Who stole my Mong Kok? Maverick publisher laments ‘mainlandisation’ of Hong Kong’s busiest area

“Who stole our Mong Kok?” The blunt question comes from renowned cultural critic, maverick publisher and long-term Mong Kok resident Jimmy Pang Chi-ming. There would be few in the city who know Mong Kok, the controversial district thrust into the global spotlight following the Lunar New Year riot, as well as Pang who has spent almost his entire life living and exploring the vibrant area. But Pang, 60, who has lived in Mong Kok since he migrated to Hong Kong from Guangdong at the age of three, said he has never wanted to quit Mong Kok as badly as he does now. “Never have I thought about moving out of Mong Kok until recently,” he told the Post. “Mong Kok has degenerated. This place is getting too crowded, too noisy and too dirty – it’s no longer a dwelling place.” Frenetic crowds, noise and pollution have always been the traits of Mong Kok, named as the most densely-populated area in the world by the Guinness World Records. But Pang, who set up his publishing house Subculture at Sai Yeung Choi Street, lamented the area has been gradually losing its unique aura and charm. “Mainlandisation” is the culprit behind the degeneration of this lively and energetic district, he said, once full of a multiplicity of attractions, warmth, fun, humanity and a very specific brand of humour. The phenomenon that “bad money drives out good” is taking place in Hong Kong. READ MORE: 10,000 complaints after Hong Kong station TVB uses simplified Chinese in newscasts In his eyes, Mong Kok is no longer the place it used to be. “Now I share the same feelings with those who wonder about Hong Kong,” he said. “For me, Mong Kok nowadays is not the same as before. I often wonder exactly who stole our Mong Kok?” Pang, the publisher of Mong Kok Phrases, a book on the youth subculture of “MK guys” and “MK girls”, said changes began after the 1997 handover, with a lot of policy initiatives aimed at destroying the cultural heritage of Hong Kong, and moving the city towards mainlandisation. Mong Kok has always been a key transport hub, a core centre of Hong Kong connecting people from everywhere to everywhere, especially before the closure of Kai Tak airport in Kowloon City in 1998. Since it was close to the old airport, people who travelled by air would usually pass through Mong Kok. It also has a railway station connecting to the mainland with a diverse selection of local transport ranging from buses and mini-buses to the MTR. “Because of this key role it plays as the core transport hub of Hong Kong, it brings in people from all walks of life who want to make ends meet in Mong Kok,” Pang says. This explains why tourists, the city’s underdogs, businessmen, prostitutes, triads, street artists and trendsetters are all attracted to this place where small quirky businesses, cutting-edge shops, restaurants, the sex trade and colourful entertainment flourish. Pang said Mong Kok has always been a highly accommodating place for everyone irrespective of one’s race and social status. “Mong Kok is the only indiscriminatory place in Hong Kong,” Pang said. “No matter how poor or rich you are, you must have visited Mong Kok. Even the super-rich like Li Ka-shing (Hong Kong’s richest man) will not think coming to Mong Kok is cheap. “In fact, when he was still running plastic flower factories in the 60s he often held company banquets here. It is the only place in Hong Kong without discrimination.” In the past the bustling streets were lined with traditional shops and restaurants where locals and tourists with different nationalities alike enjoyed hanging out, but now they were replaced with pharmacies, cosmetics shops and jewellery chain stores which draw mainland tourists in their droves. “We feel estranged with this kind of change. It seems all the delight of living in Mong Kok is lost,” he said. However, Pang said the core values of Mong Kok – signifying the Lion Rock spirit of perseverance and solidarity and embracing cultural diversity, creativity, and the spirit of fair play – have been under attack by the invasion of mainland culture, especially through the influx of mainlanders under various schemes. He said the challenge to Hong Kong’s core values was arousing public grievances and a greater sense of defiance especially in Mong Kok. “Does that mean with money we can do whatever we want without the need of following the rules and abiding by the law?” he said. “As a melting pot and the core centre of Hong Kong, Mong Kok naturally bears the brunt of this cultural invasion.” Pang accused the Leung Chun-ying-led government of adding fuel to the fire by further provoking social divisions and conflicts with controversial decisions like the denial of Ricky Wong Wai-kay’s company HKTV a free-to-air TV licence, and its refusal to propose a political reform package with greater democracy. The mounting public outrage finally prompted thousands of MK people to join the Occupy movement in Mong Kok in late 2014 as a way to vent their anger and frustrations at the government. The civil disobedience movement called on thousands of protesters to block roads and paralyse traffic to demand what they called “real democracy”, not one decreed by Beijing. “Actually Mong Kok people joined the movement not only just for the sake of fighting universal suffrage, but also for the sake of venting their anger at a host of mainlandisation measures,” he said. “When their core values are threatened, the gritty Mong Kok people will come out in unity to safeguard their own interests. “And when moderate action like fasting and public assemblies cannot arouse your reaction, people will go for extreme measures.” In Pang’s view, the Mong Kok riot where the protesters clashed with police on the first day of the Lunar New Year, was just the aftermath of the Occupy movement. “I believe most of the protesters, especially the key figures, were not from Mong Kok,” he said. “If you watch it closely, the protesters targeted the police only, hurling bricks, bottles and concrete at police officers only.” READ MORE: Riot gear to be kept in police vehicles following criticism of police preparedness for Mong Kok riot The protesters’ growing hatred against local police, Pang believed, originated from their discriminatory and violent approach to handling Occupy protesters, such as firing tear gas and pepper spray at protesters without warning and hitting innocent passers-by. But will Mong Kok become a danger zone for tourists? “Of course not!” he said. “Actually it was business as usual the next morning. Mong Kok will still be the same, lively, full of vitality and glamour.”

Who stole my Mong Kok? Maverick publisher laments ‘mainlandisation’ of Hong Kong’s busiest area

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Jimmy Pang Chi-ming, who has spent most of his life in vibrant Mong Kok, says changes in recent years have made him considering moving away

Jimmy Pang Chi-ming, who has spent most of his life in vibrant Mong Kok, says changes in recent years have made him considering moving away