Day 4 - The Hong Kong Interlude

Hello All! I am writing to you using the free wireless in the Hong Kong airport. The view of the harbor is truly beautiful. I have only a short time before I board the next flight to Beijing aboard Dragon Air. I really am in China now.

I promised to finish my tale of our travels yesterday. Our evening began at 5 pm with a long walk to Taipei 101. Here are some pictures of our approach. The geometrically shaped building is the World Trade Center.
We arrived at the building shortly before 6 pm. We received information that the observation deck was open until 9:45 pm, so we were excited to be going to the top. However, when we arrived we learned that it closed at 6 pm and that we would not be able to make the trip. We were all a bit sad, but still had much left to see and did not let this disappoint us.

We walked to a nearby MRT (subway) station and rode the train to the Long Shan Temple. The temple was built in 1738 by settlers from Fujian, China. It served as a place of worship and a gathering place for the Chinese settlers. Today it serves not only as a temple, but also as a sightseeing attraction and historical site. Inside it smelled of the incense that was being burned and offered. There were tables covered with lotus flowers, fruits, vegetables and other offerings. Here are a few images from the Temple. The waterfall is inside the temple grounds.
Okay, time to board for Beijing. More about the night market and Snake Alley later!