Wanchai Red Lights
If Amsterdam is the city’s infamous red light district in the capital of Europe, Wanchai in Hong Kong is considered to be one of the city’s Red Light District in Asia.
There are numerous bars and strip joints in the area which is still popular with tourists and visiting US sailors - who arrive on Fenwick Pier.
Wanchai has gained its reputation as the noisy polluted streets, too crowded, old buildings & Mahjong centres crammed with aggressive gamblers. However Wanchai was made famous as the location of the 1957 novel and 1960 film The World of Suzie Wong. My dad told me, during the 70’s, Wanchai was the most popular place, and still is, for Dining & Entertainment. Every Filipino musicians & singers carried on displaying a high degree of performances in many bars. As one British writer noted about the number of Filipino musicians around Asia, “They’ve no originality, but they’re wonderful imitators of every Western singing style you can name.”
However, prostitution is regulated around here & licensed brothels in many corners of the streets. I spent my lazy afternoon with my N70 camera witnessing US service men who gathered around Delaney’s, Joe Banana’s, The Wanch and Carnegie’s, few of the more popular bars around.
Simply take a walk to this area anytime of the day and you will find some pretty girl with a cute tatoo sitting in a storefront of each bars, some pretty/unpretty, tall/short, plump/slim and hot/not-so-hot women of all ages (legal that is!). Must keep in mind not to ever take a picture of these girlies or you will get a big punch in the face. I have to be honest, the thought of walking through a street with prostitutes on display sounds a bit of both between alarming and exciting. I actually felt a little bit sad at the same time everytime I see these nice young girls simply making the statement: “It does not matter who I am. If you want a female anatomy, I have one available”, you know those kind of impression. Maybe I am over-reacting. But Wanchai is a fun district. This is not always be the place about girlie bars.
It’s a very diverse environment. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is located here. So obviously, Wanchai is one of the popular tourist spot in Hong Kong for mainland visitors and also the location of the flag-raising ceremony which occurs daily and in a special form on Chinese National Day and other occasions.
I headed on to get a taste of Filipino BBQ, a Pinoy restaurant reminiscent of the street carinderias, literally small, nondescript place named, Kusina ni Mang Ambo, one of Wanchai’s numerous eateries of good place to eat, if you really missed eating Filipino food. I really don’t like it there as it is a low profile garbage site to get a quick lunchbox.
I went home early as it gets so crowded with so many swearing young White Ass marines trying to figure out between a girlie bar or a 7-11 shop to buy a can of beer.
BTW, all pictures taken from my N70 Nokia phone. Such an amazing features indeed.
Hollaback Girl
by: Gwen Stefani
Makes me nostalgic, K! This is my home town. Thank you for a great post.
Hey Jack, I din’t realize you’re from HK. So the picture brings back memories of your ‘hometown’. Do you still come and visit here?
HK is a great multicultural city and I like living here.
nice pics K!
suprise and buy me tickets for a getaway in beautiful HK, can? I am so in need of a vacation!!!
have a great weekend k!
btw, u have been tagged!!!!
Haven’t been here Consuela? Drop by HK if you visit your hometown in Malaysia next time. I’ll tour you around for free. Don’t worry, I’m cheap for a bite at McDonalds.
A Tag? I’ll do that on my next post. I’m not good at vocabularies but will give you my share.
Happy weekend!
I haven’t been back yet, since leaving in 1976. I get to travel a lot everywhere else but the opportunity to return home just hasn’t surfaced. At least I can still get back: there was a time when we worried about what the Communists would do to the place after 1997.
I think I’m naive, people have been asking me the same question like “is it no longer good to live there?” It will always be an issue to those people who left HK before/after 1997. It literally hasn’t ‘changed’ around here - nothing strange at all. Oh wait, yeah we have now Disneyland, the new Airport, new ID system, new BIG buildings like the IFC and the Four Seasons hotel, new MTR connecting routes.
In some ways, the living here for a westerner is easier than ever, with better, more affordable housing, better transport, etc but Politically, I have no idea really but I’m sure you’re updated with the news. I’m not even a “westerner” but I kinda like it here.
I certainly want to get nostalgic one of these days and do a return trip, which was always my intention—but when you emigrate as a child, you don’t have much say in things! I left before the MTR was even built, and I think they had just added new lanes to the underwater tunnel. Shatin was mostly uninhabited!
Man, that was pretty long time ago. I think the MTR was built in 1979 four years prior to completion. Hahaha sounds like I made a research on this. I think they launched these underground trains in Kowloon area then a year later, they created the crossing harbour tunnel to HK Island.
Amazing isn’t it? I will always love the TRAMCARS. During my FOB days, I travel between Central to Quarry Bay, where my family used to live, for more than 10 yrs. Since they’re no longer here, I moved to Wanchai and it’s only 5mins walk to my office so I rarely use these trams now.
Wanchai reminds me of Burgos st. in Makati Ave A LOT!!!!
Burgos St? Iba yung sa Malate? hahaha when I think of girlie bars in Mla that’s what comes in mind. Lakwatsa in Manila around these kind of spots, I’d be totally needing local bodyguards eh wala akong alam sa Manila except for MEGAMALLS, RUSTANS and QUIAPO Church (dont know why I find it intriguing to visit and pray there).
Yeah, I am pretty ancient (well, compared to you!)! The MTR was in the late 1970s: you are right. When I left they were planning it, or about to start it. The place does change quickly, although I guess if you remember the main streets you can still find your way around. I had family in Wanchai; I was in Homantin.
I live near The Hopewell Centre, (the one with the revolving resto) probably you were still here when this building used to be first tallest bldg in HK before China Bank Tower. MTR is the coolest transport system around here, so convenient to everything even if the airport is already miles away from the City. I think the next MTR project is going to be the Sheung Wan-Kennedy Town lanes, not sure but who knows?
Don’t know where Homatin is, Tsuen Wan train lane maybe?
talo dyan ang banners sa Gigolo! this easter season, their show’s title reads: “Eggs Hunt”. hahahaha.
hahaha I know where that is. But hey diba kasali yung sa RECTO for RED ZONE district ng Manila? I think it’s scattered around…. but where can you find the decent one?
Those days when my friends still studying in Manila, overheard the most popular disco in PINAS, was it Eutopia? No. I forgot the name, tambayan daw nina Ruffa nun? Ok, Ruffa? As in Guiterrez? Bektas whatever? Dun sya napunta.
Bugok ako sa Mla in terms of “hang-the-night-outs”.
The Hopewell Centre I remember because to a kid, that revolving restaurant is a lot of fun! But when I left, the Connaught Tower was the tallest building, and I think it held on to that record for a while. Homantin, or Ho Man Tin, is just north of Kowloon proper; used to be quite a nice, upper-middle-class neighbourhood though I understand it has really headed downhill in the last 30 years. Homantin is on a train line, but can’t remember which, but the Tseun Wan line rings a bell. We used to get around everywhere on the light buses (14-seat in those days) and cabs as they were dirt cheap, and never caught the train, so I can’t really comment based on childhood memories.
I think it’s the 16 seater mini-bus also known as maxicabs with reckless drivers? I usually utilize these bus when I work on my early shifts to go to work and it scares the hell off me when the driver hit narrow roads. You know that right?
Yes, they increased to 16 seats some time in the 1980s. The drivers weren’t too bad in the 1970s, but I guess they could have got worse! The whole story was the original bus drivers went on strike and some independents got together, just to help out the city. Eventually the colonials thought, ‘Why don’t we sanction these indies and fire the guys who are on strike?’ And thus the light buses came into being.
However bad they are in HK, I’ll bet the bus drivers in Seoul are worse. Those guys have more of a death wish than Charles Bronson.
Few days ago these mini-bus drivers went on strike about holiday compensation & salaries. Some of these drivers are stubborn and they just need to change that. But one of the best in Hong Kong is the wide choice of public transport, it amuses me (I think the best in the world). Now added to that, minibuses operators are now complaining about the growth of non-franchised bus services, these are shuttle buses that pick-ups passenger from a housing estate stations to shopping centres and they are taking business away from these minibuses or the taxis in that case.
Seoul are worse? How about the Philippines jeepney drivers? I would say they are everywhere. I think the government impose a rule on speed standards and these fast-driving drivers are now being monitored by many complaining passengers.
It’s ironic, because the minibuses began as a renegade operation much like the modern shuttles!
I have not been to the Philippines, but I have heard about the jeepney drivers being totally mad! But the Korean bus drivers are worth experiencing: there are few thrills like going through red lights down a busy Seoul street at 80 km/h.
Alright I’ll stick with the subway unless you’re not travelling during the rush hours. But it’s the perfect way to go around HK and you are able to use your cellphones (however, hidden charges for tunnels & subways are a bit expensive). Overall, it’s the safest, immaculately clean and convenient.
One of these days, I’ll have to try the subway. Seoul’s one is punctual and clean, so I have an impression of what it might be like back home. But I need to do as many light buses, double-deckers and taxis as possible for nostalgia’s sake!
BTW, K, I have one of my team going to HK—do you have any advice for him on what he could see? (You might even want to meet him.)
Hi Jack, I think this one would help. Oh no Jack, I would luv to but I’m a sucker for tourists. Kidding. When is he coming?
Cool, I’ll pass that on, thank you. Doug is coming May 17. His web site is http://www.detunephotography.com—really great guy. Part-Japanese so he is very appreciative of all Asian cultures.
Oh wow he’s a photographer, part-japanese & visiting HK. Is he coming on a pleasure trip or to attend some galleries & photography conference?
Partly for pleasure but he’s trying to make it relevant and meaningful for as many people as possible (I guess that includes me—he is a nice guy!) so he is working as much as he can. Come to think of it, Doug always works. One of the hardest working guys I know!
His works looks amazing. At least the pleasure goes along together. He should enjoy it here, esp for the first time visitor.
I think he will find it a more interesting crossroads of cultures. He has been to Japan to see his grandparents so he has had a dose of a full-on Asian city. But he felt that because he is half-English, there was a bit of “people looking twice?, if you know what I mean. Hong Kong, to me, is more varied and fun.
And don’t forget the food. HK is crowned winner for culinary. Remember this city is growing its reputation as the Culinary Capital of Asia. It’s probably why I love the chinese fried noodles.
True. It took years in New Zealand before the restaurants were even near comparable after I got here! Fried noodles rock! Especially yee mein.
There’s one Chinese Restaurant in Happy Valley near the horseracing field where they cook asuper delicious fried noodles. I forgot the name but it’s pretty much popular for tourists and locals alike. At work, I feast on them for breakfast.
I have to remember this …! I can only really remember my own ’hood and a few places in downtown Kowloon, and on the island. I can’t even remember their names but I reckon I could find them (I have a pretty good instinct for direction).
I’m no Kowloon fan. I mean, I seldom go there by myself. Sometimes I save some pennies for the ferry and watch the beautiful backdraft of HK Islands. It is one of those that I truly enjoy being here. Once I get there, I walk just nearby and end up at Mong Kok. Remember the night market where you can buy fakey goodies on the street? It’s still one of the highlites for tourist, infact they are not cheap anymore but still fun to be around those area - too many people tho’.
I know those areas in Kowloon well. They used to be a lot nicer, from the sounds of it. I know my own neighbourhood has turned into a bit of a hole—which does quell my desire to visit it somewhat. I didn’t cross over to the island that often. Good to know which areas are safe and which aren’t—I always expected if I were to return I would be bringing a girl to show her where I was from.
It’s fun when you go out with group of friends - esp the first timers. Those stalls steals your ‘night’ away. One pleasant place to visit is the Stanley Market, take note, tourist do come for a beer on a sea-view area. It’s the expat’s hang out away from ‘from the city in the city’ itself. You should go there too.
I remember the Stanley Market (vaguely) from my childhood so I would likely go there. I would probably be like a big kid revisiting everywhere!
Exactly. That fishing area turned into a tiny city. They have a huge department store there and nice houses too. For expats I may say. You take the bus or taxi (but don’t ever use taxi by any means) , the only way to get there. I think they still kept that old temple nearby - it’s a place to pray for the Goddes of the Sea and whatever you call them. There are variety of restaurant with sea views, alfresco ambience. Amazing place to visit really.
Very fascinating. Are taxis not good these days? In the ’70s they were pretty reliable and the drivers were honest.
Oh taxis, you can never missed an important meetings. Sometimes they are nice. some are bad and I think those were the drivers on your time, they’re getting old but don’t argue with them or you’ll get a FOO GAI reply. hahahaha.
I might have to take the cab for some of my journeys just to relive it all! I remember when they were nearly all Datsun 220Cs but occasionally you would find a Mercedes-Benz. Ah, I think I can handle the cabbies, being a “local” (albeit one who hasn’t been back in a heck of a long time!).
I think it’s still the Datsun, not sure as I really never pay attention - but it’s a big taxi for 5 pax. Passengers back and front uses safety belts now and there’s a huge fine if you don’t wear them of course. Yup you can handle the cab pretty easy once you’re here.
In the movies they still seem to be Nissan Cedrics (formerly Datsun)—or whatever they are called now. I would feel “naked” without a seat belt: I have become accustomed to them here.
The seat belt rule is strict. The drivers would scream back at you if you missed putting them on even if you are at the back of the seat. Safety first.
Well, it’s not a bad rule to have. I would do it just as a matter of course. I might not do it in Italy, as the drivers think you are insulting them!
Sometimes I break the rules, maybe I am just being stubborn. Maybe when I know how to drive myself, I’d be worried.
It’s possible. Today alone I confronted two drivers who stopped suddenly—which you would notice from the driver’s seat.
On my average review of the safety here, I find it shocking that the mini-bus has the highest percentage of all fatal accidents. The Gov’t respond to these was very serious, minibuses are now equipped with seatbelts. However, passengers ignore these all the time. I don’t think people are disoriented that these seatbelts are very useful. I haven’t seen one really buckle up their seat when I travel at this buses. While I do that all the time, the person sitting next to me would think I’m crazy.
The thing I’m most afraid of in everyday’s life is one of the most common, are car accidents - no matter where you are in the world.
Seat belts certainly make sense. We have fewer bus accidents here so these calls have been made, but not taken seriously. I hope we won’t have another fatal bus accident otherwise we might see a similar response from our government.
What usually causes these minibus accidents? Is it driver error?
I think the roads are getting smaller around here, well obviously in HK Islands. If you travel between Central to North Point, the traffic jam is overflowing. Or reckless drivers running on a red light? It goes with the taxis too.
Well I think HK is pretty law-and-order kind of place. Or is it Singapore?
I have been to Singapore in recent years and thought it particularly well run and civilized—they even have a statue of Confucius there, so we know whose principles are calling the shots! My memory of Hong Kong was quite orderly—sort of organized chaos—so back in the day no one ran red lights. Now, Seoul and Bangkok, those are very different!
Funny when I check on my stats, searchers who ended up in my blog happens to find SEX related stuff - it must be the post that gave them the impression. Added to that, Akismet caught around 17 Spams all because of the Penis Enlargement & Red Lights posts.
I can imagine! On another blog I frequent (at ctrinity.wordpress.com, folks had been searching for a sexual term, too. I don’t have many of these terms so most of my searches are quite tame, though after my Kim Cattrall post earlier in the week, I am not sure if that will change!
A Kim Cattrall post? How so, Jack? Now I have 30 plus Spam caught by Akismet. They changed, now they attack me on DIET pills and other healthy medicines. I think they found another source from old post called Obligation and Withdrawals.
Hello Jack!Nice to catch you here.
Great post K.!
I have dudes coming now to my blog with the term “death”.A lot.
Spooky!
Hi c.trinty. Small blogging world, coComment does the trick huh? Nice to see you here too.
Thanks!
I wrote a piece on marketing and Kim Cattrall is advertising the Nissan Tiida down here (it’s an Australian campaign). Nice to see you here, C.! CoComment really does let you track where the world’s blogging conversations are.
Ummm…i found K’s blog through the incoming links to my blog.
Jack ,i left you a comment with a link but i want K to see this one too.
God!I love this video.
http://www.dumpalink.com/media/1145345658/Top_Gear_Range_Rover_Sport
It is definitely worth watching! I like the fact we all met via coComment—these unplanned networks are great.
I know this is slightly OT and I apologize to K, but C.: how is your quitting smoking going?
K, here is a link to the two Kim Cattrall advertisements:
http://www.nissan.com.au/tiida/
They are pretty lame, in my view.
You two, THANK you for visiting and sharing some recommended links. I’m just miles away but you can pretty much reach me with a click of the mouse. I love being a “stranger”.
Umm…ok.
First,i want that tank.Really!
Second,K,is a pleasure to share goodies.I give you my mp3’s if you want.
Eheheh!
Third,from the moment someone talks to you,you ain’t no “stranger” anymore.
Nice to meet you,stranger.
Jack,i am counting down to June 13.I was slowing down for a while but in the last two days i smoked my lighters off.
I bet my mom is watching me and shakes her head.
And Jack…Ryan’s missing you.
Hi c, very much thank you. I’m using Limewire Pro for my mp3 downloads (illegal, I know) but I use them for my own pleasure and other people steal them too (file sharing) but that’s about it, I don’t sell my downloads so the
IRRARIAA won’t prosecute me. But seriously, this downloader is scary. I heard that HK is tracking the illegal sharing of music in every household but I’m glad, I’m not a kid anymore, they won’t catch me.Smoked your lighters off? Does that mean you haven’t stopped?
I do need to pop by Ryan’s blog. When WordPress went down I didn’t go on, and I guess I realized a lot of dialogue was habitual. When the program was down the habit got broken. I’ll zoom over and see what’s going on there.
Woh, Ryan is always on the Top of the list including yourself Jack.
Hi c,
I thinkI’ve added you and I’ve been clicking on your techie links.K.,I never share my music.Don’t share…don’t give away.
The music i like can be found free to download such as DJ River and many other web sites .I like chill music .
Most of the new songs aren’t worth a cent so i don’t bother buying it nor downloding it,even if is for free.
But i found few sites where i go and listen.Pandora.com and audiri.com
As for the RIAA..they’re so greedy and give us the false impression that they care about musicians when in fact they are ruining them day by day.
Hope you like my techie links.
Jack,i didn’t stop.I will do the cold turkey on 13.I set up the date and from that day on,no more smoking.I hope.
Till then…well….wanna smoke?
I do enjoy the Pandora, it’s been like my own radio everytime I’m online. Can I join in your pot session? I tried to do the cold turkey too but it’s difficult. I think I’m back again. Give me some patches.
Yes, Ryan was ahead at coComment for some time and during April I passed him.
A lot of these big groups pretend to help artists and don’t. Shame.
Whatever the case I just don’t like the idea of downloading music. I’m quite happy buying CDs or just listening to the radio (or web radio).
June 13 it is! Sounds like a good idea to have a target date.
Thanks for the iPod. I don’t really need to bring a pack of CD in my bag and open it in the public to change to another CD.
I don’t know it’s just addicting to download music and play the songs you enjoy over and over again. With too many free radio streams online, sometimes it’s hard to stick to just one source of music listening. When I’m blogging, there’s a pleasure of turning the “Easy Listening”. What’s your kind of music, Jack?
Good point about the iPod, K. To me, I am just content humming to myself! I am quite into jazz—it’s what I listen to most. But if I were buying CDs, I tend to go for orchestral stuff like movie soundtracks, and the Swedish jazz singer Monica Zetterlund. I’m a big fan of Sacha Distel; mostly the crooners (Andy Williams, Matt Munro) as I sing along with them. Finally, and this will probably surprise most people, Olivia Newton-John, especially the mid- to late-1970s’ stuff that John Farrar produced.
I see a lot of your music links, K, but I don’t know the artists. Is there a genre they belong to?
I can relate. I enjoy the jazz once in a while. I grew up with the noise of the trumphet at home. My dad would normally do his instruments cleaning, a loud tooot to practice his strength in blowing the trumphet. That’s when I started to listen to Jazz and Orchestra. I learned from him that listening to Standard music like Matt Munro will never fades away and you can keep them longer in a CD rack. Maybe when the time comes, I’d go back to the habit of listening to classic. HMV music shop is quite a music library and there are thousand to choose from.
At the moment, I stick on some emo music and few POP Christian songs. If I’m on the road, I’d stick with the R&B’s. “Cool” - kids would say these days.
I am pretty easily contented: I have a few CDs of my favourites, and play them when the fancy takes me. I used to have a piano in the house but I gave it to a kid who was learning.
You know, I only learned what emo meant through blogs, about two months ago!
We can share a bit of those net-words. I read them most of the time in few music forums. I think technology influences us to say the word shortcuts. Like if you send a text messages you WUD RITE LKS THS.
I sent a text message once on a friend’s cell, back in November. Took half an hour to compose. In the end I decided texting was a waste of time as talking is quicker, and said I would not do it again!
My view has always been that communication is meant to solve a problem. By writing funny, you create a problem. So, you didn’t communicate. Hence, texting is not communication! Or rather, they go against the idea of the cellphone being a unit for efficient communication.
Exactly. For kids, it’s a fun thing. HK starting to create a TEXT-Whore city, not that Calling someone via mobile is expensive (I think for me it is) but it’s a free service for a subscriber. Most people can’t live without a mobile phone anymore (esp HK) and by text messaging, it helps them communicate with friends or families without being caught in the workplace. We had a big argument at work about someone using a mobile and now Ive teached them to use the text msg, turn off the ringing and enable the vibrating signal tone. If you are in the Philippines. Text messaging is a way of communicating through different unknown subscriber, a set of news to those who can’t own a TV (I dont know why other people think cellphone is cheap, infact they are expensive). At the same time, enjoying the excitement of sending a simple “hello” thru text can make you smile when u wake up. (For me its annoying when it rings).
Ah, I see why people will go for texting instead. I know from all my friends cellphones are expensive, too—another reason not to get one! Like Superman, I still look for pay phones …
I find it quite surprising that many more household prefer mobile phones than landlines. HK is going WIRELESS from internet and cable services. If you visit every Cafe shop, they are equipped with wireless services. And now the 3G service for mobile is going crazy around here.
Me, too, especially given the cost. I was talking to a friend who hasn’t made up a choice as to which telco to go with, so he and his wife use a cellphone for home. But he has had to take a cellphone off his daughter: he said in 10 days, she turned from being an outgoing, bright girl to a total introvert and glued to her gadget. That is very sad to hear, and I think that can only lead to a backlash. Phones are meant to help people connect, and their presence seems to do the opposite to kids, who become insular and don’t socialize.
And sometimes kids these days uses them for games, mp3 mobile & a camera. Bluetooth plays a great deal over this. It’s easy to send files as well. I think I do that all the time. hahaha.
I can understand the gaming as we had those little LCD games from Nintendo and Casio when I was around 10 or so. But I don’t think we withdrew from human contact, which is what this sounds like. However, I can understand how these are all great tools for adults. A lot of the cars I drive have Bluetooth these days, not that that means much to “no-cellphone” me!
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