Hong Kong has a unique history that contributes to the magic of the location and its people.
Get In or On the Water
It’s easy, in the urban crush, to forget that Hong Kong was, at one time, almost completely made up of small fishing communities. The sea is very much a part of Hong Kong’s history and its present.
Two months ago I posted an item on Hong Kong’s beaches and how much cleaner they were than 20 years ago. I’ve also talked about riding the ferries to see how much of Hong Kong’s commercial life depends on the sea. I’ve mentioned how interesting it is to ride the water taxis in Aberdeen harbor to get a sense of how the thousands of boat people live.
Hong Kong Water Sports Center
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June fourth marks the 17 year anniversary of Chinese troops violently ending the democratic demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. Hong Kong’s Victoria Park is the only place on Chinese soil where candles are lit every year in memory of the hundreds that were killed that night.
Victoria Park, June 4, 2006
The organizers estimated that 44,000 people attended the event. The police put the figure at 19,000. Donald Tsang, Hong Kong’s CEO was out of town but put out a statement basically suggesting that the whole matter be put in …
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To no one’s surprise, it was just announced that 2000 or over 12% of English Language teachers have failed their certification tests. They have had 3 years to prepare and are allowed to take the test multiple times but now the final deadline is approaching and many of those teaching English will either have to leave or teach something else.
The problem isn’t so much reading and writing as it is listening and speaking. I have previously written about the decline in English Language skills in Hong Kong in an article on comprehension and in another posting on the difficulty of making oneself understood. These problems arise even in situations where the person is in a position where English Language skills are required.
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In case you were planning to swim to Hong Kong instead of arriving by other means, you will be happy to know that the beaches of Hong Kong have improved to where you can actually swim in the water. I recommend, though, that you avoid Victoria Harbour as it continues to be polluted in spite of the efforts of the Pearl River and the tides to keep it clean.
When most people think of Hong Kong, they generally do not conjure up images of beautiful, pristine beaches. The truth is Hong Kong has some great, accessible, family friendly beaches. This has not always been the case. A recently released government study reports that the water quality at Hong Kong’s beaches has improved significantly in the last 20 years.
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Yesterday, July 1, was the 9th anniversary of the British hand-over of Hong Kong to the Chinese government. It was marked by two very different celebrations.
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Thanks to M at the Fringe, an extremely fine and inventive restaurant, for the inspiration to attempt to pick ten things that are not usually found in guidebooks and are aimed primarily at residents and then offer the list to tourists also. I must acknowledge that I have used the M at the Fringe list as a springboard for my list.
I doubt that I will limit myself to ten items in the long run but it is a start. I also freely admit that I have not done all of these things myself but, if I have not done something, I certainly wish I had or I plan to do it someday.
The list is ordered randomly so pick any item to begin to build your own list.
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I wish I could say I was surprised when the Antiquities Advisory Board, in a closed door meeting, voted to demolish the colonial-era, Bauhaus style Central Market. Instead, in an act of supreme foolishness, they recommended that detailed photos of it be taken for display in the future.
Even though the architects on the board disagreed, one of them actually walking out on the meeting. The board decided it wasn’t even genuine Bauhaus and that there were other buildings in Hong Kong in this style, some of them even more attractive and having more architectural merit: this in spite of 80% of interviewed architects desiring to retain the building in some form.
The fact that the site will fetch in the neighborhood of HK$5.8 billion at auction, I’m sure had nothing to do with the decision. Developers could be heard licking their chops from miles away.
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Last night the people of Hong Kong celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Harvest Moon or Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhong Qiu Jie) is a day of family reunions much like Thanksgiving in the U.S. If you can plan that far ahead, this is a great night to be in Hong Kong.
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