Valentine's Day Scenes in Hong Kong

Yesterday was not only the last day of the Lunar New Year celebrations, it was also Valentine's Day. Hours after visiting the Kwun Yum Temple, I stopped by Hong Kong's Harbour City Mall which had decorations incorporating both holidays. For a small taste of Valentine's Day, holiday fusion, and the entrepreneurial spirit in Hong Kong, below are Friday evening scenes in an area reaching from a mall entrance to the nearby Star Ferry Pier at Tsim Sha Tsui. The pink lanterns were one of the fusion decorations. See if you can spot at least one other. Some of the sights, such as musical performances and people taking selfies with iconic Hong Kong skyscrapers in the background, could be seen on many other days, but the less common Valentine's Day spirit was unmistakable.

Over 500 pink and purple lanterns

Many were taking Valentine's Day selfies under the lanterns

Plenty of posing kids

Deciding whether to buy more Valentine's Day items

Enthusiastic ballon sellers

Posing with a Valentine's Day ballon sculpture for a price

More lanterns

Ballon sellers enjoying themselves

Relatively decent air for a nighttime photo including Hong Kong Island

One bubble-wand seller repeatedly yelled "Only tonight!"

More balloons for sale

Masked man selling Valentine's Day flowers and signs

One of the musical performances in the area

Posing with a bunch of balloons before purchasing one from a clown

Finally, although many sellers in the area were targeting couples out for Valentine's Day, some people were trying to give a bit of cheer to everyone for free.

Very outgoing high school students

The Kwun Yum Temple in Hong Kong

On Friday, the last day of the Lunar New Year's celebrations, I visited the Kwun Yum Temple in Hung Hom, Hong Kong:

Kwun Yum or Kwun Sai Yum (觀世音) [has been] known for centuries as a deity of sympathy, compassion and mercy, hearing the pleas of those who are suffering. She is worshipped by people of both the Taoist and Buddhist religions. Kwun Yum in the earlier times was a male divinity, but evolved to be a female deity in Tang Dynasty (唐朝). Arising from a saying that Kwun Yum studied Taoist teachings on lotus blossoms, some Kwun Yum Temples are also called Lin Fa Kung or Palace of Lotus Flower (蓮花宮). Temples dedicated to Kwun Yum are often alternatively known as Shui Yuet Kung or Palace of Water and Moon (水月宮), which stands for all that is quiet and peaceful and detached from the material world.

The inside did feel detached from the world outside. People prayed, made offerings, and had their fortunes told. The scenes especially contrasted with others I saw later in the day regarding a holiday not so detached from the material world--the subject of the next post. But first, below are a few scenes, most of which include incense burning or being lit, from a temple full of people, smoke, and spirit.

A Chinese New Year Holiday Spent Atop Shanghai

I previously shared a photo from near the top of what was then Shanghai's tallest building. Vadim Makhorov went higher. Much higher. And there is not an elevator to where he went.

He recently wrote:

I dreamed to visit Shanghai for a while. One of the main sights for us was Shanghai tower, a huge skyscraper in the city center, which currently is under construction. The height of it will be 632 meters. When the construction will be completed, the tower will become the highest building in China and world’s second high building after Burj Khalifa (if not to mention TV tower in Tokyo, which is only 2 meters higher).

Ten days ago, during the celebration of Chinese New Year, the entire country was resting – all the people had vacations, so as the builders. Everybody was squibbing in their neighborhoods and enjoying the holidays. For us, it was perfect time to climb the tower and a crane jib above it (the highest point is about 650 meters).

That many people were away for the holidays is key. According to his video, Makhorov did not take a conventional route into the building.




And he did not take conventional photos.

Photo by Vadim Makharov from here

See Makharov's posts here (HT to Evan Osnos) and here (HT to Andrew Webster) for more of his story and photos. The dramatic video is worth watching in HD.

Prayer and Mobile Phone

At the Wong Tai Sin Temple in Hong Kong

Where I Was Going With "Where Are You Going?"

Dots on a pedestrian bridge window

Several recent posts shared a similar format: a questioning title followed by a single photo of a scene from Hong Kong. When I first looked at the photo of a ship with an ancient Chinese design sailing towards modern buildings, "Where are you going today?" immediately came to mind. This usually straightforward question now seemed to be asking something deeper. I also found it striking that the photo's effect on me was so different from experiencing the scene in person. Perhaps some of the feelings the boat's design evokes can be dampened by the sound of the boat's motor. Similarly, more mundane events occurring nearby may provide a grounding context. And heightened awareness that the boat is likely providing a very local tour could take one's imagination away from distant places or times.

The photo of a winding High Street in the second post brought to mind the same question but with a different spin. In this case, the potential destinations appear more restricted, though the two levels of roads suggests a significant choice was made earlier. There's also an added sense of mystery with the elevated road disappearing between the buildings. A video by Anil Maharjan reveals where the elevated road leads. Based on the video's perspective and it ending at a bus stop, I would guess it was taken from an upper-level front seat of a double decker bus--rather appropriate for what some describe as a double decker road. Even if you don't care where the road leads, the video provides a good ride:


Hill Road Bypass in Hong Kong from Anil Maharjan.

The third post asked a slightly different question--"Where do you want to go?" For me, this question was implicit in the earlier posts, and the scene of a man sitting alone on a large rock provided a setting to raise the question explicitly. I don't really know what the man was thinking about at the time, though. He may already be exactly where he wants to be.

The most recent post asked "Where do you want to play tennis today?" and included a scene from one of Hong Kong's many residential complexes. It mostly resulted from a bit of humor & self-mockery. But like the other posts, many different interpretations are possible.

The different interpretations possible for all of the posts are part of the reason I didn't say any of this before. I didn't want to lead people's experience of the photos any more than I already had. We often have our own places to go. Even now, new thoughts arise when I look at the photos. It reminds me that you don't need to move a single inch to see something different. Sometimes all it takes is a change of focus.

View of Kwai Cheong Road in Kwai Chung, Hong Kong, through a pedestrian bridge window with dots

And Where Do You Want To Play Tennis Today?

Kornhill Recreation Club in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Where Do You Want To Go Today?

Lei Yue Mun, Hong Kong

And Where Are You Going Today?

Hill Road in Shek Tong Tsui, Hong Kong

Where Are You Going Today?

Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

Lunar New Year Fairs in Hong Kong

Leading up to the Lunar New Year holiday, Hong Kong holds fairs in 15 different locations for a period of 7 days. A section of the fairs are dedicated to flower markets but much else is also sold. A large number of stalls are run by college students to gain sales experience and to hopefully make some money.

I recently visited two of the largest fairs--one at Fa Hui Park in Sham Shui Po the night of the opening day and another at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay several days later. I also briefly stopped by a smaller fair in Kwun Tong. The Hong Kong fairs reminded me of a Lunar New Year fair I visited in Guangzhou 3 years ago. However, some of what I saw in Hong Kong reflected a culture specific to there and one set of stalls in particular was strikingly unlike anything one could expect to see at a fair in mainland China. I'll save that topic for a later post.

Below are assorted scenes capturing a small taste of the Hong Kong fairs. The first 10 photos are from Fa Hui Park and the second 10 are from Victoria Park. The fair at Victoria Park was larger and, at least when I went, the crowds were far denser. In some sections it required a significant effort simply to cross an aisle from one booth to another. Several Hongkongers said that's part of the experience which draws them there.

These college students at the Fa Hui Lunar New Year Fair tried their best to sell me a stuffed toy.

Fortunately, they found a more appreciative potential customer.

If stuffed toys weren't your thing, perhaps some German Magic Goo would do the trick.

Locally-made spicy XO sauce

Also spicy: Korean kimchi

A small sample of the flowers for sale

Pinwheels are a popular part of the holiday.

If you wanted a giant "no smoking" stuffed cigarette, this was your place.

Like an American fair, food was available.

Although many of the options differed.

Sections of the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair seemed completely packed during the day, but one vendor told me it would become even more crowded that night.

High perches were needed by some.

One of the more pragmatic offerings

Shower water filters

More flowers

And more stuffed toys

Many of the signs and names for the students' stalls incorporated a horse theme in recognition of the Chinese zodiac sign for the new year. In this case, they also played on the fact that Barack Obama's name in Chinese includes the character for "horse".

Some college students sold their own creations which they said reflected Hong Kong culture.

A blue-haired man handing out free items had no problem drawing a crowd.

Two friendly high-school students seeking customers in a less crowded area

A Lunar New Year Contrast in Hong Kong

Due to the Lunar New Year holiday, many places in Hong Kong are far quieter than usual.

Reclamation Street near the intersection with Waterloo Road

But some are not.

Langham Place Mall