Bridging the Gaps
By Prof. Henry Funtecha

Hong Kong

(Note: The writer was in Hong Kong during the first week of April 2005)

Hong Kong , commonly known as a shopping paradise in the east and a popular destination for Filipinos, is a bustling metropolis of 6.5 million people. It is situated in the southeastern section of mainland China and is separated from the latter by a river and a high fence. It is only about two hours travel by plane from Manila .

Hong Kong is actually composed of two islands, namely Hong Kong and Kowloon . The name Hong Kong in Chinese means "fragrant harbor" or sweet-smelling harbor" because of the flowering trees that abounded in it in early times. Kowloon , on the other hand, is derived from two Chinese words "kow" which means nine and "loon", dragon. Kowloon , therefore, is "Nine Pieces of Dragon".

Other than the fact that people from all over Asia flock to Hong Kong to shop because of the relatively cheap prices of goods there, especially of textile and other consumer products, the place itself has its own physical attraction. The Hong Kong harbor is a must see. It is considered one of the busiest in the world and it separates Kowloon from its sister, Hong Kong . Here one finds the Avenue of Hong Kong stars with their hand imprints, the likes of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and other famous ones. From the Hong Kong harbor, one can get a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape of both Kowloon and the former.

Just a walking distance from the Avenue of Stars is JC, a large jewelry shop, purportedly owned by the action star Jackie Chan. It is a popular destination for jewelry-conscious shoppers, including rich Filipino matrons. All over the place are famous hotels and shopping centers selling items of popular trademarks and labels known over the world.

From the Kowloon side, one is able to set foot on the Hong Kong side after a 15-minute car ride. A must see destination in this section is the Victoria Peak , which is named after Queen Victoria of Great Britain . It must be borne in mind that Hong Kong was a British colony for a long while before it reverted back to China in recent times. The peak is 552 meters above sea level and is an excellent point to get a vantage view of the whole of Hong Kong . Surrounding the highest peak are beautiful mansions owned by expatriates and wealthy residents of Hong Kong . Before World War 11, only the British and other Westerners were allowed to reside in the area. Today, the cost of premium real property at the Victoria Peak has skyrocketed to U.S. $5,000 per square foot.

Standing at a point in the Victoria Park, one gets a clear view of Kowloon , the central district of Hong Kong with its skyline dominated by tall buildings. Among the famous skyscrapers in the Kowloon side are the Bank of China Tower, The Center, Hopewell Center , CITIC Tower, Central Plaza , the Sun Hung Kai Center , and the International Finance Center , which is the tallest building in Hong Kong with 88 storeys.

While Kowloon is famous for its shopping malls and its Mangkok Market and Night Market where one can find cheap bargains to bring home, Hong Kong Island is famous for other things.

For one, as already mentioned, is the Victoria Peak .

Then, it is also known for its Ocean Park , Horse-Racing in the Happy Valley , and the Queen Elizabeth Museum , which is the historical and cultural centerpiece of Hong Kong .

The Ocean Park has become a favorite must-see destination for Hong Kong visitors. In fact, it is said that one has not really seen Hong Kong if he has not been to this marine park. Among the attractions in the park are the huge all-around aquarium where one literally walks through a throng of various species offish all over him, the cable rides claimed to be the longest in the world, the kiddie rides, and of course, the pandas.

One must not also fail to see the remnants of the original inhabitants of Hong Kong , the fisher folks who spend most of their time in their fishing boats and their boat-houses.

In the 1970s, there were still about 10,000 of them but nowadays there are only about 2,000 remaining. One gets a closer look at their way of life by riding a sampan to their cluster of boat-houses and getting permission to get inside.

The sampan ride itself is a rare experience that one should not forego while on a visit to Hong Kong .