Coming home was always going to cost me a fair bit of money and after browsing the usual travel booking websites for what seemed like forever the best price I could find was about £400 (this included 2 changes and an 18 hour layover in Beijing airport which is a terrible, terrible place). Just out of curiosity I looked at travel from Hong Kong back to London and struck gold with a direct flight to Heathrow for £250 with Air New Zealand. I'd booked it within minutes and the only thing I ended up regretting was not allowing myself more time there.
After dropping my suitcase off at the hotel I immediately went out to explore and felt strangely at home after 4 weeks in the middle of China. At least 30% of the people there are Western but they seem as at home as everyone else and groups of friends were made up of both Asians and Europeans - a refreshing change and also proof that race really isn't an issue unless you make it one. The streets are still lined with shops selling noodles and other quintessentially Chinese things, but they're mixed in with convenience stores, other "normal" shops and real bars with real beer (something that I immediately took advantage of).
Hong Kong is an Asian city but it has a distinct British backbone. It's incredibly advanced, cleaner than mainland China and it has one of the most breathtaking urban landscapes I will ever see in my life. But I can't help but feel that this unique environment will be the next victim of the Chinese juggernaut. The taxi driver who took me back to my hotel told me how much happier people were while Hong Kong was still a British colony and how things had changed for the worse.
Legally, Hong Kong has to retain autonomy under China until 2047, but after some further reading it seems that only 15 years after the handover China is eroding said autonomy and attempting to transform Hong Kong into yet another dirty, miserable Chinese city instead of following its example; Mandarin is replacing the local Cantonese as the language used by politicians there, state TV and media is increasingly being used for pro-China propaganda and "Chinese Patriotism" classes are even being introduced in Hong Kong schools.
As much as I disagree with colonialism, it's surely the lesser of two evils when compared to China's brand of depressing, enforced communism, which I can say from experience is actually a relentlessly capitalist one party system.
Anyway, here are the few photos I took. If you get the chance I'd definitely recommend a visit!
A Hong Kong street with a famous red taxi.
Look! A clean, well maintained public space! A rarity in Kunming.
Two International Finance Centre
Central Hong Kong is full of designer shops.
A street with people relaxing and enjoying themselves. Fun and happiness will be strictly prohibited by 2047.
No comments:
Post a Comment