Yau Tsim Mong: where past and present meet

Yau Tsim Mong is the subject of this week's District Focus. With bargain stalls and trendy boutiques clustered together, Mong Kok is a favourite haunt of teenagers. Yau Ma Tei, dotted with old buildings, is one of the areas earmarked for redevelopment by the government. Boasting tourist attractions like the Avenue of Stars, Tsim Sha Tsui is a must-visit destination. Students Ivan Wong Chun-yuen, Chan Sho-po, Tai Yuk-hung, Ip Hei-man and Wong Chun-ming, who participated in the 'Through Our Eyes' programme, captured the unique characteristics of the area on camera.

The students explored the district under the guidance of visual artists Jenny Li Chun-nei and Lo Wai-hang.

Wong Chun-ming, 18, noted the difference among the three places in the same district. 'Although Langham Place is a huge mall, most people just shopped for bargains in the stalls along Sai Yeung Choi Street on the day of our trip. I think Mong Kok is a much more affordable place for shopping in comparison to Tsim Sha Tsui,' said the Form Five student from STFA Yung Yau College.

Ip Hei-man, a Form Five student from Pui Ching Middle School, was struck by the stark contrasts she observed in Mong Kok.

'We were taking pictures in Fa Yuen Street, where crowds shopped for sportswear. Across the road, people were lazing around Macpherson Playground. It was all hustle and bustle on one side of the street, with a sense of leisure dominating the other,' said the 16-year-old.

All photographs were taken by participants in the 'Through Our Eyes' programme, organised by The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation. The District Focus series is jointly run by the Foundation and Young Post. The cameras used were sponsored by Panasonic and the Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund.