if you haven’t been to Hong Kong you can’t imagine it

The symmetry was elegant … 32 deg C in Bali and 32 deg F in the UK. When we landed this morning after a 13 hour flight from Hong Kong (pardon my air miles; I have not ‘offset’ them because that’s akin to joining the RSCPA and continuing to kick the cat; I just try to be abstemious in other ways) it was cold and after the incident in Bali there were no other problems. We even got in early and were home courtesy of National Express by 8am.

Hong Kong is something else. We had lived there in the 70s, in fact we got married in City Hall in 1978, and returned a few times thereafter and every time it’s changed.

It was dramatic enough in the 70s. I worked in what was then Gammon House and is now BankAmerica Tower and there was nothing then in the half a mile or so between it and the China Fleet Club. And then came the Mass Transit construction and just beside Gammon House there appeared the world’s ‘largest urban hole’ which became Admiralty station. Now there is solid development between the two buildings: high rise office buildings, luxury hotels and shopping malls. And all connected by walk ways and underground shopping streets.

Every time I’ve gone back I’ve been staggered by the way that Hong Kong has become ‘more of the same’ and if anything the pace has increased since 1997. I think Hong Kong is now a nicer place than it was. The people of Hong Kong were always regarded as pretty rude and aggressive. It seems that since the yoke of colonialism has been lifted they now feel better about themselves, prouder of their country and more willing to welcome the visitor.

The density of housing has to be seen to be believed: high rise blocks in groups housing the populations of small towns. And the business area just keeps on growing with office blocks competing to be the most prestigious, to house the most expensive shops in the lower floors (shopping is a Hong Kong national sport) and to somehow or another outdo the neighbour. There’s the HSBC building which is built like a prop forward but as you stand inside it it is one vast atrium. There’s the Bank of China building, always built to be higher than HSBC’s. And there’s now IFC 2 which is the highest building in the place: for now.

The most dramatic site is across the harbour at night when all the fancy offices and hotels are lit up and for 15 minutes put on an amazing laser light show. And in the water in between ships of all shapes and sizes ply their trades. The red-sailed junk in the photo above caught me unawares so the shot is hand-held which gives it its edgy character. It somehow seems to fit the scene.

It may sound patronising buit really if you haven’t been there you really can’t imagine what it’s like..