As Hong Kong continues to develop as one of the leading modernist cities of the world, its battle with air pollution and smog is slowly being lost casting huge gray clouds over many of its triumphant skyscrapers.

On the 22nd of March 2010, levels of pollution reached record highs in the city due to changes in wind patterns. Instead of pollution naturally diffusing throughout the skies of Southern China, it was left to build up over Hong Kong and accumulate in its atmosphere. This lead to Environmental Health Officers warning people across the city to stay indoors as much as possible to avoid the inflammation of illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis. Since March, viruses and premature deaths caused by pollution have sadly risen as people continue to ignore the health warnings they are receiving.   

There are two main contributors to air pollution in Hong Kong – factories and motor vehicles.  Along the Hong Kong borders are 70,000 factories which pump out a number of harmful gases everyday. These gases are then carried by the wind across the skies of the city. They then linger in the air above Hong Kong because high rise buildings and skyscrapers trap them, preventing the wind from carrying them any further.
So it seems, the more Hong Kong does to improve its Western lifestyle, the more it is destroying its natural beauty and air quality. Ironically the city is named after the fragrant harbor it once possessed but that is now long gone and replaced by a scent that is some what less appealing

Dining in Hong Kong

As well as its modernist, state of the art architecture, Hong Kong is known world wide for its complex and flavorsome cuisine. With a history of British control and a population consisting of descendants from all over China and further afield, the city has a wide range of influences to please the pallet.  

Among the dishes commonly served from day to day is the Hong Kong speciality, Dim Sum. Dim Sum consists of many small plates of food served together to produce a complex meal. These small dishes, which are served in steam baskets, range from shrimp dumplings to rice porridge and are usually accompanied by a serving of traditional Chinese soy sauce. Shockingly, the deep fried savoury dish, is commonly served as breakfast for the native Chinese people although it is available in restaurants for lunch time meals also. 

Unlike many Western countries such as Britain and the USA, the people of Hong Kong tend to eat very small portions. Instead of eating in quantity at certain times of the day, the Chinese prefer to eat snack-sized meals around five times a day. This, combined with the use of very fresh ingredients in cooking and a highly active lifestyle, is thought to be the reason the life expectancy for HongKongers is so high. The average healthy individual living in Hong Kong has a life expectancy of around 82 years compared with just 77 years in Scotland.

Hong Kong

A close friend of mine recently packed her bags and ventured on a spontaneous university exchange year to Hong Kong. As a student of business studies the opportunity to learn in one of the world’s leading financial centres seemed to good to pass by so she decided to embrace this once in a life time experience. Now, as a keen student of architecture, i too feel Hong Kong is a place of importance to my learning, so have persuaded my parents to take me East on a venture of my own. 

Hong Kong is situated on China’s south coast and has a hot and humid climate due to its close proximity to the tropic of Cancer. It is home to over seven million people who all inhabit a small percentage of land due to the mountainous landscape of the city. This has forced the densely packed region to build upwards rather than outwards to accommodate its growing population. It has recently become the most vertical city in the world and a hub for modern architecture and construction.

Amongst the cities 7650 skyscrapers  are The International Commerce Centre (3rd tallest building in the world), Central Plaza, which takes on a triangular floor plan, and The Bank Of China which resembles shoots of growing bamboo. These along with other unique buildings transform the city into a place of architectural excellence and are the reason the city has now been branded the most visually pleasing in the world.