BLARING horns, exhaust fumes, dirty water and the polluted, teeming streets were fraying the nerves of entrepreneur William Chan On.
The Hong Kong-born electrician had just set up an elevator-design company - a sure-fire winner in a city of mushrooming high-rises. Despite his success, Mr Chan called it quits after three years. He packed up a few belongings, invested his profits and headed for the sun, surf and sand.
Now, 17 years on, the 51-year-old still stays clear of the rat race, spending his days fishing, surfing, swimming and walking in Sai Kung Country Park.
'Here the water is clean, the mountains are beautiful, I have sunshine, good food, clean air, no cars,' the keen surfer said.
'In the city, food and everything else is so expensive, there are too many people and the water is very dirty.' 'Ah Kwok', as he is known, is a jaunty rarity in a metropolis dedicated to stock market killings and karaoke bars.
He pays $583 a month for his home in Tai Wai Village, near Tai Long Wan beach, where he sells the occasional bottle of water to weary walkers.
Mr Chan treks more than an hour along a mountainous path to catch the bus to Sai Kung whenever he runs out of food, which is about once a week.