Development Tourism

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Another interesting weekend with visits to various villages which constitute a part of Hong Kong.

Once again, I think when I say Hong Kong, people initially have this idea of these emmaculate high rises, glass and steel gleaming in the sunlight, built on solid concrete foundations. I think people think of the best place where east meets west, I think people think that Hong Kong is this tiny island with a huge population.

I think that people think this way, because I myself, thought this way too. Until I came here, I believed what was portrayed on the television shows, in books, in travel magazines, but now I'm here and experiencing the many different faces of Hong Kong and it's more diverse than I would have imagined (although it's still pretty westernized).

I visited the tiny sea village of Tai O which is on Lantau Island. I got into this great discussion with one of our lecturers about the economic development of this village. You see, back in the day, the village was isolated from Hong Kong Island, where the majority of the population are. It took 3 hours by ferry to get from Hong Kong Island to Lantau Island, and that was a huge deal, especially considering now it takes less than 45 min on a bus. Why is this?

Well, as an engineering student, I must admit that I stood at one of the lookout points and admired the two bridges that connected Lantau Island to Hong Kong island. Just imagine a bridge spanning across this huge harbour which eased the transporation process, allowing people to move back and forth as they wish. I marvel at the achievement of this bridge, but at the same time, I knew that this bridge, this link to the world was one of the causes of the major problems from these tiny fishing villages located on the outlying islands.

The links to the rest of the world promote tourism to these remote places, but at the same time, it facilitates the movement of the younger generations into the big cities. It promotes urban migration, from these tiny fishing villages into Hong Kong Island, the city of glass, steel, and mass consumerism.

I am in no way, shape or form to judge the decisions that people make here, because afterall, I am only a passerby and offer my views from my perspectives, growing up as a Chinese-Canadian.

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