My trip to Hong Kong I had planned well in advance, I had arranged to be there when my uncle would also be there so he could show me around the city where he has stationed his company and one of his factories. I fly to Hong Kong for roughly 90 euro’s each way which for European standards can be considered reasonably cheap! Arriving in Hong Kong you immediately notice the cleanliness of the place. They are extremely cautious of infection and bacteria, there are signs everywhere: indicating the amount of times the conveyer belt is disinfected per day, the fine for spitting in public (as the Chinese often do) and the fine for littering. The city is clean and calm for Shanghai and Beijing standards, people wait in line, no one pushes or shoves. People are polite and say thank you and beckon you to go in front. Everyone is in harmony and it does not matter which nationality, race, age or gender you are.
We arrive at our hotel and skid of to a steakhouse at the centrally located Ocean Terminal where the large cruise ships dock to allow their passengers to explore this multicultural city. The prices in Hong Kong are drastically higher than those in Shanghai and especially Beijing. Food and living expenses are through the roof, a small one person dorm room can easily cost you up to 800 euro’s a month, while this is closer to 300-400 in Shanghai. Then again income and value added tax here is relatively low as are the import/export costs. For this reason Hong Kong is a magnet for electronic and clothing shoppers as it can save considerable money shopping in HK as opposed to Europe.
The following day was an early start as my uncle had arrived on the same day as me he had to go to the office. He showed me around the office and factory explaining his trade with more detail as he could do at home because here you can see the production process. It was very interesting to see how he had managed to set his mark in a city so unfamiliar to most Europeans. Starting from scratch, making friends, building relationships and providing jobs for locals, truly something you can be proud of as a man from Friesland. After the tour and meeting some of the people he works with the entire office goes for lunch. After this we split up for he had to work and I got a chance to discover Hong Kong on my own.
I took the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island Central, which is opposite to Kowloon where our hotel is stationed. Hong Kong is build up of several islands which are connected either by bridges, ferries, tunnels or subway lines. I walked around only to gaze at the endless maze of covered elevated walkways that give access to the numerous skyscrapers with all of the luxury brands stores situated at the bottoms of the towers. Compared to Shanghai, HK does not have a central shopping street, it is a collection of buildings which house several different stores. Large shopping malls are created to allow easier access, but mainly to allow consumers to shop without having to go outside! The weather in Hong Kong is a lot warmer than the weather in northern China. I was there in the beginning of December and could wear shorts, with temperatures around 20 degrees. However, during the summer it is blazing hot and many set their eyes on one of the many beaches scattered across HK!
That night we ate at one of the nicest restaurants in HK, Sevva. Situated on top of a skyscraper it enables one to admire the city from a roof top terrace. For my dinner I had my eyes set on the locally famous pigeon dish and when I received it, it did not disappoint! On my plate were two little birds, in the picture you can see that I have finished one already! It was a wonderful dinner and off course we finished off in the bar!
The following day I spend the morning studying in my room because I would fly back on Sunday night and
would have two presentations on Monday and one on Tuesday! Therefore, most of the morning was spend on Skype with students in Shanghai working on the project. After this my uncles firm had arranged their annual company party. We would travel to the New Territory in the North of HK. This area consists of parks, lakes and very expensive fishing boats! A beautiful place where one can escape from the busy city life. There are public fireplaces which function as bbq’s, locals bring their food here and gather round these fireplaces to grill whatever they want in the open air. It’s a nice community feeling where locals come together. My uncle’s firm had hired a smaller local restaurant that provides roughly the same but with catering and service. The highlight of the evening was of course the ‘Lucky Draw’. This is notorious in China and is for some employees the highlight of the evening! Everyone is chanting their name when the names cards are unfolded after being pulled from the large drum. It was an especially nice event because most of the factory workers were among the winners. So those with little received a lot. The best quote came from one worker who mentioned that he was worried what he was going to do with his Ipad seeing as at home he did not have internet!!!
After the dinner/party I met up with some of my friends who had also flown down from Shanghai! I had phoned them several days before telling them they should join me seeing as it would be our last chance for a trip before we would have to study! So it was a nice surprise that they decided to join me for a few day in HK. We met up and went to Lan Kwai Fong, which is the bar street in HK. I won’t go into detail but it is very different from Shanghai where clubs are scattered around the city. In LKF the bars and clubs are all located in one specific area, providing a vibrant environment where students, expats and locals mingle and drink.
That night I had to fly back to Shanghai, HK was a wonderful place to be but it is very different from Shanghai. Looking back I’m glad that my first experience in Asia was in Shanghai and not in Hong Kong. Life in HK is not so different from Western cities; people wait in line are more polite and accustomed to foreigners, not to mention driving on the left which especially for me still feels somewhat more natural! It’s not the real authentic Asia that I planned to discover. However, once you have grown accustomed to the ‘real China’ and want to really enjoy life, HK might be the better option, with its beaches and islands and it’s more westernized culture and manner.
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