Hong Kong, China: Citizens in a Bamboo Cage Hong Kong Slide Show – Images by Lee Foster by Lee Foster The people of Hong Kong, following the transfer of political control from Britain to China in 1997, resembled the song birds in bamboo cages that are so popular in China. The transition went well, and now the Hong Kong song birds are compelling voices in the new China century. Song birds can be seen in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong at festive bird markets, one of the major concessions to levity you will find in China. Birds are among the most appreciated pets. In Hong Kong, if you go to the Bird Market in Kowloon, at Hong Lok Street adjacent to the Mong Kok subway station, you will see thousands of birds on display in ornate cages, usually made of bamboo but sometimes even of silver. The bird-masters will pass time there, comparing their birds, delighting in the songs, and feeding the birds crickets, a lively item of commerce. The bird-masters cajole their avian treasures during the feeding. After 1997, Hong Kong’s people were the birds and the Beijing-based political leaders of China were the bird-masters. Between the two there was hope and tension. Some believed that the Hong Kong birds would be the canary in the coal mine, but that metaphor was not correct. Beijing and Hong Kong began to sing the same notes, complementing each other, insuring ever greater prosperity, a basic Chinese wish. The cage itself was lovely, closer to silver than bamboo, because Hong Kong was and is a prosperous business center of Asia, booming as few other regions of China did before. Hong Kong rates itself as one of the larger financial centers in the world, after New York, Tokyo, and London. The people, the birds, knew that the future of their cage was uncertain. They were absolutely dependent on their bird-master for food and water. China controlled the fresh water supply for Hong Kong. Turn off the water and Hong Kong would die immediately. China also provided much of the food, especially produce, for Hong Kong. When the door of the cage was open, the birds had the opportunity to fly away, and some did. Many positioned themselves for emigration, flying to sites such as Vancouver. But the cage was difficult to abandon, and those who stayed made a wise decision. Hong Kong was their comfortable, tropical home, where 98 percent of the population is Chinese. Should this be exchanged for the wind-chill winters of Canada or the caucasian social world of Australia? The door was open, but some who have flown away have also flown back. Hong Kong prospered, even amidst the uncertainty. The bird-masters of Beijing viewed their Hong Kong birds as exotics, high fliers of finance and commerce, living in a world of personal freedom that the rest of China did not experience. The flourishing capitalist milieu of Hong Kong contrasted sharply with the then-prevalent socialism of China, though this was changing. The feathers of Hong Kong were almost embarrassing in their gaudiness for the leaders in Beijing. The birds of Hong Kong were almost a different species from the bird- masters of Beijing. Song and cajoling between the gregarious Hong Kong residents and the strict Beijing government control implementers are not guaranteed to be cordial at all times, but decorum and mutual prosperity can be expected to triumph over ruffled feathers. Beijing is an inland, insular, imperial city, laid out for political purpose. Hong Kong is a coastal, outgoing, commercial city, created for the purpose of trade. The temperaments of the places are different. One main issue was the new airport, critically necessary for the continued long-term growth of Hong Kong. Hong Kong decided to push ahead with this without involving Beijing. Beijing was disturbed because the investment would draw down the cash reserves of Hong Kong. All this is behind the participants now. Both birds and bird-master know that the fate of birds can be precarious in China, where birds may be consumed. Sparrows can appear on the menu. The bird nest may end up in the soup. China can consume every part of every thing it desires. The resultant inherent tension in Hong Kong makes the city a fascinating place to visit. Hong Kong Island Today Hong Kong is a vibrant destination, a worldly commercial city that is a special blend of East and West, a cultural fusion of tradition and the latest innovations, all set in a venue of striking natural beauty, combining a harbor and mountain or island views. The place to start, after resting up from your flight, is the Star Ferry Terminal on Hong Kong Island. Shortly after daybreak on any given workday, you can get a glimpse at the essence of Hong Kong. First, there is the deep harbor, directly in front of you. This was the rationale for the British forcing China to give them the territory in the first place. Huge ocean freighters pass small sailboat junks. Ferry boats scatter from here to Kowloon and other points north to pick up commuters. The mass of people converging on the Central District of Hong Kong Island each morning is impressive. They are purposefully setting out for a day of acquisition, for Hong Kong lives by an ethic of hard work and its just rewards. The noise of jackhammers and the cellular phone in the hand of commuters are aspects of the getting and spending essence of Hong Kong. The area’s prosperity depends not on natural resources, but on consummate human resourcefulness. Be sure to cross on the Star Ferry from the Central District to Kowloon and back just to steep yourself in the flavor of the harbor and skyscraper waterfront, dominated by the visually-innovative Bank of China building, designed by I. M. Pei. The 74-story structure, with its angular form and diagonal bands, is one of the taller buildings in Asia. Then walk back from the Star Ferry Terminal to the Peak Tram and take the famous ride up this funicular to Victoria Peak. The tram ride is notable because the ascent is steep, 45 degrees, but it seems even steeper. As you rise on the hill, passing more lavish homes with each gain in elevation, you proceed up the economic and social pecking order of this society. From the top of Victoria Peak you can survey the Hong Kong region in a magnificent panorama. The view is a testimony to the happy marriage of three ingredients: the disciplined Chinese work force, the political stability of the British administration, and the decision to make the area a free-trade zone, with no tariffs in or out, and where nationals of any country can do business. Descend again to Central, as the main business district on Hong Kong Island is called, and observe the bright new world there, in contrast with the nostalgic older world to the west, in an area appropriately called Western. Individual sites in Central and Western can be located with a handy self-guided walking tour booklet published by the Hong Kong Tourist Association and available in their Hong Kong office. Central’s symbols are the sound of the jackhammer, the whiff of diesel smoke, the neck-straining at highrises, the double-decker trams as billboards, and the bustle and hustle of a determined and energetic people doing business. Western is the old Hong Kong, and what remains from the era before skyscrapers became dominant. Be sure to see Cloth Alley, one of the first of the textile streets and still a small market for cloth. Egg Street is devoted exclusively to eggs. You’ll see crocks with “thousand year old” eggs, those seven-month-old delicacies that the Chinese like to eat with pickled ginger. On Man Wah Lane you can buy “chops,” the stone stamps on which your name can be engraved in Chinese. On Man Wah they can also print the reverse side of a business card with the Chinese equivalent. On Bonhomme Strand East you’ll find snake shops with fattened live snakes, ready for a gourmet’s table. At #6 you’ll see one of many shops in the district devoted exclusively to birds’ nests, those coveted swallow nests imported from Thailand and Indonesia and favored for soups. At 233 Hollywood Road they serve birds’ nest in sugar, as a kind of dessert, or birds’ nest in soup. There are numerous ginseng and other herb shops, all suggesting the medicinal emphasis the Chinese ascribe to various plants. Hollywood also has the coffin specialist, at 190, and numerous antique shops. The Man Mo temple gives you a sense of the incensed aura in Chinese worship. Cat Street is an open-air flea market. This list is typical of discoveries to be enjoyed during a walk in Western. Spend another day exploring the southern part of Hong Kong Island. Renting a taxi with driver is the easiest strategy, but public transportation is also possible. The first interesting stop is Aberdeen Harbor, where the fishing fleet of live-aboard junks anchors between trips to the South China Sea and other waters in search of an abundant catch. You can take a sampan ride around the harbor and eat at the floating seafood restaurants, which have an exotic atmosphere. Further along, at Repulse Bay, you can swim or just relax at a relatively clean, yellow-sand beach. Especially in summer, when Hong Kong is both hot and muggy, Repulse Bay provides seaside relief. Months other than summer are the recommended times to visit Hong Kong, especially autumn, from October to December.