HONG KONG

Hong Kong

First Impressions

Although I had traveled a bit before visiting Hong Kong, this was my first visit to Asia. I was surprised and delighted with what I saw. Each day was a new experience for me, very different than anything I had ever known. My plane touched down at the old Kai Tak airport in the evening, just as it was beginning to get dark. I was very impressed with the beautiful lights and the tall buildings. This was late September, 1996, less than a year before the end of British sovereignty in this small territory.

This is the view that we saw as we looked from Victoria Peak, on Hong Kong Island, out across Victoria Harbor. In the foreground are the buildings of Hong Kong. On the other side of the harbor is Kowloon.

...Early to Rise

The Ancient Art of Tai Chi

Hong Kong is about 14 hours ahead of our Mountain Time Zone. So our bodies took a few days to adjust to the difference. But no problem. Jim and I enjoyed getting up early. We were usually out of bed and ready to go by 6:00 a.m. We would eat some breakfast, and then it was out on the streets of Hong Kong. Since Jim was sent there by his work, he had to meeting with people during business hours. So the early morning hours gave us a chance to check out some of the sights together. We are both share a lot of the same interests, so we never had a conflict as to what we wanted to do. One thing that we happened to learn about from our early morning strolls through Hong Kong was Tai Chi.

Some people engaged in Tai Chi on there own. At first it seemed strange to see a lone person standing by himself in meditation. But as we walked through Victoria Park, we saw many, many lone practitioners of the art.

Continuing on, we saw people practicing in larger and larger groups; sometimes two or three together, sometimes as many as twenty.

Sometimes groups would choreograph their moves to Chinese music. Others moved together in silence.

Still some were even more elaborate, using props like fans, or sometimes even swords; such as these women, who moved in perfect unison, silent except for the sound of the swords as they sliced through the air in exacting unison.

To Market, To Market

A few blocks from our hotel we found the main line of Hong Kong's tram system. The tram is like a brightly colored double-decker bus which rides on a system of rails through the streets of the city.

On one of our first few early mornings in Hong Kong Jim and I were interested in searching out the types of scenes that a typical westerner might normally miss on a visit to the orient. Our idea was to ride the tram until we found something that looked interesting. At that point we could get off, investigate, and then get back on the tram to go back to more familiar settings. There are several tram routes through the city. most travel primarily along one main East-West line, but each makes slight diversions along the way. We randomly selected a tram and the adventure was underway.

We hopped aboard our carefully selected tram. When I say carefully selected, that is to say it was probably the first tram that came along that morning. We climbed to the top and took in all of the sights. We didn't know exactly where we were heading, but we were pretty sure that we would know it when we saw it.

After several minutes of riding, the tram made a detour off of the main line. We were suddenly transported into a new world. This place was quite unlike any that we had ever seen before.

Jim and I glanced at each other. We knew that this was the place that we were looking for. We hopped off of the tram at the North Point Market.

We knew at once that this was a place somewhat off the beaten path for westerners such as ourselves. We could tell because we got a lot more stares here than we did in other sections of Hong Kong where westerners were more common. We walked through this fascinating place, trying to take it all in, to feel it, experience it, to comprehend it. It was so different than anything else we had seen before.

North Point Market was such an amazing place, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the densely packed housing, stores and people.

All were quite alien to us. Having grown up in the United States, it seemed quite strange to us to walk into a butcher shop and see animal carcasses hanging from hooks out in the open, where they could be touched and examined by all who entered the shop. The butchered meat was similarly placed out in the open where it could be examined and handled by any and all who happened along. The variety was endless. There was of course chicken and pork in most of the butcher shops that we saw. Other shops specialized in seafood. The fish was delivered live in large tubs, where they would be on display for all to see. We marveled at the live fish in the stores. As we went further along we saw live crabs, and then live frogs. All were offered for sale to take home and eat.

Transportation in the North Point Market was also interesting. Many goods were delivered by truck. Several times during our visit to Hong Kong we saw trucks making deliveries of freshly slaughtered pigs to the butcher shops. The pigs were piled high in the back of a small truck. The truck would make a quick stop in front of the appointed place of business and drop off the appropriate number of pigs onto the sidewalk in front of the store. The shop owner would then pick up the goods, and start butchering them right out on the sidewalk.

The other frequently used method of transporting goods in Hong Kong was by bicycle. The bicycles were able to maneuver extremely well through the crowded streets and alleys of Hong Kong. They were also inexpensive to own, but undoubtedly somewhat dangerous to operate in such a crowded place.

We were surprised to see some of the cargoes and the sheer quantities of goods that were being carried by bicycle. We frequently saw bicycles loaded up with small cages and transporting large numbers of live chickens. One cargo that struck me as unusual for being carried by a bicycle was propane. It was not uncommon to see a bicycle weaving through the traffic carrying as many as five or six propane bottles. Later on when we visited China, we would see the bicycle used even more as a means to transport goods and people. In mainland China there are not as many cars and trucks per capita as in Hong Kong. Thus the bicycle is pressed into service to transport all sorts of cargoes which would be unthinkable in the United States. In China for example we saw a man on a bicycle, he was hauling large chunks of concrete.

Vistas

Simply put, the skyline of Hong Kong is spectacular. Most of tiny Hong Kong's people are crowded into just a few square miles on the north shore of Hong Kong island and immediately across the harbor on the Kowloon peninsula. For six million-plus people to all fit into this small area necessitates a lot of high rise buildings for both living and office space. Forty story buildings were pretty much the norm in Hong Kong.

The tallest buildings were to be found on mountainous Hong Kong island. Tall, modern buildings belonging to large, multinational corporations rise in the Wan Chai and Central districts near the waterfront.

Jutting out into the harbor, we saw the framework of Hong Kong's new convention center as it was being constructed. We did not know it at the time we were there, but the turtle-like structure, shortly after its completion was to be the site of the ceremony where the ownership of Hong Kong would pass from London to Beijing.

The buildings themselves made for an interesting study in contrast. The more cosmopolitan areas of the city, such as Wan Chai, where Jim and I stayed, were awash with sleek, modern looking builidngs.

In other sections of town the buildings were older looking, and more run down. These were the low income housing.

\One of the interesting things about the older housing was that there were always clotheslines on the balconies and in many of the windows. It was quite normal for the balconies and windows to be packed with clothing. It did not seem to vary by time of day or day of the week. Anytime that you passed a building like this one, there were always clothes, lots of clothes, hanging from the windows and balconies. I am not sure if clothes were being hung out to dry, or if this was merely additional closet space. It would be an interesting idea. The clothes get an ample supply of fresh air blowing through them at all times, and in return serve as curtains. Of course that is all purely speculation on my part.

The waters of Victoria Harbor separate Hong Kong island from Kowloon and the rest of the mainland of Asia. There are several ways to cross the waterway which divides the territory. Tunnels beneath the harbor carry automobile traffic. Hong Kong's subway system, the MTR, also crosses the harbor via a system of tunnels. But by far the most interesting way is to take the Star Ferry.

Several green and white boats of the Star Ferry Line cross the harbor continuously. The main Star Ferry terminals are located in Wan Chai, on the Hong Kong side, and Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side. The views from the ferry are unsurpassed in all of Hong Kong. Before you lies bustling Kowloon, and behind you the majestic skyline of Hong Kong. To experience the full effect, the trip should be taken at least once during the day, and then again at night. The colorfully illuminated buildings on both sides of the harbor are a treat not to be missed. The ride takes only a few minutes, and at a price of two Hong Kong dollars (about 28 cents when we were there) it is one of the best bargains you will ever find in expensive Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is one of the busiest seaports in the world. Ships of all shapes and sizes ply the waters of Victoria Harbor. It was the best of fortune that we got to stay at the New World Harbor View Hotel in Wan Chai. Our hotel, as you might guess from the name is right on the Hong Kong side of the harbor. We had a room on the 18th floor with a breathtaking view of the harbor. It interesting, any time, day or night, to sit and look out the window of our room. During the daytime we could see literally hundreds of ships moored out in the distant reaches of the outer harbor. Closer in smaller ships, sampans, and junks all competed with one another and the Star Ferries for space in the crowded inner harbor. We could also see jet foils and high speed ferries coming and going from the Macau ferry terminal about a mile away. In between our hotel and the Macau ferry terminal we could see a British warship moored near the Prince of Wales Barracks, probably one of the last to ever do so. The ship stayed moored in the same spot, but closer observation revealed that the ship was turned periodically with the comings and goings of the tide. Also we could see from time to time sailors on the warship's deck, sometimes standing in formation, other times going about their usual business.

From our hotel we could also look straight out and see the Kowloon Terminal of the Star Ferry in Tsim Sha Tsui and the tower of the old Kowloon railway station across the harbor.

But one of the more interesting things that we saw was the construction of the new convention center. It was being built across the street from our hotel, right outside of our window. It seemed that anytime we looked out of our room during the daylight hours there were crews busily working away on the convention center. What a huge place it was.

One of the interesting items of note about construction in Hong Kong was their use of scaffolding. The scaffolding that they used everywhere for construction in Hong Kong was made from long bamboo poles lashed together with some sort of rope. The manner in which they were lashed formed large square lattice, almost like you might find on a piece of playground equipment. The spacing of the members was such that the construction workers were able to climb from ground level to the top of the structure in practically no time at all.

Note: There are supposed to be some harbor pictures here but I haven't scanned them in yet.

Of the Mind and of the Soul

We also visited some of the religious sites when we got a chance. Neither Jim nor I were authorities on oriental religions, and we would still be stretching it a bit to claim that we are. However we did learn a bit about, and gain a respect for Buddism, Taoism, Confucianism and their followers.

I'll finish this another time. It's getting late and I don't want to become a zombie.

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A few blocks from our hotel we found the main line of Hong Kong's tram system. The tram is like a brightly colored double-decker bus which rides on a system of rails through the streets of the city. On one of our first few early mornings in Hong Kong Jim and I were interested in searching out the types of scenes that a typical westerner might normally miss on a visit to the orient. Our idea was to ride the tram until we found something that looked interesting. At that point we could get off, investigate, and then get back on the tram to go back to more familiar settings. There are several tram routes through the city. most travel primarily along one main East-West line, but each makes slight diversions along the way. We randomly selected a tram and the adventure was underway. We hopped aboard our carefully selected tram. When I say carefully selected, that is to say it was probably the first tram that came along that morning. We climbed to the top and took in all of the sights. We didn't know exactly where we were heading, but we were pretty sure that we would know it when we saw it.
	After several minutes of riding, the tram made a detour off of the main line. We were suddenly transported into a new world. This place was quite unlike any that we had ever seen before. Jim and I glanced at each other. We knew that this was the place that we were looking for. We hopped off of the tram at the North Point Market. We knew at once that this was a place somewhat off the beaten path for westerners such as ourselves. We could tell because we got a lot more stares here than we did in other sections of Hong Kong where westerners were more common. We walked through this fascinating place, trying to take it all in, to feel it, experience it, to comprehend it. It was so different than anything else we had seen before. North Point Market was such an amazing place, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the densely packed housing, stores and people.
All were quite alien to us. Having grown up in the United States, it seemed quite strange to us to walk into a butcher shop and see animal carcasses hanging from hooks out in the open, where they could be touched and examined by all who entered the shop. The butchered meat was similarly placed out in the open where it could be examined and handled by any and all who happened along. The variety was endless. There was of course chicken and pork in most of the butcher shops that we saw. Other shops specialized in seafood. The fish was delivered live in large tubs, where they would be on display for all to see. We marveled at the live fish in the stores. As we went further along we saw live crabs, and then live frogs. All were offered for sale to take home and eat.
	Transportation in the North Point Market was also interesting. Many goods were delivered by truck. Several times during our visit to Hong Kong we saw trucks making deliveries of freshly slaughtered pigs to the butcher shops. The pigs were piled high in the back of a small truck. The truck would make a quick stop in front of the appointed place of business and drop off the appropriate number of pigs onto the sidewalk in front of the store. The shop owner would then pick up the goods, and start butchering them right out on the sidewalk.
The other frequently used method of transporting goods in Hong Kong was by bicycle. The bicycles were able to maneuver extremely well through the crowded streets and alleys of Hong Kong. They were also inexpensive to own, but undoubtedly somewhat dangerous to operate in such a crowded place. We were surprised to see some of the cargoes and the sheer quantities of goods that were being carried by bicycle. We frequently saw bicycles loaded up with small cages and transporting large numbers of live chickens. One cargo that struck me as unusual for being carried by a bicycle was propane. It was not uncommon to see a bicycle weaving through the traffic carrying as many as five or six propane bottles. Later on when we visited China, we would see the bicycle used even more as a means to transport goods and people. In mainland China there are not as many cars and trucks per capita as in Hong Kong. Thus the bicycle is pressed into service to transport all sorts of cargoes which would be unthinkable in the United States. In China for example we saw a man on a bicycle, he was hauling large chunks of concrete.

	Simply put, the skyline of Hong Kong is spectacular. Most of tiny Hong Kong's people are crowded into just a few square miles on the north shore of Hong Kong island and immediately across the harbor on the Kowloon peninsula. For six million-plus people to all fit into this small area necessitates a lot of high rise buildings for both living and office space. Forty story buildings were pretty much the norm in Hong Kong. The tallest buildings were to be found on mountainous Hong Kong island. Tall, modern buildings belonging to large, multinational corporations rise in the Wan Chai and Central districts near the waterfront. Jutting out into the harbor, we saw the framework of Hong Kong's new convention center as it was being constructed. We did not know it at the time we were there, but the turtle-like structure, shortly after its completion was to be the site of the ceremony where the ownership of Hong Kong would pass from London to Beijing.
The buildings themselves made for an interesting study in contrast. The more cosmopolitan areas of the city, such as Wan Chai, where Jim and I stayed, were awash with sleek, modern looking builidngs.
	In other sections of town the buildings were older looking, and more run down. These were the low income housing. \One of the interesting things about the older housing was that there were always clotheslines on the balconies and in many of the windows. It was quite normal for the balconies and windows to be packed with clothing. It did not seem to vary by time of day or day of the week. Anytime that you passed a building like this one, there were always clothes, lots of clothes, hanging from the windows and balconies. I am not sure if clothes were being hung out to dry, or if this was merely additional closet space. It would be an interesting idea. The clothes get an ample supply of fresh air blowing through them at all times, and in return serve as curtains. Of course that is all purely speculation on my part.
The waters of Victoria Harbor separate Hong Kong island from Kowloon and the rest of the mainland of Asia. There are several ways to cross the waterway which divides the territory. Tunnels beneath the harbor carry automobile traffic. Hong Kong's subway system, the MTR, also crosses the harbor via a system of tunnels. But by far the most interesting way is to take the Star Ferry. Several green and white boats of the Star Ferry Line cross the harbor continuously. The main Star Ferry terminals are located in Wan Chai, on the Hong Kong side, and Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side. The views from the ferry are unsurpassed in all of Hong Kong. Before you lies bustling Kowloon, and behind you the majestic skyline of Hong Kong. To experience the full effect, the trip should be taken at least once during the day, and then again at night. The colorfully illuminated buildings on both sides of the harbor are a treat not to be missed. The ride takes only a few minutes, and at a price of two Hong Kong dollars (about 28 cents when we were there) it is one of the best bargains you will ever find in expensive Hong Kong.
	Hong Kong is one of the busiest seaports in the world. Ships of all shapes and sizes ply the waters of Victoria Harbor. It was the best of fortune that we got to stay at the New World Harbor View Hotel in Wan Chai. Our hotel, as you might guess from the name is right on the Hong Kong side of the harbor. We had a room on the 18th floor with a breathtaking view of the harbor. It interesting, any time, day or night, to sit and look out the window of our room. During the daytime we could see literally hundreds of ships moored out in the distant reaches of the outer harbor. Closer in smaller ships, sampans, and junks all competed with one another and the Star Ferries for space in the crowded inner harbor. We could also see jet foils and high speed ferries coming and going from the Macau ferry terminal about a mile away. In between our hotel and the Macau ferry terminal we could see a British warship moored near the Prince of Wales Barracks, probably one of the last to ever do so. The ship stayed moored in the same spot, but closer observation revealed that the ship was turned periodically with the comings and goings of the tide. Also we could see from time to time sailors on the warship's deck, sometimes standing in formation, other times going about their usual business.
From our hotel we could also look straight out and see the Kowloon Terminal of the Star Ferry in Tsim Sha Tsui and the tower of the old Kowloon railway station across the harbor. But one of the more interesting things that we saw was the construction of the new convention center. It was being built across the street from our hotel, right outside of our window. It seemed that anytime we looked out of our room during the daylight hours there were crews busily working away on the convention center. What a huge place it was.
	One of the interesting items of note about construction in Hong Kong was their use of scaffolding. The scaffolding that they used everywhere for construction in Hong Kong was made from long bamboo poles lashed together with some sort of rope. The manner in which they were lashed formed large square lattice, almost like you might find on a piece of playground equipment. The spacing of the members was such that the construction workers were able to climb from ground level to the top of the structure in practically no time at all.