On Tuesday 17 December, TV5 Monde premiered a new episode of the Embarquement TV series showcasing the historical beauty and modern urban landscape of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is a bustling cosmopolitan city that continues to attract talented expatriates from every corner of the globe. With its unique blend of east and west, old and new, it is often perceived as an artistic, gastronomic and urban destination, which also never sleeps. Yet another surprising face offered to visitors is marked by lush nature in national parks and mountains.
In this episode, viewers will embark on a journey to discover the history of the island, learn about its famous streetcars, discover its rich gastronomy, go on a hike, and much more. Between the world’s megalopolis and nature’s treasures, Hong Kong offers a multitude of attractions.
1. British rule and history of streetcars
After more than a century and a half of British rule, the city returned to China as a Special Administrative Region in 1997. Although the city has been modernized, the traces of the British period are still very much present. One clear example are the double-decker streetcars that criss-cross its streets.
The tramway was introduced in Hong Kong in 1904, when it was virtually the only means of public transport serving the east of the Hong Kong Island and connecting to the west, starting with a single line in 1904 which gradually expanded and attracted more and more passengers.
In the beginning single-level streetcars were used. They became extremely popular given the population growth and the absence of other means of public transport and, in the 1910s, a type of balcony was introduced on the roof of single-decker streetcars, which offered the possibility to accommodate more passengers. In the 1920s, the roof was covered to form a second level and thus to give the “double-decker” streetcar with a design similar to the one that is known today.
Today, Hong Kong’s tramway is the only double-decker system in the world. The streetcars operate on a line that stretches from west to east across the Hong Kong Island and is divided into six main lines covering a total of 30 kilometres with 120 stops. The system transports an average of 150,000 passengers a day, making it one of the largest streetcar fleets in the world.
Most of the track is shared with the highway, other vehicles, as well as pedestrians and cyclists crossing the tracks. Car drivers and passersby need to be regularly alerted of the arrival of a streetcar to avoid accidents. The streetcar conductor operates a bell making a very recognizable sound. As a result, ‘Ding ding’ became the affectionate nickname given by Hong Kong residents to the streetcars.
2. Vibrant art scene
Hong Kong has seen a resurgence of art in recent years, with the influx and creation of local and international art spaces across the territory, particularly in and around the historic districts. M+ is located in the West Kowloon cultural district and is Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture. Designed by world-renowned architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, it opened to the public in November 2021. M+ showcases several fields including visual art, design and architecture.
It’s no surprise that Hong Kong is attracting a lot talented people, such as the French artist Elsa Jean de Dieu, whose basic training is decorative painting, faux wood, faux marble and trompe l’oeil. Over the years, whether as a painter-decorator in France or abroad, her sensibility evolved and now she doesn’t do the same decors anymore. “In Hong Kong I decided to create new sets, things that are very innovative,” she explains in the documentary.
She works a lot with a wide variety of materials – copper and gold leaf, for instance, are fairly recurrent in her art. Then at some point the Hoff asked her to do a mural for their restaurant, Uma Nota. “I said to myself, well, this isn’t something I’ve done before, I haven’t mastered spray painting, but I’m going to try,” says Jean de Dieu. “I’m an artist, I can succeed in doing something other than what I do indoors. It was the start of a new adventure.”
Street art is becoming increasingly popular in Hong Kong. In every corner, in every alleyway, visitors can find frescoes signed by renowned artists, including Jean de Dieu. Her signature is formed by characters and smiling faces.
3. Shopping and markets
The world’s largest concentration of stores is in Hong Kong, and locals know how to make the most of it. Open every day, often until late at night, even casual travellers find it hard to resist. In Hong Kong, visitors expect to find nothing but skyscrapers, but in reality, at the foot of these modern buildings, you’ll find a whole section of truly popular culture: the markets. No matter which district the tourists will venture into, they will find these small vendors that are very popular with locals on a daily basis, offering clothes, meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, as well as Chinese medicine and religious items.
4. Gastronomy and Chef Olivier Elzer
Chef Olivier Elzer is from Alsace, France, and he’s very well known on the Hong Kong gastronomic scene. He likes to take his milk tea without sugar and a type of French toast that in Hong Kong is known ‘Sai do si’. “It is actually one of the origins of our French toast,” Elzer says in the episode. “They make their own version here. They add peanut butter. It’s moist, it’s tasty. It’s not our French toast, but it’s a very nice version.” According to Elzer, the Hong Kong version of the French toast has nice caramelization, plus the taste of peanuts, and hazelnut inside.
He also reveals one of his favourite bakeries is Central, which stands next to his restaurant. Visitors can try the egg tart and pineapple bun, which are Hong Kong’s signatures. Locals and tourists alike love it. “It’s a bit like shortcrust pastry, a bit like a French flan with egg on top,” Elzer explains. “You have a nice sandy texture with the very tasty side of costard. So good, I love it.”
Chef Olivier Elzer heads up two restaurants in Hong Kong where he offers a new, lighter form of French-style gastronomy, without being fusion. An example is ‘Yunlong chicken’, which is actually farmed in the new territories. “I grill it with spices in a skillet,” he shows.
5. Diversity of islands
Hong Kong is made up of over 250 islands, many of them uninhabited. Getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city is easier than one might think. Cheung Chau is one of Hong Kong’s inhabited islands, only 2.5 km2 in size, with 20,000 inhabitants, but nonetheless an island that represents a rich diversity, enabling locals the possibility to escape the urban jungle and enjoy nature, seafood restaurants and a little history. It’s a really easy getaway from the city, just half an hour by boat from the city, and it’s a complete change of scenery.
One of the must-see sites for visitors, showcased in the documentary, is the PakTai Temple, which was created in the 18th century by fishermen to honour the Taoist god Pak Tai, “God of the Sea”. A few years earlier, in 1777, there had been a plague epidemic and many pirate attacks. It so happened that, after walking the effigy of Pak Tai around the island, the plague stopped and the pirates stopped bothering the villagers. The temple was built to thank him.
Cheung Chau is also an island for adventurers. Many have followed the path along the cliff in search of a lost cave once frequented by pirates. The cave is called Cheung Po Tsai, otherwise known as Cheung Po the child, one of the island’s most popular attractions. Cheung Po Tsai was one of the region’s most feared pirates, active in the early 19th century. Legend has it that he hid his booty in this cave. Nothing has yet been found however.
6. Hiking and Hong Kong’s highest peak
Rising 957 metres above sea level, often covered in clouds, Tai Mo Shan is Hong Kong’s highest peak. Despite its altitude, it is accessible on foot, thanks to several hiking trails winding around the summit.
The route is around 12 km long. How much time the hike takes will depend on walking speed, but an average 4 hours with a lunch break is not unusual. The first part is relatively easy as it’s a mix of paved roads and forest paths. The second part is on the top of the mountain, with ups and downs, on regular trail roads, with rocks and stones, to finally join the main road and admire a unique view of Hong Kong. Hiking is the best way to get off the beaten track.
