Hong Kong has become a very sophiscated city aspiring to the top rank of world-class cities. Certainly, it has more cultural amenities than 20 years ago. Almost every inch of land seems to have been developed or redeveloped. Everything is so orderly and organized. In the central district, numerous pedestrian overpasses safely separate foot traffic from vehicular traffic. One stored-value smart card allows you to get on all types of public transportation and pay for other things as well.

But the Hong Kong Island appears to be way overbuilt. One skyscraper under construction blocks the view of the famed Victoria Peak from many angles.

Hong Kong is in a very dangerous economic transition. Its younger generation has grown lazy in their academics while the economy is trying hard to move up the technological ladder. Most of the workers displaced by the migration of manufacturing jobs to low-wage China are unlikely to have the skills for the modern service sector. The real-estate speculative bubble that made many developers rich and filled the government coffers is not going to return as the developers have also moved on to better opportunities in China.

K. K. Fung
Date of trip: May 2002.
Date of notes: July 2002.