking by this pool brought back memories.
Inside the park, I found more cartoon characters. This one is holding a tray of bamboo steamers.
Here’s Din Dong. A cat perhaps?
This is a sculpture garden, which I’m pretty sure was in the park when I used to walk around here in my twenties. I’m not sure if it’s in the same place, but I do remember one from back then.
A quiet pagoda and pond inside Kowloon Park.
I never get tired of the banyan trees in Hong Kong. They line Nathan Road just outside the park, but this one inside the park is something to behold.
And the aviary! This was definitely at Kowloon Park in the 90s.
I don’t remember this gate and keyhole-shaped door, but it’s very possible it’s been around for a long time. This part of the park was quiet on a Saturday morning.
I didn’t have a ton of time to stay at Kowloon Park this time and there were other parts I didn’t get to see. There’s a fabulous history museum inside the park I went to decades ago and didn’t get to this time. But I’m glad I was able to spend an hour at the park and see as much as I could before I had to head back to Hong Kong Island to meet friends.
Hong Kong has a ton of fabulous parks, but this is one of my favorites because I knew it well back when I lived there.
Leave a Reply