Hong Kong and Macau Then, the Yearning in My Heart

This travelogue recalls a trip to Hong Kong and Macau in the early 2000s. At that time, the two regions had just returned to China, backed by the mainland, vibrant, with people yearning for stability, and a thriving atmosphere. Everyone was thinking about how to make money, and there was prosperity and peace. Looking at it now... it’s hard to put into words. At least for the near future, traveling there is impossible; I can only relive those moments through old photos.

By chance, 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 Hong Kong City 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 the China Hong Kong City Terminal in Kowloon to Macau’s Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal and visited the Lotus Square, Ruins of St. Paul’s, Mount Fortress, Macau Cultural Centre Exhibition Hall, and Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre. Finally, I took a ferry back to Hong Kong and flew home from Hong Kong International Airport to Shanghai Pudong.

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

Looking back now, Hong Kong and Macau don’t have abundant tourism resources. You can count the attractions on one hand: Victoria Harbour, Repulse Bay, Victoria Peak, Ocean Park, and the Ruins of St. Paul’s (Hong Kong Disneyland hadn’t yet been built at that time). These all had a certain appeal, but what really attracted mainland tourists was the shopping paradise, the food capital, the place where Chinese and Western cultures blend, and the window to the world. Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, fortunes would reverse, the mainland would change with each passing day, undergoing earth-shaking transformations—the ebb and flow is truly breathtaking.

Next, let’s observe the changes of the times through the 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 absolutely a fashionable thing.

Window of the World opened our eyes. It was the first time we saw so many world wonders, historical relics, and famous landmarks from past and present. The evening song and dance performance, with dance, color, lasers, and sound, was magnificent and wonderful—truly an unforgettable day.

Minsk World Aircraft Carrier Theme Park

Tsing Ma Bridge, Cross-Harbour Tunnel (Hung Hom)

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

Next, to satisfy our taste buds.

Steamed BBQ pork buns and wonton noodles—I thought I could eat a lot, but just two dishes finished me off.

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

Causeway Bay, located near Golden Bauhinia Square, is a hub for commerce and entertainment.

Repulse Bay, on the south side of Victoria Peak, is crescent-shaped and the most representative bay in Hong Kong, known as the "Number One Bay under Heaven" and honored as the "Hawaii of the East."

It’s also a wealthy district with sky-high property prices. The tour guide pointed to villas in the distance, saying this one belongs to such-and-such tycoon, that one to another tycoon. At that time, we had no concept—our housing prices were only just over 2,000 yuan per square meter, while here it was tens of thousands. Even a hotel cleaner’s monthly income was 10,000 Hong Kong dollars. It felt like a different world.

Hong Kong Ocean Park is built into a mountainside, surrounded by sea on three sides. It is a world-class theme park combining rides, marine and land animals, and large shows. It consists of the Aquarium at the bottom and the Amusement Park on top, connected by a cable car.

The Aquarium features dolphin shows, fish, and jellyfish exhibits. The Amusement Park has rides, the Ocean Tower, roller coasters, and the Abyss Turbo Drop. There were huge crowds, popular rides required queuing, and it was impossible to do everything in one day—we had to pick the highlights. I rode the Abyss Turbo Drop, watched the dolphin show, wandered around the Jellyfish Pavilion, and half the day was gone.

The Abyss Turbo Drop is commonly known as a drop tower—simply free fall. First, it accelerates rapidly upward to a height of 62 meters, then hovers briefly, before suddenly descending at high speed. At that young age, I found it great fun; I queued twice and left feeling I hadn’t had enough.

The dolphin show was one of the most popular attractions.

All kinds of jellyfish drifted about like fairies, utterly adorable.

There were many department stores on the streets, such as SaSa and Bonjour. At that time, I thought the products inside were incredibly diverse.

I bought several Japanese-made nail clippers from Bonjour, which are still sharp today. I had to admire it—the shopping paradise truly lived up to its name; top-quality goods from around the world converged here. At that time, electronics and cosmetics were very popular, and some sharp-minded people had already started "daigou" (personal shopping). I didn’t understand or have an interest in these products, so I didn’t buy anything. Later, even when the tour guide took us to shopping venues and enthusiastically promoted items, I remained unmoved. Fortunately, a big spender in our group bought a lot, so we still enjoyed a big meal.

The Golden Coast Hotel where we stayed had excellent 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 Victoria Peak.

On the second trip to Hong Kong and Macau, I also visited the University of Hong Kong, which felt quite diverse in thought.

Most people, when visiting Hong Kong, would make a side trip to Macau.

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

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

Ruins of St. Paul’s, officially the ruins of the Church of St. Paul ("Sanba" is the Cantonese transliteration of "St. Paul"), the front facade of the Mother of God Church in Macau completed in 1580. This building, together with other structures of the Historic Centre of Macau, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

Mount Fortress, located next to the Ruins of St. Paul’s, built during the reign of Emperor Wanli in 1616. Originally owned by the Church, it was used to protect clergy and defend against pirates, later converted into a military fortification.

In 1662, when the Dutch attempted to invade, the cannons defended Macau, becoming a witness to history.

A-Ma Temple, one of the oldest Taoist temples in Macau. Built by Fujian merchants, it was called "A-Ma Kok." It is said that in 1553, when Portuguese sailors landed at the pier in front of the temple and asked the name of the place, the Fujianese mistakenly thought they were asking about the temple and replied "A-Ma Kok." Thereafter, the Portuguese used the Fujian dialect pronunciation "Ma Kok" to derive the name "Macau" (originally "A-Ma Gao" → "Macau").

Macau’s special industries created many jobs and tax revenues.

Thinking back to those days, when people lived and worked in peace and contentment, each in their place—what wonderful times they were.