BBC2 - World's Busiest Cities

[anti-pacer]

Is anybody watching the first programme of this 4-part series? Tonight it's about Hong Kong, but the series will also feature Mexico City, Moscow and Delhi.

It's featured how expensive it is to live in Hong Kong (amongst other things), and to be honest it looks a dump. A guy was living in a 'cupboard' of no longer than 6 feet. I personally don't see what's so great about the city, but in fairness I've never been.

 

[class387]

Is anybody watching the first programme of this 4-part series? Tonight it's about Hong Kong, but the series will also feature Mexico City, Moscow and Delhi.

It's featured how expensive it is to live in Hong Kong (amongst other things), and to be honest it looks a dump. A guy was living in a 'cupboard' of no longer than 6 feet. I personally don't see what's so great about the city, but in fairness I've never been.

I've been multiple times and I hate it. Total, utter dump. Other Chinese cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou) are far superior.

 

[fowler9]

I really like Hong Kong. Yeah parts of it are a dump. Huge swathes of Paris, London, Rome, Barcelona etc. etc. are. You can still visit Hong Kong and send very little money apart from the air fare. I know, I was there for a week on a very tight budget. For one of the most densely populated places on the planet (Despite someone on another thread reckoning the UK was anywhere near) you can still quite easily find some nice places to yourself. Class 387 I have a mate who has lived in China for the last 5 or 6 years who would possibly disagree with you.

 

[class387]

I really like Hong Kong. Yeah parts of it are a dump. Huge swathes of Paris, London, Rome, Barcelona etc. etc. are. You can still visit Hong Kong and send very little money apart from the air fare. I know, I was there for a week on a very tight budget. For one of the most densely populated places on the planet (Despite someone on another thread reckoning the UK was anywhere near) you can still quite easily find some nice places to yourself. Class 387 I have a mate who has lived in China for the last 5 or 6 years who would possibly disagree with you.

Hong Kong seems to have less nice areas though. Even the good neighborhoods just look run down, unkempt and claustrophobic. And when you go to places like Tin Shui Wai it's just depressing.

My parents are Chinese, so I get to experience it like a local and see the bad parts more than others, so that probably explains why I dislike it.

 

[AM9]

I've been to HK three times, 1996, 1998 and 2009. In 1996, it was interesting and fun. English speaking was no problem but there was no mistaking, it was China and all about business. In 1998, it was in the depth of the Far East recession, but apart from a few empty shop units, only the police looked different. In 2009, it seems that tourism was for Chinese only. In many places, English speakers were viewed with some suspicion.
However, HK is one of those places where it's good to just people watch, it's like looking at an ant's nest when it is busy.
In the 3 main SE Asian cities, my opinion is that:
Singapore - Ruthlessly efficient business culture, squeaky clean and - well, boring after a day
HK - Business focussed but with strong traditional Chinese cultural centres
Bangkok - Frantic, disorganised, sleazy, - but fascinating and fantastic food

 

[Springs Branch]

I've been to HK three times, 1996, 1998 and 2009. In 1996, it was interesting and fun. English speaking was no problem but there was no mistaking, it was China and all about business. In 1998, it was in the depth of the Far East recession, but apart from a few empty shop units, only the police looked different. In 2009, it seems that tourism was for Chinese only. In many places, English speakers were viewed with some suspicion.
However, HK is one of those places where it's good to just people watch, it's like looking at an ant's nest when it is busy.
In the 3 main SE Asian cities, my opinion is that:
Singapore - Ruthlessly efficient business culture, squeaky clean and - well boring after a day
HK - Business focussed but with strong traditiomnal Chinese cultural centres
Bangkok - Frantic, diorganised, sleazy, - but fascinating and fantastic food

That's an accurate and succinct summary, in my opinion (as a regular visitor for many years).

Regarding the comment "in 1998 .... only the police looked different", I visited Hong Kong before and just after the handover to China in 1997. I was struck how the customs / immigration officers at the airport (remember the landings at Kai Tak!) were still all wearing their British-era uniforms, with the crowns ripped off the epaulettes, but leaving the stray threads behind.

And a series about the world's busiest cities without covering Tokyo?

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

And a series about the world's busiest cities without covering Tokyo?

I guess the budget was insufficient for a longer series. Other very obvious candidates would be Sao Paolo and Manilla.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Is anybody watching the first programme of this 4-part series? Tonight it's about Hong Kong, but the series will also feature Mexico City, Moscow and Delhi.

It's featured how expensive it is to live in Hong Kong (amongst other things), and to be honest it looks a dump. A guy was living in a 'cupboard' of no longer than 6 feet. I personally don't see what's so great about the city, but in fairness I've never been.

I lived in Hong Kong for 12 months because of my job and I thought it was a horrible place. The way they treat the less well off is a disgrace. I rented a nice apartment in Hong Kong island but the humidity in summer was horrendous. Not to mention the traffic and lack of space.

 

[RichmondCommu]

That's an accurate and succinct summary, in my opinion (as a regular visitor for many years).

Regarding the comment "in 1998 .... only the police looked different", I visited Hong Kong before and just after the handover to China in 1997. I was struck how the customs / immigration officers at the airport (remember the landings at Kai Tak!) were still all wearing their British-era uniforms, with the crowns ripped off the epaulettes, but leaving the stray threads behind.

Kai Tak was just awful and that was without the horror of
landing or taking off in a full 747.

 

[J-2739]

I guess the budget was insufficient for a longer series. Other very obvious candidates would be Sao Paolo and Manilla.

Or New York.

 

[Darandio]

Or New York.

New York was already done. This new series is effectively a follow on from a successful 3-part programme that was focused entirely on New York.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07tl6yb

 

[flymo]

Is anybody watching the first programme of this 4-part series? Tonight it's about Hong Kong, but the series will also feature Mexico City, Moscow and Delhi.

It's featured how expensive it is to live in Hong Kong (amongst other things), and to be honest it looks a dump. A guy was living in a 'cupboard' of no longer than 6 feet. I personally don't see what's so great about the city, but in fairness I've never been.

I moved from Newcastle to Hong Kong for work in 1994 and have been here ever since. It is not any better than UK, not any worse just different. When I come back to UK now for a holiday like I did in July/ early August I cannot believe how slow things are in parts of the UK and how long it takes to get things done.

There are huge amounts of open space in HK but yes there are busy places too. HK Island is built on round the edges but not a huge amount in the middle. Some nice county parks to roam around in both on HK island, New Territories and on the many outlying islands. Some great beaches you can have virtually to yourself even in the heat of summer if you explore a bit.

Like most places if you visit for a short time you never get the feel for the place, once you become accustomed to how things are etc it is easier to do things a lot cheaper.

 

[AM9]

Kai Tak was just awful and that was without the horror of
landing or taking off in a full 747.

Kai Tak landings from the west were spectacular both in the air and from the ground around Sham Shui Po, but the airport was rubbish. Chep Lap Kok is just a modern airport, efficient but boring.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Kai Tak landings from the west were spectacular both in the air and from the ground around Sham Shui Po, but the airport was rubbish. Chep Lap Kok is just a modern airport, efficient but boring.

Every landing that I had into Kai Tak was so appalling that I had no interest in the passing scenery. The new airport might be boring but at least the plane doesn't get parked miles from the terminal and next to a stinking latrine.