My Hong Kong | Hong Kong’s accidental tourists: as Covid-19 keeps us home and slows us down, some are discovering local gems for the first time
- While those who can afford it once jetted off to Tokyo or Paris, city residents are increasingly uncovering the pleasures of their own backyard
During this pandemic, many of my friends have been playing tourist in Hong Kong by venturing to “outposts” in the New Territories, some of which they might be visiting for the first time despite having lived here for many years or all their lives.
The pandemic has drastically changed the way we look at the city, as well as our sense of belonging to it.
This is also part of the enforced “slowdown” we currently find ourselves in; this has meant fewer distractions or temptations, limited social interactions, and little to no overseas travel.
As a result, we have had to make do with what’s on our doorstep. We have adapted to a new lifestyle. Not only are we learning to live at a much slower pace, but to also appreciate what’s right in front of us.
Downtown Causeway Bay, a retail district famed for its shopping malls, is now something of a ghost town.