Nothing Wrong in Hong Kong

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  Hong Kong, China
Monday, September 8, 2008

Hong Kong has officially been a part of China for over a decade. But to enter this "special administrative region," you have to pass through endless customs lines and immigration officials. Except for a few newspaper closings here and there, the Chinese government has exercised a largely laissez-faire approach to the island. Unencumbered Hong Kong not only brings wealth to China with its entrenched international networks, but it also signals to a "rebellious" Taiwan that China would respect Taiwan's autonomy if it would only lose its intransigent insistence on independence. Taiwan could be the next Hong Kong. At least, that's the Communist party line. In any case, Hong Kong has been my favorite city yet.

Like Shanghai, Hong Kong buzzes with the electricity of a modern city. Standing on Kowloon looking across to Central, the peaks of skyscrapers rise in front of a mountainous backdrop. Every night, a laser light show dances from building to building across the entire city, illuminating the sky with green, red, and golden auras.  Museums are laid out well with clear signs and multi-lingual information. At the art museum, I could actually understand who painted what and when (though I was still lost on meaning as usual). Men and even a few women scurry through the streets in custom business suits, catching their next meeting or just a cigarette break. Restaurants are clean, friendly, and even sometimes familiar. We indulged on Outback Steakhouse our first night, a trendy sushi joint the second, and a tasty Thai restaurant the third.

Like Beijing, Hong Kong confidently displays its more traditional moorings. Some parts of the city seem unscathed by the whirlwind of modernization. Boarding a double-decker trolley, we set off to soak in the sights around the city. Meandering far away from the usual tourist venues, we found ourselves in an old-time market humming to the cacophonous tune of haggling. Live fish flopped frenetically on white slabs as they awaited their looming cleaver doom. Butchers diced, sliced, slashed, and chopped meat, hanging unknown and unsavory body parts from their storefronts. One man invited me into his poultry shop where cooped chickens clucked in their confined cages. I didn't watch when he grabbed one by the neck and brought it to a backroom, but I did eat some chicken later that day. Finding my way through vegetable stands, squids, shellfish, and odd slug-like gui ducks, I entered a traditional medicine store. I'm not sure exactly what I bought, but it smells horrible and requires six pills per dose.

But unlike anywhere in China, Hong Kong exhibits a true sense of internationality. Beyond the full spectrum of laser lights, Hong Kong hosts a full array of skin colors. White, yellow, brown, black...all can be found in Hong Kong. It felt nice again to be part of a melting pot after spending a few days in China without seeing any other white people, let alone an Indian, Jordanian, or a Kenyan. Because of this internationality, we were able to see an exhibit about ancient Rome at the Hong Kong history museum, a far cry from the Sino-centric (or maybe even xenophobic) exhibits of mainland China. I can just imagine a mainland curator questioning why anyone would care about the world beyond when they can narrowly focus on all-encompassing Chinese history. That same overabundance of national pride also likely contributes to the disappointing and sometimes befuddling paucity of English fluency found on most maps, signs, guides, and restaurant menus throughout China.

And unlike anywhere I saw in China, Hong Kong displays a natural beauty that enhances the urban center. On our last day, we took a bus outside the city to the other side of the island. Forested mountains jutted out into the sea creating dozens of azure bays and inviting beaches. Little and not so little islands breached the waters in chains of emerald gems against the horizon. For the first time in three weeks, I actually saw a blue sky free of smog and dust. And best of all, a sea breeze cooled everything it touched and let us escape from the heat of the city. When I thought things could not get any better, we accidentally passed by Jackie Chan's house.

We can blame British colonialism for many things, but in this case the Union Jack may have done some good in creating a prosperous and international city. But it is also a city that is proud of its heritage. Unlike China, it successfully balances the new with the old with confidence. And better yet, the stunning natural environs balances the bustling urban center. It is these balances of old with the new and the natural with the manmade that make Hong Kong a truly special place.

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