Urban oases in Causeway Bay and Central

They may look artificial but these flowers really are natural!

I actually like this plant's leaves as well as flowers :)

For years now, I've made it a point to attend the annual Hong Kong Flower Show that takes place in Victoria Park as the floral displays there really are quite something.  And even though I tend to look forward more to checking out the political and lunar animal-themed stalls at the lunar new year flower market, it's also the case -- as its name will have you expecting -- that there are some beautiful flowers on display and sale at the similarly annual event. 

In truth though, there are pretty flowers to be found in this venue which also annually plays hosts to such as the June 4th vigil and Mid-Autumn Festival lantern displays pretty much all year round.  Consequently, daytime strolls through Victoria Park often can be pleasant indeed; not least because I often come across flower species I didn't previously know exist -- some of which look like they'd be dismissed as unrealistic if a child drew a realistic depiction of them! -- as well as still am continuing to discover attractive corners in this deceptively large venue.

Another urban park on Hong Kong Island that I've found to have plenty of interesting nooks and attractions is the even more centrally located Hong Kong Park.  Among the sections of it where I've happily whiled away some leisure time over the years are the shady area behind one of the park's waterfalls, the Lock Cha Tea House at the Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware located within the park, and the Edward Youde Aviary that's filled with an amazing variety of birds.

On a visit to Hong Kong for his I'll Have What Phil's Having food and travel TV show, Hollywood writer-producer Phil Rosenthal enjoyed a stroll in Hong Kong Park.  "Whenever I'm in any city, I want to find the park," he said, "'cause the park represents to me how the government, how the people, you know, take care of each other.  The park is where you go for respite from big city life.  And if the park is lousy, I think your city is lousy."   

In his eyes, "Hong Kong Park in the middle of Hong Kong is so gorgeous, and it's so well thought out, and it's so well cared for.  It's almost like the path [he was walking on] is saying, 'Slow down, slow down.'  It's been beautifully designed...  It's not a very big park, but you get a lot of bang for your buck here.  They pack a lot of nature's greatest hits into a very small and beautifully thought out landscape.  It's just great!"

So great is his enthusiasm for this urban park, and those of other visitors I've brought to it, that I often find myself wishing I could bring them out for a hike in one of Hong Kong's country parks.  Still, especially for those who may not be physically able to go on such an excursion, urban parks like Victoria Park and Hong Kong Park (and also Nan Lian Garden over in Diamond Hill) can indeed provide lovely respites from big city life -- and proof positive that there exist wonderful pockets of greenery within Hong Kong's concrete jungle as well as often not all that far from it. :)