Colors of Hong Kong

Busy traffic in Mong Kok area

The city has the appearance of 150 years of British administration, Western European civilization permeates all aspects of life and culture. Conversely, Hong Kong is also a part of 5,000 years of great China. So this East-West exchange creates a wonderful highlight, a metropolis contrasting between a profound and glorious past, with a colorful but equally challenging future.

Nostalgia from the 19th century

That morning, we sat down to breakfast in a dim sum restaurant with a long history, imbued with the Hong Kong style of the 70s and 80s of the 20th century. A poster of Bruce Lee in a stance was solemnly pasted on the wall, which had faded with time, typical of Hong Kong film culture in the past. We looked at each other and laughed, reminiscing about the time when we still watched blurry PAL or SECAM tapes, even full of grainy black and white. Chinese films at that time were mainly Hong Kong martial arts films or films about "gangster morality". Hong Kong had a profound influence on Vietnamese culture at that time, and the Vietnamese community living in the port city was also a part of modern Hong Kong. Walking around the Kowloon Peninsula, it is not uncommon for Vietnamese tourists to be amazed when discovering streets named Ha Noi or Hai Phong.

Early morning is also an opportunity for tourists to discover a very different side of Hong Kong - less flashy. Districts like Mong Kok or Sham Shui Po have quiet alleys, hidden behind countless high-rise buildings. Tourists suddenly remember the hit movie that was just released not long ago - Kowloon Walled City - which captivated many audiences who belonged to the generation that loved Hong Kong cinema in the 80s.

An old shop in the heart of Kowloon

We sat for a long time in the old-fashioned cafe, very natural, shabby tables and chairs, weak coffee but the egg tart was really “delicious” in the old saying. It was drizzling outside, we said to each other: there was no better time to see the streets in the most natural and honest way. The opposite street corner was covered with moss, an old bicycle was leaning crookedly as it had always been. The tram from the British colonial period still ran in the distance, the bell echoed like a nostalgic melody…

Bustling life in the metropolis

After that meal, on a beautiful day, we decided to go hiking on a trail designed for amateur hikers. From the top of a high hill on Lantau Island, looking across to one side is the Hong Kong Bay full of skyscrapers, part of one of the largest financial centers in Asia, the gateway to the financial flow not only of Hong Kong but also of mainland China. On the other side, the statue of the Great Buddha sits majestically on the top of Ngong Ping Mountain, as if guarding the peace and prosperity of this land.

The sunset fell peacefully on the sea, the Big Buddha statue was tinged with a pale yellow, gradually graying and disappearing into the night. We left Lantau Island just in time for the city lights to come on. The taxi driver was pressing the accelerator pedal somewhat hurriedly. Traffic jams during rush hour here are really an unpleasant experience if you have ever traveled on the highway. In Hong Kong, my friend jokingly said that people rarely calculate the distance to the meeting point, they simply say that they will be stuck in a few more traffic jams and the other person will calculate the delay. That is the typical life of citizens living in megacities, always bustling and rushing in the flashing light of traffic signals.

Busy intersection near Tsim Sha Tsui

The Vietnam Airlines flight gently took off from the new Chek Lap Kok airport, which is also a wonder of Hong Kong. They flattened a small mountain to create the foundation for one of the largest airports in Asia today. Leaving Hong Kong, we remembered a lot about the glorious beauty of the past, about the splendor of the proud, luxurious lifestyle according to the European and American consumer culture. On the contrary, Hong Kong also contains something mysterious in the oriental style, quiet and gentle. That contrast is also the main beauty, like two colors with opposite shades but creating an overall harmony for a splendid painting called Hong Kong.

Vietnam Airlines is operating direct flights between Hanoi and Hong Kong.

Please visit: www.vietnamairlines.com for more details and promotions.

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Source: https://heritagevietnamairlines.com/sac-mau-huong-cang/