Anna

With a wanderlust and lusts of other sorts, I look to sth new, sth different, sth fulfilling, and find myself on a journey to nowhere...

Mr Snowden, Hong Kong is not for you

Hong Kong As It Is 1 Response »

Jun 132013

Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post interviewed surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden on 12 June and has this to report:

“People who think I made a mistake in picking HK as a location misunderstand my intentions. I am not here to hide from justice; I am here to reveal criminality.”

“He vowed to fight any extradition attempt by the US government, saying: “My intention is to ask the courts and people of Hong Kong to decide my fate. I have been given no reason to doubt your system.’’

As a Hong Konger, I have deep concern as to why Mr Snowden has chosen Hong Kong as his hiding place. I am concerned because Hong Kong is no longer a liberal place as he imagines. He may not know that Hong Kong people cannot decide their own fate under One Country Two Systems, and if so, how can they decide his fate. People here, for instance, cannot elect their Chief Executive and cannot decide who and how many from mainland China are allowed to settle in Hong Kong. They are helpless seeing Hong Kong being turned into just a city in Mainland China toeing the line of Central Government. They cannot decide their fate.

Earlier Mr Snowden said he chose Hong Kong because of its “commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent”. Sadly, as many people here would agree, Hong Kong’s commitment to free speech is dwindling and self censorship is gradually becoming a norm in the media. The boss of a magazine that is critical of Hong Kong and China politics was attacked on the street on 3 June by two masked men. And even our Chief Executive himself was silencing free speech. How much free speech does this city still have?

My Snowden has my respect for his heroic act. I hope he has untold plan about hiding in Hong Kong for the moment. As Wikileaks founder Julian Assange suggests, go to South America – they are pushing for democracy. Please, do not choose Hong Kong. It is not the place for you, Mr Snowden.

A poster in supermarket

Hong Kong As It Is, Uncategorized 1 Response »

Jun 112013

If you want to have some gauge of the English level of Hong Kong people, look no further than this:

I got this photo from a friend. The poster was put up in a Taste supermarket, part of the conglomerate of Hong Kong’s richest man Li Ka Shing. In case you do not understand Chinese, the Chinese says “local fresh pork”.

Porcelain relics

Hong Kong As It Was No Responses »

Jun 012013

Wun Yiu, Tai Po (大埔碗窰）is the only kiln site that produced porcelain in underglaze blue currently found in Hong Kong. Part of the area where kiln’s remains discovered was declared as monument in 1983. The industry of producing porcelain started in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) by two clans, Man and Tse. The business then was sold to the clan of Ma, who witnessed the decline of the industry in the early 1900s due to competition from kilns in Guangdong.

the grinder used in Wun Yiu’s old time of porcelain industry

The kiln site at Wun Yiu was doomed because the clay used to produce porcelain was not of high quality, and hence the finished products were not of very high quality, losing out to quality and inexpensive porcelain products from such famous kilns as Jing De (景德陶瓷) in Guangdong Province. The kilns at Wun Yiu ceased operation in 1932.

At the height of Wun Yiu’s industry, porcelain wares were exported as well as sold locally. Today at the site stands a small museum documenting the history of porcelain industry in Wun Yiu.

Near the museum, you can still see relics of porcelain wares, showing that the government has not done enough to preserve the site.

Do not miss the visit of Fan Sin Temple (樊仙宮) which is one of its kind in Hong Kong. The temple, near the museum, honors the masters (three brothers surnamed Fan) who taught the clan people the craft of porcelain making. The temple was believed to be built by the clan of Man with a history of two hundred years. It has been declared a monument by Hong Kong Government.

How to get there:

Take minibus No. 23 from Tai Po Market Station. Get off when you see the sign of Fan Sin Temple. Follow the sign and you will first see the museum and then the temple.

For more information, check out here.

The ugly, the rich and the luxurious

Where to Visit No Responses »

May 112013

An inflatable sculpture exhibition is being held in the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade, the site of the forthcoming park of the West Kowloon Cultural District. This “complex pile” by American artist Paul McCarthy is provocative. Against the backdrop of Ritz Carlton Hotel (Hong Kong’s highest hotel), a very much luxurious residential complex and a very much high-end shopping mall Elements, the pile makes you pause. It is an unwitting weird juxtaposition.

The “sacrilege” sculpture by UK-based artist Jeremy Deller has an unwitting effect too. His life-size bouncy castle in the shape of Stonehenge captures his interest in the spirit of public participation. And public interest and participation is obvious. It was a Saturday. People had to queue and wait for their turn to jump inside in the “castle”. Yet, just a stone’s throw away, lies a five-star hotel, a luxurious residential building and shopping mall, which ordinary people cannot use.

This is another exhibit I like:

By HK artist Tam Wai Ping

Hong Kong can be beautiful if the divide between the rich and poor is no more discernible. The exhibition curated by M+, Hong Kong’s new museum for visual arts at West Kowloon Cultural District, lasts until 9 June 2013. For details, please check out its website.

Visit wetland Nam Sang Wai

Hiking No Responses »

Apr 162013

Route: Nam Sang Wai (南生圍）

Date: 13 April 2013

Difficulty: Easy

Hours: 3.5

Name Sam Wai is a wetland area to the north of Yuen Long. It is home to many birds and flora such as reeds and mangroves. This walk is most suitable for families, as it is flat land all along. The picturesque wetland has attracted media attention in recent years because of plan for property development in the area. So grasp the opportunity to visit here before development will spoil its environment.

A small boat ferries people and bikes across Kam Tin River for HK$5 per head. It is the most interesting part of the journey. The eucalyptus trees are abundant in Nam Sam Wai and a path flanked with the trees is a signature scene.

The reeds are spectacular:This is Nam Sang Wai Road, along which you visit much of Nam Sang Wai:

A path alongside Nam Sang Wai Road, where you can walk on instead of the pavement of the road:Mangroves along Nam Sang Wai road:

How to get to the starting point:

Get off at Yuen Long MTR station and choose exit A for going to Yuen Long Kau Hui Road (元朗舊墟路). Turn to right at the end of Yuen Long Kau Hui Road to Shan Pu Road (山貝路). After passing a public toilet, you will see a sign pointing to “Nam Sang Wai Jetty”. Follow the direction to the jetty to take the small boat. After arriving at the other side of the river, you are at Nam Sang Wai.

Direction:

Follow the beaten path and you will soon pass by a big lawn where crowd is seen playing, relaxing, flying model planes, taking photos, etc.

Walk past the lawn to continue the walk along Nam Sang Wai Road, an embankment concrete road.

Follow Nam Sang Wai Road all along, and you will finally come to Castle Peak Road, after some 3-hour leisurely walk. Turn right at the junction of Castle Peak Road and Nam Sang Wai Road, and walk until you reach a subway. After crossing the subway, you will reach Kam Tin Road where you can take bus back to Yuen Long city centre.

Along Nam Sang Wai Road, you will find a number of farms where you can have drink or snack and take a rest. Biking is common in this area.

And, not long before you reach Castle Peak Road, you should walk under some flyovers and past a vegetable wholesale market, along Nam Sang Wai Road.

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