Journey to Nowhere

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued in May this year a directive that all computers sold in China must install a web filter called Green Dam. The directive came secretly. Only after Wall Street Journal ran a story on it in July, did the MIIT publicize the directive on its website.

And this directive, officially to block porn content, is intended obviously to control information exchange in the public domain. It is disclosed that the filter has about 2700 words that are porn related, while it has over 6500 words that fall into the category of political censorship. The irony is that such an aggressive move to encroach public freedom of speech is termed “green” – the filter is called “Green Dam”.

The money invested in the filter is RMB41.70M, a huge sum. But the filter’s database has been cracked by netizens because of poor quality, resulting in disclosure of a list of more than a thousand porn websites. No surprise that netizens jokingly say the RMB41M taxpayers’ money was spent just to set up a pool of porn websites.

That is a joke. The whole thing is a joke.

In Central, Hong Kong, there survives a sunset industry – shoe polishing. Understandably, the shoeblacks are all old men in their 60s and 70s. As their customers are mainly businessmen, they all work in Central, Hong Kong’s financial district.

They don’t have a stall or a shop. They work in the broad light and in the open air, and in the heat or in the cold, depending on the season.  Just use a block of wood/cement as the stand for the customers to put their shoes on, and they can ply their trade.

Most of them work in the Theatre Lane, Central. Take exit D2 of MTT Central Station. Turn right and you will come to the Threatre Lane.

They have been working without a license over the years. Lately, the government is under pressure to legalize the trade, as, according to their advocates, they have become an integral part of the Central landscape.

I salute to these people, not because they are part of the Central landscape, helping to promot Hong Kong’s tourism, but because they are hard working ordinary people, working to the very old age, in a job that the young don’t want to do, just to earn a meagre sum of money to make a living.  They show their dignity for life.

You may have heard of Hong Kong’s Soho area in Central which is packed with international food restaurants and bars. Another gathering place of restaurants and bars which is less talked about and is smaller in scale is in Tsim Sha Tsui east.

Take the star ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui. After getting off the boat, walk along the harbour front, until you are well past the Avenue of Stars. You will then see a flyover that takes you to the opposite side of the road. Here, you will find a row of restaurants and bars, parallel to the Salisbury Road, and with breathtaking harbour view, especially after dark.

The plus of this place is, it is not as crowded as Soho and there is a splendid harbour view to enjoy.  But the minus point is its lack of choice in dining and drinking. After all, there are only about 10 restaurants in the area.

Among the restaurants there is only one Chinese restaurant - a famous Shanghainese food eatery Xiao Nan Guo (Little Southern State, No.66 Mody Road). The restaurant, based in China, is highly regarded in Shanghai and has established its presence in Hong Kong since 2000. It now has four stores in Hong Kong.

To get to the area, you can also take MTR and get off at Tsim Sha Tsui East station. Take exit P1.

Hong Kong’s Victoria Park was so packed yesterday that every inch of its ground was occupied. People gathered there for the candlelight vigil in commemoration of those who died during China’s crackdown on the pro-democracy movement 20 years ago.

The organizer of the rally, Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, said there were 150,000 people in the park. Well, there may be dispute about the actual figure, but by being there myself, I can testify that there has not been a rally in recent years that can draw so many people. Everywhere - the lawns, the football pitches, the park paths – was thronged with people. Many people just stood, against each other, for the whole two-hour vigil.

People stand for the whole vigil. They cannot even see the main stage and big screen. But they stand and just listen.

The big turnout is the pride of Hong Kong, where people demonstrate that a clear conscience is what matters in life – the economic prosperity in China and the prosperity it brings Hong Kong do not mean that the crackdown had not happened, the history should be distorted and the tragedy should be forgotten, as suggested by Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Donald Tsang on the eve of the June 4 vigil.

In his position, Tsang has every reason to say that in order to curry the favor of the Beijing authority who appointed him to the Hong Kong top job. Boss must be flattered, conscience can be sacrificed. That is his credo. I hope he would pray to his God for forgiveness – he goes to church every morning before going to work.

In the rally, around me, I saw faces that are obviously from mainland China. They took photos and sang songs along. I was glad they got the chance to breathe some fresh air of political and speech freedom.

Hong Kong is the only place on the Chinese soil that holds a large rally every year on June 4. In Macau this year, there were only dozens of people participating in a June 4 rally.

With the approach of the 20th anniversary of the June 4 student democracy movement in China, there has been a wave of books and TV productions on the major historic event, particularly in Hong Kong. The most notable may be the secret journal of former China leader Zhao Ziyang “Prisoner of the State”.

Here I want to recommend a documentary series that may be overlooked. It is produced by RTHK (Radio Television Hong Kong), a quasi public broadcasting organization in Hong Kong. Its long-running and reputed documentary/public affairs programme “Hong Kong Connection” has produced a four-part series on June 4 crackdown.

The first two parts in Chinese have been broadcast, with the rest to be shown in the following two weeks. The good news for non-Chinese speaking population is that, the series is being turned into English content. You can now view the first part in English, on RTHK’s website. The first part is titled “In exile”.

I’ve watched the first two parts, and highly recommend them. If you want to know more about June 4 student movement, 20 years on, this is the programme you’ve got to watch.

I am particularly touched by the story of Zhang Jian, and his mother in the first part. Zhangjian was involved in the student movement when he was 17. Seven years ago, he was forced to be on exile in France, leaving behind his mum and his family in China. Talking to his mum on webcam, he played a song he made in memory of June 4. His mum said, “I liked the song.” “Love your family, love your neighbours, love your friends, love your enemies,” she continued. Her son Zhang Jian responded: ‘Alleluya.” “Alleluya,” she echoed. That is how the first part is ended. A great production.

The place I like best in Macau is Coloane, a former island with a elegant touch of its own.

The grocery shops like this have existed for long, and are still taking care of the needs of the neighborhood.

Nearby there is a bakery famous for Portuguese egg tarts, the Lord Stow’s Bakery (1 Rua de Tassara, Coloane Town Square).  Don’t miss it.  For Macau government’s tourist office’s introduction about the bakery, see here.

How to get there:

Take bus No. 26, 26A, 25, 21A, 15. All buses go to Coloane town square.