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Published: November 30th 2007
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(P) Leaving mainland China behind us, we hopped off the overnight train and strolled across the border to
Hong Kong. Setting foot there brought back memories of the great time I had during my first visit, with my aunt Gerry and uncle Yoshiji many moons ago! What first struck us this time was that everything was SO CLEAN! Trains are food- and drink-free zones and stations encourage order and cleanliness at every turn:
'Escalator safety - easy to learn, easy to remember';
'Remember to wash your hands and stay hygienic'. The floor was so sparkling clean that we felt obliged to pick up the few crumbs that dropped from our muffins and hunt them out a more legitimate home. A plaque inside a lift we travelled in read:
'This lift is sanitised every 4 hours for your hygiene.' Having received Hong Kong as a concession in the Treaty of Nanjing following the Opium War, Britain's grip on the place ran out in 1997, however in our eyes it
District Council elections, HK
Will these still exist when HK loses its 'Special Administrative Region' status, and fully becomes part of China, in 2047?did not seem to be keen to give up its identity to be merged back into China. Until 2047, it exists as Special Administrative Region with a policy of "one country, two systems" as long-established laws and governance are fused somehow with those on the Chinese mainland. Britain's mark still stands, personified in Queen Victoria's statue in her eponymous park, and a stall owner remarked to us that "Britain was our favourite boss".
There was certainly a much more multicultural atmosphere than China, which was to be expected, but it felt like everyone was welcome to get on with their own thing whilst respecting others doing the same. No longer did all the locals have Chinese-sounding names - most interestingly, the man who served Nick in the photo shop was called 'Biscuit' and my server at the coffee shop - broad of shoulder and merry of face - was christened 'Japan'!
The old blended with the new in examples such as St. John's Church in the heart of the financial district, and
Man Mo Temple dwarfed by giant apartment blocks. Man-Mo was where we first saw incense coils that burn for days on end, hanging from the ceiling
like cones. We were told they are burned to invoke the gods to hear prayers. Sometimes worshippers even burn 3D models of household appliances for the deceased to ensure they have a comfortable afterlife. We also saw a kind of fortune-teller, who shook incense sticks in a cylindrical can until one fell out and she interpreted its meaning for the worshipper beside her.
The Peak is THE place to live on Hong Kong Island itself but is sometimes foggy because it is literally up in the clouds! Reached most quickly by the steep Peak Tramway (a funicular railway which put the sedan-chair trade out of business almost overnight when it was introduced in 1888). It affords great views over the harbour and across the water as far as Kowloon on the Chinese mainland, especially good is the transformation at dusk from day to night, as the buildings slowly light up down below. The
Star Ferry links both pieces of land in 9 minutes and we also sailed on a junk ship around the harbour, built in 1955 by Chinese fishermen but only one of a few used nowadays.
Seredipitous timing meant we were able to hook up with
some of the Connaughton clan following Uncle Kevin's wedding to Ping, we made an outing to the Electrical Street and Ladies market streets on the Kowloon side which was still pumping around midnight. Kowloon is alive night and day and is unsurprisingly one of the most densely poulated places on earth (around 51,000 people per square kilometre). I also got back to my roots when we found
Connaught Road, before hopping on the so-called "longest escalator in the world" (more a long series of them, taking about 20 minutes from end-to-end!). A typical example of HK making use of every scrap of space, it was wedged between hoardes of apartments and cafes, so close that you could have exchanged pleasanteries with people as they sat sipping their drinks. The escalators descend from the Mid-Levels (a popular residential area) to the commercial Central area in the mornings until 10 a.m., and ascend for the rest of the day - fancy being able to say you commute "by escalator"!
The Mid-Levels leaves the bustle of the harbour area behind and ample space has been devoted to a great Zoological Garden (featuring a Red-handed Tamarind from Brazil, Ring-Tailed Lemurs, a Reptile and
a Jaguar House) and Hong Kong Park (featuring a walk-through aviary and Tai-Chi Garden). Nearby is the former-Governor's House, now resided by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Mr. Donald Tsang. The guard on the gate chatted to us amiably about its history.
The slow-but-sure
trams are emblazoned with advertising, a good way to keep them alive in an otherwise high-tech, fast-paced city. As tasty aromas of street food wafted up through the open windows, we chugged along the main streets, attracted by neon lights advertising this that and the other, so bright that it almost felt like daytime.
Our first dinner (and last of our "Roam China" trip) was held at an Indian restaurant in Chungking Mansions: most often synonymous with budget accommodation, the Indian restaurant where we ate was tucked away on the 7th floor, in what looked like someone's apartment! The "Mansions" themselves felt harmless enough, but are described in our guide,
Hong Kong Encounter as 'fuelled by tales both tall and true of conflagrations, crimes and unclaimed bodies; everyone should come here once'!
Dining at
Temple Night Market was a lively experience, although it happened to be hairy crab season (posters for which I
couldn't imagine appealing to the mainstream back home) we made some arguably cautious choices among the menu's more adventurous offerings such as 'Fish Head Soup', 'Fried Spicy Garlic Soft Chicken Knee' and 'Preserved Duck Leg Rice Pot.'
On the subject of food,
Sheung Wan maintained its traditional shops selling dried seafood such as scallops, abalone and even shark's fins. Chinese herbal medicine is of course highly regarded, and 'Ginseng Street' was filled with the smell of spices and herbs. Having read back home that they are a 'superfood', I stocked up on goji berries - I think the shopkeeper didn't believe I knew what I was buying at first and then realising, seemed very pleased. "Very good for your eyes!", he beamed.
Street snacking began in the mid 19th century in Hong Kong, when hawkers with no licence walked around with just a wok and a trolley and cooked in front of customers. The government tried to control these sellers by issuing cooked food stall (
dai pai dong) licences. Recent concerns about hygiene and congestion led the goverment to stop issuing such licences, so the street stalls that have them now will cease to exist when the present
owners pass away. Central district has only about 10
dai pai dong left. However, street snacking is by no means a dying custom in Hong Kong. You are lucky to get a seat at some night food markets and the taste of the food in general continues to be applauded.
Graham Street Wet Market was a gory sight in places - among the florists and greengrocers were frogs hopping over each other in cages and whole fish being severed into several pieces as we looked on. It was refreshing in a weird way to see fish being prepared so freshly, as opposed to the cellophane-wrapped fillets we are used to buying, so unrecognisable you could forget where they come from in the first place.
One morning as we were innocently buying our breakfast from the local supermarket, a delivery man entered the shop and proceeded to cart his trolley of wares through the main aisles - on it were huge slabs of pork and (perhaps to remind himself what he was delivering or to prove to the supermarket what meat it was?) on the top was a complete pig's head - quite a shock to us so early in
the day!
We took the ferry for a day trip to
Macau, a former Portuguese colony until 1999. Its port was bustling with both local traffic and tour buses, perhaps with people staying the weekend to try their hand at the casinos - there are 26 in 26sq km! Although, how they had money burning a hole in their pocket after Hong Kong I don't know. Flashy hotels abounded, like a mini Las Vegas, I imagine, including the glitz at night.
St. Dominic's Church (yellow facade and green shutters) dated from the 1590s by Spanish from the Phillipines, taken over by Portuguese the next year. Beautifully renovated, now with a Museum of Sacred Art, including statues (complete and incomplete) and chalices - they were gathered in St. Dominic's when Portugal banned convents. One crown of silver from the 17th century was labelled "From Brazil, Macau or Goa (another Portuguese colony)"!
Lunch was Brazilian bread and Portuguese coffee (galao). The aroma of peanut and almond cookies and warm egg custard tart (a Portuguese sweet) filled the air in the streets outside such that we couldn't resist a sample.
The
Ruins of St. Paul's Church stand at the top of a
Chinese take away, Macau
Interesting combination between the Chinese and Portuguese languages grand flight of stone steps. Built in 1602 to become the biggest Catholic Church in Asia, a fire in 1835 destroyed all but its stone facade depicting the early days of the Asian Catholic church. It was designed by an Italian priest and built by Japanese Christian exiles and local craftsmen. The crypt houses the remains of both Vietnamese and Japanese martyrs.
From
Macau Fort a stone's throw away (which has served to defend St. Paul's from pirates and also as a previous Governor's Residence), we could get a bird's eye view of the city, extravagantly-gilded casino buildings punctuated the throngs of corrugated iron roofs.
As we trekked out from the centre, we passed local shops whose nameboards were an interesting bi-lingual combination of Chinese and Portuguese. Arriving at A-Ma Temple at dusk, we enjoyed its atmosphere in both light and dark. The temple was built about 100 years before the Portuguese arrived. When they did, they asked the locals the name of the land and thinking they wanted the name of the temple, they answered "Ma Ge." The Portuguese translated the name to "Macau" and continued its use.
In the gardens (as much of the temple was outside
as in), bananas grew and al-fresco shrines were carved into the hillside, neighboured by single-Chinese characters carved into huge rocks as prayers.
The aroma of incense permeated the inside rooms, as we looked up, incense coils hung from the ceiling in a cone shape, each over 1 metre tall. Temple-goers invest in these which will keep their prayers burning, at a cost up to about GBP20 each.
We said goodbye just as spectator seating was being set up for the upcoming Macau Grand Prix. Soon after we departed Hong Kong itself, headed for a long train ride to Vietnam...
*****
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Rex
non-member comment
Escalator Hand Rails
What a great story! Hygiene in an elevator it's a pity they don't apply that health policy to escalator and travelator rubber handrails, if people only knew how the APT level is they would not obey the entry signage. APT (adenosine triphosphate) Biological residue is on all hand rails. With global travel infection is very high. So next time you use a moving walk ask yourself a question is it clean or ATP free. see our website www.escalator-safety.com