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HK's heritageas reflected inmundane life

By Hong Liang (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-19 07:44

Browsing a popular photography website, I came across a set of pictures of Hong Kong posted by an unknown mainland photographer.

What caught my attention, as well as those of many others who commented on them, was not so much the quality of the pictures, which were not much better than the snapshots any tourist would have taken, but rather the impression of this fascinating city seen through the eye of a mainland visitor.

Thousands of mainland tourists visit Hong Kong every day mainly to shop and dine. They return to tell their relatives and friends about the opulent shops, fancy restaurants and breathtaking amusement parks. But this photographer ventured beyond the confines of the tourist spots to show in his pictures a part of the real Hong Kong that should hold greater appeal to mainland tourists other than those shopping addicts and pleasure seekers.

Like many first-time visitors to Hong Kong, this photographer was most fascinated by the orderliness of the city even in the most crowded districts. He took many pictures of the long queues of people waiting at bus stops in different locations. In the captions, he repeatedly expressed surprise that there was no pushing and shoving when the bus arrived.

Another set of his pictures was taken in subway stations. By the color of the walls, I could tell that some of those pictures were taken inside the more than 20-year-old Mongkok station, the busiest intersection in the entire mass transit system. One picture showed a passageway leading to the platforms, with the caption exclaiming surprise of how clean and new the flooring looked.

Another picture in the set showed long queues of waiting passengers on the platform. "People are so polite in Hong Kong," the caption said.

This made me laugh. Just a decade or so ago, Hong Kong people were still being maligned around the world for being rude and unruly. I still remember the time when well-dressed men and women were pushing each other out of the way to get onto taxis in the central business district.

Things must have changed a lot since. Young people have learned to wait their turn in queues at bus stops, taxi stands and convenience stores. This heightened awareness of civility is a progress about which I, as a Hong Kong person, can feel proud.

As I get older, I am becoming increasingly attached to the heritage imbedded in our collective memory. None of that to me is more striking than the trams that have been running on the same routes for more than a century. There were a few pictures of these lovable and noisy anachronisms on steel wheels in the mainland photographer's album. He thought they were cute.

All our trams used to be painted in rich green, which, together with the screeching noise of steel rubbing against steel when they made the bend, were essential elements of the sight and sound of Hong Kong. Now, they are moving advertising billboards of many colors and patterns. They also make less noise because of new materials added to the wheels. But they still look cute.

The mainland photographer also took many pictures of Hong Kong's low-cost housing estates that are home to over half of the 7 million population. With the view of miles and miles of non-descript tall buildings standing close to each other, these are not scenic pictures suitable for postcards.

But they tell the powerful story of the adaptable and the ingenuity of the people of Hong Kong. This crowded and confined environment has nurtured many able administrators, daring entrepreneurs and talented professionals in trade, finance and entertainment.

Oh yes, our resourceful photographer hadn't forgotten the shopping malls and fancy eateries. But they are just the superficial part of Hong Kong. Next time you drop by, remember to take a ride in the tram.

E-mail: jamesleung@chinadaily.com.cn