"Hong Kong- The Cement Jungle." Hong Kong by acemj

Hong Kong Travel Guide: 8,194 reviews and 19,580 photos

I was eight months old when my father picked us up and took us from the chill of the Upper Midwest (I was born in Minnesota, USA) to the equatorial heat of Hong Kong. That was in 1972. I lived there for nine years, attending Hong Kong International School in Repulse Bay. What a great experience it was to spend my formative years in a different culture, sharing experiences with friends from all over the world! I'm sure that my childhood is the very reason that I am so fascinated with travel today.
Much has changed in Hong Kong since the '70s, though the effects of the 1997 transition from British to Chinese control have been far less than anticipated.

The sad truth is that I have not been back to Hong Kong since my youth, but that does not mean that the memories are not still rich. I still have scars on my knees from playing soccer on cement and those scars to me are wonderful!! It is hard to forget experiencing a place so loud and fast and fragrant as Hong Kong. I am always brought back to those memories when I walk through an authentic Chinatown like the one in New York City.

I will never forget the crowds and the traffic and yet neither of these things seemed to bother me. They were, in fact, an integral part of what made the fast moving life so exciting. I was just a child, but my parents were always taking my sister and me to restaurants and markets and festivals and concerts, all of which are among the best and busiest in the world. You will find that there is no shortage of things to do in H.K.

  • Last visit to Hong Kong: Jul 1981
  • Intro Updated Apr 30, 2004
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Reviews (32)

Comments (180)

  • Feb 20, 2006 at 9:44 AM

    I had a HK childhood too! I am having all the old slides put onto disc this week so I can start building my HK page at last! We were there 69-72! I shall come back to have another look here sooon! GREAT page! :))

  • Nemorino's Profile Photo
    Sep 25, 2005 at 2:22 PM

    Hong Kong must have been an exciting place to grow up! I once had a week of R&R in Hong Kong, and loved it. I can well remember the Star Ferry and the tram going up to Victoria's Peak, where I ran into a family talking animatedly in Swiss German.

  • mim95's Profile Photo
    Sep 24, 2005 at 1:42 PM

    I love the old photos here! HK has changed so much since then. The Sung Village has closed its doors.

  • SiRin's Profile Photo
    Apr 9, 2005 at 8:35 PM

    hi...nice pages, i like HK too. visit there 2-3 times a year. wanna see more HK recent pics...visit my pages :-)

  • we2364's Profile Photo
    Oct 12, 2004 at 12:27 AM

    Your page really make me miss HK, especially the food. Yammy... But are you an egg (as we use to call Chinese lived abroad Banana!;)))

  • kamfili's Profile Photo
    Sep 30, 2004 at 3:00 PM

    Yehey! your HK page does bring back a lot of memories. I've been to all the places you mentioned! Great skyline!

  • o00o's Profile Photo
    Aug 20, 2004 at 9:12 PM

    Perfect coverage of Hong Kong, Thanks.

  • linwei66's Profile Photo
    Aug 13, 2004 at 10:07 AM

    Great Hong Kong page and nice pics too! They bring back a lot of memories.

  • FlyingShanice's Profile Photo
    May 28, 2004 at 8:41 AM

    hi Mark, could u show me the scars on your knees ? they were made in HK :D

  • deecat's Profile Photo
    Apr 29, 2004 at 6:30 PM

    Personal childhood recollections are wonderful, and yours is no exception. What a terrific introduction. Love the photos, especially the one of you as a child. A wonderful childhood, indeed.

acemj Used To Live Here!

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