When I was en route to Shanghai a couple weeks ago, I had a 36-hour layover in Hong Kong. Since it was the first time I’d been alone in the city since 1998, I wasted no time revisiting some places from my past I hadn’t seen in 18 years.
I stayed at the Regal Oriental in Kowloon City, across from the old Kai Tak Airport. The foreground used to be part of the old airport.
I used to pass this hotel every time I went to the airport either to fly somewhere or to take family and friends there by bus. There isn’t a subway station–yet–so it’s only reachable by bus or minibus.
The area around the hotel is bustling with Thai restaurants, dessert cafes, and other restaurants and shops. I love old store front buildings that hang over the sidewalk to provide shade. Kowloon City still has remnants of these old buildings. Note the pillars with the Chinese characters in the photo below and the grey building in the one after that.
After walking around this area for a bit, I headed down Prince Edward Road toward Ma Tau Wai, another district in Kowloon City.
This park is famous for an old boulder dating from the Song Dynasty (late 13th century), way before Hong Kong became a British colony.
Near the park and at the end of the area that marked the old airport is this cool control tower-themed apartment building.
Walking down Ma Tau Wai Road, I found myself surrounded by the round corner buildings I love so much in Hong Kong.
I love them all!
After I walked back up toward my hotel, I turned west on Argyle Street in search of the grounds of the Vietnamese refugee camp where I volunteered 25 years ago. I’ve heard there isn’t even a marker to indicate where the camp (former WWII POW camp, too) used to stand. So I had to rely on very old memories to figure out where I used to go every week for six months.
I walked up and down this street, but found nothing from the camp. The area looked familiar, but that was about it.
Back to the hotel. The rooms have been updated, but the lounge on the top floor may not have been. I imagine people sitting here looking over at the planes taking off and landing before the airport closed in the summer of 1998.
I also headed out to Shatin, where I used to hang out in college and grad school. I went back to the mall there and almost didn’t recognize it. It’s completely changed and there was nothing photo-worthy about it.
Besides walking around these familiar places from 20-25 years ago, I also met very close friends from my first year in Hong Kong 25 years ago. That day couldn’t have been any better.
Thanks for posting the beautiful photos. I was born and raised in Kowloon City, so these photos brought back a lot of fond memory. I even recognize some of the streets despite the fact that I left HK 30 years ago. The reason I could recognize them is that I have been back visiting once every 4 or 5 years. Otherwise I doubt that I could recognize too many of the places because, as you know, HK has changed quite a bit, unlike how some U.S. cities could change only a little over 30 years. The photo that struck me the most is the one on the park related to the last emperor of Song Dynasty, who escaped the invaders from the north and ran to somewhere near HK. I think he was killed when his servant held onto him (he was only a child) while jumping into the sea to avoid the invaders in pursuit. I used to visit the park when our teacher took us there one day (I was in first or second grade then). Another thing that struck me was how clean many of these streets have become. When I was a kid back then, some of the streets were littered with quite a bit of trash. Looks like HK has improved on this regard.
Thank you so much for these great memories and insights! I’ve noticed on my few visits over the last three years that Hong Kong is very clean, including Kowloon City. I remember Kowloon City from 20 years ago and there was more litter on the street back then. I think Kowloon City has become a trendy restaurant area now, with many dessert cafes and bars. I used to walk to Kai Tak from my good friend’s flat in Tokwawan and would pass the Sung Wong Toi Park, but didn’t realize that ancient slab was there until many years after I left Hong Kong. That’s such a fascinating story about the emperor. I think the biggest change in that area will be the new MTR station.
In my last trip to HK, I dined at the restaurant of the hotel you stayed at near the old Kai Tak Airport. I remember that I had roasted suckling pig. For those who do not keep Kosher, that dish was delicious. I have to admit that I am not aware of any Kosher restaurant in HK to recommend to the Jewish bloggers. But there could be a few because there have been Jewish inhabitants in HK for a long time (even back when I was a kid), just like there have been muslims there. HK is a cosmopolitan city in which all religions are accepted. Yes, I did notice in my last visit that Kowloon City had become cleaner. And yes, Kowloon City has become a somewhat trendy place for restaurants. Too bad you can’t get to Kowloon City with the subway now. I am looking forward to the new MTR station. But taking the bus or minivan is also fun. Please keep the followers of your blog informed of any future visits of yours to HK. My favorite city. I will be waiting!
Thank you so much! I love talking about Kowloon City! That hotel near Kai Tak is really great and the rooms are larger than ones in more touristy places. There’s a kosher restaurant in the Jewish Community Centre next to the Ohel Leah synagogue on Robinson Road, but the security is very tight and you need a passport to enter and maybe an invitation. But in Kowloon City, the Islam Food restaurant is halal, so kosher folks can eat there, too. I’ve heard great things about these two branches of Islam Food, but unfortunately didn’t have a chance to eat there. I found taking the busy to and from the hotel was very convenient. I met friends in Causeway Bay and Central and there were buses that went right there from the hotel. It would be a dream to return to Hong Kong once a year (I’ve been back three times since 2012 after a 14-year absence), so I’m taking it one year at a time. Hong Kong is my favorite city, too! Thank you for the kind comments!!
I am glad to know that you have been back to HK so frequently in the last several years. That means I can count on you to provide us with more photos after your next trip to HK. Keep up the good work! People who could not go to HK as often, like me, are looking forward to your future trip reports. However, speaking out of my own experience, you may want to avoid visiting HK in the summer. Walking on Prince Edward Road or Argyle Street near Kowloon City would be very hot in the summer because of no overhang to shade the sidewalk from sunlight. Of course, walking on the streets in the center of Kowloon City would be much cooler because of the overhangs. I remember that, on Lion Rock Road, for example, the entire sidewalk is shaded by the overhang. November or December is my favorite month to visit HK.
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you like the photos. I had been away from Hong Kong for 14 years before I started going back a few years ago and now hope I can go every one to two years. It’s hard with three kids, but I try my best! I was never really bothered by the Hong Kong summers when I lived there, but that was 20 years ago and I was young. Now I try to go in the fall or late September at the very earliest. I’ve also been back in mid-to-late April, and that’s kind of on the border of the hot season. Yes, there were quite a few overhangs in Kowloon City.
Not even a marker for the Vietnamese Refugees? I know we’re all dust in the end, but that seems a negation of history.
Yes, it’s so sad! There is nothing at all there. It wasn’t just that I couldn’t find anything, but I also read on a Hong Kong historical blog that there’s no marker. The refugees were there for about 15 years! Shameful.