Phuong Nguyen

The first time I visited Hong Kong (China) in 2010, I stood on a street corner bathed in the glow of colorful lights as dusk fell. A cool breeze from Victoria Harbor eased the stifling atmosphere created by the towering skyscrapers on the Kowloon Peninsula. Hong Kong has earned many accolades, such as “Asia’s leading financial center” and “the most dynamic city in the East,” and rightfully so.

Skyrises tower over harbor

This metropolis reflects 150 years of British rule, with Western influences evident in every aspect of its life and culture. At the same time, Hong Kong remains a part of mainland China with its grand 5,000-year-old heritage. This fusion of East and West creates a remarkable dynamic – a megacity that bridges a profound and glorious past with a vibrant, yet equally challenging, future.

Nostalgia from the 19th century

That morning, we had breakfast in a dim sum restaurant with a long history, which captured the ambiance of Hong Kong in the 1970s or 1980s. A poster of Bruce Lee in a fighting stance was respectfully displayed on a wall faded by time, embodying the cinematic culture of Hong Kong’s earlier era. We looked at each other and laughed, reminiscing about the days we would watch PAL or SECAM tapes, often blurry and speckled with static. Back then, Chinese films consisted mainly of Hong Kong martial arts movies or films about “jianghu ethics”. Hong Kong profoundly influenced Vietnamese culture for a time, and the Vietnamese community in Hong Kong contributed to the city’s modern history. Strolling around the Kowloon Peninsula, it’s not uncommon for Vietnamese tourists to marvel at streets named Hanoi or Hai Phong.

The classic colors of apartment blocks in Quarry Bay

Early morning is the perfect time for tourists to discover a different side of Fragrant Harbor – less flashy and colorful. Neighborhoods like Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po have quiet alleys hidden behind numerous skyscrapers. Tourists might suddenly remember the recently released blockbuster “The Siege of Kowloon Walled City”, which captivated many fans of 1980s Hong Kong cinema.

We sat for a long time in an old-fashioned coffee shop with simple tables and chairs, and slightly bland coffee, where the egg tarts were truly “delicious to the max” as we used to say. It was drizzling outside, and we told each other that there was no better time to observe the streets in their most natural and authentic state. Across the street, an old bike leant on a mossy wall as if it had always been there. The colonial-era tram still clanged in the distance, its bell echoing like a melody in our nostalgia…

The bustle of a megacity

After breakfast, we had beautiful days ahead. We chose to hike a trail designed for amateur climbers. From the top of a hill on Lantau Island, one side offered a view of Hong Kong Harbor, dotted with skyscrapers, part of one of Asia’s largest financial centers and a gateway for financial flows not just for Hong Kong but also Mainland China. On the other side the majestic Big Buddha sat atop Ngong Ping Mountain, as if peacefully guarding the land’s peace and prosperity.

This old apartment complex is called “the Monster Building”

As sunset peacefully descended over the sea, the Big Buddha took on a faint yellow hue before gradually turning gray and disappearing into the night. We left Lantau Island just as the city lights came on. Our taxi driver was pressing the gas pedal in haste. If you’ve ever had to travel on the highway, traffic jams during rush hour are truly an unpleasant experience.

My friend joked that in Hong Kong people rarely measure the distance to their appointment; they simply say how many times they’ll be stuck in traffic, and the other person will calculate the delay. This is typical for city dwellers in bustling megacities governed by the flashing lights of traffic signals.

My Vietnam Airlines’ flight gently lifted off from the newly built Chek Lap Kok Airport, a marvel of land reclamation in Hong Kong. They flattened an entire small mountain to create the foundation for one of the largest airports in Asia today. Leaving Fragrant Harbor, we thought of the city’s glorious past and its ostentatious lifestyle in line with Western consumer culture. On the other hand, Hong Kong also holds a mysterious Eastern charm, gentleness, and serenity. This disparity forms its main beauty, like two contrasting shades of color that harmoniously create a splendid painting called Hong Kong.

Vietnam Airlines offers direct flights between Hanoi and Hong Kong

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