Hong Kong – Selected Views and Thoughts
Over the years Hong Kong has been the territory (now part of China) that I have visited most in all my world travel. My first visit was in 1985 with my wife and three young sons (4,6 and 8 years) at the end of a round the world trip. For my wife it was a second visit as she had been there twenty years earlier as a student. The total number of visits now stands a six, the most recent in 2008. As one can imagine, Hong Kong has changed immensely since 1965. One of the things that fascinates me every time I visit Hong Kong and its “fragrant harbour” is that there is always something new being built and yet another part of the harbour edge reclaimed from the sea.
Nathan Road, Kowloon
Our visit to Hong Kong in 2008 was during the annual typhoon season. It rained almost for the whole three day visit, heavily at times. The above view of Nathan Road was taken from the upper deck of the bus from the airport. As we alighted from the bus the skies opened, leaving our party of five with all our luggage stranded on the pavement and somewhat bewildered. Finally in the pouring rain we bundled ourselves into a taxi and were driven to our hotel.
One of the key attractions in the evening is to watch the nightly sound and light show on the buildings of the Wan Chai and Central districts on Hong Kong Island from in front of the Culture Centre at Kowloon. At the same time as the music and lights started, so did the rain. It came quickly and sent locals and tourists alike scurrying for whatever shelter they could find. This image was captured just as the rain began. Our hotel, the Salisbury (YWCA), overlooked the Culture Centre towards the island and we were able to see the end of the display through sheets of rain powered in by the rising high winds.
A favourite part of any Hong Kong visit for me is to cross the harbour on a Star ferry. These old-style ferries have been running for decades and are an iconic part of the HK landscape. A ride on a Star ferry provides views of both sides of the harbour and the volume of shipping that makes this one of the busiest entrepôts in the world. The ride starts at the Star Ferry Pier in Kowloon and ends at Central Pier on Hong Kong Island.
Kowloon Star Ferry Pier and Hong Kong Culture Centre
Night Star leaving Star Ferry Pier, Central
Central is the banking and commercial district of Hong Kong and is just as bustling as the as the more retail oriented Kowloon. Some of HK’s tallest buildings are in Central, which sits at the harbour edge below Victoria Peak.
Gloucester Road, Wan Chai
Wan Chai is one of the older areas of Hong Kong Island and was made famous to many English and American moviegoers of the 1960s by the film “The World of Susie Wong”. Its a fascinating area to wander around as many of the older buildings nestled among the newer skyscrapers show distinct signs of decay.
Abutting Wan Chai is the Admiralty District which is home to the Bank of China Tower (abbreviated BOC Tower). It houses the headquarters for the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited. Designed by I. M. Pei, the building is (including the two masts) 367.4 m (1,205.4 ft) high. It was the tallest building in Hong Kong and Asia from 1989 to 1992, and it was the first building outside the United States to break the 305 m (1,000 ft) mark. It is now the fourth tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong, after International Commerce Centre, Two International Finance Centre and Central Plaza (Wikipedia).
Bank of China Tower
Two International Finance Centre, Central
One of the best vantage points from which to appreciate Hong Kong is Victoria Peak (552 m). The public viewing area at the Peak Lookout and Galleria presents views over exclusive housing and towers of Central, Wan Chai, Admiralty and across Victoria Harbour to Kowloon and surrounding districts.
View of Hong Kong from the Peak Lookout
It was great to revisit Hong Kong in 2008, even if it rained for most of the time. This is one of my favourite Asian (even world) cities. It is a dynamic place, ever changing but still quintessentially Asian. It is modern, and old. Its a splendid mixture of international commerce and finance, and ordinary people going about their ordinary lives. Its a place of hustle and bustle, and hidden pockets where you can find peace and tranquility. Its a place of exclusive designer everything, and fake knock-offs of everything. I couldn’t live there for any great period of time, but love to revisit it as often as allows.
Grey Dawn
Rangitoto Grey Dawn
Rangitoto Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf can be seen from many parts of the city. This volcanic cone guards the entrance to the Waitemata Harbour and all shipping entering the harbour passes through the channel seen in this view. The mood of the island changes throughout the day and with the weather. This image was taken just before 8.00 am on an early spring morning in 2009. The clouds reflect the changeable weather we have in Auckland at that time of the year.
Strings of Pearls
Strings of Pearls
I was strolling along, and there it was glistening in the early morning light. Dewdrop “pearls” strung on webs of silk in Alpine Victoria.
Taking Shelter
Taking Shelter
This sight caught my attention one morning as I was walking on the trail between Bright and Myrtleford in Victoria, Australia. Clearly the caravan has seen better days, but it seems to be still in use as there is an electrical connection. I would guess the roof leaks though if the shelter over the top gives any clue!
Abandoned Tobacco Dryers
Tobacco Drying Sheds
Until 2006 Tobacco was the major industry in the area surrounding Myrtleford in the Ovens River valley, Victoria, Australia. Scattered throughout the are disused tobacco drying sheds like this which was photographed through the early morning mist in 2009. Farming is now the important industry in the region, including wine grapes, walnuts and chestnuts, berries, fruit, olives, vegetables, hops and beef and dairy cattle.
“DID IDSAY THAT OUT LOUD?”
Every English speaking person who travels abroad comes across an occasion where a quaint usage of the language is sighted. I’m sure it is the same for speakers of other languages as well as foreigners mangle their native tongue. When travelling in Asia the most common sightings of unusual English phrases is on clothing and signs. I couldn’t help myself when I saw this young girl walking in a main street in Seoul. I’m sure she knew what the words were intended to say, but was probably unaware of the spelling error!
Chuseok Girl
After a short trip to the south of South Korea we returned to Seoul to celebrate with our hosts the harvest festival of Chuseok. This a family gathering time and a celebration of a good harvest and of ancestors. In the days leading up to Chuseok the shops are full of gift items and special foods and furniture that are part of the rituals that go with the day.
Chuseok is also a time when you see the national Hanbok costume worn in the streets, especially by older people and children. Supermarkets and department stores bring out racks of Hanbok to entice first-time buyers or older customers to update their costumes. Hanbok is often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets. Although the term literally means “Korean clothing”, hanbok today often refers specifically to hanbok of Joseon Dynasty and is worn as semi-formal or formal wear during traditional festivals and celebrations.
This image was captured on a Seoul metro train and shows a young girl with her mother. Mother probably has a wedding photograph showing her wearing Hanbok, but probably only otherwise wears it on formal occasions. Young girls especially like to be seen in Hanbok at the time of Chuseok.
Monks Swimming
Whenever I see this image taken at a beach on Geojedo, an island near Busan in South Korea, I immediately think of the title of the book by Malachy McCourt “A Monk Swimming”. The title arises from a childhood mishearing of “amongst women”, a phrase from the Catholic rosary prayer, Hail Mary.
The image of the two Buddhist monks was taken in the early evening when we were wandering along the beach after a day of exploration and a visit to the Samsung Heavy Industries Shipyard on Geojedo.
Brass Cleaners
A visit to any place of worship, no matter what religion, usually presents a group of willing people preparing or maintaining property or articles of worship as part of their commitment to the faith. Such was the case when we visited a Buddhist temple in Gyeongju Province, South Korea. This happy group of ladies was polishing the temple brass in the shade on the lawn beside the temple. There was animated chatter and laughter as they went about their task of bringing the brassware back to a high luster.
Selection
Before we went to China in 2008 for our Yangtze River Cruise my wife and I spent three weeks touring South Korea with our hosts, the parents of our new Korean daughter-in-law. One of the highlights of this time was a visit to the Jagalchi Fish Market in Busan. It was a wet day and people visiting the market crowded the areas under the canvas awnings seeking shelter while they inspected the daily catch offered by the market vendors. Many of the fish on display were new to us and we were fascinated to watch local housewives carefully selecting fish for that night’s meal.
Fan Ladies
And now for the last of the Chongqing series. This was also almost the last photograph taken at the end of our Yangtze River adventure. It was a warm afternoon. It was the fans that caught my attention as these two ladies emerged from the shop doorway. In order to capture moments like these in street photography you have to be constantly on the lookout, but patience and persistence pays off. And thus our second trip to China, the first was in 1987, came to an end.
Lunch Time
This is the last of my series on street vendors in Old Chongqing. Here the lady is cooking in the street. In the bowl there appears to be a type of tofu, while the wok contains what looks like sliced tofu in a broth. It is clearly a popular dish, judging by the number of people seated at the tables in the background. Whenever we ventured into the back streets in China we came across food outlets similar to that shown above.
Food Parcels – Eat In or Take Away
This is another image in my Old Chongqing street vendor collection. Food is prepared in a similar way to this in many countries. Here it was wrapped in bamboo leaves. In Greece grape leaves are used, and in the Pacific islands it is banana leaves. Food steamed on a bamboo basket placed in a wok is a common way of cooking food in China.
Refreshments and Fags
A Fag is a British colloquialism for cigarette. In the narrow lanes of Old Chongqing we found this fellow selling a selection of refreshment items including Wrigley’s chewing gum! Also on the stand was a range of Chinese branded cigarettes and lighters. I don’t know what was in the clay pots and bamboo cylinders. That’s what makes walking in foreign lands so fascinating.
Sugar Dragons
A walk through the narrow lanes of Old Chongqing on China’s National Day in 2008 was a fascinating experience. We arrived in Chongqing at the end of our Yangtze River cruise early in the morning. A personal tour guide met us at the boat and took us on a walking tour of the second largest city in China in the time we had available before our flight to Hong Kong left late in the afternoon. The last highlight of this tour was a visit to Old Chongqing, part of the old city that has been preserved as a tourist attraction and living museum.
The streets of the old town were packed with people making the most of the holiday weekend. Street vendors were plentiful and offered a colourful array of food and other goods for sale. This man was of particular interest because of the way he fashioned melted sugar toffee into dragon-like confections. Curious onlookers stopped to watch him create his masterpieces.
Special Day
Every bride wants her wedding day to be something special. If it can happen on a nationally significant day, it makes the day even more special.
Our visit to Chongqing in 2008 coincided with China’s national day. On the steps leading up to the Great Hall of the People we came upon this young couple having their wedding photos taken. Below them in the large square a crowd of people was gathered to watch dance and drum competitions that form part of the day’s celebrations. Apparently girls like to be photographed in a western style wedding dress, as well as in traditional Chinese costume.
Grapefruit Vendor
Some of the earliest visions I have of a Chinese peasant come from story books in my childhood. This was very much a British colonial view of “coolies” carrying heavy loads on both ends of a wooden pole and wearing baggy clothes and a flat conical straw hat. While fashions in language and clothing have changed through the years, the ubiquitous wooden pole is still commonly seen in the streets of towns and villages all over China.
At the end of our Yangtze River cruise at Chongqing our cases were carried off the boat by men with poles. Here in The People’s Square in Chongqing a woman carries heavy baskets full of grapefruit which she hopes to sell. It was China’s National Day when we visited the square and it was thronging with people who had gathered to watch performances of dance and drum by groups from the surrounding municipality.
Tricycle Pickup
In some ways this image reflects a blend between the old and the new. While the number of cars is rapidly increasing in China, older forms of transportation still survive. Tricycles like this one can be found all over China. They are real work-horses and can be seen carrying enormous loads, sometimes to the extent that the rider has to get off and push! Note the spare inner-tube dangling at the side corner of the tray.
The modern Citroen taxi in the background is a sign of the new China.
Mahjong Game
One of the things you see as you wander around the streets of any Chinese town is groups of people gathered to play or watch others playing cards or mahjong.
This gathering in Yichang was interesting also because of the other activities taking place on the pavement. There is the man fixing the bicycle tire while the bike owner quietly smokes a cigarette in the background. In the foreground is an old and hard-worked communist-era bicycle with a construction helmet in the basket. There is a ship building yard across the street. The gathered onlookers are in discussion with one of the players while the other player contemplates his next play.
Yichang is the closest city to the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River and is one of the departure points for Three Gorges river cruises.
Talk Time
Talk Time
This is one of my favorite images from our 2008 trip to China. Its not because it is a technically great image, but that it represents part of how China had changed so much since our previous trip in 1987.
Here we have a modern girl riding her electric scooter and talking on her mobile phone. In 1987 she would not have had either of these possessions, would probably have been riding a bicycle at best, and been wearing a green “Mao” uniform. The bridge across the shipping canal beside the Gezhou Dam would not have been built, nor the dam itself which was a precursor to the Three Gorges Dam further up the Yangtze River.
Small Boy in Ghost City
Ghost City, Fengdu, Yangtze River, China
I was sorting through photographs of our 2008 trip to China a few days ago when I came across this image of a small boy squatting in a plant border next to a temple at Ghost City on the Yangtze River. It was only later when my wife pointed it out that I realised what he was doing.
For the whole of our four day cruise on the Yangtze the weather was overcast and the atmosphere smoggy. This added more than a little atmosphere during the stop at Fengdu to visit the Ghost City.
Fengdu is modelled after the Chinese Hell in Taoist mythology, built over 1800 years ago. The Ghost Town has become an island since the Three Gorges Dam project was completed, and part of the ghost town of Fengdu has become submerged. Scenery above the “Door of Hell” has remained however.
Incy Wincy Spider
Spider in rice field, Gyeong ju Province, South Korea
While on an early morning walk in rural Gyeong ju Province, South Korea in 2008 I spotted this colourful spider near the pathway beside a field of rice. I didn’t get closer than my telephoto lens would allow!
A Buddhist Prayer
Buddhist Prayer Lanterns
Here is another image from my 2008 Korea trip series. It is an image about colour, patterns and repetition represented by an array of paper prayer lanterns at a Buddhist temple on the northeast coast of South Korea.
Every faith community has its own unique way of offering prayers to their god(s) and each is deeply rooted in their cultural backgrounds. Some prayers are offered freely and personally, while others are offered by some kind of proxy. Whichever way is chosen, every prayer has a very personal meaning to the person offering the prayer.
Flying Free
Flying Free
I’ve been reviewing images which were taken during a family trip to Korea in 2008 and reprocessing them based on what I have learned since then. This image was taken in the evening at the base of the Namsan Tower (officially the N Tower) in Seoul.
Suspended above the viewing platform is this wireform sculpture of a flying man that reminded me of Superman. Behind the form is the top of the telecommunications mast of the 236.7 m tower.
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