Dim Sum Dialogues: The Chungking Mansions

by Stephen Greenwood on

This is Nadim.

Nadim is originally from Pakistan. He came to Hong Kong seven years ago with his wife and two children to find a better life. He tells me that he never envisioned his better life to be what he has today, but he’s happy, and enjoying moderate success selling mobile phones out of his shop.

The shop is actually a small stall, at most ten feet wide and four feet deep, situated in a maze of hallways perpetually bathed in dim fluorescent light. The stalls next to him sell a variety of cheap suitcases and even cheaper t-shirts and jackets. No one mentions the word ‘fake’, but it’s quite apparent that most of the items have emerged from a mysterious cloning lab in the heart of mainland China. Thirty footsteps down the hall brings you to the counter of a small Indian restaurant with fresh naan, thalis, curries, and samosas. Next to that is a convenience shop, stocked wall to wall with canned goods, bottled liquor, tobacco and candy. Ten more steps and you’ll be surrounded by head-high stacks of bootlegged Bollywood films.

Welcome to the Chungking Mansions.

The mansions are a series of five 17-story high blocks, connected by a two-level foyer with shops, food stalls, and currency exchange bureaus. On any given day an estimated 4,000 people live here, not including the backpackers that take advantage of an array of cheap guesthouses in the building, and the curious shoppers that wander through the halls. On a weekend, the five lines that form for the elevators in each block display Hong Kong’s multiculturalism at its best. Indian hawkers wait with their filipino girlfriends, young dreadlocked australians rub elbows with african women in brightly patterned dresses, and the chinese security guard carefully monitors the live CCTV footage that comes from inside the elevators.

Chungking, which means “great (and returning) prosperity” is just blocks away from the world-famous Peninsula Hotel in the Tsim Sha Tsui, or “TST” district. TST’s waterfront property offers the best panoramic views of Hong Kong’s iconic skyline, making it some of the most prime real estate in the city. Yet the Chungking Mansions have avoided any signs of gentrification, and seem to be proudly surviving as the central hub for minority culture in Hong Kong. Moreover, it’s an important place of business – a living example of how a low-end globalized economy functions.

I stand outside the entrance to the building, chatting with one of the many touts that persistently offers tailoring services and “copy watches”. The favorite line among this crowd is “Hey boss, guess how much for a suit!”, with the occasional peddler that approaches us to offer a slew of drugs. The tout says to me, “See, you can find anything you need in Chungking Mansions. Anything from A to Zed – you tell me, I can find it within twenty minutes.” I consider testing his offer, but decline and watch as two young men struggle to maneuver four grossly overstuffed suitcases down the entrance’s steps.

The young men with the suitcases are most likely carrying mobile phones. Nadim told me that most of the business he sees is from wholesalers that buy these cheap phones in bulk, and take them back to countries like Kenya, Zambia, and Nigeria. Apparently, one fifth of all of the mobile phones in sub Saharan Africa have passed through the Chungking Mansions at some point – and 70 percent of Kenya’s handsets come from here. Serious traders come to the Mansions with money and a destination, and everything else is handled for them.

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The mobile phone trade might be cheaper across the border in Guandong, but the trading laws and security of Hong Kong are more appealing to the Nigerians and Pakistanis that can’t easily obtain Chinese visas.

The Chungking Mansions have even been able to resist interference from the infamous Triad gangs – but still have issues with gangs of different nationalities that spar with one another. One restaurant owner tells me “These guys that deal drugs back here think they are big time dealers, but really they’re nothing – they are very small time in the scheme of things.”

The building has a bad history of electrical fires and suspicious activity. Signs can be seen at bars around Hong Kong advertising the disappearance of a female backpacker in March, last seen at an apartment in the Chungking Mansions. In 1988, a fire broke out and killed a Danish tourist. A series of arrests in the 90’s spurred the management to install 208 CCTV cameras throughout the building. Of course, it’s really not an extremeley dangerous place, but travelers that stay here should be aware of their surroundings, and shouldn’t entertain invitations into private rooms within the building.

A group of retired Americans in full tourist garb passes by Nadim’s stand, the fluorescent lighting only making their pale skin stand out more against the rest of their surroundings. I ask him what he thinks about tourists here, and he responds “I think it’s good – I don’t think you can come to Hong Kong and not see the Chungking Mansions. If you come to this city, and you don’t see this place, then you haven’t really seen Hong Kong.” Nadim has a valid point, and for a place that’s been dubbed “Asia’s World City”, you’d be hard pressed to find a better example of globalization in action.

Dim Sum Dialogues : Getting down to business

by Stephen Greenwood on

Let’s face it – if you’re an aspiring businessperson or entrepreneur, there’s an excellent chance that you’ll be doing business in China within the next decade. Whether it’s manufacturing, finance, or trading – China has the second largest economy in the world and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.

One of the best things about Hong Kong is the speed with which people network. A night out at the hot spots on Wyndham Street could yield a small collection of new business cards – so make sure that you bring plenty of your own. Business cards are usually handed out rapidly and immediately in social situations, and if you’re really serious about making connections here, make sure your cards have English on one side and traditional Chinese (for Hong Kong) or simplified Chinese (for the mainland) on the other side.

A few weeks after I arrived, I became friends with another American that came to Hong Kong to import fresh, wholesome (and melamine free) milk directly from the United States. As a part of his training, he received a document outlining how business with Chinese partners should be conducted, so I took the opportunity to outline the highlights for your reading pleasure here. I can’t verify the absolute truth of these statements or stand by them, so please, take it with a grain of salt.

  • Present your business card with two hands, and ensure that the Chinese side is facing the recipient. Never write on a business card or put it in your wallet or pocket. Carry a small card case.
  • When receiving a business card, make a show of examining it carefully for a few moments, then carefully place it in your cards case or on the table, if you are seated. Not reading a business card that has been presented to you then stuffing it directly into your back pocket will be a breach of protocol.
  • If your company is the oldest or largest in your country, or has another prestigious distinction, ensure that this is stated on your card. It’s an asset to have your business cards printed in gold ink. In Chinese business culture, gold is the color of prestige, prosperity
  • Do not use large hand movements. Chinese people do not speak with their hands. Your movements may be distracting to your host. Do not point when speaking. If one must point do not use your index finger, use an open palm. It is considered improper to put your hand in your mouth. Avoid acts that involve the mouth.
  • Personal contact must be avoided at all cost. It is also highly inappropriate for a man to touch a woman in public.
  • Chinese people don’t like doing business with companies they don’t know, so working through an intermediary is crucial. This could be an individual or an organization that can make a formal introduction and vouch for the reliability of your company.
  • Bowing or nodding is the common greeting; however, you may be offered a handshake. Wait for the Chinese to offer their hand first. Handshakes are typically limp and brief.
  • Greetings are formal and the oldest person is always greeted first.
  • The most important member of your company or group should lead important meetings. Chinese value rank and status. Introductions are formal. Use formal titles.
  • It is considered disrespectful to stare into another person’s eyes.
  • Under no circumstances should you lose your temper or you will lose face and irrevocably damage your relationship.
  • The decision making process is slow. You should not expect to conclude your business swiftly. Negative replies are considered impolite. Instead of saying ‘no’, answer ‘maybe’. ‘I’ll think about it’ or ‘We’ll see’ and get into specifics later. You’ll find that many Chinese partners will do the same.

    • So there you have it. May these tips bring you good health & good fortune…and keep an eye out this week for more on Hong Kong weddings, how to navigate a wet market, and the infamous Chungking Mansions.

Dim Sum Dialogues: Little Manila

by Stephen Greenwood on

Dark clouds rumble through the steel corridors of Central – the remaining signs of a level nine typhoon that swept through Hong Kong last night. I dash out of the MTR station onto the wet streets, and gaze at hundreds of dark-haired, dark-skinned people around me.

A clamor of chatter echos from outspread blankets, partially covered by a patchwork of makeshift shelters. Groups of girls paint toenails, play card games, and eat food from plastic tupperware. Some sing. Some dance. Some nap. Everyone is having a good time.

For thousands of Filipino & Indonesian “foreign domestic helpers” in Hong Kong, this is their one day of the week off. The rest of the week is spent working for room, board, and a minimum stipend which is often sent home to family. A large percentage hold college degrees, but a lack of job prospects and a better living standard in HK has lured many to immigrate in groups of three or four, to serve a minimum two-year contract. Among many other protections, the Hong Kong government has made it mandatory for every worker to receive one full day of rest per week – and so, every Sunday, Central ceases to be a part of Hong Kong and becomes Little Manila.
A 2005 statistic reports that there were 223,394 foreign domestic helpers in the city; almost 3% of the city’s population. The flow of workers began in the 1970s, when President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos promoted and encouraged labor export, in an attempt to offset rising unemployment rates. Subsequently, the economy of the Philippines became more dependent on the export of labor, and privatization of labor recruitment groups began to shape the nation’s development strategy.

Around the same time, the People’s Republic of China started making economic reforms that provided for a surge in trade with developed nations. Experiencing it’s own period of financial success, Hong Kong became China’s biggest investor – and a majority of labor intensive industries in Hong Kong moved to the mainland. The gap left by this shift was filled by workers from the Philippines and smaller, but growing percentages coming from Thailand and Indonesia in the early 1990s.

By law, helpers must live in the employer’s home, and are to be provided with suitable living accommodation and privacy. They are not allowed to take up any other employment while under contract, and must receive a minimum wage of HK$3,580 (USD $460) per month. The employers must earn a household income of at least HK$15,000 per month for every helper employed, and must pay a tax of HK$9,600 for a 2-year contract. In addition, it is mandatory for employers to provide the domestic helpers with free medical treatment for the duration of their stay. In an interview of 2,500 workers, 25% reported that their employers had violated their contracts. 25% also reported verbal or physical abuse.

But on Sundays, everyone is in good spirits. The most popular card game played is “Tong Its”, which is similar to Mahjong – either of which I have yet to fully grasp. The game is full of surprises and laughs when a good hand trumps a previous player’s move. An overwhelming majority of the crowd is female, but the few males that are present group together to play a more dramatic version of Tong Its. Dancers practice ballroom moves on small portable stereos, or perform traditional dances – sometimes in full costume. The air is full will a vibrant energy that is heightened by the shrill volume of conversation.

Many girls overtly smile or strike a pose as I walk by with my camera. A few that I stop and chat with tell me that the friends that they spend their day with are a mixture of people from home and new friends that they’ve met in Hong Kong. They don’t want to talk about work, and I don’t blame them – so I thank them for chatting and keep wandering. And as I step out into the wet streets of Central alone, dwarfed by the enormous skyscrapers and rain clouds, it strikes me how comforting it must be to have such a strong community in a place so far away from home.

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Dim Sum Dialogues: Chinese Tea

by Stephen Greenwood on

One of my only objectives this weekend was to write an article about traditional Chinese tea. I had been entertaining visions of myself walking down a dark side street in Central and discovering an old wooden tea house guarded by an ancient man with a long wispy beard. I would then bow with respect or give him a secret handshake that would allow me inside access to a tea that the man had just spent hours brewing – and I imagine that it would be the most fragrant and refreshing tea I’ve ever tasted.

So I asked some of my local friends where I could go to get some proper tea, and the most popular response was “well…there’s a tea museum in Central park”…but the recommendations for drinking tea in a traditional tea-house were few & far between. I ended up going to the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware (which is now undergoing renovations) to find out more. Although they had a nice collection of 17th century utensils, the overall exhibit was more disappointing than the realization that my vision of ancient men brewing special recipes from long expired dynasties would not materialize.
And I suppose that this is the story of Hong Kong. The practices of conventional Chinese culture have in many ways been paved over by a hybrid east-meets-west society that bears a significant amount of influence from western nations. Sure, the streets of Kowloon and Sheung Wan are still home to the conventional wet markets and local men that sit in the vast recreational parks playing mahjong with their shirts off. It will be generations before this Hong Kong disappears. But simple things like food, fashion sense, and popular culture are a sort of mash-up, resulting in a product that is perhaps unique to Hong Kong.

The formalities of ancient tea preparation have been forgotten for the more relaxed and casual style found in dim-sum restaurants. The term Yum cha (飲茶), or “drinking tea” in Cantonese is primarily used as a verb to describe the act of going out to eat dim sum, showing just how closely tied the act of drinking tea has become to this style of food. In many of these restaurants it’s possible to be served teas like jasmine, chrysantheumum, and oolong – but the preparation is no special ritual. It would be uncommon for people in Hong Kong to only go out for tea, and instead most people would go out for “one bowl of tea – and two pieces of dim sum” (盅兩件) .

One of the most interesting traditions of tea that has evolved in Hong Kong is “milk-tea”. The British colonists that ruled Hong Kong for over 150 years brought with them the age-old habit of afternoon black tea, served with milk. If you’ve ever spent an extensive amount of time in England, then you know that a good cup of tea with milk is the lifeblood of the English. This tradition caught on, and evaporated milk began to replace the regular milk customarily mixed with several black teas at once, giving the tea a rich and creamy taste.

In modern Hong Kong, people drink milk tea with breakfast, lunch, or dinner – and take it hot when the weather favors it, or with ice cubes when the humidity of the summer is unbearable. The signs of a good cup of milk tea are found in how smooth and full-bodied it is, or if it leaves a white residue on the lip of the cup after a sip has been drunk. This is probably the most common type of tea that you’ll find across restaurants in Hong Kong, and definitely worth a try.

If I didn’t know the history behind things like milk-tea, it would be easy to assume that it grew out of a Chinese practice. But the more I try to dissect what makes Hong Kong special, I’m beginning to see just how many cultures have contributed to make this city a multi-cultural melting pot (or rice cooker) that’s slowly developing an identity of it’s own.

Dim Sum Dialogues: Planes, Trams, & Automatic Doors

by Stephen Greenwood on

This is a continuation of yesterday’s column on the transportation of Hong Kong.

After seeing various Youtube videos of the infamous landing at Hong Kong’s now defunct Kai Tak Airport, I’m disappointed that I never had the chance to experience a 747 roaring over a narrow Kowloon street. But the beauty and convenience of Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok Airport make up for that disappointment, and have even earned it the first & second spots on international airport surveys for the past seven years.

For those of you that just can’t wait to throw your savings away at the Happy Valley Racecources, or blow it all in the numerous shopping malls of Hong Kong – the fastest and easiest way (but most costly – $13 USD) to get to the heart of the city is on the MTR’s Airport Express. Covering 35km in just 24 minutes, the trains depart every 12 minutes to the remote airport and convention center. If “investing” your money at the roulette tables of Macau is more to your liking, you don’t even have to officially enter the territory – a direct ferry terminal is situated before immigration in the airport for arriving passengers. The transit system was designed to be tourist-friendly, so there are plenty of accessible options.
Once you get settled inside the city, the MTR remains the most efficient way to get from end to end, or to cross under Victoria Harbor between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon side. But as any well-traveled soul will tell you, the scenic route is often the best – and the Star Ferry offers some of the most enjoyable views of the city at the right price. For roughly USD 25¢, you can ride between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui – a service that has been operating since the 1870’s. The Star Ferry has become a major icon in Hong Kong, so much so that people often rent out ferries for a day to host private events, weddings, and dances on. For USD $500 to $700 for the day, it might not be the most luxurious cruise that you can take on the harbor – so I’d recommend sticking to the regular fare.

However, if the idea of hosting a party on public transport still appeals to you, look no further than HK Tramways. The Hong Kong tram system has been serving the city for over 100 years, with narrow double-decker tramcars running on overhead electric cables through the busiest areas of Hong Kong Island. When the expansion of the MTR threatened to make the tramways redundant, the public concluded to keep the service active because of it’s low fares and frequent stops on popular routes in the city. In my opinion, it is by far the most fun way to travel in Hong Kong. I guarantee that the views from the upper deck combined with the smells and sounds of the markets of Central will keep you entertained for your entire journey. If it doesn’t, I’ll personally mail you the 25¢ you spent on the journey. After you’ve sampled it (and fallen in love with it), get 25 of your HK friends to rent out a tram for USD $150 an hour and party your way through the city. Don’t get too distracted when you pass by Wan Chai though, the private trams run in a full loop that last from 2 hours to 3.5 hours.

Finally, if you refuse to take public transport, or the rain threatens to ruin that new designer item from Lane Crawford, Hong Kong taxis are remarkably cheap and easy to come by. Now I haven’t traveled anywhere in Asia, so this might just be my naivité here – but the taxis in Hong Kong have an amazing feature that I can’t believe doesn’t exist anywhere else (I’m sure it does, so readers help me out) – the back doors open automatically. The driver pulls up to your spot on the sidewalk, pulls a lever and bam – the door is open and ready for you to get in. Genius. Don’t worry about closing it on your way out either, because the driver has that covered too. On average, USD $15 will easily get you from one end of the major urban area to the other – with average city center cab rides being $5. Another reason I don’t particularly miss Los Angeles.

There you have it – the major travel methods in Hong Kong. Now that you (roughly) know how to get around, I’ll be taking you deeper into the destinations and traditions of this eclectic city. If you have specific questions about how to get around, or want to know more about the methods covered here – feel free to leave comments below.