These were my first impressions of Hong Kong: so many tall buildings! and so many people! The city boasts (only) two of the world's tallest skyscrapers, yet so many of the buildings are dozens of stories tall. Hong Kong Island is the most developed and has an incredible nighttime skyline, complemented well by nightly "symphony of lights" light/laser shows that are a real treat on a clear night!
The other major section of Hong Kong is Kowloon, and we have been staying here in the district called Kowloon Tong. Kowloon is not built quite as high since this is the former site of the city's airport. Due to the small capacity of the previous airport and its dangerous landing location between buildings and mountains, the airport has been moved out to reclaimed land further away from the city.
Land reclamation is actually a very profitable venture for the city, because, as they did for the airport, they will often dump landfill dirt into harbor waters to create new land--land being Hong Kong's greatest scarcity--and then sell this property at a premium. Of course that's simply too bad for the guy who bought an expensive oceanfront condo last year, because he will not only be missing out on his once-spectacular waterside view, his landscape will probably be blocked by a new, even taller high rise!
This tycoon-like attitude of the city, however, is merely a reflection of many who live within its boundaries. I have never seen a non-European city with so many luxury foreign cars roaming its streets. Mercedes Benz after Mercedes Benz after BMW after Mercedes Benz race down the left lane of these British-style streets, separated only by the hundreds of red Toyota Crown Comfort taxi cabs.
Speaking of cars, I also noticed a few interesting vanity license plates, and I learned something interesting about these--instead of just applying privately for what you would like to write on your plate, you must submit your suggestion to a public list, and then pay the highest price in an auction... for what was your original idea. Only in Hong Kong!
So many people... there are about 6,000 people per square km in Hong Kong, and the population continues to grow rapidly. Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region--SAR--of China, yet you must pass through immigration with proper identification to pass between its border. One reason for this is to help limit the number of people who try to enter Hong Kong to find their fortune.
It truly is a city of dollar signs, but the economy has slowed a bit over the last few years. Hong Kong is a port city, and their economy relies almost entirely on trading. Fishing was at one time very popular in the area, but a depletion in the fish supply and a losing interest among the new generation has largely reduced this industry. Since this highly modern city has pushed all its resources away, trading goods by ship, investing abroad, or building intellectual property are examples of how Hong Kong depends on the state of the world economy.
Hong Kong is comfortable, but in exchange for this this it has lost much of it's culture. I'm sure I'll be back here again someday--maybe sooner than I think--but I will be more earnestly seeking a city for study abroad that can offer more culture and less of the western life I've already experienced. Thank you IPENG for this incredible opportunity, visiting Taiwan and Hong Kong has opened my eyes once again! :)
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