Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Population: 7,008,000
Founded: 1842

hong kong was the city I had looked forward to visiting the most. Perhaps I had expectations that were impossible to fulfill, but my first impression of the city has been hard to shake. However the more time I spent in the city I began to see past my preconceptions to find a city that is full of character and charm. Hong Kong is built on probably the most beautiful natural landscape I have ever seen. As such the scenery complements the cities amazing skyline perfectly and is without a doubt, one of the most impressive skylines in the world. However while the city is a beautiful sight to see from afar, its a much different city up close. Behind the glamor of designer stores like louis vutton and prada lies a city struggleing to survive. This seems to be a theme amoung developing asian cities but there is a very real distinction here between those who have and those who have not. The residential areas of the city seem to be comprised of 10 - 15 story 1950's and 60's era concrete housing projects. These buildings are seemingly all in disrepair and covered in grime. The hostel I am staying in is in a building like this. But to my suprise I began to realize that not only was the building completely safe, the buildings residents seemed to be middle class and definately not impoverished.

What is perhaps most interesting to me is how abruptly sections of the city change. These run down residential areas give way to top design mega malls, or else abruptly stop in favor of highway developments. It's also amazing to consider how polluted and overcrowded the city feels in contrast to the fact that some absurd percentage of the city is undeveloped and natural. I really wonder what kind of zoning laws are present in the city and how they are enforced. Not only is the surrounding countryside preserved but a density is maintained, even in the suburbs, by having high-rise housing complexes almost exclusively.

Hong Kong is not the most walkable city. Often sidewalks dissapear and many times the only way to cross a street is by using a skywalk or subway platform. In the financial district the skywalk system is so expansive that it is the preferred means of travel and in most cases it is actually impossible to walk on the street. In a way the system works because it forces people into buildings and malls past a constant barrage of stores. The subway stations do this as well, almost every mall is linked to the subway station so if you want to use public transportation, you have to enter the mall. However I think it's never a good idea to remove street life, it takes away the cities personal character and charm. Also a system of pedestrian access dependent upon skywalks is not only difficult to navigate, it is inflexible and expensive. The system is nice though when it rains, and by experience, it seems to rain alot in hong kong. Again though with the segrigation of different parts of the city, the skywalk seems to clearly direct visitors away from the living areas and local residents, to the office towers and shopping malls.

Hong Kong is the first city I have ever been to where smog and exhaust fumes are such a noticible problem. During the day the cities street smell of exhaust and garbage. In a number of ways its hard to catch your breath possibly. Also smog is such an issue during the day that it was difficult for me to take a picture of the cities skyline from across the harbor. The city looked like it was behind fog.

Hong Kong like most other asian cities feels very privatized. I think in part it is due to pace in which the city is being developed. I was amazed to see in a book the difference between the cities skyline in 1970 and today, almost none of the taller skyscrapers were built yet. It's absurd to see all of the development that has happened since the 70's and it really seems as if almost all of it until recently were private developments. Private developments are good in a sense because they get done quickly and efficiently, but the public doesn't have a whole lot of say in what is being built. Like Kuala Lumpur, most of the buisness districts of Hong Kong feel like they were built for the international buisness men as opposed the cities actual residents. However it does seem as if there is beginning to be some change. A massive waterfront park scheme is presently under construction and there was also a competition held to design an asthetically pleasing answer to highway sound dampening panels.

The topography of hong kong is more extreme than any city I have seen, even more extreme than san francisco. The city isn't built on a hill side, but rather a mountain side. The twisting turning roads that lead up the mountian away from the city are so steep that nearly everyside walk is instead a stair case. I walked, or hiked more acurately, up to the peak from the city and the pathways were so steep in places that i was actually afraid of sliping in places on my way down. I'm not sure what this city does if it snows, but I can't imagine that any of the hilly roads would be passible. Topography in my mind is one of the things that makes a city most interesting, and though I didn't find them until my last day, there are some amazing neighborhoods build seemingly on cliffs. Its also interesting to see some of the drainage systems built to accomidate such dramatic hardscape. I'm not sure if the systems work, but I'd be really impressed if they did, it doesn't just rain in Hong Kong, it poors.

Hong Kong like tokyo is definately a city that looks better after dark. The smog lifts and the city is bathed in dazeling lights. Every night a lazer light show takes place over victoria harbor and a number of the cities prominent buildings participate. In the residential areas the decrpit buildings escape your view as you are blinded by flashing neon advertisments and the streets are packed with people. Hong Kong is a city that seems like it gets a late start. Most stores don't open till after 11 and in the morning the city feels sort of dead and like it's still waking up. At night though all of the stores stay open and the streets are always packed.

Dispite the decrepit appearence of a number of the cities buildings, the streets all seem relatively safe. I think that because all of the buildings are fully occupied, there's always enough people that petty crime and stuff is kept to a minimum.

In the end, while at first I was dissapointed with the city, by the time I left it became one of my favorite places I have traveled too so far. To me, the sort of chaoticness juxtaposed against the very ordered and layered skyline make such an interesting city. The natural scenery is unlike any other and the cities topography creates amazing spaces and views. While Tokyo might seem to me to be a better city to be in, the fact that it has no view, no waterfront area where you can sort of take it all in at once, make it have less lasting appeal. I could sit and look at victoria harbor all day long, and for that Hong Kong has something thats hard to create, and creates a great lasting impression.