UNIT TRIP

|| schedule || flight || visa || accommodation || sites ||

SCHEDULE

PDF of schedule
Dec 3 Sunday LEAVE UK to Hong Kong

Dec 4 Monday Arrive in HK// students check in Causeway Bay HK Hostel.
Hong Kong Hostel/ Wang Fat Hostel
No A2, 3/F., Paterson Bldg,
47 Paterson St
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel: +85228951015
www.hostel.hk
http://www.hostel.hk/hkarptexptrain_tohostel.cfm
Directions: Take the MTR Airport Express Train from Hong Kong Airport to Hong Kong – Central Station (HK$100 and 30 minutes). Then take the MTR from Central Station to Causeway Bay Station (HK$5 and 10 minutes). At the Causeway Bay Station, use Exit “E”. At the Exit to the Street, Turn Left and Go to the End of the Block. This will be Paterson Street. Then Turn Left Again, Keep Walking Until You See Starbucks, We are about 30 meters to the right of Starbucks at 47 Paterson Street, Paterson Building, A Block.

Dec 5 Tuesday Tour Chi Lin Nunnery in Diamond Hill
Meeting time at 10:00am Diamond Hill MTR Station (inside- HangSeng Bank kiosk)
Visit APM Kwun tong then Central Area. (Fosters Bank, IM Pei bank etc)
Then visit Peak, take Peak Tram

Dec 6 Wednesday Reviews and discussion in HK with Dean Ralph Lerner and Leslie Lu, Head of the Department, and other guests. Meeting time at 12:30pm at Department of Architecture, 3/F Knowles Building
University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road
Meet outside of Starbucks in HKU (open area near Knowles Bldg entrance)
Tel: of HKU School of architecture: (852) 2859-2133
4:30- 6pm: Mid levels-escalators, Sheung Wan (Site visit) tour by DayTauChung:Gene Miao and Aly Chow

Dec 7 Thursday Visit factories in Chang Ping and Dong guan.
Meeting time: 8:30am at Kowloon Tong Station (KCR Tickets Booths)

Dec 8 Friday Shenzhen factories. Meeting time: 10:00am at Kowloon Tong Station KCR side entrance

Dec 9 Saturday All Day long “DayTauChung”, "Neighborhood Worm" walking tour
Meeting time: 11:00 am morning at Sham Shui Po MTR station (inside Hang Seng Bank)
Evening event 6:00pm hosted by DayTauChung (by Gene Miao and Aly Chow)
Kapok (Tin hau) location of Walking tour party
G/F 9 Dragon Road
Tin Hau, (near Causeway Bay)
2549 9254 (tel)

Dec 10 Sunday Free day for students
Dinner hosted by Eric and Marisa, Meeting at TST Star Ferry at 6:45pm Dinner at Pacific Club. (http://www.pacificclub.com.hk/pacific6.htm)

Dec 11 Monday Free morning for students // revisit Site in Sheung Wan
3:00pm Boat trip hosted by the Toongs // dinner at Lamma island

Dec 12 Tuesday Arts Centre // Wanchai
Meeting at 10:00am 38/F, Office Tower, Convention Plaza,
1 Harbour Road, Wanchai. Visit to the TDC Business InfoCentre // presentation by Ms. Jessica Kwan
Meet at 2:00pm (Kowloon Tong Station)
Afternoon Tour starts at 2:30pm of HK Design Centre
Presentation on ‘innocentre and hk design centre’ by Ms. Connie Chan
Suggested visit: Exhibition on HK architecture post 1997

Dec 13 Wednesday ALL morning Re-visit site location and area // Day Tau Chung Afternoon: St. James Wan Chai Tour // dinner t.b.d.

Dec 14 Thursday Students return home // UK for December break

FLIGHTS

As everyone has different return plans we would like everyone to leave on Sunday Dec 3rd TOGETHER on either Oasis Hong Kong airlines or Cathay Pacific airlines. These are currently the cheapest flights:

Suggested itinerary for those who want to go and leave together from London-HK-London on Dec 3rd coming back Dec 14th

Cathay Pacific
The price is online purchase £418.2 on http://www.cathaypacific.com
Sun, 03 Dec 2006 from Heathrow
CX250 London Heathrow 18:05 HKG arrive 14:05 (next day on Dec 4th)
14 December
CX257 HKG 09:20 LHR arrive 15:00
Price GBP £418.20

OR

Oasis Hong Kong
The price is online for £331.05 on http://www.oasishongkong.com/gb/en/home.aspx
Sun, 03 Dec 2006 leave from Gatwick
at 20:10 arrive 15:40 the next day on the Dec 4th
Thu, 14 Dec 2006 leave HK
at 01:30 arrive 06:20 at London Gatwick
Fares + Taxes Total GBP £331.05

VISAS

Please make arrangements to apply for a multiple entry visa to China AND also check whether you need a VISA for Hong Kong also at the Chinese Consulate. Please check your status and passport. The visa (depending on nationality) will cost about £40 to £60 GBP to get. http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk
http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/lsyw/qzxx/default.htm

Please organize amongst yourselves to do this during WEEK 4 in the morning of Friday OCT 27TH. Make sure to check whether you need a Hong Kong visa http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm

Requirements towards passport
In order to get the visa you must BUY and ORDER tickets OR have an itinerary first as a proof.
One completed visa application form, one recent passport sized photograph, a valid original passport with blank pages. More documents are required if applying for:
"L" Tourist visa: the itinerary or flight booking.
A. There must be at least one totally blank page in the passport. Pages for endorsements or amendments can not be used as a visa page.
B. For Half Year Multi entry visa, a passport should be valid for at least 9 Months.

Address and Office hours of the Visa Office of the Chinese Embassy and Consulate-General in U.K.
Visa Office in Chinese Embassy : 31 Portland Place, London W1B 1QD
Office Hours: 9:00am--12:00noon, Monday--Friday.
(Except British and Chinese holidays)
The office is not open to the public in the afternoon
Telephone inquiry :020-76311430 ( 2:00pm -- 4:00pm , Monday-- Friday )
Fax: 020-74369178
Web Site:www.chinese-embassy.org.uk

Directions to the Chinese Embassy

ACCOMMODATION

Hong Kong Hostel/ Wang Fat Hostel
No A2, 3/F., Paterson Bldg,
47 Paterson St
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel: +85228951015

Unit Trip Expenses (Estimated)

Food prices will be quite similar to London prices. So plan accordingly. But there is a good range of prices. There will be some free time off during the trip for you to explore HK on your own.

We will be mostly traveling by Public Transportation. Everyone should buy an Octopus Card (similar to Oyster). Get this at the airport and you can top it up throughout the trip. Single rides are around 1 GBP. Here is the MAP at http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/train/intro.html
We will be using this extensively. Be sure to check out Tourist versions of octopus card.

I would imagine also taking and sharing taxis as they are much cheaper than UK ones.

A few things also:

From the airport to the hostel will be around 8 GBP

On Thursday Dec 7th we will do a trip to Dong Guan China, a minivan has been organized and will be 20GBP for each person for the car rental.

On Friday Dec 8th we will take the train into ShenZhen China (return trip to Lo Wu Station) and that would cost about 6 GBP. There maybe transporatation provided in ShenZhen, if not we will be sharing taxis back to the station.

ATM's are available everywhere so this would be advisable to use. Some of you may decide to exchange 100 GBP ahead of time into HK $ if you wish. (Or just get cash at the airport ATM).

On Dec 9th Day Tau Chung, tour and including food will be approx $HK 80- 100 (approx 6-7 GBP) for the day.

On Dec 13th special tour each cost HK$$ 40/ head (approx 3 GBP), Wan Chai St. James Settlement

Telephone numbers:
Marisa and Eric’s contact in HK:
(852) 23363868
(853) 90788270 mobile

UK numbers:
Eric Schuldenfrei // 07963403521
Marisa Yiu // 07804322229

We may get some new Sim card for our phones so to be determined.

REMEMBER TO BRING:

1. CD of all your work and photographs of vitrine
2. Cameras, taking a lot of pictures!
3. Travel light
4. Good walking shoes, comfortable shoes
5. Passports/ visas
6. Cash for the trip
7. Remember you will be paying for the hostel there HK$171 per night (approx GBP 11.7 per night)
8. Credit Card and Bank ATM Card
9. These pages with the Student Booking Confirmation for the hostel
10. Sketch book/ note pad
11. And all the things you will need
12. Reading “Saskia Sassen article”// “PRD”// Cradle to Cradle

INFO

SOME INFO OF THE SITES // LIST TO BE APPENDED TO:

Chi Lin NunneryChi Lin Nunnery is Buddhist nunnery in Diamond Hill, New Kowloon, Hong Kong. The present-day buildings have been rebuilt and their style is of Tang architecture. The beautiful garden in front of the nunnery is open to the public free of charge.

Its buildings are the only ones to be built with wooden rooftops in modern Hong Kong, without the use of a single nail in its construction. This is based on a unique architectural style from the Tang Dynasty which uses special interlocking systems cut into the wood for construction.

Covering a space of 30,000 square meters, Chi Lin Nunnery has strikingly beautiful statues of the Sakyamuni Buddha, the goddess of mercy Guanyin and other bodhisattvas. These statues are made from gold, clay, wood and stone.

The Chi Lin Nunnery is built on an area of over 33,000 m2 with facilities for elderly services, library, school, nunnery, a pagoda and various worship temples.
The timber structures in the project are designed to have a service life of 500 years. Its structure and construction, in each single step and detail, are to relive the ancient Tang dynasty modus coupling with modern technology and philosophy. The specified ancient features include :

The “Ze-jiao” columns which slant inwardly (as the legs of a chair) as opposed to absolute verticality.
The “Sheng-qi” column disposition by progressive increase in length towards interior, thereby focusing the balance of the system towards the centre.
The “tou-kung” system which dates back to about 500BC is a built-up timber bracket cluster to support the cantilevered eaves and transfer the load to the columns. Each bracket set is an interlocking layered assembly of three-dimensional timber elements of bearing block, bracket arm, slanted lever arm, small beam and beam head.
High water resistant tree barks placed under roof tiles for a service free water-proofing system.
The timber building has to cater for the local environmental conditions for its longevity. The humidity, temperature and rainfall characters of Hong Kong are disposed for insect attack. In summer, the buildings are to withstand severe typhoons. In dry winter, fire protection poses the major concern. Available tools were deployed to meet the demanding standard, including :

Finite element analysis of the intricate load-transferring bracket systems to verify the structural viability, performance and geometric proportion of the ancient designs which were previously dominated by experience, family heritage and abacus
Introducing stainless steel pins concealed in the “tou-kung” system as stability enhancement and anti-typhoon devices
Built-in steel wind frames
Implementing fire engineering approach and active provisions to ascertain fire safety
Analysis of meteorological history to assess the equilibrium moisture content for timber design
Tubes filled with chlorine based insect repellent embedded underground to prevent white ant attack
Detailed measurement of each component for preliminary computer mock-up study and record before shipment for erection
laser-cutting of timber elements
The selection of material, design, fabrication and installation procedures were all meticulously studied according to the properties and available quantity of the timber. Chinese Pierre Dacrydium, Madhuca JF Geml, Hainanensis Merr, Canadian Doussie and African Yellow Cedar were selected as the main sources for various parts. The timbers were procured from the respective source countries, seasoned in Japan, fabricated in China and assembled in Hong Kong. Totally 15,000 m3 of timber was used.

The roof is topped with over 238,000 pieces of ‘smoked-baked’ tiles anchored to the purlins with acid-free galvanized copper wiring against uplifting wind force.

The project was completed in 1998.

http://www.langhamplace.com.hk/main/lp_get2there.htm

Langham Place
Traditional Chinese: // Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin: Langháo Fang

The Langham Place and the "Xpresscalators" (the 4th floor)
The Langham Place tower in the middle of Mongkok.Langham Place is a 3-in-1 shopping mall, hotel and office tower that opened in the fourth quarter of 2004 in Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. It occupies two entire blocks defined by Argyle Street, Portland Street, Shantung Street and Reclamation Street. Shanghai Street separates the hotel with office tower from the shopping mall.

Jointly developed by the Great Eagle Group and the Urban Renewal Authority of Hong Kong, the 59 storey Grade A office tower is the tallest in Kowloon and Mong Kok with a height of 255m. The complex houses a 15 storey mall including 2 basements that spirals itself up to the 13th floor and a 665 room hotel. The mall is also connected to the Mong Kok MTR station of the MTR via Exit C3 which opened on March 3, 2005. The Great Eagle Group announced the sale of individual floors of the Langham Place Office Tower in August 2005.

Adjacent to the office tower and shopping mall, the hotel is a 5 star 665 room hotel and is directly connected to the mall and office tower. Managed by the Langham Hotels International, it has 42 floors.

The shopping mall is a 15 storey mall including two basement levels, and is directly connected to Mong Kok MTR station. There is a food court on the 4th and a cinema on the 8th run by UA Cinemas with six screens and 112 seats in total.

Unique design features
The building also has the longest escalators within a shopping mall in the territory, called the "Xpresscalators". A pair is located on the 4th floor leading up to the 8th and another pair leads to the 12th floor.

The shopping mall has a section called "The Spiral" from the 9th to 13th floor of the building.

A dome caps the exterior of the building. At night, an array of lights fitted to the dome is programmed to change colours progressively from the bottom upwards.

apm Millennium City 5

The correct title of this article is apm Millennium City 5. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
Open in April 2005, apm Millennium City 5 (???? 5?) is a commercial property developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties. Together with Millennium Cities 1, 2, 3, and 6 (under construction), they are commercial properties situated along Kwun Tong Road. apm Millennium City 5 is next to the Kwun Tong MTR Station. There is also a 7-storey shopping arcade with an array of restaurants, clothing stores, cosmetics shops, and a cineplex. It also contains a bus terminus and parking facilities.

Its name 'apm' means that visitors are welcome in both AM and PM. In fact, many shops inside apm run overnight.

It is the largest mall in the district, and caters for the habits of the community in which it is located by having extending opening hours. Retail shops close at 12 midnight, and restaurants close at 2am. There are also shops that operate 24 hours.

[edit] TV and LCD
apm provides complete digital facilities around the mall. Several channels covering movies, local news, information on latest music, trends, and celebrity gossip are distributed to four mega LED screens, over 40 plasma TVs, and 100 LCDs.

Washrooms
The male and female washrooms feature numerous LCDs, showing programmes targeted to the appropriate sex. Specially designed kids' cubicles (1 foot high) provide privacy for children.

Express escalators
Two express escalators are located in the middle of the mall to take shoppers from the 1st to 3rd and 3rd to 5th floors.

The Peak Tram first opened for public service in 1888, at which time it used a static steam engine to power the haulage cable. In 1926 the steam engine was replaced by an electric motor. In 1989 the system was comprehensively rebuilt, with new track, a computerized control system and new two-car trams with a capacity of 120 passengers per tram. It was first used only for residents of Victoria Peak.

HK$33 per ride
The Peak Tram runs every day, including Sundays and public holidays, between 7:00 am and 12:00 midnight. The tram departs every 10 to 15 minutes.

Our Site Area:
Sheung Wan (??) is an area in Hong Kong, located in the north-west of Hong Kong Island (in between Central and Sai Ying Pun). It is part of the Central and Western District. The name can be variously interpreted as Upper District (occupying relatively high ground compared to Central and Wanchai), or Gateway District (perhaps a reference to the location where the British first entered and occupied Hong Kong).

History
Sheung Wan was one of the earliest settled places by the British, and belonged to the historical Victoria City. The site of the original occupation of Hong Kong island by British forces in 1842 is reputed to be at Possession Street, between Queen's Road Central and Hollywood Road. The foot of Possession Street, Possession Point, was at that time on the shoreline, but is now several hundred yards inland due to reclamation.

Geography
Sheung Wan is surrounded by Sai Ying Pun in the west, Central in the east, Victoria Harbour in the north, Mid-Levels (Soho) in the south.

The border of Central and Sheung Wan is along Aberdeen Street and Wing Kut Street.

Highlights
Western Market
Cat Street (Upper Lascar Row)
Ladder Street
The Center, Hong Kong
Man Mo Temple