Hong Kong - a city of contrasts

Actually, I live not far from Hong Kong, and somehow came to me the idea to go there. And, as it turned out, for good reason. Now I know where I want to live for anything else. Although, I met a lot of things for which this city is impossible not to love. Meet - Hong Kong, the one and only of its kind.
About 20 pictures





First a little history.香港 (Fragrant Harbour) until 1997 was a British colony. Then he solemnly handed back to China, but for the preservation of the sovereignty of the territory for 50 years. Now it 香港特别行政区 (Special Administrative Region - Special Autonomous Region of Hong Kong). GDP - 254, 2 billion US dollars (40 th place in the world) with an area smaller than Moscow. Basis of financial well-being - a special place joint China and the world, free trade zone. A huge number of exchanges, stores, etc. We made it what it is today ...



It begins the journey with customs. Yes, between Hong Kong and China, there is a custom, from residents of Hong Kong passports, etc. Some Chinese people still live - working in Hong Kong, are in Shenzhen. Once you understand why.
Type of customs with the Chinese side



Immediately at the exit of the bus, we are going to look for a hotel. And the first shock - this is the price. I knew they were in Hong Kong, a tall. But so ... It was the first blow. As a result, 200 Hong Kong dollars (about 40 US dollars) was found hostel. The windows in the room are not present, the total area of ​​the room - 4 square meters ... Well, we the people, as it turned out, at the Hong Kong standards are poor, we will be content with what we have.



In the days when we were there, the sun stood still, but almost on any photo you see the solar street. The reason - in the building of Hong Kong. He is actively expanding, as well as the area remains unchanged - it remains only grow up. And as the street has old colonial type, narrow, and it is the cause of eternal twilight in the streets. This here is a typical street of Hong Kong



The movement is preserved left-hand, as in good old England. Together with the characters on the signs looks weird.



And since everything here grows only up and down, there is also double-decker buses. Who was, he will understand what to go to the second floor, where the width of the street than the width of the bus 50 centimeters ...



Trams are the same. In general, the city is so close and high, which gives the impression that you're in the picture with distorted proportions, when the editor changed only the width of the pictures, not in proportion to the changing height ...
Incidentally, trams Cantonese called 叮叮 车 (ding-ding car)



I now scary to imagine what living in a house when suddenly the electricity is shut off, or break the elevator. However, for them it is the only way



Hong Kong - a city of living through trade. Number of advertising is not just rolls - it exceeds all reasonable limits. Number of «Tax free shop» per square meter exceeds all reasonable limits. For what it is worth to go, so it's a fact that had a good shopping. Any brand, any brand, any store, any service - it is even possible to say, the motto of Hong Kong.



But ... But ...
All of this, of course, is the reverse side. And here it is disgusting. The lack of available land leads to the fact that the courtyard of the house is in this way. And to have a window here - this is a sign of nothing but prosperity ... By Chinese standards, this "prosperity" - transcendental success ...



And now for the fun part - to local prices. Here huge salaries (by the standards of aliens), but the prices are appropriate ... This is a large flow of migrants who live in these conditions, in comparison with which our hostel - this is a luxury hotel "Hilton". They save money. For two or three years of work here is quite possible to save up for an apartment in mainland China.
Here is a vivid example. Salaries waiter (服务员) and cashier (收款 员) 9,500 Hong Kong dollars. It is about 1200-1300 dollars. As you can see in the pictures, the place is one of the most cereal. Salary bus driver - about 30k, etc. That is the normal salary equal to the salary of the teacher dishwasher with an MBA at the university average. A little jealous, even if ...



... Do not pay attention to local prices,
As seen in the screenshot below, the price of the 32-meter apartment is 438 万. One van - 10000. That is 4.38 million Hong Kong dollars, or about half a million dollars US.
In the top photo prices even more interesting. Character 亿 represents 100,000,000. That is the price of flats in the 1.5 亿. denotes the value of 150,000,000 Hong Kong dollars, or about 20 million US dollars. And this is not the limit.
So I am now at the words "mortgages in Moscow" can not compare ...



This Hong Kong in the power of democracy is very feel at ease any opposition. Only here you can find anti-communist posters, rallies in support of Falun Gong, etc. To be honest, meeting so many freaks, you begin to miss censored on the mainland.
In general, the Chinese government has all the wiser. Preserving the autonomy of Hong Kong and Macao, it brought together all the freaks in one place (like a fox, which brings fleas, holding in his mouth a piece of wool and entering fully into the water). In the case of protests idiots do not have to catch throughout China, it will be enough to enter the tanks in Hong Kong (what it is I like)



But, of course, the beauty of the local landscape that does not change. But that's looking at it from a distance I would like to ...



Another of the good can be called draconian measures to preserve the environment. This fines for smoking, fines for littering, etc. For me it was a revelation that the port harbor can be so clean water



Well, something like a resume. Hong Kong gorgeous. At night there is not much darker than during the day. The abundance of goods from around the world strikes (in Hong Kong, you can buy everything that has been done in the world. If it is not there - this is nowhere). It is certainly worth a tourist visit, or a cheap technique pribarahlitsya \ clothing \ nishtyak. But to live there - thank you. Or make millions and live like a king or a beggar to languish in the closet five times smaller than our room for five people (I'm not kidding, these rooms are divided into fields, similar to the size of coffins (2mH1mH0.5m) and pass on $ 200 per month. For the middle class is the place as something not provided ...
And completely forgot to tell about local people. They annoy me terribly. Living only due to its unique status within China, playing the role of a buffer zone, they find fault and despise the rest of the Chinese. It's like a farmer would have despised his own field. It overconceited big snobs that do not have enough tanks and water cannons.
That's all, thank you for your attention.



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