Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong

Do you know the story of Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong can be dated back to 1910s?

Well…people these days keep mentioning how modern and beautiful the Chek Lap Kok Airport is, so why not look into the past and be reminiscent of our outdated yet classic airport?

Where was I…? Right.

In 1912, two businessmen Ho Kai and Au Tak formed the Kai Tak Investment Company to reclaim land in Kowloon for development. However, the business plan failed and the land was later turned into runway airport for the Royal Air Force. It was not truly an airport until its first control tower and hangar were built in 1935, with the first domestic airline established in 1936 by the Imperial Airways. It experienced the Second World War, and was developed into a larger airport.

The history class ends here. But Kai Tak is not just a historical heritage; it was also part of Hongkongers’ lives.

It’s actually pretty fun to see an airport of that scale to be located in the middle of an overcrowded town (not so fun for those who live near it, imagine the noise). Thanks to that, Kai Tak was not just an airport, it also served as an attraction to plane lovers, photographers looking for inspiration, and even tourists.

And since the airport was in the middle of a town, surrounded by mountains and low residential buildings, it takes the pilots some great skill to land on such a narrow and packed space. Even people who lived there admit that watching the planes descending is “dramatic and breath taking”…That must have been some great scenes.

It’s a pity that Kai Tak caused great deal of pollution to the nearby area, and can’t keep up with the increasing need of air traffic in Hong Kong.

It was eventually closed on 6 July, 1998, with the last plane departed at 01:05.

Soldiers! Salutation to Kai Tai and its irreplaceable contribution to Hong Kong!

And what do we say to Kai Tak? Louder! I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!

“GOODBYE KAI TAK, AND THANK YOU!!” *salute and shed manly tears*

Octopus in Hong Kong

Do you know that the Octopus card of Hong Kong is the one of the first electronic money in the world? Uh, no… It has nothing to do with octopus.

Lame joke aside, it is called “Octopus” card because an octopus has eight tentacles, and the number eight matches the Chinese name “八”達通(literally eight-arrived pass), which is actually from the Chinese proverb “四通八達” (reachable from any direction). And “to reach everywhere, and can be reached from anywhere” is more or less what to Octopus card was designed for.

It was first launched in 1997 as an alternative method to pay for the trains’ fare (pay for the train and you can go anywhere, see where the name comes from?) in Hong Kong. Seeing the success, the card company later expanded its usage so that it can be used for payment in stores, supermarkets, restaurants, car parks and even for vending machines.

It does have its security problems and scandals about selling its user’s personal data, though. So even though it does “make our everyday lives easier” as the company suggested, there are still issues that we can’t overlook. I guess everything has it upside and downside?

Transportation in Hong Kong

Do you know that over 90% of daily journeys in Hong Kong are on public transport, which is the highest rate in the world?

That’s what the government says anyway…But then again, Hong Kong’s well developed infrastructure and transport network does make travelling around easy. Here is some iconic transportation you can find in Hong Kong.

Taxi…Well, there are taxis all over the world, and it’s not like they can fly or something. What is so iconic about those in Hong Kong? What is special is that there are 3 kinds of taxi, each with different color. The green one runs in New Territories; the red one is urban taxi; and the blue one can only be found on Lantau Island. Their fares are the same.

Then there comes the classic tram. Yup, that thing you see in those Hong Kong tourism ads running on the tramways. They can be found in northern part of Hong Kong Island. Despite being slow, they serve as a pretty interesting contrast to our fast-pace and modern lives. People said that the tram lines mark the land which came from reclamation.

I hope you don’t get seasick, because we are going on the ferries! While there are different ferry companies serving different coastal parts in Hong Kong, Star Ferry is probably the most famous and historical one. Founded in 1888, Star Ferry is still a reliable maritime transport between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Taking the ferry is a great way to enjoy the view of Victoria Harbor, too.

What? Rickshaw?

No, we don’t actually use them to travel. Not anymore, at least. Though you may still find some in tourist districts. But it looks a bit inhumane to those who drag the rickshaw, don’t you think?