It’s always difficult to leave a place you love. When I was in a cab leaving Paris this summer, I teared up because I wasn’t ready to leave. When I left Hong Kong last year after a very brief layover–as my mom and our good friend stayed behind for a few more days–I cried on the airport train.
This photo is one of my final images from my trip to Hong Kong last month. I love this image because it shows the old and the new, and a reminder of the work that still needs to be done to provide for all. Although Hong Kong is a wealthy city, many people are far from that.
I left Hong Kong during the day last month, a stark contrast from when I moved away from there 18 years ago. Back then, it was dark and rainy. On this last trip, I left when it was bright and sunny. 18 years ago, I left Hong Kong against my wishes, but for the good of my family. Last month, I left on my own accord.
That is a nice contrast between the old and new. Reminds me of the Bund in Shanghai. I prefer the Old Town. I actually like Beijing better because it has more history and culture. Hong Kong is an interesting mix of new and old and east and west. A lot of discussions I have read on Hong Kong are written by Westerners, perhaps because I only read the English language discussions. I imagine there is a lot of resentment toward Westerners on the part of the locals, for obvious historic and cultural reasons. It would be interesting to examine local Hong Kong residents’ feelings toward the legacy of imperialism, feeling like second class citizens, cultural inferiority complex, being judged by Westerners by their fluency in English. There are many Vietnamese in HK and many are homeless and live under bridges. This is one reason why I say someone like me would not fit in. Also, I am not very materialistic. Whatever one thinks of the British imperialism, it did leave behind an important legacy. I think the impact of the British in HK is as lasting as that of the Romans on the British. I am going to run this idea by my Brit classicist friend and ask him if I am on target or off mark as I often am, but I am a risk taker. 🙂
I love the Bund, too, and went back to Shanghai last year after a 20 year absence. It was really great and I spent a week at the Art Deco World Congress, which was fantastic. I have some blog posts from last year about it. It’s interesting about Hong Kong folks’ views of foreigners. I think they are tolerated, but the real resentment over the last 10 years or so has been toward Mainlanders. I think the younger generations are not so materialistic and have become much more political compared to the generation before them. I’m reading a fascinating book about the history of Hong Kong as it relates to the Handover (published in 1997, just before the Handover) and it’s really a miracle the British held onto it as long as they did. Risks are good!