Sparkling Hong Kong

I was very excited to visit Hong Kong, as I had not been back since it ended its time as a British Crown Colony and became part of China. However, under the concept of "Special Administration Region" and the Chinese guideline of "one country, two systems," Hong Kong has maintained its cosmopolitan and Western character. I had the impression that it had become even busier and louder. It's not surprising considering that there are a total of 7 million people living in just 300 square kilometers. Especially in Kowloon, 2 million people are squeezed into just 47 square kilometers.

The QE docked there, so we were able to dive into one of the countless shopping centers with 700 stores and masses of people right from the gangway. On the other hand, the waterfront promenade with its beautiful skyline of modern skyscrapers on the opposite bank seemed almost calm. People sat there relaxedly enjoying the view and the live music played in the park around the clock tower. This tower from 1921 used to be at the station of the Kowloon-Canton Railway.

Despite all the modernity that characterizes the city, the era of British colonial rule is still visible. English is not a problem, although most people naturally speak Cantonese. The horse racing track in the "Happy Valley" district is very British, combining England's love for betting and horse racing with the Chinese love for numbers and lucky symbols. The highest betting turnover is made here, which is then donated to charitable organizations. The dimensions of the racecourse are huge, the large screen wall alone has dimensions of 20 x 5.8 meters.

Money plays a central role in Hong Kong overall, it is part of the way of life and accumulating wealth and showcasing acquired wealth is not considered offensive. On the contrary, those who have money are respected, and getting money is desirable. It is therefore not surprising that Hong Kong has the highest concentration of multimillionaires. However, gambling is not allowed on Hong Kong territory, there is a large ship in the harbor that goes into the zone of international waters for that purpose.

So here is a lot different. My city trip first took me to Aberdeen, the old port of Hong Kong, where many boats still serve as homes and where the largest floating restaurant is located, which can cater to a total of 2,000 guests with many different small restaurants. It is a familiar image in films, and Hong Kong is a truly suitable filming location. James Bond himself has once had his martini at the Peninsula Hotel, which is still a very prestigious hotel in Hong Kong. My visit then continued to Victoria Peak, the highest point in Hong Kong, from which you have a beautiful view of the city and the bay. However, I did not like how organized the Peak has become for all the tourists (7 million per year) now. The funicular railway still operates as before, but then you enter a shopping center with many shops and even Madame Tussaud's and ride seven floors up on escalators. There is then a platform at a height of 428 meters. The view, however, was very beautiful, especially with relatively clear visibility.

The finale was a walk through modern Hong Kong with its skyscrapers, such as the HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation), which was the tallest building in the world with a height of 283 meters in 1985. Initially, there were doubts about whether the economic system would be maintained after the handover to China in 1997, and the building could have been dismantled and reassembled in Singapore. By the way, the building was designed by the star architect Norman Foster. He also designed the dome on the Reichstag building. But another star architect, Pei, developed the building for the "Bank of China" and even disregarded feng shui, incorporating sharp corners as lines, which according to Chinese superstition brings bad luck to the neighbor that the corner points to.

In the evening, there was a grand light and laser show, which we were able to enjoy wonderfully on board and which was another highlight when we sailed out of the harbor.

The reunion with Hong Kong was consistently positive. An interesting city and somehow unique.

Best regards,

Eva