Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Walking Tours in Hong Kong A Century Before
There is an excellent 19th century book written by a colonial official, E.J. Eitel, actually a German, that wrote a book called Europe in China. Published in the late 19th century, it is a valuable primary source, and often, the first source turned to about Hong Kong's past by English-speaking historians.
In it, there is a fascinating section on tourism in Hong Kong. I must quote from it one gem:
"The prevailing opinion among tourists visitingHong Kong for the first time seems to be that there is little or nothing in the island worthy of their attention. This is a great mistake, however; and although the climate can hardly be considered as conducive to a lengthy stay (except during the six winter months, when magnificent weather usually prevails), a week spent in exploring the highways and by-ways of this beautiful island cannot fail to charm. It is doubtful if the walk from the Happy Valley Bowen Road
Eitel, like many long-time residents of the city, came to believe that the city was best explored on foot as a walking tourist. We can't help but feel the same way today, and although the weather today is no better, we at least have the consolation of air-conditioning to ease our discomforts. And today, as it was over a century ago, the walk along Bowen Road from Central to Happy Valley continues to be one of the wonders of Hong Kong - many joggers today agree with me, including the Right Honorable Tung Chee-Hwa, whom I once encountered on that particular 'by-way' with his bodyguard. But let me leave that story for another time...
In it, there is a fascinating section on tourism in Hong Kong. I must quote from it one gem:
"The prevailing opinion among tourists visiting
Eitel, like many long-time residents of the city, came to believe that the city was best explored on foot as a walking tourist. We can't help but feel the same way today, and although the weather today is no better, we at least have the consolation of air-conditioning to ease our discomforts. And today, as it was over a century ago, the walk along Bowen Road from Central to Happy Valley continues to be one of the wonders of Hong Kong - many joggers today agree with me, including the Right Honorable Tung Chee-Hwa, whom I once encountered on that particular 'by-way' with his bodyguard. But let me leave that story for another time...
