The financial heartland of Central on Hong Kong Island still glitters. The boundless energy of the Hong Kong people remains unsapped as they take the future in their stride. This energy translates into a barrage of sights, sounds and smells. Those people on business come and go, occasionally sidling into wayside temples to cast prayers at the feet of the gods and divine the future. Churches, temples and colonial buildings lie in the shadow of neighbouring skyscrapers.
Busy thoroughfares yield to small alleys that lead to flourishing street markets.
And perme- ating all this hustle and bustle linger the fragrances of the city. The aromas of Canton- ese cooking from countless kitchens hang over the streets, mixing with the scent of dried fish and herbs while the perfumed smoke of incense beckons you into the hidden portal of a roadside shrine. Hong Kong at night offers yet more. Lovers of good food will be spoilt for choice in the city's eclectic eateries. Hong Kong's bars offer everything from alternative to chic to the refined.