Hongkong Town - China

History

It is quite unusual experience, to have the chance to look downstairs the beaches and islands of Hong-kong Region from Victoria Peak (554 metres above sea level). Nearly within reach, you have helioports on roofs of gleaming skyscrapers, the lights in windows of hotel rooms or with reflectors illuminated Bank of China, easily distinguished, according to facades, divided into squares and triangles. In sea water of the port, there are rebounding position lanterns, and illuminated Kowloon bank, in distance there are to be found in reflection of border town quarters, you can distinguish romantic silhouetts of mountains.

China was forced, after lost Opium War, according to lease-agreement of 1899, to hand over Great Britain totally 236 islands, including Kowloon Area. This countryside was formed (from its great part) with desert or uninhabitated areas. Nevertheless, the British realized quite well its commercial and political importance of nature port in front of main Hong-kong Island. So, they started to construct the embankments and loading transport halls. When this Crown Colony was returned again to China in 1997, this area presented, with its seven millions of inhabitants, one of most densely built areas of the world and had nearly USD 85 millions of foreign exchange reserves available. As a result, Beijing granted to Hong-kong for the next coming 50 years, special status os autonomous free commercial zone. And really, since that time period, the capitalism is governing there in nearly unchanged form, rewarding clever persons, giving the chance to hardworking ones, whereas poor persons could not get hungry. The economy is blooming and the airport welcomes the crowds of tourists.

Present time

The foreigners, who are let to be carried by crowds without any target inside inhabitated quarters (such as Kowloon), nothing will be lost. Maybe, they could come towards Nefrite Market, where you are forced to bargain at gigantic heaps of semi-precious stones, or to a restaurant, where you can feel an odour of soups from serpent´s meat. A smell of candles is alluring them to Wong Tai Sin Church. Its main Taoist Holy Man has in charge the wins of bets from horse-races. Inside long shelves of Chinese pharmacies, stocks of tiger scrotums, dry sea horses, powder of rhinoceros corners, and other means, are waiting for their clients. All these means are being used for power increase. Even so called Birds´ Market could be loudly heard, long before, when the visitors have the possibility to see it. Despite two recently built tunnels, the best connection between continent and central town district on Hong-kong Island, the navigation on sea level remains as the best one. Star Ferry arrives to Victoria capital within couple of minutes. Here, the scyscrapers were substituted with the buildings from colonial era.  Regarding residence possibilities: it is quite variegated, because nearly 1000 inhabitants of Hong-kong are staying  still on vessels or boats. On the other hand, successfull businessmen are able to pay for comfort flat month rent arriving to EUR 17000,-! The villas, offering matchless views towards the sea, are situated up in Victoria Peak Hill.

Hong-kong is connected with all bigger adjoined islands by means of ferries. You can escape,(leaving the noise of the streets) to Lamma Island, where the entrance of vehicles is not permitted. On the other hand, you can meet there marvellous beaches. Along south headland of Kowloon, Lei Yue Mun, fishers´ community, preserved its original face. Local market is well equipped with the goods. So, everybody could buy there the fish, according to his taste, and let it to be prepared in some of local restaurants. Even magic worlds could be ranked with specialities of former British colony. On the top of pointed „Lovers´ Rock“, enamoured couples put lotos flowers, in order to win the sympathy of God. In the churches, you can do a prophecy of your future from prophetes and women, being able to read from lines of your hands.Anyway, the Taoistic experts for Feng-Suei play their most important role in this respect. No superstitious Chinese would buy an estate nor construct a house, not having such useful advice from those persons available. It is true that sometimes, it could be sufficient to barricade the way through chimney to bad ghosts, but sometimes, some more extent steps are to be effected. So, for instance, Feng-Suei expert warned in advance at construction of block of skyscrapers. On a beach of Refusal Bay, the dragon, living upstairs on the hill, would be prevented from a view towards seaside. So, this careful builder promptly changed the plan, and let for dragon free great slit on right spot of iron-concrete construction.

Text: Denisa Arvajová

Translation: ing. Jan Jonáš

Photo: Picasaweb.com