ON THE way to the Colosseum in Rome – where a gladiator in triumph might well have taunted the spectators, as Russell Crowe did onscreen, “Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?” – is a quiet passageway of red brick.

It has crosses set in stations along the path, whispers of the faith that would forever transform Rome from the capital of the West’s largest empire into a sacred centre of Christendom.

The Vatican’s passageways, conceived by baroque master Gian Lorenzo Bernini, ensure spiritlifting drama.

Today visitors can only vaguely imagine the intense bloodletting that went on inside the Flavian Amphitheatre, as the Colosseum is also known, and the dynasty of three emperors who built it.

Tertullian, writing around the turn of the second century, condemned the gore and lamented the gladiators’ fate. “Even in the case of those who are judicially condemned to the amphitheatre, what a monstrous thing it is that, in undergoing their punishment, they, from some less serious delinquency, advance to the criminality of man-slayers!”

The passageway of forgiving crosses threads through the city’s densest concentration of ruins in the Forum before returning to the Rome of today and a wonderful vantage to savour the elegant skyline punctuated by baroque domes. Sacred flames once burned here, maintained by the virginal priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the hearth. Keeping the fires lit was a spiritual must and vital to the city’s security.

Visitors exit Vatican City by way of the doublehelix Bramante Staircase.

Constantine’s Arch again reflects the shift from pagan polytheism to Christianity. Etched on the mammoth gateway erected to honour the emperor’s feats is the word “Divinitas”. The choice would have been acceptable to pagans as well as to the citizens who followed Constantine in embracing the new religion from the Near East.

There are remarkable sights everywhere in Rome and a seemingly endless stream of remarkable moments. A brace of men in tuxedos escort a stylish lady in red arm-in-arm down the Spanish Steps.

Two of the city’s famously macho taxi drivers have a noisy near miss outside a cafe, prompting the waitress to tease her tourist customers, “Welcome to Rome!”

Against the palatial backdrop of Santa Maria Maggiore Church, policemen wolf down oversized pastries and espresso before hitting the beat, like hungry Romulus and Remus, the city’s mythical founders, being suckled by a she-wolf.

The gilded detail above the Vatican’s Gallery of Maps leads from the Papal Palace to the Sistine Chapel.

Scavenging seagulls splashing in a fountain near a sacred site honouring the Virgin Mother are a reminder of the nearness of the Mediterranean Sea – the “Roman Lake” to the ancients. When the boundaries of the empire began receding, Rome’s new faith radiated out in waves, giving the city fresh significance as a Christian hub.

In Vatican City, St Peter’s Basilica overwhelms the senses with its acres of spectacular art and architecture. A staircase snakes through the curving shell of the world’s largest church, leading to an unforgettable view of sun-drenched St Peter’s Square and beyond, to the edges of the world’s smallest state. Just below the summit, a colossal statue of the namesake apostle, with curly locks and beard in marble, surveys the scene.

At the Pantheon, the sunlight streams dramatically through a circular opening known as the oculus, obliterating the darkness and piercing the heart. The structure’s purity of design transcends religious beliefs –2,000 years after it was built, this is still the world’s largest non-reinforced concrete dome.

Entering the Colosseum, where gladiators once battled.

As if illuminating history itself, the light shining through the oculus falls in succession on traces of statuary – mysterious wonders awaiting further contemplation. One is a likeness of Agnes of Rome, a Christian martyr of legend credited with a deep sense of sacrifice. In a city where the grandest of dreams seem capable of leaping to life, the sunlight offers to render myth a reality.

WAITING AT Bangkok’s Suvaranabhumi Airport as typhoon Mangkhut ravages the Philippines before heading Hong Kong in less than three days, I can’t help wondering whether this trip to the SAR might not be better postponed.

Landing at Chek Lap Kok three hours later after a smooth flight, we are greeted by local guide Zelo Dai, who reassures us that the airport weather advisory board is still showing level 3.

“The typhoon is coming but it’s still far from Hong Kong’s coastline. We have time to get around town. Don’t you guys worry,” Zelo says with a bright smile.

“For us, this is normal because Hong Kong always encounters typhoons during summer (June to September). When the typhoons intensify to level 10, everyone stays home and all shopping malls and restaurants are closed,” he adds, as he leads us to Tai Kwun, in the heart of Old Town Central.

After 10 years of renovation works, the Central Police Station has become the Tai Kwun contemporary art centre.

Opened in May, Hong Kong’s new iconic landmark is home to the new incarnation of the 170-year-old Central Police Station, which thanks to an investment of HK$48 million (Bt1.98 billion) by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, has been turned into a creative contemporary art centre.

It took full 10 years to transform the Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison into this new centre for heritage and the arts and the results are impressive.

“Constructed in 1845 under British colonial rule, this was only compound in Central district that had a police station, prison and court in the same area. Initially, it served as a prison before the police station and court were built. The facility was closed because it was too small and some prisoners tried to escape,” Esther Lui, marketing officer of Tai Kwun, tells us.

“Now the compound features 16 buildings which house exhibition galleries, auditoriums and stages for performing arts as well as several outdoor spaces. The original colonial structures have been retained. We tried to find the materials similar to the original, even importing the roofing from Scotland. We also have several restaurants and teahouses that are popular hangouts for artists and art lovers.”

One of the oldest properties is the four-storey Barrack Block built between 1862 and 1864. Inside are the Tai Kwun Store, the visitor centre and two exhibition galleries, where guests can come and learn about the history of the Central Police Station compound.

Block 12, B Hall was built during the expansion of Victoria Gaol to house prisoners convicted of the most serious crimes including murder and armed robbery. The ground floor serves as an interactive exhibition gallery, with the walls of 16 old cells used as a big screen to project the daily life of prisoners. Visitors can travel back to 1910 to its days as a high-security cellblock, witness a jailbreak and sample life behind bars.

Completed in 1919, the neo-classical, red brick Police Headquarters presents the inaugural “100 Faces of Tai Kwun” exhibition, in which some 100 local residents share their childhood memories of the complex and the Central neighbourhood though such mixed media as illustrations and voice stories.

Tai Kwun also offers a programme of indie musical performances by local and international artists every first Saturday afternoon of the month while every Sunday the semi-out-door Laundry Steps has free screenings of movies in collaboration with the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

The next morning we skip the hotel’s breakfast buffet and head out to find something more interesting at Kung Wo Dou Bun Chong in Sham Shui Po district. Famous for its delectable tofu pudding and snacks, this 100-year-old shop relocated from Tsim Sha Tsui to its new home on Pei Ho Street in the 1960s and is now operated by Renee So, the fourth generation of the family.

So uses high-quality imported soybeans from Canada to create her tofu pudding and fresh soy milk, which are not too “beany” in terms of flavour and have super smooth texture.

She puts this down to the continued use of traditional techniques. “A decade ago, we had only tofu pudding and soy bean milk. The whole process takes 18 hours. Soybeans are soaked in water for seven to ten hours before being ground, boiled and mixed with gypsum powder for a tender texture. We try to keep the original taste but we allow customers to add some sugar cane for sweetness,” she says.

Renee So, owner of the 100yearold Kung Wo Dou Bun Chong shop, specialises in tender tofu puddings and deep-fried tofu snacks.

“There are around 10 tofu shops in Hong Kong but the new generation is not interested in this industry because the process takes too long. Every day, we make between 400 and 1,000 cups of tofu pudding. It’s a healthy dish, ideal for people of all ages and particularly for vegetarians.”

Today, the menu also boasts deep-fried tofu, deep-fried tofu puffs and deep-fried golden fish and soya cake, plus a selection of dumplings, congee and steamed noodle rolls. Prices range from HK$6 to $27.

After a truly delicious breakfast, we delve into the history of Sham Shui Po and discover the original model of Hong Kong’s public housing project at Mei Ho House. Built in the mid-1950s, it is only remaining six-storey Mark I H-shaped resettlement block and today serves as a museum and Youth Hostel.

“During the British-China War in 1930, plenty of people emigrated from China to Hong Kong and settled in this neighbourhood. This is a place where the Hong Kong character was developed,” says illustrator Eric Wan, who serves a special guide for Walk in Hong Kong.

“Initially, thousands of refugees built their huts on the sides of the mountain because this land was close to the water. The government under British colonial rule didn’t care about their lives.”

Mei Ho House has been turned into a live museum to document the development of Hong Kong’s public housing projects.

The first exhibition zone depicts how people lived on the hillside and transports visitors back to Christmas Eve in 1953 where a fire at a shoe shop spread quickly, resulting in the houses of most of the residents being destroyed.

“Some 50,000 people lost their home overnight. The fire forced the British government to build the structures. They spent just one year building eight housing states that borrowed from the prison model,” he says.

The second zone is designed as a mock-up of public housing estates in different designs that show how Hong Kong residents lived – and continue to live – in compact but functional apartments.

“The first design allowed people to live, work, cook and more in the housing state. There was even a school on the roof and some people lived in the hallways, so the building was very crowded,” he adds.

Renowned Chinese director John Woo also lived here and has drawn on his experiences in the less than salubrious conditions – the shared cooking spaces, public bathrooms and occasional gangster attacks – for his films.

Wan also takes us to Apliu Street Flea Market, which reminds me of Bangkok’s Khlong Thom market with its second-hand electronic appliances, audio equipment, hardware, clothes and TV remotes.

Apliu Street Flea Market has a wide range of secondhand electric appliances, clothes and home furnishings. 

Nearby is the popular Shia Wong Hip restaurant, which specialises in herbal snake soup. It belongs to Miss Chow, dubbed Hong Kong’s queen of snake, and offers a choice of snake and turtle soup, snake wine and snake skin products.

“My husband is a snake trader, travelling around Southeast Asia to find snakes. We use both water and land snakes for our soup. The Chinese consider the snake as a very hot element, so it’s a popular dish in the winter to warm the blood. During winter, I cook more than 2,000 snakes a day,” she says.

Shia Wong Hip shop is much loved for its snake soup and wine. 

Popular with young travellers around Asia, the Hong Kong-based Doughnut backpack brand also set up its first shop in Sham Shui Po. It’s the brainchild of new-wave entrepreneurs Rex Yam and Steven Cheng, who started their business while at university.

“We want to offer a collection of functional and durable backpacks that everyone can afford. All bags are made with quality rain-resistant nylon imported from Korea. Our designs focus on the lifestyle of young travellers, so our bags have a lot of compartments for the laptop, camera, passport and other accessories,” Rex says.

Designer Rex Yam offers a collection of functional backpacks under the brandname Doughnut. 

“These days our products are available in Bangkok, Taiwan, the Philippines and Europe. Over the years, Sham Shui Po has become a hub for start-ups, creative artists and designers. Walking around here, visitors can really experience a way of local life and culture.”

That evening, with the sky still clear, we climb up to the summit of the Garden Hill. It takes us 15 minutes to get to the top from where we admire Sham Shui Po spread out below.

As the sun begins to fall and the typhoon continues its approach, I realise that this literally is the calm before the storm.

The writer travelled to Hong Kong as a guest of Hong Kong Tourism Board.

IF YOU GO

>> Tai Kwun is on Hollywood Road, Central and is open daily from 11am to 11pm. Find more details at http://www.Taikwun.hk.

>. Kung Wo Dou Bun Chong tofu shop is at 118 on Pei Ho Street, Sham Shui Po district. It’s open from 6am for breakfast and again at 2pm for afternoon tea.

>> Mei Ho House is at 70 Berwick Street, Shek Kip Mei. Find out more at http://www.Yha.org.hk.

>> Shia Wong Hip snake eatery is on the ground floor of Pei Ho Building, Sham Shui Po.

>> Doughnut is at 68 Fuk Wa Street, Sham Shui Po. Visit DoughnutOfficial.com.

 The baby, the smallest of all giant panda cubs born at Adventure World, was not able to drink from her mother’s teat when she was born so the staff fed the baby in an incubator with breast milk pumped from her mother Rauhin while controlling the temperature and humidity to prevent the baby’s body temperature from falling. The baby was returned to her Rauhin regularly from the incubator as part of efforts to encourage the baby to drink from her mother’s teat on her own. Two days after her birth, the baby finally started to feed under her own power. However, because her body temperature would drop during the nursing time, the baby panda had to be put back in the temperature-controlled incubator immediately after breast-feeding. As the baby panda’s weight and body heat increased in tandem with her growth, her body temperature began to stablise. Now her black-and-white body pattern is appearing clearly, and her eyes are expected to open soon.

Here are some key points to help you come up with a name.

1. The baby panda is the 16th giant panda born at the theme park.

2. The baby (75 grams at birth) is the smallest of all giant pandas born at the park in the past, but she is growing steadily.

3. Her father (Eimei: 26 years old) broke his own world record for being the oldest male panda to have succeeded in natural mating and breeding in captivity.

Suggestions for the baby’s name can be uploaded in both English and Chinese at https://contact-aws.com/en/ and

Pic panda

What shall we call this little cutie?

A baby girl giant panda, born on August 14, is delighting spectators at Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, since September 13 and now the theme park is publicly seeking suggestions for her name.

The baby, the smallest of all giant panda cubs born at Adventure World, was not able to drink from her mother’s teat when she was born so the staff fed the baby in an incubator with breast milk pumped from her mother Rauhin while controlling the temperature and humidity to prevent the baby’s body temperature from falling. The baby was returned to her Rauhin regularly from the incubator as part of efforts to encourage the baby to drink from her mother’s teat on her own. Two days after her birth, the baby finally started to feed under her own power. However, because her body temperature would drop during the nursing time, the baby panda had to be put back in the temperature-controlled incubator immediately after breast-feeding. As the baby panda’s weight and body heat increased in tandem with her growth, her body temperature began to stablise. Now her black-and-white body pattern is appearing clearly, and her eyes are expected to open soon.

Here are some key points to help you come up with a name.

1. The baby panda is the 16th giant panda born at the theme park.

2. The baby (75 grams at birth) is the smallest of all giant pandas born at the park in the past, but she is growing steadily.

3. Her father (Eimei: 26 years old) broke his own world record for being the oldest male panda to have succeeded in natural mating and breeding in captivity.

Suggestions for the baby’s name can be uploaded in both English and Chinese at https://contact-aws.com/en/ and  Chinese website at https://contact-aws.com/ch/

The deadline is November 16.