ReadersDigestAustraliaNewZealand-March2018

110 | March• 2018

HONG KONG REVISITED

V

ICTORIA HARBOUR
is breathtaking, es-
pecially during the
nightly laser show,
when the pleasure
junks, ferries and container ships
seemtodanceinthelights.Onthis
warm April night last year, my hus-
band,Jules,andIarestandingat
therailingofarooftoprestauranton
HongKongIsland,inaweatthespec-
tacularskyline.Brightlylitskyscrap-
ers–some1300ofwhichareover
100metreshigh,byfarthemostof
anycityintheworld–spikethenight
skyaroundusandacrosstheteeming
harbour on Kowloon Peninsula.
Asthebreezeshiftsourhair,we
feel Hong Kong’s energy. In the dis-
tancetwinklethelightsofTsingMa
suspension bridge, the world’s longest
forcarsandtrains,whiskingpeople
towardsthemodern20-year-oldair-
portonLantauIsland.Beyonditisa
nearly completed multi-billion-dollar

bridge linking Hong Kong to Zhuhai

in mainland China and the gambling

haven of Macau.

Itfeelsgoodtobeback.JulesandI

livedhereinthe1990s,beforeBritain

relinquishedHongKongtoChina

in1997.Now,20yearslater,we’ve

returned for ten days to see how

thecityhasfared.It’salsoour20th

wedding anniversary. Where better

to celebrate it than in the city where

we met?

NEXT MORNING,we leave our Cause-

way Bay hotel and walk towards Wan

Chai,adistricttwokilometresaway.

Walkingisthebestwaytoexperience

Hong Kong’s colourful sights, sounds

andsmells.Firstwemustnegotiate

throngsofSaturdayshoppersherein

this retail mecca.

We join the sea of people in a wide

pedestrian crossing on Yee Wo Street

thatleadsuspastoneofthecity’s

largest department stores, Sogo,

swathedinpostersadvertisingde-

signer labels. Young women sport-

ing sleek heels and luxury handbags

• a couple of them with beribboned
  apricotpoodlestuckedunderanarm


• are a common sight this morning.
  BythetimewereachWanChai,
  we’veleftthebrandshoppersbehind.
  ThisdistrictisgrittierthanCauseway
  Bay,althoughitsformerreputation
  for girly bars has somewhat given
  waytoshinyofficetowers.AtBow-
  rington Road market, which spans
  a couple of blocks, housewives are

1km

VICTORIA

HAR

BO

UR

CAUSEWAY

BAY

CENTRAL^ WANCHAI

TSIM

SHA

TSUI

KOWLOON

HONGKONG

ISLAND