A few thoughts about Hong Kong
Hong Kong was a British
within China for over a hundred years. Whilst it started off as a relatively
populated area (particularly Hong Kong island itself), the trade with China
soon produced a community with a need for supporting services and, consequently,
labour. Hong Kong had grown to a
settlement by the turn of the century.
The wealth gap in the colony was huge (and indeed is still much larger
than most Western countries would consider desirable). The cream of the
Western population lived in
mansions on the Peak and in Mid-Levels, whilst the poor Chinese workforce
were crammed into bamboo mat constructions in what is now Western. This
slum settlement must have been something of a
and was presumably
with rats as plague spread readily. The British authorities used the military
to
and destroy plague affected areas. Fires were a constant danger and the
first reclamation (if it can be called that) was carried out by pushing
the
debris form an extensive fire into a gully (near the present Sheung Wan
MTR) and building on the "reclaimed" land. This rather
start was to lead to later extensive reclamation which has
much of Hong Kong's original shorelines. Today Hong Kong is without doubt
one of the world's most impressive urban areas. It has excellent infrastructure,
boasting incomparable public transport and amenities such as arts centres,
museums and
facilities. The
energy of the place strikes everybody who visits. Hong Kong may have its
shortcomings (and where does not?) but it is an exceptional place. In the
rush to develop much of 19th Century Hong Kong has been destroyed. However
do remain if you know where to look, and they do serve to remind one just
how far Hong Kong has come.
