Though it has been officially part of China for 11 years now, Hong Kong's athletes marched into the Games under their own flag. Beijing's goodwill gesture of holding the equestrian events in Hong Kong was welcomed, but Olympic fever has seemed slightly muted in the former British colony.

Yes, Hong Kongers aren't as excited about the Olympics and the success of team China as mainlanders are, but that doesn't mean they are not following the Games closely. And, with no athletes expected to earn worldwide attention, Hong Kong has adopted some PRC stars as their own. Billboards featuring (now injured) Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang and hoops star Yao Ming are quite visible. Large screen TVs are broadcasting events in public spaces and crowds are stopping to watch.

But what does Hong Kong really think of Beijing's coming out party? The mainland is already swallowing up Hong Kong's once great film industry, and Mandarin is being heard in Kowloon and Central more and more every day. And now Beijing has grabbed the spotlight and captured the imagination of the world.

But Hong Kong has seemed to embrace the Games nonetheless.

They can start thinking about their future with Beijing after the Olympics have closed.

Hong Kong is now connected to Macau by ferry. Long-running negotiations for a bridge connection between the two cities, and their mainland neighbor Zhuhai, have led to nothing but hurt feelings and finger pointing. Enter Beijing. The government of China has a rare chance to play the good guy in the former colonies. And it will only cost them a few billion dollars. According to The Standard, Beijing has stepped in to take over the project and will spend 7 billion yuan (HK$ 8 billion) to get things off the ground.

The result: in 6-7 years it will be possible to drive from the mainland to Macau to Hong Kong without having to board a ferry or even get out of your car. Impatient compulsive gamblers will not have to deal with sea-sickness or tardy ferryboat captains on the way to Macau. The bridge will also do wonders for the mainland, turning an already crazy shopping scene into an orgy of consumerism and name-brand knockoffs.

But what about the storied ferry service? Will it disappear? Probably not. When the tunnel was built under Victoria Harbor, ferries continued to do a brisk business up above. The same would probably be true for the HK-Macau service. Emphasis on probably.

This is an interesting development. It appears that the Chinese government has mysteriously stopped issuing multiple-entry visas. The new rule has hit those traveling to and from Hong Kong especially hard because businessmen travel back and forth all the time. Based on this Time Magazine article, Beijing's security concerns over the Olympics are probably behind the new measures.

Applicants are being forced to proffer both return tickets and hotel vouchers, a new requirement that makes planning for contingencies or traveling on the fly virtually impossible. Hong Kong's many foreign Chambers of Commerce have lodged complaints with the Chinese Foreign Ministry office in the city, but no clear explanation has yet to be given for the restrictions, or any word on how long they might last.

When I went to China, I entered mainland through Kong Kong and it was a piece of cake. No hassle whatsoever. It's a shame they are making it harder.

If you've got any business that you haven't booked in Southeast Asia, now might be the time to buy tickets. Prices to Hong Kong, Saigon, Beijing and a host of other spots recently dropped resulting in a few gems, especially for short term travel.

I'm seeing prices in the 5-600$ range departing from various spots on the left coast, with LAX-SGN being as low as 511$. Assorted city pairs are on sale, so its worth checking out Farecompare (FC) for your city to see where the best deals are. Be aware though, that while the FC tool is nifty, it's got some unresolved problems with international taxes and fees, so you may have to tinker around with tickets until you find something bookable.

Furthermore, most of the availability is for shortly approaching departures; ticket prices seem to rise significantly after March. And most of us just can't take a week of to visit Asia at a moment's notice. But hey: if you've got a flexible schedule or some business to take care of, this could save you some significant green.

Good news everyone. Christian Bale is still Batman, Chris Nolan is still in charge of the franchise and the sequel to Batman Begins just started filming in Hong Kong.

I know. Forget about the DJIA, crude oil and the trade deficit and breathe a sigh of relief. All is well in the world.

After you're done with that '72 Meritage that you've been saving for a special occasion, swing by Hong Kong and take part in some of the Batman-inspired ruckus, including, as our colleague over at travelhappy reports, traffic stops, noise and general chicanery.

And while you're at it, enjoy one of Southeast Asia's hottest destinations where the dollar is still strong (gasp!), most people speak English, the mountains shoot straight out of the sea and public transportation is fluid. More to come on Hong Kong hotspots -- stay tuned ;)

When I lived in Dubai I worked in PR so I have been witness to many a crazy publicity stunts -- but this one takes the cake.

Designer brand Chanel will put a huge gleaming white "Mobile Art Container" in the sky to fly the world from 2008-2010, displaying work of 20 international artists. Brainchild of Chanel's creative head Karl Lagerfeld, the container has been designed by Iraq-born artist Zaha Hadid and will be made of collapsible fiber glass.

The artists were given a brief to create art in connection to Chanel's handbags and curious participants include Lennon's wife Yoko Ono, celebrity yoga guru Subodh Gupta, and offbeat modern artist Arakinbuyoshi.

They've tagged the mad idea a "noble research investment". Urrrm -- no I don't understand either, but I'd go check it out just to walk into an absurd container like that.

Not sure how it's going to fly -- but over a two year period the thing will travel form Hong Kong to Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, London, Moscow and Paris.

[Via Wallpaper]

This is...only one of several Miroslav Sasek books from his famous series to be reissued in recent years. In 2007, This is Hong Kong and This is Rome were re-released, updated with facts about the cities that are correct for modern day. And over the past few years, the same has been done for the Paris, London, Edinburgh, New York and Venice titles. The Czech author and illustrator is best known for his colorful stories about these great cities of the world, and it is nice to see the collection being shared with a new generation of young readers.

Throughout the late 1950's and 1960's, M. Sasek created 18 titles in this award winning series, although he only planned to do three at first. One of these books might be a nice gift for a child getting ready to embark on a city trip for the firs time, or as a fun coffee table book for someone living on one of these places. Although the books were originally intended for children, these travel classics can be enjoyed by wanderers both big and small. Folks who want to learn more about Sasek and the "This is" series can start here, and check out the corresponding films that were also created.

One thing that surprised me on my trip to India was that bamboo was still commonly used for scaffolding. I was blown away by the gigantic structures I saw being built -- skyscrapers, statues, modern office buildings -- that were covered in a bamboo skeleton, rather than the metal I was used to seeing in the United States. But no matter how unsettling it may be to look at, bamboo is used for a reason: it's strong, extremely lightweight, and very flexible (as you'll see in the photos). Check out this gallery of crazy bamboo scaffolding across Asia -- I hope you're not afraid of heights!

Mercer, a human resource consulting company, has compiled a list of the most expensive cities in the world based on a cost of living survey which "measures the comparative cost of over 200 items" in each city. Two years in a row Moscow has topped the list, followed by London, Seoul, and Tokyo. Here's the top 10:

1. Moscow
2. London
3. Seoul
4. Tokyo
5. Hong Kong
6. Copenhagen
7. Geneva
8. Osaka
9. Zürich
10. Oslo

Most of the locations on the list were in Europe, taking thirty of the fifty spots, with six in the top 10. New York and L.A. are the only two from the United States in the top fifty. For the full list, head to Mercerhr.com. [via]

Related:

• The World's Sexiest Cities
• The World's Longest Tunnels
• World's Largest Penis, Um, Erected
• The World's Most Amazing Bathrooms
• The World's Most Polluted River?