Hong Kong On High: Time Lapse Views From World's Highest Hotel (VIDEO)

The speed and activity of Hong Kong along with the immense scale, and the kinetic energy are often hard to translate to those who haven't been there. Hong Kong is in constant motion and you just want to dive in.

I dove in for two years and loved every minute of my time there. On a recent trip back I visited the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, the world's highest hotel. The Ritz is 480 meters high and takes up floors 102 through 118 in Hong Kong's newest skyscraper, the ICC.

The Ritz provided a fantastic platform to shoot from, as blogger Melanie Nayer found out when she attended the opening back in March, 2011.

The segments of this time lapse video were taken from the 111th floor, and from the Ritz's infinity swimming pool on the 118th floor.

In the video you can see Kowloon in the first segment. The second bit shows Kowloon with the main island across Victoria Harbor. The third clip shows ferries zooming around with Sheung Wan in the distance and the fourth is where the main Hong Kong commercial port traffic flows.

WATCH:

Comments

[mary896]

03:16 PM on 05/17/2011

It seems every image I see of cities around the world, no matter where they are, is SMOG. Every. Single. City. Overhearing a group of older ladies the other day talking about visiting China and the first thing they said was "Filthy air!". They enjoyed some of it but said they would NEVER go back, no air to breath! So let's all remember fresh air, we may not have any much longer.

[FZliveson]

01:23 PM on 05/17/2011

Hong Kong is the can-do city. I've been there several dozen times and each time I arrive I feel like I am arriving at a stadium where a championship game is about to be played. In James Clavell's novel; "Noble House" a person just flies into Hong Kong and comments; "What's that smell?"  The answer he got back was; "That smell is money."

I miss the butt-puckering landings at Kai Tak airport where, with a small pair of binoculars, you could literally look into people's windows and see them eating their meals.

Even after the lease ran out with China, the place still buzzes with action and intrigue. No place else like Hong Kong.

[TYRANNASAURUS]

12:07 PM on 05/17/2011

Where's the smog.......did they photo shop it out??

[shespeaks]

11:48 AM on 05/17/2011

Hong Kong is one of the most breathtaking cities in the world. It is in my top five: Paris, Florence,
Venice, Hong Kong, NY.

[TYRANNASAURUS]

12:08 PM on 05/17/2011

Have you evern been to Rio?

[shespeaks]

03:38 PM on 05/17/2011

No

[emerywood]

11:25 AM on 05/17/2011

This is probably the most expensive hotel in Hong Kong. I wondered how much do they charge ?
Both the American dollar and the Hong Kong dollar ( which is pegged to the U.S. dollar ) have depriciated a lot since the financial crisis. Only the very rich can afford to stay there.

[shespeaks]

11:46 AM on 05/17/2011

It's not the most expensive hotel.

[FZliveson]

01:18 PM on 05/17/2011

Which is then, the Excelsior? The Regent?
Do tell, if you know.