A playground for the rich, a workplace for the poor, Hong Kong is a mighty big city sandwich to sink your teeth into. It's a city-nation with the aesthetic of a sci-fi film, namely Blade Runner whose grimy glitz was in fact partly based on Hong Kong's neon madness. Although in recent years government policies mean this famous signage is gradually disappearing, the spirit of glimmering consumerism lives on.
The world famous cityscape can be witnessed in all its glory from Victoria Peak, accessible cheaply by bus on Hong Kong island (and if you’re on the Kowloon side, take the cheap, iconic Star Ferry over first). The journey there takes you through the bustling Central area and out, the road twisting into the hills above the skyscrapers, past multi-million-dollar houses and hillside hangouts for the city’s elite. Take your snaps of the skyline from the top, grab a cheap coffee and sit on the terrace of the McDonald’s that’s not unexpectedly but somewhat sadly found its way up here—though it’s probably the best view you’ll get from a McD’s, ever.
To fully immerse ourselves into the chasms and cracks beneath the craggy skyscraper peaks of that view we took a modern day magic carpet ride, a marvel of creative minds, a notion we only thought possible in sci-fi. The Central–Mid-Levels escalator and walkway system (δΈη°θ³εε±±θͺεζΆζ’―) that scales the heights of Hong Kong island from Central, through the back streets of Soho and up into the residential ares of the Mid-Levels are underappreciated and overlooked as a true wonder of a modern city; the longest of its kind in the world. Get on at Central, via skybridges of course, and cruise the multiple escalators past shops, bars, and cafes. You will be living our true dream if you manage to hop on and off stopping for snacks and beverages as you go. The ride all the way to the top and the walk back down is a sight in itself. Try this unusual adventure out and envisage a future where cities are connected by moving walkways, and where food and alcohol is readily available as your trundle along. But actually this is real life and it is found in Hong Kong.
Also real life are the multitude of markets you’ll find scattered throughout the city. You can take a stroll to the Jade Market (ζ²ΉιΊ»ε°ηε¨ε°θ²©εΈε ΄) in Mong Kok, Kowloon, and browse the wares: we scored a Mao watch and a jade Buddha pendant for a snip after a bit of calculator bartering. From here, if you feel up to it in the heat, you can walk up the road 30 minutes – taking in the life of the city all the way (we took in a sugary walnut cookie εζ‘ι
₯ from yet another market en route) – to the Flower Market (θ±ε’) near Prince Edward MTR. Here you’ll find a beautiful array of flower stalls and florists selling everything from pre-arranged bouquets and huge potted palms to adorable cactus collections and airplants.
Nearby up some stone steps you’ll find the Yuen Po Bird Garden (εεθ‘ιι³₯θ±ε), a market specialising in birds and the beautifully made wooden cages that house them. Keeping caged birds is a hundreds-of-years-old tradition still popular today, as it is to lesser extents elsewhere in the world, but still it's not a greatly palatable sight for any animal lover. You may feel sad seeing birds of all types, all sizes, all colours, cooped up in cages, because birds are made to fly right? The sounds are intense, the smells are overwhelming—it’s a small market, but it’s definitely full of life.
For a less intense local experience, head down to Stanley on Hong Kong island’s south coast. Previously a small fishing village, it’s now a chilled weekend hangout for families, friends and tourists seeking refuge from the city and its business. Stanley itself is home to a market selling clothes and accessories and various etcetera, but past this is a breezy coastal area lined with expat-filled bars and restaurants, stalls selling juice, and a square (circle-shaped) on the threshold of a semi-upscale mall. Locals chilling the hell out under banyan trees are common down here, and you’ll probably appreciate the laid-back feel less than an hour’s cheap bus-ride out of the city.
Near to the square is the site of the colonial-era Murray House, relocated here from its origin in Central, which now houses an H&M and some other shops; walk past this, along a boardwalk through some tropical greenery overlooking the sea, and you’ll come across a tiny temple. Called Pak Tai temple (θ΅€ζ±εεΈε»), with a heft of history and gorgeous bay views, it’s a surprising slice of secluded spirituality.
Hong Kong is a city of extremes, wealth, power, architecture and all things food, all things terrible and all things wondrous. People of many nations sharing a small spot on this planet and all trying to make their way upwards. The city is a like a spectacular national park for modern day society, imperfect, a magnified example of the struggles and triumphs of humanity. The architecture, the food, the people. All of it makes for a fascinating, exhausting whirlwind of an experience. You could live here all of your life and still not try every eatery nor summon the strength to know every corner or discover every sight.
What the future holds for Hong Kong as it is slowly devoured by Beijing – whether it will get chewed up and regurgitated as a lesser version of its wonderful self, or triumphs in its youthful fight for independence – is a history being written by its people and by Big China at this very moment. This madness, this freedom, this business, the jolting ramshackle shiny bubble of this techno-dys-utopia, may not exist so vibrantly, so liberally, for much longer.
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π¦ Spicy Crab
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