By Waiching
Last month was my first time returning to Hong Kong in 3 years, and reflecting on my time, it was truly worth the wait; the previous 3 years were a testing period for everyone, not just for those living in Hong Kong but for those of us abroad watching on the outset who had family and relatives that we hadn't seen because of the strict travel restrictions and pandemic measures and of the effect of the fifth wave of Covid that ripped the city apart, claimed countless lives & discouraged people from travelling to & from Hong Kong.
We weren't able to go back; it was agonising to endure whilst seeing other nations open up their borders and eased restrictions & observing my work colleagues return to their countries, Hong Kong remained off-limits and out of reach up until late November 2022.
In those years, I lost 3 family members, of whom I last met in the late 2010s - one to Coronavirus, but what caught me off-guard was finding out he was an anti-vaccine advocate.
Moving on, my visit didn't just rekindle my love affair for Hong Kong (which is translated as 'fragrant harbour'), which harkens back to the first time I set foot in the city with my family - this was my 6th, 7th visit (I can't remember) - and yet, in 2023, I thoroughly enjoyed it much more than in previous encounters.
We took our pre-departure tests before we boarded our flight, but when we arrived at Hong Kong International Airport, nobody checked our negative covid results. Also, other covid tests were gone, with no mandatory hotel quarantine, no contact tracing apps, and no social distancing measures. They didn't ask us for proof of vaccination, and just last week, Hong Kong dropped the mask requirement, which ended on March 1st.
With all measures gone, we didn't encounter any major stumbling blocks, which was a massive and much-welcomed relief and after my visit which ended on Saturday, March 5th, I am planning on returning to Hong Kong either later this year or in February of next year and every year from now onwards.
It felt like we went at the right time (late February) and but for one odd issue, everything went smoothly, flawlessly and fell into place. We also renewed our Hong Kong smart identity cards, which expired back in 2020 or 2021, meaning that we can enter Hong Kong as residents with rights to abode.
I enjoyed eating out and seeing what the city still had to offer and seeing and spending time with my extended relatives and loved ones.
We stayed in Tsuen Wan, not far-off in Central Hong Kong and at the Dorsett Hotel. It was the first time our accommodation was a hotel in Hong Kong; my brother, sister & I were extremely impressed. It had free WiFi service, and the rooms we shared were spacious and cleaned every 2-3 days. One thing that needed to be added was a microwave, so therefore, bringing food to reheat and eat in our rooms is pretty much a no-no.
Alas, in a city such as Hong Kong, you are encouraged to eat cooked food and meals by dining in/out in restaurants and cheap food stalls rather than have it to go or take out. Other than that it was worth shelling out the money for a 2-week stay.
Speaking of which, having Chinese food in Hong Kong is a totally different experience to having it in Chinatowns in and around London, New York, San Francisco and other places in the world that has a Chinatown; plus, there is so much more variety to choose from -, and is so much cheaper too. You are looking to pay as little as say £1- £10 per item/dish and it won't break your bank. Alas, I much prefer the dining scene in Hong Kong - whether you are into Cantonese food in dim sum or siu mei (Cantonese for roasted & braised meats in duck, chicken or pork), Hong Kong street snacks such as egg waffles and egg tarts, pineapple buns, international cuisine or fast food in McDonald's and KFC, one is spoiled for choice. It is one of the significant tourist foodie destinations and it's an eclectic plethora and myriad of gastronomic delights. There are cha-chann Tengs (Hong Kong-style teahouses or cafes that serve local Cantonese and Western-style menu items like macaroni soup, sandwiches, French toast and milk teas in a cafeteria or greasy spoon setting), dai pai dongs (open-air licenced food stalls) that have small tables and stools, ice houses, street food hawkers and vendors (ready-to-eat snacks, as well as beverages) and dim sum restaurants galore.
Regarding the food, we preferred the non-fast food restaurants & hawker stalls in Hong Kong over the already-established McDonald's, KFC, and Popeyes, as these were somewhat underwhelming. Not that I expected it to be mind-blowing, but it was for the most part, edible.
For visitors, you can get by speaking English, but learning and speaking a bit of Cantonese goes a long way; despite the handover in 1997, in 2023 Cantonese is still the main dialect in Hong Kong. Signages are also in English and Chinese, given Hong Kong was a former British colony and has since become an international hub of the financial world. & being a SAR (special administrative region) of China and acting as a gateway to it, it operates as an independent state/country with its own currency, economy and legal system and the city enjoys freedoms that are prohibited in the mainland such as the use of social media platforms and YouTube.
I prefer going to Hong Kong in late January to early March or right after summer when temperatures aren't hot and humid to the point that its subtropical conditions are mild and tolerable; not too hot but not too cold.
So why visit or live in Hong Kong, one might ask? Answer: it is a mix of traditional and modern Hong Kong and is a vibrant and dynamic city combined with a rich, multicultural and cultural heritage, which in contrast to Asian stalwarts Tokyo and Seoul of South Korea, offers the best of both East AND West worlds. The East is represented by Chinese cultures through food, travel, dialects of Chinese being spoken with Cantonese dominating and its ex-British colonial roots and various Western-based or related places of interest or themes on the West side.
It is for those above reasons that Hong Kong is dubbed 'Asia's world city'. It was also monikered by National Geographic's Matthew Kinsey as 'Manhattan on steroids'.
Examples that come to mind include Disneyland, the street signages in English, food, and international brands in Chanel, Gucci, Nike, and Apple can be found here. There is even a Marks & Spencers located in parts of Hong Kong. It is so convenient you can find pretty much anything you want for every budget. Navigating your way around the city on public transport or by foot is less of a hassle than it is in London and is remarkably efficient (likewise, public transport service in London is inconsistent and expensive, - & don't get me started on the strikes). In Hong Kong, they have what is called Octopus cards, & much like with London Transport's Oyster cards, you use the card to top up and travel on the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) trains, buses, and trams. You can also use the cards to pay for goods and services that accept Octopus cards in selected restaurants and convenience stores like 7-Eleven.
There are always places to see and go, to immerse yourself in, to find somewhere to eat etc; HK has so much to choose from in every aspect. There are no limitations. Just when you think you have seen it all, something else appears out of nowhere or you discover something that you'd never thought of before, which is why I enjoy it when I am there. & plus, it is one of those places where you don't need to spend large amounts of money to eat out, shop and have a good time.
From my travels, I managed to get a Hong Kong t-shirt from Mong Kok market and a pair of Nike sneakers for approximately under £40 British pounds; Sneakers Street or Fa Yuen Street is a shopping mecca dedicated to sneakers and trainers ranging from brands such as Nike, Jordan and Adidas to New Balance, Converse, Puma, Reebok, all in a variety of styles and tastes. If you are an avid fan of trainers, it is worth checking out this area; sometimes you end up spending a fraction of what you'd normally pay in America or Britain for the same shoes.
Mong Kok has an array of markets, and food stalls, and comprises a few shopping centres dedicated to things such as Japanese Anime merchandise & books, electronics, cosmetics, and clothing. Other standouts besides Mong Kok were Tsim Sha Tsui, the Avenue of Stars on East Promenade; the city's very own take on Hollywood's Walk of Fame with handprints from film idols such as Andy Lau, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, not forgetting the famous Victoria Harbour.
The downsides are the humid weather and that it can be very overwhelming and chaotic; people can be blunt and bump into you or brush your shoulder without being apologetic, which sucks, but that's Hong Kong for you. It is a metropolitan concrete jungle out there, as densely populated and fast-paced as it is, but it all depends on whether or not you are prepared for it or ready for what comes your way... and if the answer is yes, then you'll probably love or enjoy HK.
The best way to enjoy travelling to Hong Kong and seeing the sights of the city is by foot, bus and tram: when it is walkable and you see different restaurants, shops, bars, and landmarks and the weather is nice, brisk and sunny in the daytime or vibrant and the bright lights go up at night time, you relish a city like Hong Kong.
One thing I also noticed, is there is a massive emphasis on family, and Hong Kong and Chinese culture is a very family-orientated affair that is banded around, with younger children and their parents seen out and about in the city.
The cliche that Hong Kong is an apolitical cultural desert inhabited by people who had no real values or understanding of what being Hong Kong is about, - except for being rich and wealth bringing prosperity, happiness and joy rings true - however, I always led a life where money doesn't equate to success or happiness. For me, it is not about being wealthy, about how much money you make, or the type of job you do: it is about being appreciative of what you have such as family, and your culture, not taking anything for granted, being grateful for the opportunities that lie in front of you and making the most of them.
My attachment towards Hong Kong is not just rooted in familiarity, family and sentimentality; it is thus regardless of the political problems and unrest of the past 3 years, it didn't discourage me from visiting HK, once the pandemic subsided. When it did subside, I and my siblings went ahead with our plans.
There is still a spark in Hong Kong that lights up when the going gets tough for a lot of people, as well as to recognise its imperfections. I am London- born and bred in the U.K., but my roots and family ties lie in Hong Kong. I enjoyed travelling to Spain in Madrid, Valencia and to a lesser extent, Barcelona in 2021, same with New York, Boston and Washington D.C in the United States last year, but Hong Kong resonates with me on a personal and cultural level, partly due to the family connections, and has and will always have a special place in my heart.
I love it. And much like Hong Kong has that East meets West vibe, I feel as though that in a way, both synonymously and simultaneously it ties in also with my identity as a British-born Chinese, having been born & bred in London in the U.K. and being of Chinese origin. That, plus Hong Kong being a former British colony.
A lot of people may feel Hong Kong is not for them; the city is evolving in both good & bad ways, yet it provides something for everyone and in some cases great value. So long as you keep your political opinions to yourself or you don't care about the political side of things and get used to its way of life and be open-minded, you will find something to like from Hong Kong.
With the city ramping up its efforts to lure in tourists in an attempt to reclaim what they had lost ground in, in the numbers stakes during the pandemic phase, normalcy in Hong Kong is here & the dropping of the final restriction in the mask-wearing paints a bright picture for its current and future endeavours.
It is a place that everyone has to visit at least once in their lives to get a taste of its one-of-a-kind feel, atmosphere and culture that you can't find anywhere else.
You just can't go wrong with Hong Kong. I know I can't.
Must-visits:
Tsim Sha Tsui
Causeway Bay & Victoria Harbour
Mong Kok
Jordan
Yau Ma Tei
Central
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