Midnight on 30 June 1997 saw the end of over 50 years of British rule in Hong Kong when it became part of China, yet retained a measure of independence as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) operating under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle.
Ten years later HK exudes a new confidence, optimism and friendliness that wasn’t there before. The atmosphere is exciting. It’s fast, efficient and ultra modern. Expats say that on Handover Day the locals stopped scowling and began to smile; the change is palpable. The smiles that greet you in hotels, restaurants or shops are genuine, serving you seems to be a pleasure rather than a duty and the locals are eager to know more about you. “It’s taken Hong Kong about five years since Handover to find this new confidence,” says Brendan Jennings, Managing Director of Shanghai based China Exhibitions International, who lived in Hong Kong for many years. “HK had a business identity problem and kept looking over its shoulder at Shanghai where major international banks and businesses seemed to be heading. Then the Pearl River Delta area opened and HK found its goldmine.” This area of southern China attracts international manufacturers and business people who use HK as a key link, generating huge financial investment. In this city of 6.7 million people, a youthful generation seems to be running the show, recognising that HK is a land of opportunity for everyone regardless of background, sex, race or creed. Women are on a par with men in terms of salaries and job status and smart young male and female business executives are comfortable in their designer suits with matching accessories. Trendy youngsters sport rave hairdos dyed ginger, blond or red and couples kiss and cuddle in public – unheard of pre-1997. HK citizens are proud of their city and smug about their Hong Kong-ness. “We call ourselves HK Chinese as opposed to Chinese,” explained Joe Lee, the Hong Kong Tourist Board (HKTB) guide. “We consider ourselves more sophisticated and modern than our mainland counterparts. We are free thinkers and not so oppressed.” HK’s skyline shoots ever higher as skyscrapers clutter the landscape yet people are beginning to realise the historical value of their colonial architecture and preservation orders have been applied to the few remaining buildings that haven’t been demolished. Apparently there is no limit on reclamation in Victoria Harbour which narrows by the year drawing the two shores of Hong Kong island and Kowloon closer together. One of the latest projects is a new Promenade along the HK harbour front to incorporate a Civic Plaza arts centre and recreational areas. Hong Kong constantly changes yet much of its heart remains as it was when I lived there as a child. The original Star Ferry pier has been relocated yet the uniformed Pier attendants still use a boat hook to catch the hawser and loop it around the onshore bollard and the simple design of the seat backs still flip back and forth depending on which direction you are facing. HK Central is still easy to negotiate by foot. A short walk up any of the traffic-free ladder streets takes you through the Botanical Gardens and the Peak Tram within minutes. The tram still goes up and down the Peak but nowadays doesn’t stop at the various levels as before. The super fit can walk to the top of the Peak via a path that runs adjacent to the tram. It’s rare to see overweight locals because everyone walks. Most families only have one car because the transport system is so streamlined and varied with a choice of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), taxi or bus routes. Some energetic expats even run from their offices in Central, up and over the hills to their homes in Repulse Bay or Stanley (my son Andrew, included).
Dreams can come true As a child, the Peninsula Hotel was the epitome of grandeur and elegance. A special treat on Sunday after Mass was a memorable curry lunch at hotel’s Veranda Restaurant and sometimes my mother would take me shopping followed by afternoon tea at the Peninsula’s high pillared lobby where we’d listen to a classical trio and often glimpse a famous film star or European aristocrat who’d be staying at the hotel. How I longed to see inside those rooms and suites. My dream came true recently when Cathay Pacific flew me to Hong Kong. Accompanied by Brian Tsoi, a HK University graduate with Cathay and currently seconded to Bahrain as Assistant to Tom Wright, General Manager, ME, India and Africa, I had an extremely comfortable journey in Business Class with impeccably friendly and polite service. On arrival, I was ushered into a gleaming ‘Peninsula Green’ Rolls Royce Phantom, one of 14 commissioned for guests by the Hon Michael Kadoorie, a major shareholder in the Peninsula and grandson of the founder. Gliding up to the Peninsula, I was escorted to a Deluxe Harbour View suite with stunning views of Hong Kong and lavishly furnished with oriental antiques. It was so large, it could have accommodated my whole family and it took two days before I discovered an extra bathroom! I was then whisked off to the hotel’s signature SPA by ESPA for two hours of indulgent pampering. Such a treat because so often on business trips the schedule is so tight that there’s rarely an opportunity to enjoy such luxuries. Mangala my therapist decided that I was in desperate need of a Skin Rescue facial followed by a Jet-lag Eliminator and Destressor body massage. Using botanical regenerating face oil, her magic fingers smoothed away a year’s accumulation of lines before she unknotted my aching joints and muscles by gentle kneading and massaging pressure points as I dozed in a blissful haze before returning to life, ready to tackle three hectic days of sightseeing, courtesy of HKTB. The Peninsula’s pièce de résistance is twin helipads that offer guests quick and discreet helicopter access to the airport and other nearby destinations. I gingerly boarded the tiny five-seater and my fear of being swung around the air were dispelled when I found myself in the capable hands of a female pilot! (See photo top-left). Prior to boarding, I had breakfast at the hotel’s China Clipper lounge, filled with memorabilia from PanAm’s original seaplanes that travelled to Hong Kong from the US in the 1930s. The hotel’s PR team treated me to a Progressive Dinner of its main restaurants beginning with champagne and canapés in the Peninsula Suite on the 26th floor where Tom Cruise is one of many celebrities who stayed recently. At Spring Moon, I sampled a delectable combination of Cantonese appetisers and sipped one of the restaurant’s collection of 25 China teas. Next was the Peninsula’s signature Gaddi’s, which serves French haute cuisine and the finest wines and is where kings, queens and emperors have dined. Through not a mad fan of lamb I was instantly converted by the delicate flavour of the slow-cooked lamb loin. The grand finale was Felix, the iconic rooftop nightclub where I tasted the most delicious ice cream concoction ever. By the way, the men’s washrooms in Felix have become rather a unique attraction due to a novel positioning of the toilets!
Peninsula insight Built in 1928 by the Iraqi/Jewish Kadoorie brothers, the Peninsula was designed as ‘the finest hotel east of Suez’ and the clientele has little changed from its early days when it catered to ‘the rich, the famous, the titled and the tycoon’ who seek its unsurpassed luxury and discreet yet personal welcome. In 1994 the Peninsula added a 30 storey tower to the original building to provide a total of 300 rooms and suites, a SPA, swimming pool and sun terrace, health club.
The Spa by ESPA Opened in 2006 and occupying two floors with 14 treatment rooms, the Spa has become the most popular of its kind in Hong Kong. Blending East and West relaxation and wellness philosophies, treatments begin with a tea ceremony where a therapist talks you through the ideal treatment to suit your requirements.
Sightseeing & shopping Hong Kong has more shops/stalls per square foot than any other city on earth and is a renowned shopper’s paradise due to its duty free status. Gold, jewellery, diamonds (HK is one of the world’s top four diamond trading centres), electronics, audio-visual, watches, antiques, art galleries – you name it, you’ll find it. However, living in the tax free Gulf, prices are fairly similar; the difference is a wider choice, particularly for top fashion brands straight off the catwalk. Central has HK’s top designer shops accessed via endless covered walkways and the world’s largest escalator. In Kowloon, the Peninsula Hotel has 110 top designer brand shops and Tsim Sha Tsui around the corner, is another major shopping area. Dotted around are quaint street markets where shoppers haggle for the cheapest price for fake designer bags, T-shirts, watches, leather and sportswear. Stanley Market on the south of HK island is another popular shopping haven. A must for visitors is Shanghai Tang (Pedder Street and the Peninsula), founded by HK entrepreneur David Tang who created a new concept in Chinese designer products, bringing New China to life. Basing his initial designs on Mao’s uniform blue jacket, Tang introduced a similar men’s jacket using brilliant colours such as lime twinned with navy, shocking pink and orange, bright yellow with red and introduced ladies’ cheongsams and skirts. Ideal for gifts and unusual souvenirs, the range now includes coats, dressing gowns and accessories, sumptuous leather handbags, photo albums, cufflinks and silver objet d’art.
Eating out The Chinese love eating and HK is choc-a-block with places to eat from six star hotel dining to afresco street tables, huge dining halls and tiny bistros. The huge range of cuisine incorporates regional Chinese, Asian, halal and western. On the south side of HK, Stanley has some superb restaurants and Aberdeen is famous for its floating Jumbo Seafood Palace where you choose your own fish straight from the sea. The best nightlife is in Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo in Central district where bars, discos and restaurants are stacked along tiny ladder streets and winding lanes packed with young locals and expats.
Year of the Fire Pig China is currently celebrating 2007 as the Year of the Fire Pig ding hai, as highlighted in last week’s GulfWeekly. Despite media claims that 2007 is the Year of the Golden pig, Chinese astrologers dismiss this misconception as commercial hype. 2007 is definitely the year of the Chinese fire pig. Golden signs only happen every 60 years and the last Golden Pig year was 1971; before that it was 1911. Fire pigs are protected by a nobleman who will guide them through their lives and help them avoid danger.
Hong Kong and Boar connections My family has spanned 50 years in Hong Kong since 1957 when my father arrived in Hong Kong as a High Court Judge. He was born in 1911 and therefore a Golden Pig. In 1959 my brother Conor was born in HK in the year of the Earth Pig. In 1995 his son Ronan was born in HK in the year of the Wood Pig. My son Andrew has lived in HK since 1995 and although his two Hong Kong born children are not Pig Babies, they still live there.