Hong Kong and Macau Back Then, the Longing in My Heart

This travelogue recalls my trips to Hong Kong and Macau in the early 2000s. At that time, the two regions had recently returned to China, backed by the mainland, full of vitality, with people eager for stability and a promising outlook. Everyone was thinking about how to make money, creating a scene of prosperity and stability. Now looking back, it's hard to put into words… Anyway, it's impossible to go traveling there in the near future, so I can only reminisce about those times through old photos.

By a stroke of luck, I visited Hong Kong and Macau twice in the early 2000s. The first time, I first traveled to Shenzhen, then took a ferry from Shekou Passenger Terminal to Hong Kong's China Ferry Terminal. I visited the Golden Bauhinia Square, Victoria Harbour, Causeway Bay, Repulse Bay, Tin Hau Temple, Victoria Peak, and Ocean Park. Then I took a ferry from Kowloon's China Ferry Terminal to Macau's Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, visiting the Lotus Square, Ruins of St. Paul's, Mount Fortress, Macau Cultural Centre Exhibition Hall, and the Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre. Finally, I took a boat back to Hong Kong and flew from Hong Kong International Airport to Shanghai Pudong.

The other time, I took Dragonair flight KA811 from Nanjing Lukou Airport to Hong Kong Airport, visited the University of Hong Kong, toured Golden Bauhinia Square, Victoria Harbour, and Ocean Park; then took a boat to Macau, visiting Lotus Square, A-Ma Temple, and the Ruins of St. Paul's. Finally, I flew back to Nanjing from Hong Kong.

Looking back now, Hong Kong and Macau's tourism resources are not abundant—you can count the attractions on your fingers: Victoria Harbour, Repulse Bay, Victoria Peak, Ocean Park, and the Ruins of St. Paul's (Hong Kong Disneyland hadn't been built yet). These places have a certain appeal, but what truly attracted mainland tourists was the shopping paradise, the gourmet capital, the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures, and the window to the world. Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, fortunes would reverse? The mainland has been changing rapidly with earth-shattering transformations—the shift is truly thought-provoking.

Now, let's observe the changes of the times through small details.

At that time, Shenzhen was the vanguard of reform and opening up, a model for the whole country to learn from. Being able to visit Shenzhen was definitely a trendy thing.

Window of the World opened our eyes, allowing us to see so many world wonders, historical relics, and famous attractions from ancient and modern times for the first time. The evening song-and-dance performance, with its dance, colors, lasers, and sound, was grand and magnificent—truly an unforgettable day.

Minsk World aircraft carrier theme park

Tsing Ma Bridge, Cross-Harbour Tunnel

First stop: Golden Bauhinia Square, a symbol of the handover.

Next, a feast for the taste buds.

Char siu bao and wonton noodles—I thought I could eat a lot, but just two dishes finished me off.

Victoria Harbour, the hallmark of the "Pearl of the Orient."

Causeway Bay, near Golden Bauhinia Square, is a hub of shopping and entertainment.

Repulse Bay lies on the southern side of Victoria Peak, shaped like a crescent moon. It is Hong Kong's most representative bay, known as the "Number One Beach in the World" and the "Oriental Hawaii."

This is also a wealthy residential area with expensive housing. The guide pointed to distant villas, saying this one belonged to some tycoon, that one to another. At that time, I had no concept—our housing prices were only about 2,000 yuan per square meter, while here they were tens of thousands, and even hotel cleaners earned 10,000 Hong Kong dollars a month. It was like a different world.

Hong Kong Ocean Park is built on a hillside, surrounded by the sea on three sides. It is a world-class theme park combining thrill rides, marine and land animals, and large-scale shows. It consists of the Aquarium at the base and the游乐场 on the hilltop, connected by cable cars.

Inside the Aquarium, there were dolphin shows and displays of fish and jellyfish. The amusement park had rides like the Ferris wheel, Tower of the Sun, roller coasters, and the Abyss Turbo Drop—very crowded, with long queues for popular attractions. You couldn't cover everything in one day, so you had to prioritize. I went on the Abyss Turbo Drop, watched the dolphin show, and wandered around the jellyfish exhibit, and half the day was gone.

The Abyss Turbo Drop is commonly known as a drop tower—a free-fall experience. It first accelerates upward to a height of 62 meters, then pauses briefly in the air, before suddenly descending rapidly. Back then I was young and found it great fun; I queued twice and left wanting more.

The dolphin show was one of the most popular attractions.

A variety of jellyfish drifted around like fairies, utterly adorable.

There were many cosmetics shops on the streets, such as SaSa and Bonjour, and they seemed so full of products at the time.

I bought a few Japanese nail clippers at Bonjour, and they're still sharp to this day. I have to admire that the shopping paradise lived up to its name—high-quality goods from around the world were gathered here. At that time, electronic products and cosmetics were very popular, and some sharp-minded people had already started "influencing" purchases. Since I didn't know much about those products and wasn't interested, I didn't buy anything. Later, even when the guide took us to shopping places and tried hard to sell, I remained indifferent. Fortunately, some wealthy companions bought a lot, so we got to enjoy a big meal.

The Gold Coast Hotel where we stayed had great facilities and was quite luxurious inside.

The next day was Easter, and the hotel lobby was decorated with many ornaments.

Night view of Hong Kong Island, taken from the top of Victoria Peak.

On my second trip to Hong Kong and Macau, I also visited the University of Hong Kong and felt that the thinking there was quite diverse.

Most people, when going to Hong Kong, would also take a side trip to Macau.

The standard itinerary: first visit Lotus Square, then go to the Macau Cultural Centre to see the commemorative gifts presented by each mainland province (municipality, autonomous region) at the time of the handover.

The Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre features a statue of Kun Iam (Goddess of Mercy) facing the sea, located diagonally opposite the Macau Cultural Centre. Designed by Portuguese artist Cristina Rocha Leiria, cast by Nanjing Chenguang Group, completed in spring 1999. It stands 20 meters tall and weighs 50 tons, consisting of the figure and the base. The goddess holds her hands to her chest, her robe flowing lightly, as if walking slowly; the base is composed of 16 lotus petals.

The Ruins of St. Paul's, officially the ruins of St. Paul's Church ("Sanba" is the Cantonese transliteration of "St. Paul's"), is the front facade of the Church of the Mother of God in Macau, completed in 1580. In 2005, this building was listed as a World Heritage Site along with other landmarks of the Historic Centre of Macau.

Mount Fortress, located beside the Ruins of St. Paul's, was built in 1616 during the reign of the Ming Wanli Emperor. Originally owned by the church to protect clergy and guard against pirates, it later became a military facility area.

In 1662, the Dutch tried to invade, and the fort's cannons defended Macau, becoming a historical witness.

A-Ma Temple, one of the oldest Taoist temples in Macau, was built by Fujian merchants and called "A-Ma Kok" (the Pavilion of A-Ma). It is said that in 1553, Portuguese sailors landed at the pier in front of the temple and asked the locals the name of the place. The Fujianese misunderstood and thought they were asking the temple's name, replying "A-Ma Kok." Thereafter, the Portuguese used the Fujian dialect pronunciation "Ma-gao" to refer to Macau.

Macau's special industry created many jobs and tax revenue.

Thinking back to those days—living and working in peace and contentment, everyone in their proper place—what wonderful times they were.