Hong Kong - concrete city?

nourluna
3 days ago
2 min read

Hong Kong, a city of concrete?

Stepping out of a bus in the heart of Hong Kong it feels like being in an endless concrete landscape.

Neither the beginning nor the end is to perceive. Buildings so high and dense that they touch the clouds and stars. The clouds drift softly among these rigid structures. The glass windows gleam, resembling thousands of vertical mirrors. From time to time, a small bonsai or someone smoking may appear on a balcony.

The ultramodern vibe, the size and the heights of this city goes beyond imagination. Looking down from the 26th floor, human beings look tiny, tiny like an ant. And yet, they walk fast and focussed through the labyrinth of streets. After work, they return to their minuscule apartments or they might catch a bit of sunlight along the shoreline. A light that filters through or reflects from the houses of mirrors. In a place where space is limited, one might still find joy in those little things.

Different is when standing on Hong Kong's oldest street - the Queen's Road - which dates back to the mid-19th century. Here, it is where everything began (everything must begin somewhere...). Here lies the heart of the old quarter, streets are narrow and the stairs steep and well-walked. Encountering flea market stalls, artisan workshops and coffee houses, or fortune amulet shops. Life feels more tranquil and old-fashioned.

Perhaps, the passage of time has slowed the rhythm: a woman waters a plant, a man holds a sign for the school children waiting to catch a bus home, another man paints with black ink on the side street while in the markets postcards from another decade are sold for a few pennies.

By chance, there might also be a movie being shot, with actors running and the director directing with emphasis.

The ultra-tech environment slowly vanishes observing these simple daily routines, people do to balance the concrete. At the end the brilliance does not shine everywhere. In laid-back corners, the crowds get silent, merging with it, yet still yearning for calm and serenity. And, as soon as I realise this, I start to see the soft kindness of the people, the artistic modernity, the minimalism as well as the architectural elegance of these straight lines. We always look after a strength able to hold the people's weight, and here all at once (emotionally as well). So, we built to look strong, maybe.

Every brick laid on barren ground was meant to hold a bit of future too. A future that is invisible to someone's eyes, so far. We will keep building, regardless of whether we can see through the skyline's reflections or ourselves.