Facing My Fears in Hong Kong’s Chungking Mansions
I love visiting Hong Kong. When I was a child my Dad used to travel there for work a few times a year, and the place is filled with memories. Whenever I visit, however, I spend most of my time on The Island. Personally, I find Kowloon, for all its attractions, one large tourist trap. I adore catching the Star Ferry, but from the moment I step off to begin the struggle up Nathan Road, I’m subjected to a constant barrage from touts who make a living ripping off tourists. At every step, someone thrusts a would-be bargain into my face.
There are obvious exceptions — such as Kowloon Park, the Night Markets, wandering the streets between the Goldfish and the Bird Markets, or visiting the Chi Lin Nunnery — it’s just that I find Kowloon a different world to the Island, a world I find overwhelming. The crowds here are not the practical, walkable crowds of Hong Kong Island. Tourists cluster together every few paces, with hawkers hovering around them, ready to pick off the unwary, the weak or the wounded. Despite the milling crowds, too many places offer the perfect setting for a murder. Even the walkway under the main street feels dubious, lacking both light and ventilation.
So, I chose to embrace my fears by venturing into the place with the worst reputation in Hong Kong.
