Hong Kong

China

the Hong Kong area in Southeast China

another view

Hong Kong's subways

Hong Kong was a product of imperialism. While the area served as a major port under the Sung, as they moved south to escape the Mongols, with an emperor even crowned on Lantua island, it was relativley unimportant. Residents lived by pearl-diving, fishing, and salt production. Under the Ching, Hong Kong was a military outpost.

When China was forced to sign the treaty of Peking, it ceded, among other places, Hong Kong, which the British were to hold until 1997. Thi was to repay the British for the destructioon of opium endured by its merchants. British firms used Hong Kong as a treaty port and middleground for the China trade (including selling them dope), and the Chinese population grew to serve this port function. European civilization, albeit mixed with Chinese, cmae to the island. It was an important enough port that the Japanese invaded it immediatly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Hong Kong's character changed in the decased between 1946 and 1997 in two ways. First, the island became in and of itself an important manufacturing center, one of the little "Tigers," along with South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, etc. Then, for a long time it became an indirection means of access to Chinese consumers and, especially since 1978, Chinese products, re-exported via Hong Kong.

In 1997, the British, their treated to occuppy the New Terroritories, returned Hong Kong to China under the promise of "One country, two systems." The British belatedly gave the Kongers self-government and a democratic (not colonial) system, which the Chinese were supposed to continue along with not interfering with the Hong Kong free market economy.

When I visited, indeed Hong Kong was prosperous, so prosperous that China still needed to regulate immigration into this part of its country. The Hong Kongers, however, were complaining that the Chinese were not giving them the freedom they expected in a number of little ways. Still, though many Kongers bought second, fall-back, homes elsewhere, they had not fled in the thousands. Beijing was touting the "one-country, two systems" as a model for Taiwan's reattachment to China.

I first visited Hong Kong during the New Year's break in the Taiwanese and PRC public schools. This may explain why there were no hotels or, basically, no anything, but lots of bodies. Everything, it appeared, was on sale.

When I passed through Hong Kong as part of my visa acquisition to go to Beijing, the city was, yet again, overcrowded, non-working, and onholid. They explained to methat, this time, it was due to the two month school holidays, to which I famous responded, "Don't you Kongers ever stop partying?".New York may be the city tht never sleeps, but Hong Kong seems to be the city that never works!

This is me with the city founder.

This is the central park. Notice the massive number of maids.

Here’s the view down the street. Note the tower that Greed built.

Here’s another veiw of the central traffic station.

Mandarin Oriental hotel.

This a view from the Star Ferry. Note the cruise ship.

Here’s a view of the downtown.

Here's a view from the Star Ferry.

This is the Railway Clock Tower in Kowloon

Who is that handsome guy?

This is another view from the ferry.

This is the cultural center.

This is the intercontinental hotel.

Another view from the Star Ferry.

Here’s another ferry going the other way.

Another view.

I could ride these ferries all day. .

This is another view of the clock tower.

This is the small Temple which was the original center of Hong Kong.

This is the Sun-Yat-Sen birthsite.

This is me at the Doctor's culturaL museum..

This is the long stairs which go up the mountain.

See how steep is the height above the bottom street.

Now, THIS is a long way down.

This is the former governor's place.

This is the US consulate. Note the weird shaped building.

This is the view from the bucket ride up.

This is me standing at the peak. .

Yet another view.

This is looking in the direction.

This is me at the Toussad's max museum. "No, YOU violated a Shaolin temple." "No. You."

This is the government building.

This is the view of Kowloon.

This is the view of the “Walk of Stars”

Hoooah. This is Bruce Lee’s star. Just don't call me Bruce.

Did you see that guy with the glasses make that move?

Not exactly Suzi Won, but a junk in the harbor.

This is the military hospital.

I’m not sure what this was. It’s too dark. Time to go home...

No THIS is the temple I was looking for, but it's too late...