New Year’s Eve: Sydney, Hong Kong, Taiwan

Dec 312011
 

The New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration in Sydney (see below video) might even be more impressive than my last two years of New Year’s.  Last year I kicked off my 5-month trip in Hong Kong for New Year’s Eve, and the year before was in Taiwan. Both of their fireworks celebrations were impressive!  After being out of the country the past two years on New Year’s Eve, I’ll be back in New York City! Videos for all 3 are below

Happy New Year from Hong Kong! 2010-2011

Hong King New Year's Eve 2010-2011, from the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade.

Here’s the 2012  New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration in Sydney, Australia. Awesome!

 

That might even be more impressive than my past two years – check out the videos, with fireworks coming from the sides of a building, I was just across the harbor – aka Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade. The Hong Kong skyline is one of the world’s best. I highlighted some of the Hong Kong architecture here. Happy New Year!

(click the bottom right corner to expand to full screen)

2009-2010 at “Tapei 101” – the largest building in Taiwan. At the time it was the largest in the world, but that lasted less than a month. Check it:  Read more... (243 words, 12 images, estimated 58 secs reading time)

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Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur | Architecture in Malaysia

Mar 182011
 
Petronas towers Panorama
Photos: Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur | Architecture in Malaysia

Petronas Towers

The Petronas Towers , also referred to as Malaysia’s Twin Towers, in Kuala Lumpur. The Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 until surpassed by Taipei 101, but remain the tallest twin buildings in the world to this day (the Sears Tower / Willis Tower in Chicago is taller if you include their antenna).

Photos: View of the Petronas Towers from the KL Tower in Kuala Lumpur | Architecture in Malaysia

View of the Petronas Towers from KL Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

Wikipedia’s list of the tallest buildings and structures in the world

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Video: Hong Kong’s NYE countdown to 2011

Mar 052011
 
Hong Kong New Year's Eve 2010/2011, from the lens of Todd Cohen at the prominade/harbour

Hong Kong – Here’s the video clip I took from my New Year’s Eve celebration in Hong Kong -51 seconds. Watch fireworks come from the sides of a building – I’m not typically wowed by fireworks displays, but this was impressive. I shot this video from the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade.

Hong Kong New Year's Fireworks

Hong Kong New Year's Eve 2010/2011, Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade, from the lens of Todd Cohen

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Hong Kong architecture: Bank of China Tower photos

Feb 122011
 
I.M. Pei's Bank of China Tower on the left | Hong Kong skyline & architecture

People rave about the International Financial Centre (IFC), but the skyscraper that stands out the most for me is the Bank of China Tower (78 stories), an architectural wonder.

The Bank of China Tower was designed by American-born Chinese architect Ieoh Ming Pei (aka IM Pei, or Bei Yuming), who’s best known for the modernization of the Louvre museum in Paris, France. He also did the John F. Kennedy Library and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. In NYC, he did the Jacob Javits Center.

The Bank of China Tower skyscraper might be the most recognisable skyscraper in Central, Hong Kong. When it was completed, the Bank of China Tower was the tallest building in Hong Kong, the tallest in Asia, and the tallest outside the United States. It was the first building outside the United States to break the 1,000 foot mark. The BOC also has two masts reaching 1,200 feet high.

I.M. Pei's Bank of China Tower on the left | Hong Kong skyline & architecture

I.M. Pei's Bank of China Tower on the left

The Bank of China Tower (BOC) is now the fourth tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong, after International Commerce Centre, Two International Finance Centre and Central Plaza.

It’s 72 stories high and the design is supposed to resemble growing bamboo shoots, supposedly symbolizing livelihood and prosperity.  Read more... (250 words, 12 images, estimated 1:00 mins reading time)

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Victoria Peak – view of the HK skyline

Jan 042011
 

Victoria Peak, (traditional Chinese: 太平山), which locals just refer to as The Peak, is a mountain in Hong Kong with outstanding views of the Hong Kong skyline.

View from Victoria Peak

View from Victoria Peak

 

The view from 1800 feet above sea level at Victoria Peak, the highest point in Hong Kong.


To get to Victoria Peak, most tourists take the Peak Tram, a scenic ride in a 100 year old train as they ascend up the mountain. At the top is a building that looks like a ship with all kinds of tourist traps - Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, Odditorium, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and the Peak Explorer Motion Simulator. I’d head straight to the many viewing areas – they’re spectacular!  Read more... (197 words, 40 images, estimated 47 secs reading time)

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Hong Kong New Year!

Jan 012011
 
Photo of Hong Kong's skyline from the harbor (Tsim Sha Tsui East Prominade)

Happy New Year from Hong Kong!   Last night  I watched the countdown from Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade (everyone just refers to it as the Harbour) in southern Kowloon – saw a light show and fireworks.

Hong Kong's impressive skyline from the harbour (Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade)

The crowd was stoked for New Year’s Eve!  Coming from New York City, I used to take this as a given, but it’s really not. Many countries celebrate NYE, but don’t really care about the actual countdown to the precise moment that it’s the new year.  The countdown is such a silly tradition but I love it!  HK definitely made it a big deal, following their daily light show over the skyline with fireworks (which were very cool but brief).

It was the 2nd time I’ve seen New Year’s Eve fireworks come from the sides of a building (last year’s NYE celebration from Taiwan’s Tapei 101 being the first). Both were impressive.

See for yourself — here’s the 0:51 video clip of Hong Kong on New Year’s Eve with Hong Kong countdown and fireworks.  Read more... (197 words, 11 images, estimated 47 secs reading time)

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