PhotoSafari: Hong Kong
I had originally intended this blog to be a wide-ranging sort of thing, but it appears that I have gotten too concentrated on recent political events, so I would like to return to my first "love"; photography.
My Company sent me to Zhuhai, China, for business, and as it was my first trip to asia (and I love nothing more than a free plane ticket) my wife and I decided to tack on our vacation to the business trip, and see a bit of the world. I also wanted to give my recent acquisition, the Canon 20D, a workout. As I had just blown my budget acquiring it, I had no opportunity to acquire anything other than the kit lens, an 18-55mm f3.5-5.6. I had entertained the idea of picking up a lens in Hong Kong (our first stop) if it was a deal, which I would surely find.
One would think that Asian camera equipment (such as a Canon or Nikon) would be cheaper in Asia. Alas, it was not so (although I have heard that these things were cheap 20 years ago). Due to different tax structures and the plumetting dollar, everything in Asia was crazy expensive. So I was stuck with my basic wide angle. Now that I have picked up a 300mm and a 35-135mm, I guess I will have to go back.
This is the itenarary of our total trip (behold the power of inkscape!), although today I will confine myself to Hong Kong.
The flight departed from lovely Newark, NJ, Queen of American Cities. I was expecting a huge 747 for a direct Newark to Hong Kong flight, but was sadly dissapointed;outside the gate window we saw the same long haul domestic carrier with the same economy sized seats.
So I put my decidedly business class sized posterior into my tiny seat, and prepared for a 16 hour flight over the north pole.
The flight itself had a few cool moments, such as the eternal sunrise/sunset at the top of the world.
And a chance to take a few photographs of Siberia. Frozen rivers and, at one point, some kind of small city (by the time I grabbed my gear from the overhead rack it was gone), according to the GPS on the plane it seemed amazing that people could live this far north, but apparently they do. What a great place to take photos, if you could only get there!
Hong Kong
The first thing I did when I got to Hong Kong was try and find a cheap place to stay- my company put me up in the Kowloon Holiday Inn while I was actually there on business, but even though it was a decent hotel (just as you would expect a Holiday Inn to be) it was crazy expensive- about $250 a night at that time, although I think its normally cheaper.
So we found Singh's Guest House. The Guest House is in a building called Chunking Mansions on Nathan Road (Kowloon's Main Drag). Not exactly the "dee-luxe apartment in the sky" that the Jeffersons were talking about. But it is semi-famous, in that it was the location of one of HK's great movies, Chunking Express.
It's about 20 stories, the first two of wich are given over to a bazaar. The other 18 floors have hotels, restaurants, apartments, and even some light industry factories.
There a a series of "mansions" like this up and down Nathan Road, The Chunking, Miramar, and so on.
The Chunking Mansions are served by one rather dodgy elevator, once the doors close everybody shifts their weight around until its evenly distributed, then the lift can move.
Once we arrived at the 12th floor (iirc), this was the room that awaited us- it was literally no bigger than the bed, but it did have its own toliet and shower. Actually, the shower head was right over the toilet, so you closed the bathroom door, and took a shower while sitting on "the throne." Singh's Royal Guest House, indeed.
All this can be yours for only $40 per night. My parents had been to Hong Kong in the early 80's, back then it was cheap. Now it is insanely expensive. Beats the hell even out of New York.
Safety is not a big concern in China, as we noticed when we looked out our window and saw a guy doing some sort of building repair, 10 stories above the street. Notice the lack of safety harness. Elsewhere in Asia it was worse, but even in this ex-British colony they have nothing (apparently) resembling OSHA.
So my first thought was, how do we get out of here if there is a fire. Certainly NOT the elevator. We would have to descend labyrinthine hallways like this:
So the wife and I mapped out an escape route. Which is wierd (I spend a lot of time in hotels, but don't usually think about hotel fires), because, the next morning when we emerged to go and assault Hong Kong, this is what we saw:
The next "Mansion" over was, in fact, on fire.
So, enough of the roughing it stories, lets see whats out there in Hong Kong:!
The Subway in HK is clean, fast efficient, and cheap, albeit a little crowded. It's a great way to get around.
On the Metro at Wong Tai Sin
One can also go between Kowloon and Hong Kong (and the other islands) by using the Star Ferry, old British diesels that look like they were converted from steam. They may well have been.
Kowloon Terminal of the Star Ferry Lines, with Central and Wan Chai in the Background
At the end of Nathan Road (the main drag of Kowloon) is Victoria Harbour, which seperates Kowloon and the New Territories from Hong Kong (the island). during the day dozens of ships pass to and fro, including some old style junks.
Early Morning Traffic in Victoria Harbour
Night Shots are great, especially if the water is calm
Kowloon Ferry Terminal at Night
The Hong Kong Skyline from Kowloon
Almost all of the buildings in HK are skyscrapers. They have the population of New York City, but 20% of the buildable area. But you can find a few traditional buildings nestled amongst the towers.
Hong Kong contains all sorts of cultures and peoples, from British, to Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, and of course, Chinese.
Nathan Rd. Mosque
Morning Prayers at Victoria Harbor
HK also boasts a number of taoist temples, this is one dedicated to healing and medical arts:
There are also Buddhists in HK. The Chin Lon monestary is typical of chinese Buddhist structures; the ones we saw later in Indochina were much different.
Overall, however, HK seems to be something different than simply "chinese." It's an odd fusion of east and west, that's true, but the "east" in that fusion is the entire east, from India, to China, to the Phillipines, all of whom have significant populations in the city. And the "westerness" of the city is more than just patina, HK is profoundly different from mainland China. Perhaps this is why the Central Government has decreed that they will maintain their own currency, language laws, and border controls for the next 50 years. China will need a lot of time to catch up.
Overall, HK is strikingly modern, modern in a way that occasionally makes our own modernity look a little shabby, but at other times lags far behind the west. Nevertheless, amidst the modernity traditional elements of chinese culture persists, such as an overwhelming belief in joss (luck). Chinese are incorrigible gamblers, although there are few opportunities in Hong Kong, other than a few OTB parlours and the Happy Valley Jockey Club.
Outside the betting parlour in Central
Most Hong Kongers follow traditional Chinese religious practices, but there are also quire a few christians. On the top of the mountain in Hong Kong is the Chinese Protestant Cemetery. Like all cemeteries, is faces the sea. Christian or not, the belief in Feng Shui persists.
The Legislative Building and the Bank of China Building
We could only spend a few days in Hong Kong, for a number of reasons. The first was cost. HK is exceedingly expensive. The second was that we really wanted to check out Macau, which is a 45 minute ferry ride from Hong Kong. Macau was really the last colony in China, with the Portuguese pulling down their flag 2 years after the British in Hong Kong (a carefully orchestrated snub that nobody noticed but the Portuguese and the Chinese)
On the ferry to Macau
Later in the week I'll post a Photosafar: Macau
My Company sent me to Zhuhai, China, for business, and as it was my first trip to asia (and I love nothing more than a free plane ticket) my wife and I decided to tack on our vacation to the business trip, and see a bit of the world. I also wanted to give my recent acquisition, the Canon 20D, a workout. As I had just blown my budget acquiring it, I had no opportunity to acquire anything other than the kit lens, an 18-55mm f3.5-5.6. I had entertained the idea of picking up a lens in Hong Kong (our first stop) if it was a deal, which I would surely find.
One would think that Asian camera equipment (such as a Canon or Nikon) would be cheaper in Asia. Alas, it was not so (although I have heard that these things were cheap 20 years ago). Due to different tax structures and the plumetting dollar, everything in Asia was crazy expensive. So I was stuck with my basic wide angle. Now that I have picked up a 300mm and a 35-135mm, I guess I will have to go back.
This is the itenarary of our total trip (behold the power of inkscape!), although today I will confine myself to Hong Kong.
The flight departed from lovely Newark, NJ, Queen of American Cities. I was expecting a huge 747 for a direct Newark to Hong Kong flight, but was sadly dissapointed;outside the gate window we saw the same long haul domestic carrier with the same economy sized seats.
So I put my decidedly business class sized posterior into my tiny seat, and prepared for a 16 hour flight over the north pole.
The flight itself had a few cool moments, such as the eternal sunrise/sunset at the top of the world.
And a chance to take a few photographs of Siberia. Frozen rivers and, at one point, some kind of small city (by the time I grabbed my gear from the overhead rack it was gone), according to the GPS on the plane it seemed amazing that people could live this far north, but apparently they do. What a great place to take photos, if you could only get there!
Hong Kong
The first thing I did when I got to Hong Kong was try and find a cheap place to stay- my company put me up in the Kowloon Holiday Inn while I was actually there on business, but even though it was a decent hotel (just as you would expect a Holiday Inn to be) it was crazy expensive- about $250 a night at that time, although I think its normally cheaper.
So we found Singh's Guest House. The Guest House is in a building called Chunking Mansions on Nathan Road (Kowloon's Main Drag). Not exactly the "dee-luxe apartment in the sky" that the Jeffersons were talking about. But it is semi-famous, in that it was the location of one of HK's great movies, Chunking Express.
It's about 20 stories, the first two of wich are given over to a bazaar. The other 18 floors have hotels, restaurants, apartments, and even some light industry factories.
There a a series of "mansions" like this up and down Nathan Road, The Chunking, Miramar, and so on.
The Chunking Mansions are served by one rather dodgy elevator, once the doors close everybody shifts their weight around until its evenly distributed, then the lift can move.
Once we arrived at the 12th floor (iirc), this was the room that awaited us- it was literally no bigger than the bed, but it did have its own toliet and shower. Actually, the shower head was right over the toilet, so you closed the bathroom door, and took a shower while sitting on "the throne." Singh's Royal Guest House, indeed.
All this can be yours for only $40 per night. My parents had been to Hong Kong in the early 80's, back then it was cheap. Now it is insanely expensive. Beats the hell even out of New York.
Safety is not a big concern in China, as we noticed when we looked out our window and saw a guy doing some sort of building repair, 10 stories above the street. Notice the lack of safety harness. Elsewhere in Asia it was worse, but even in this ex-British colony they have nothing (apparently) resembling OSHA.
So my first thought was, how do we get out of here if there is a fire. Certainly NOT the elevator. We would have to descend labyrinthine hallways like this:
So the wife and I mapped out an escape route. Which is wierd (I spend a lot of time in hotels, but don't usually think about hotel fires), because, the next morning when we emerged to go and assault Hong Kong, this is what we saw:
The next "Mansion" over was, in fact, on fire.
So, enough of the roughing it stories, lets see whats out there in Hong Kong:!
The Subway in HK is clean, fast efficient, and cheap, albeit a little crowded. It's a great way to get around.
On the Metro at Wong Tai Sin
One can also go between Kowloon and Hong Kong (and the other islands) by using the Star Ferry, old British diesels that look like they were converted from steam. They may well have been.
Kowloon Terminal of the Star Ferry Lines, with Central and Wan Chai in the Background
At the end of Nathan Road (the main drag of Kowloon) is Victoria Harbour, which seperates Kowloon and the New Territories from Hong Kong (the island). during the day dozens of ships pass to and fro, including some old style junks.
Early Morning Traffic in Victoria Harbour
Night Shots are great, especially if the water is calm
Kowloon Ferry Terminal at Night
The Hong Kong Skyline from Kowloon
Almost all of the buildings in HK are skyscrapers. They have the population of New York City, but 20% of the buildable area. But you can find a few traditional buildings nestled amongst the towers.
Hong Kong contains all sorts of cultures and peoples, from British, to Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, and of course, Chinese.
Nathan Rd. Mosque
Morning Prayers at Victoria Harbor
HK also boasts a number of taoist temples, this is one dedicated to healing and medical arts:
There are also Buddhists in HK. The Chin Lon monestary is typical of chinese Buddhist structures; the ones we saw later in Indochina were much different.
Overall, however, HK seems to be something different than simply "chinese." It's an odd fusion of east and west, that's true, but the "east" in that fusion is the entire east, from India, to China, to the Phillipines, all of whom have significant populations in the city. And the "westerness" of the city is more than just patina, HK is profoundly different from mainland China. Perhaps this is why the Central Government has decreed that they will maintain their own currency, language laws, and border controls for the next 50 years. China will need a lot of time to catch up.
Overall, HK is strikingly modern, modern in a way that occasionally makes our own modernity look a little shabby, but at other times lags far behind the west. Nevertheless, amidst the modernity traditional elements of chinese culture persists, such as an overwhelming belief in joss (luck). Chinese are incorrigible gamblers, although there are few opportunities in Hong Kong, other than a few OTB parlours and the Happy Valley Jockey Club.
Outside the betting parlour in Central
Most Hong Kongers follow traditional Chinese religious practices, but there are also quire a few christians. On the top of the mountain in Hong Kong is the Chinese Protestant Cemetery. Like all cemeteries, is faces the sea. Christian or not, the belief in Feng Shui persists.
The Legislative Building and the Bank of China Building
We could only spend a few days in Hong Kong, for a number of reasons. The first was cost. HK is exceedingly expensive. The second was that we really wanted to check out Macau, which is a 45 minute ferry ride from Hong Kong. Macau was really the last colony in China, with the Portuguese pulling down their flag 2 years after the British in Hong Kong (a carefully orchestrated snub that nobody noticed but the Portuguese and the Chinese)
On the ferry to Macau
Later in the week I'll post a Photosafar: Macau
posted by Justiceiro at 3:34 PM
1 Comments:
I'm so jealous! Hong Kong has been at the top of my 'must visit' list for a while. Chungking Express, Lost in Translation and Kill Bill made the desire even more intense. Thanks for sharing your adventure.
Frank Rodriguez
www.organicphoto.com
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