Messages on the Subway Wall, Walking Hong Kong, from Mong Kok to Sham Shui Po and Temple Street, Reclaim Yuen Long

Messages on the subway wall. 

Scenes from 

Reclaim -yuen-long-thousands-hongkongers-vent-anger-mob-attacks-defying-police-protest-ban/

After arriving, we slept in and make our way out of our hotel in Mong Kok, walking through the  Flower Market,

Down Prince Edward to Cheung Sha Wan  Road, up to Sham Shui Po.

There guidebook notes:

“Sham Shui Po, a Hong Kong hidden gem. This colourful Kowloon locality is one of the poorest of all the districts in Hong Kong and provides a stark contrast to the glitz and glam of the Central skyscrapers. Each street specialises in different goods, from kids clothes and suitcases, decorations to match the season, electronics of every kind, craft and jewelry making supplies and every fabric under the sun….For even more of a local feel go for a walk through the busy wet market to see fish fillets so fresh the hearts are still beating, every manner of sea creature and literally every part of the pig in the pork butchery. If that’s not your scene you can go on a Michelin foodie hunt with the famous Tim Ho Wan dim sum and new inclusions to the street food guide Kung Wo Tofu and Soybean shop and Kwan Kee dessert shop. Hit up Sham Shui Po in the afternoon or early evening to see daily life in full swing.”

The city feels alive, a lot more color and  messiness than Tokyo’s polish.

The food is wonderful.

The streets quircky.

Laundry hangs from the windows  of the 

old buildings that are not quite as cleaned up.

Everywhere we go, we see wheat paste messages about the protests from last week, yesterday at the airport, the march yesterday, and today.

The police ruled against the rally.

But people decide to meet up anyway and confront the police who seemed  to let the mob beat 45 people with clubs last week.

News about the marches are on TV.

Everywhere people are fighting what feels like an authoritarian direction from Beijing.

Bookshop owners disappearing.

People are  fighting for a voice, for a point of view.

There  is so much  to see here.

So much to talk about.

This city is more alive and free than ever.

But it feels  precarious.

Old men play games in the  park.

People sell there wares, with street food and prostitution everywhere.

The subways work.

Parents are affectionate with their kids.

The people seem to care.

We make our ways through the subways to the Ladies Market and back to our hotel.

Its hot and wonderful out.

The riots in the Outer Territories lasted  all afternoon long.

Teargas everywhere.

Hong Kong is a wonder.

Reclaim Yuen Long.