I am surrounded by 38 wooden beams that rise from the midst of this wilderness and seem to stretch their way to the skies. This paved trail, carved into the lush greenery of a mountainside, is called the Wisdom Path, and it’s easy to see why. Located at the foot of Lantau peak, a mountain on the largest of the 250 islands that surround the metropolis of Hong Kong, each pillar here is inscribed with Chinese verses that are revered in Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.
The columns tower about 10 metres high, laid out in a figure of eight, which, in numerological terms, I’m told, represents infinity. The verses inscribed on the pillars are a kind of prayer – and part of the centuries-old Heart Sutra, from the Mahayana Buddhism scriptures. The tallest column, marked No 23, has been intentionally left blank to convey "that form is emptiness and emptiness is form”, a key concept in the Buddhist philosophy that everything in this universe is interconnected.
As I stand on that mountain path, I am aware I am the smallest speck but I feel drawn like never before to the powder-blue skies, the shimmering South China Sea, mud, grass and mountain that’s all around me. In an instant, I realise I’ve imbibed the essence of exactly what that empty column means.
A 10-minute walk away is a sight that most people come to Lantau island to see. At Ngong Ping, a highland in the western part of Lantau, is the towering Tian Tan Buddha, a 34m-tall bronze statue sitting serenely in the hilltops. To reach the top, there's a climb of 268 steps. Here, right under the giant Buddha’s lotus feet, next to shops selling silk, incense and prayer beads, is a breathtaking circular shrine decked with flowers, paper art and paintings of fiery dragons.
For something a little more adventurous, the 70km Lantau trail is hard to resist. It consists of 12 sections with varying levels of difficulty and the walking path blazes across the island, offering hikers the chance to drink in some of the most memorable viewpoints. If you’re an experienced climber, the trek to Sunset Peak will take about five hours across rough and difficult terrain, but the sweeping views of bays, beaches and a dazzling sunset more than make up for the effort. Adding more drama to this landscape is Chinese Silvergrass (Miscanthus sinensis). Native to Japan, China and Taiwan, the shrub consists of bunches of finely textured foliage – arching silvery grey grass that shimmers like a cascading waterfall.
For a sweeter experience closer to the ground, drop in at the Art of Chocolate at Ngong Ping Village. I had my first bite of raw chocolate here during a tasting session. With no sugar, additives or chemicals and rich in cocoa, it melts in the mouth, with a slightly bitter, earthy flavour. The Art of Chocolate isn’t just another confectionery shop, however – it’s a space that showcases chocolate art. A Ukrainian chocolatier has modelled eight large exhibits made of 388 designs, recreating complex scenes from day-to-day life in Hong Kong and immortalising them in raw chocolate. This includes skyscrapers, an evening gown modelled by a mannequin, a wet market, a mahjong game and a table laden with dumplings, cupcakes and pastries.
At the far end of Lantau island is Tai O, a traditional fishing village whose origins date back to the Ming dynasty. It reminds me of Venice, with its traditional houses on stilts and boats weaving through the moss-laden waters of the village. The roadside stalls here sell salted fish and shrimp paste. From Tai O, you’ll find plenty of tour operators that can take you on a journey to the Pearl River estuary, home to Hong Kong's pink dolphins. Sadly, their numbers have been dwindling in recent years with only 40 recorded in Hong Kong in 2021, so be sure to book the ethical tour that prioritises the dolphins' welfare over tourism.
For more outdoor entertainment head to Tai Mei Tuk, next to the Plover Cove Reservoir in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Plover Cove is a perfect picnic spot, with scenic waterfalls, water sports and biking trails. Criss-crossed with footpaths edged with wild flowers and highland forests, this is definitely one of the prettiest spots in Hong Kong and a place that most travellers fail to visit.
Bargain hunters should make a beeline for the neighbourhood of Mong Kok, the best place in Hong Kong to shop for the latest and cheapest tech goods. If you love collectibles, head to Sim City, where you'll discover an entire Asian subculture with shoppers sporting coloured hair and dressed up as their favourite manga characters. This is also a great place to pick up Pokemon Go cards, camera equipment and to tackle some of the most exciting escape rooms in the city.
While Hong Kong abounds with hidden gems, even the city's well-trodden tourist spots are bursting with something new this year.
Nestled in Victoria Peak, the recently opened Monopoly Dreams is the world's first attraction themed on the popular board game. This theme park has a jail to which players can be banished, as well as a VR ride and museum that enlightens visitors about the history of the game, and where you can pose with a giant version of the Monopoly racing car, a 1940s-era Kurtis Kraft.
For those who love the performing arts, the newly opened West Kowloon Art Park in West Kowloon Cultural District is an exciting place to be, and it's home to two new museums – the M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum. The M+ opened at the end of 2021 and its collection showcases the visual art and culture of Hong Kong. The exhibition Hong Kong: Here and Beyond captures the city's remarkable transformation from the 1960s. If you're looking for a place to study Chinese art and how it evolved, its major trends, and contemporary and unconventional styles, there's much to explore.
The Hong Kong Palace Museum, meanwhile, which opened in mid-2022, is a 10-minute walk from M+ and houses more than 900 priceless treasures from Beijing's Palace Museum in the Forbidden City. Most of these priceless objects are on loan and being exhibited in Hong Kong for the first time.
Frequent travellers to Hong Kong will know that a picture by the classic Victoria Harbour has its own allure – the glittery skyscraper-laden waterfront is always teeming with glamorous cruise ships and quaint fishing boats. Here, check out the new and sleekly designed stretch of promenade by the Wan Chai Convention and Exhibition Centre, where there's an outdoor children's playground and paddle boats for hire.
Hong Kong had 4.1 million visitors in August, which is 80 per cent of its pre-pandemic tourist traffic for the same month, with the government committed to introducing even more new attractions. For example, it is now starting a Night Vibes Hong Kong campaign during the autumn festival in late September. This will include three night bazaars with colourful sound and light shows along the Wan Chai promenade and the waterfront areas in Kwun Tong and Sheung Wan.
It just goes to show how this timeless city will never have a dearth of less-trodden paths.
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
Bantamweight
Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
(Split decision)
Featherweight
Hussein Salim (IRQ) beat Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
(Round 1 submission, armbar)
Catchweight 80kg
Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Otabek Kadirov (UZB)
(Round-1 submission, rear naked choke)
Lightweight
Ho Taek-oh (KOR) beat Ronald Girones (CUB)
(Round 3 submission, triangle choke)
Lightweight
Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) beat Damien Lapilus (FRA)
(Unanimous points)
Bantamweight
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
(Round 1 TKO)
Featherweight
Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
(Round 1 rear naked choke)
Flyweight
Shannon Ross (TUR) beat Donovon Freelow (USA)
(Unanimous decision)
Lightweight
Dan Collins (GBR) beat Mohammad Yahya (UAE)
(Round 2 submission D’arce choke)
Catchweight 73kg
Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM) beat Islam Mamedov (RUS)
(Round 3 submission, kneebar)
Bantamweight world title
Xavier Alaoui (MAR) beat Jaures Dea (CAM)
(Unanimous points 48-46, 49-45, 49-45)
Flyweight world title
Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
(Round 1 RSC)
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Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
RESULT
Bournemouth 0 Southampton 3 (Djenepo (37', Redmond 45' 1, 59')
Man of the match Nathan Redmond (Southampton)
match info
Union Berlin 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Lewandowski 40' pen, Pavard 80')
Man of the Match: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Real Sociedad v Leganes (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Real Valladolid (4pm)
Valencia v Granada (7pm)
Eibar v Real Madrid (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Sunday
Real Mallorca v Villarreal (3pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Levante (5pm)
Atletico Madrid v Espanyol (7pm)
Getafe v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Real Betis v Sevilla (midnight)
THE SPECS – Honda CR-V Touring AWD
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Power: 184hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 244Nm at 3,900rpm
Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds
Top speed: 202kmh
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
Price: From Dh122,900
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The Dictionary of Animal Languages
Heidi Sopinka
Scribe
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Makerah, Adrie de Vries, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Hazeme, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Handicap | Dh85,000 | 2,200m
Winner: AF Yatroq, Brett Doyle, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Shadwell Farm for Private Owners Handicap | Dh70,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Nawwaf KB, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Treasured Times, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Norway
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Canada
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