Tung Chung: another Hong Kong district turned into a front line for anti-government protests
- Residents in the Lantau tourist and travel hub had been angry in recent years over the influx of mainland Chinese visitors
- Recent anti-government protests have brought disruption and a different kind of problem: no one wants to visit
When Tung Chung resident Mary Wong, 35, went to work at a restaurant at Hong Kong International Airport on September 1, she could scarcely imagine her usually unremarkable 30-minute trip home would turn into a two-hour walking nightmare.
But with her usual S64 bus suspended, along with Tung Chung and Airport Express trains, and road traffic in the district’s major thoroughfares brought to a standstill by anti-government protests, she had no choice but to join everyone else forced to trek the 5km or so to the town.
“By the time I got home after the long march, I was completely drained of energy and drenched in sweat. But I had to get home in time to cook and take care of my kids; otherwise I might have just slept on a bench at the airport and spared myself a lot of pain and sore muscles from the walk,” says the mother of two.
Known for its numerous nearby sights and attractions including Disneyland and the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, the once-buzzing tourist hub has turned into a virtual ghost town after three months of unrest, sparked by an extradition bill, which the government has since pledged to withdraw.
