Welcome to Hong Kong! Home to over 7 million people; all packed in like sardines on a few small islands. After we disembarked the plane, completing a swine flu form and a fast passport check, we found ourselves in an very modern airport. Nice!
We didn’t even have to put a foot outside the airport to get to the city center. The airport express train virtually comes right into the arrivals hall! The train doors opened and we just hopped on. Hong Kong welcomes you with a sleight-of-hand, from the outside it appears to be Western with all the gleaming skyscrapers, a public transportation system that any city should envy, business people in expensive suits, clean streets, fashion conscious folk wearing the latest designer clothes, but in reality there lies a culture and tradition that could not be more Chinese.
Twenty-two minutes later we were standing in the central metro station, then we caught a subway ride to a stop where we thought we could find accommodations. We heard wonderful remarks about a Hong Kong hotel, so we were hoping to book a room and spend a week living in luxury. The first one we found was extremely accommodating and lived up to all five stars.
Over the following week, we saw Chinese herbalists dispensing a variety of plant, animal and mineral extracts, shopkeepers still using the abacus, local Chinese haggling at the fish market, butchers carving pigs and other delights on the street, devotees at temples offering fruit to the Gods and scenes of several people practising Tai-Chi in the parks. In other cities, clashes can occur when East meets West, because western values often seem to undermine traditional Asian beliefs, but that’s not what I’m witnessing here in Hong Kong. It’s more like the two blend together and make a delight full mix. For example, it’s not unusual for a shrewd business owner to hire a Feng Shui master to arrange his business in such a way the his business will prosper. Another example is for locals to give offering in a Taoist temple to ensure their shares on the stock exchange continue to grow! This is what makes Hong Kong one of the best modern cities in the world. They’ve manage to make both philosophies, East and West work.
Related posts: