Hong Kong means frequent harbor. Also called The
Gateway to China, Hong Kong is
home to 8 million people. The World’s
Playground covers only 400 square miles. China’s Jewel is actually a group of 235 islands in the South China
Sea. The City of Life has more
billionaires and Roll Royces per capita than any other city in the world. No
matter what one calls the city he is talking about Hong Kong, which a hundred
years ago was a sleepy fishing village.
Hong Kong is made up of three sections,
Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Hong Kong Island covers 31
square miles and has a population of 1.8 million, Kowloon covers 18 square
miles with a population of 2.1 million, and the New Territory’s 235 islands
cover 374 square miles with a population of 3.4 million people.
Kowloon is a 40-minute drive from the
airport. Cantonese is spoken in Hong Kong and the word for hello is lay ho and doe
chay means thank you. Hong Kong has its
own currency and on my last visit one US dollar equaled 7.75 Hong Kong dollars.
Driving is done English style on the left
side of the road, so be aware and careful crossing the street as pedestrians do not have the right of way. I noted that traffic moved very fast but
it stops immediately, no matter where they are, when a traffic light changes. It
was amazing to see this. Obviously brakes are very good as are reflexes! Ice
and water in restaurants is ok to drink, but drink bottled water otherwise.
Today the Wall Street of Asia is a hard paced, materialistic society. It is a
city of marked contrasts where modern skyscrapers and cell phones mix with
Chinese junks and ancient medicine. Although England turned its colony over to
China in 1997, a British influence remains. After all, England ruled the colony
for nearly 100 years. High tea is still popular in the city.
Because of limited real estate space
rents are extremely high and the cost of living is one of the world’s highest.
Another contrast, awesome to think about, was the bamboo scaffolding along the
sides of the new hi-rises being built. Sensational modern architecture often cling to 45-degree slopes.
Although today Hong Kong is a
cosmopolitan city, it continues to be steeped in Chinese traditions, spiritual
beliefs, rituals, superstitions and the ancient art of Feng Shui. This
combination creates a rich cultural tapestry of life. Feng Shui is the art of positioning objects in
harmony with nature to create good fortune. Even today architects consult Feng
Shui masters in regard to construction. In Chinese mythology dragons live in
mountains, and Hong Kong is built on mountains. Openings and glass doors are
common sights in buildings so that dragons can pass through them from the
mountains to the harbor for a drink. Hong Kong is certainly a
city of contrasts of old and new, east and west and ancient traditions blended
with a gleaming modern city.
Streets were teaming with people---all
the time. The city is a shoppers’ paradise. In fact many people visit the city
for the express purpose of shopping. A tailor-made suit can be ready in 24
hours at about one-quarter the cost if made in the United States. The city’s
tailors are some of the best in the world. Hong Kong has no exports, but they
repackage a multitude of products. It is said that one can buy anything in the shops
lining the lanes leading off the main streets.
We arrived in Hong Kong the last day
of the week-long Chinese holiday and the streets were one big mob scene. Since
all the hotels that used to be on Hong Kong Island have been moved to Kowloon,
that is where we stayed. The area is half the size with twice as many people,
but there was little we could do about it. Kowloon means nine dragons and is named for the hills behind the city. Victoria
Peak on Hong Kong Island is locally known as the back of a dragon and provides
a magnificent view of the city and harbor.
City cabs were red with a gray roof
and all looked new. They were everywhere, so finding one is no problem. The
best views of the city are from the water or from the mountains. One high-rise
after another sprawl up the mountainsides.
There are five tunnels under the
harbor. The first one, opened in 1972, is a mile and quarter long and 65 feet below the water level. It can
accommodate 110,000 vehicles an hour, but the average is only 79,000. The
second tunnel opened in 1979, and the last one, a train tunnel, in 1998. It was
good to learn that taxis charge round-trip when using the tunnel, because they
have to get back to where they started.
Reflections in
glass building fronts were seen everywhere. The 5th tallest building
in the world with 88 stories is on Hong Kong Island. Another building known as
the Swiss cheese building has 1728 round windows. It is difficult to find a
building that is not a high rise, and when you do it is dwarfed by the high
buildings around it.
The city has few
historical sites and only a handful of cultural sites. But one of them is Man Mo Temple, Hong Kong’s oldest temple
that is now dwarfed by surrounding buildings. Built in 1847, the temple honors
the gods of literature, man, and war, Mo. The strong pungent scent of burning
incense was noticed immediately upon approaching the temple. Inside the front
door hung huge bell shaped incense coils. The air was very smoky and hazy
inside. To the left of the entrance sit the ten judges of the underworld.
Fabric banners are displayed all over the walls. Buddhist and Taoist statues
are inside.
People come to the temple to ask for
guidance as well as to give thanks afterward. Profits from the organization
that own/manage eleven temples support schools. The prayer bell was cast in
Canton in 1847. Along with a drum it is a call to the gods for their attention
that an offering has been made.
For the shopper the city is a
paradise with everything from street hawkers to high-end upscale department
stores, with everything in between. You can buy anything here. In Hong Kong they
believe that the body is a delicate balance of the forces known as yin, (water, quiet, substance and night) and yang (fire, noise, function and day). It is said
that the balance of these forces is what makes Hong Kong unique.
I’ve been in several cities where there are
steps up hills or even short gondolas, but the mid-level escalator on Hong Kong
Island was a new feature for me. We were told it cost 30 million dollars and
takes twenty minutes to ride the two-mile-long escalator from one end to the
other. Elevation goes from street level up to 185 feet. The escalator runs only
one way and changes directions to accommodate rush hour traffic. There are 29
exits/entrances; one about every block. The escalator is well utilized and
relieves a lot of street traffic and pollution in the city.
In a post dated 5-25-14 I noted the changes that have taken place at
Victoria Peak in the years between my visits to Hong Kong when our hotel was
actually on HK Island.
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