HK’s Octopus Card
After a Yangtze River trip in China in November ’11, my husband, Alan, and I spent three days on our own in Hong Kong. We found it very easy to sightsee there and it also was inexpensive, once we discovered the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and the Octopus Card*.
In an MTR station, we each purchased an Octopus Card for a senior for HKD50 (near $6.50) and loaded an additional HKD20 on it. We used our cards to travel everywhere on the MTR for pennies.
For example, our hotel was promoting, at more than $100, a sightseeing company’s tour to Lantau Island to see the Tian Tan Buddha, Po Lin Monastery and the Tai-O fishing village. Using our cards, we visited these sites for $13 each.
First, we took the MTR to Tung Chung station, where we purchased two one-way tickets on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car for HKD80 ($10). Once on Lantau Island, we walked through Ngong Ping village, a shopping experience, and on to the beautiful Po Lin Monastery with its golden Buddhas.
After admiring all the art on the walls and ceiling, we were ready to climb to the giant Tian Tan Buddha, which is on a mountain and visible from miles away. We joined a crowd climbing 15 flights of 16 steps each (yes, I counted). When we had finished admiring the Buddha and his handmaidens — and catching our breath — down the 240 steps we went.
Our next stop was Tai-O fishing village. On Bus 21 (HKD8.35 each), it took us only 15 minutes to descend a winding mountain road, with occasional glimpses of water buffalo grazing at the roadside. Tai-O is a picturesque village with homes on stilts. We walked through the market marveling at all the fish hanging to dry in the warm sunshine.
A 50-minute ride on another bus brought us back to Tung Chung, where we could catch the MTR to our hotel. The regular fare on this bus was HKD11.80, but we paid only HKD5.70 with our senior Octopus cards. (All types of Octopus cards offer discounts on transportation.)
Without a card, exact change is required to pay the fare, so if you do not have the necessary coins, the ride becomes more expensive. We never could figure out the fare structure, but seniors with the card pay even less than the regular children’s fare!
From Tung Chung, we rode the MTR to Central Station and transferred to a train back to Yau Ma Tei, our stop. It had been a beautiful day with wonderful sights — and a bargain at $13 each for all our transportation.
After our last trip on the MTR, we turned in our Octopus cards and received our deposit plus additional ride money we hadn’t spent, minus a tiny service charge.
The MTR is easy to use. Signs are in both English and Chinese. Easy-to-read maps are in many locations, and route maps on the trains light up to show which station you are approaching. Transfer points are clearly marked. The underground concourses are huge, clean, air-conditioned and filled with shops. Exits are clearly marked with listings of street names and tourist attractions.
We were never lost and always marveled at the underground life in Hong Kong.
Other places we visited by MTR in our three days in Hong Kong included the flower, bird and goldfish markets; Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery; Nan Lian Gardens; Chi Lin Nunnery; the Hong Kong Museum of Art; the Avenue of the Stars, and the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, all places I would heartily recommend.
ARLENE LICHTENSTEIN
Commack, NY
*The Octopus Card can be purchased at service centers of MTR stations, Light Rail, First Ferry and the Admiralty Terminus of New World First Bus. The Standard “On-Loan” card can be used for transportation, retail discounts, recreational facilities, restaurants and more. A deposit of HK50 [about $6.50] is required to obtain the card. When the card is returned to any service center, the unused amount is refunded, less a handling fee of HK7.