Hong Kong: The peak of the protest movement
- Damien Chung
- Dec 4, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 15, 2023
Day 1:
After arriving in Hong Kong, I took the express city train to Kowloon station. There was security around the entrance to the train station but nothing too intense.
After arriving at Kowloon Station, I got on the hotel shuttle bus which takes me to roughly 10 minutes walking distance away from my hotel. It was a full flight and the train to the city was pretty full but the airport shuttle bus was rather empty. I am not sure if people are not aware of the complimentary service or most people are residents going back to their own homes.
Walking through near Prince Edward Station, a hot spot for the months long protest, graffiti on roads and walls can be seen. Most people are just going on with their regular life, nothing to indicate there's danger or being unsafe. There are also plenty of tourists walking around as well, there might be a drop in tourist number but there's still a significant presence of tourists in Hong Kong.
Given it is a Saturday, jet lag and also dinner time when I get to the hotel, I have decided to eat nearby and have an early bedtime.
Day 2:
I Googled this yum cha restaurant near Yau Ma Tei, about 2 stops from my hotel, however it wasn't open even though Google said it is. So I went back to the metro station, found a bakery and bought a meat floss bun. I then took the train to Tsim Sha Tsui, since it was only 9am non of the shops were open.
I wanted to have yum cha at Ding Tai Feng, a popular yum cha restaurant that was featured in the New York Times. I ordered a special weekend deal which comes with mini steam dumplings and egg soup, and a separate noodle dish which comes to a total of about NZD$35. This is also probably the most expensive yum cha I have ever had.
After the yum cha, I went on a walk and found this beautiful historical building called 1881 Heritage, it was a Marine police HQ with a weather warning station on the top floor which you can visit for free.
From the top, I saw this modern, eco building not far in the distance, so I walked towards it. I ended up at the K11 Musea, a luxury mall situated along the shore of Victoria Harbour, overlooking the breathtaking skyline across. This mall has 7 levels, housing boutique and high end brands, unique architecture, an eco themed that can be seen through the design and furniture presented. I was blown away by how much effort they have put in to design all the details, even the elevator button is one of a kind, a storytelling kind. You have to see it to believe it.
After spending some time inside, I got through to the back end of the mall, with an exit to the quay with seating overlooking the expensive view and the best view Hong Kong has to offer. This mall is connected with the Intercontinental hotel and the Rosewood hotel, both hotels would offer an unobstructed view of the harbour and the skyline across the other side of the island.
This is the time where I have to call it and head back to my hotel to collect my luggage, since things are still rather fluid here I would want ample of time to get to the airport. Arriving at the airport 4 hours before my flight, check in was possible and I will be back in Hong Kong after a week. Airport lounge and airline reviews can be found on a separate post if you are interested.
Day 3:
I am back in Hong Kong. This time the protest has ramped up and things are a lot tenser with the occupation of the university. Since the protestors are more gathered in the university, the streets are quiet as usual. I checked into the Tuve Hotel in the southern island of Hong Kong, a boutique industrial design which is the sole appeal to me when I first booked it. Since I have arrived in the evening, I didn't do much for the first night in Hong Kong.
Day 4:
I went to Victoria Peak, taking probably one of the steepest tram tracks to the top. Up top, the skyline was hazy but I could see a good amount of highrises on the Kowloon island. There is also 2 small shopping mall, one of which houses the newly opened Monopoly, which I was looking forward to visiting however according to the reviews, the museum was rather small and the price was about NZ$50 per entry which is very expensive, so I have decided to give it a miss.
Inside the same mall, there's a lookout to the other side of the country but they were having renovation/repair work which I have missed out on. If you do visit Victoria Peak, do note that you do not need to pay to go to the observatory, since you can still get a good view from nearby lookouts for free. Noted that the paid observatory will be higher and provide a better view for those who wouldn't mind paying.
After about 30 minutes on top, I took the tram back down to the island and went to look for some late lunch/early dinner. One thing that I have noticed is the prices in Hong Kong aren't cheap, so you may have to be prepared to pay up, but given the condition in Hong Kong right now, the only advantage would be cheaper accommodation and no queue to most tourist attractions.
CONCLUSION:
My time in Hong Kong was short, but I am wondering if I would have enjoyed Hong Kong more if the protest weren't happening. Many people have told me about how dangerous Hong Kong could be due to the protest, advising me not to speak Mandarin Chinese in Hong Kong as there were reports of Chinese tourists getting beaten up by protestors. My experience so far was that those are mostly untrue. There are still a visible amount of Chinese tourists, and most of Hong Kong is safe, many Hong Kongers are going about their daily business and things are still very normal.
In saying that, many hotels would advise guests not to venture far out, stay within 2 blocks within the hotel especially during the evening on the weekend since that's when protests are more violent and unpredictable. Unfortunately, with the new law introduced by the CCP, the protest is not the most worrying thing, critics of China and the CCP may land you in jail as you step into Hong Kong. The Hong Kong that I have visited just prior to this law is no longer the same Hong Kong right now, and tread carefully when you do visit.
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