Mong Kok, Hong Kong - Cherry Street Park: The Green Lung of Mong Kok (800m)

View of MongKok from the bridge leading to the Cherry Street Park

After our short stay at Shenzhen, we traveled to Hong Kong, the land of good food and good shopping (Golden Week Sale! Yeah!)

This time round, Bad Bear is determined to run! And thus, the negotiation starts again...

Me," Bro, you should have concluded by now that it is futile to run in the evening, given the amount of night activities that we squeeze in. Let's try for morning again! I shall compromise at 730am instead of the usual 7am."

Bad Bear, "Okie, how about 930am?"

Me, "That's crazy because you are going to be run over by cars at the Mong Kok area if we start our run so late. Besides, the sun will be up and hot!"

Bad Bear, "Let's do 9am than. Besides, is there anywhere to run in Hong Kong? I am not going to take a train just for a run."

Me, "How about 8am? Knowing that you are a noob when it comes to street running, I have discovered a small park behind our hotel. Should be suitable for you too."

Bad Bear, "Let's do 830am! Sorry lah! I am a Gym Runner. You sure the air is safe to breathe here? I heard that it is pretty polluted."

Me, "815am. My final offer!"

With the time set after a lengthy negotiation. We are set for the run... at last.



There is a small park named Cherry Street to the West shaped like a lung. It is literally one of the few green "lungs" around the densely populated Mong Kok area. The length of the park is around 800m and sad to say, there is not much greenery in the park. The running track loops around a mini soccer field, a tennis field, an open air auditorium. Rather than calling it a park, it should be called as a sports stadium in a name of a park.

Cherry Street Park

Soccer Pitch

Layout of the Park

Nicely Landscape Garden

With such scarce greenery in the heart of Hong Kong, it is not surprising to see the park full of locals working out. I ran along the length of the park, and headed to the Olympic Stadium train station. Around that area, there is this ostentatious looking mall called "The Hermitage", a fenced up area where the new subway line is being constructed and a university college.

Nice Mall "The Hermitage"

The new subway in works

PolyU HK Community College

All in all, it is not too bad an area to run given that you can do loops around the park and not get involved in the heavy Hong Kong traffic. As usual, my knee started to act up after 4KM. I think I can dump my iPhone and use my knee to help tell the distance in the future.

After the run, I asked Bad Bear about his experience. He replied, "Good Run! Helped to clear up my thoughts! I was happy that I came for the run.

Good to know that his afford to lug his running shoes here paid off!  

Breakfast time! Time to pay homage to the reason why I come to Hongkong once a year. Pig's Blood!
 

Pig Blood's Porridge