Letters | Visit to Ho Pui reservoir in Hong Kong’s New Territories ruined by aggressive villagers
- Demands of exorbitant car parking fees and threats for ‘encroaching’ on village land are at odds with a city that prizes law and order
Approaching the village by car, we were followed by a fierce-looking villager who swiftly overtook us on his electric bike and blocked the road leading up to the reservoir, making gestures that he would not let us pass.
We decided to park the car at an open space nearby and walk. We were then approached by another villager who demanded a “fee” of HK$100 for every two hours of parking (Causeway Bay prices), which we considered extortionate.
Meanwhile, the erstwhile villager joined the gathering and started a shouting match with my wife, claiming we were encroaching upon “his land” and if we were to drive up there “we will see what happens”.
The situation became threatening and we left quickly. One of the villagers recorded our departure on his mobile device. What happened to the Hong Kong of law and order that I have treasured ever since I arrived here more than 30 years ago?
Wolfgang Ehmann, Yuen Long