Central Reclamation Project-Hong Kong, February 2008 (All Rights Reserved, William Banzai7) (Camera, Leica M8)
Few visitors realize that the iconic Central Waterfront on Hong Kong Island is in its entirety sitting on landfill. In fact, when the British first took possession of Hong Kong Island in 1841, the mountain the British called Victoria Peak and the local people called Tai Ping Shan or Mountain of Peace, was characterized as a barren rock dropping precipitously into the harbor. Lord Palmerston, the Foreign Secretary at the time, characterized the entire island as such: "All you got us is a barren rock!".
Today when you are standing by the Star Ferry Terminal in Central, there is a huge expanse of undeveloped land. That too is all landfill. Incredibly, the public has no idea what the government is planning for this site. I suspect the real estate developers already know.
In any event, I show this picture whenever anyone asks when this latest tranche of landfill occurred. The answer is it was finished sometime after I took this photograph in 2008. I remember being stunned at the size of this construction site, having spent some time working cement and demolition on holidays during law school.
This is just the segment at Central. In fact the project runs through Admiralty and Wanchai all the way down to Causeway Bay. There was a public outcry during all of this and a law was actually passed to prevent Victoria Harbor from becoming a simple river. I remember humming the melody of the jazz standard "Cry Me a River" featuring two greats, singer Julie London and the jazz guitarist Barney Kessel (check it out!).
You can view more images of the Central waterfront on my Flickr. And yes, there is much more to this story that I have to share on tour...
Central District, 2015 (All Rights Reserved, WilliamBanzai7) (Camera, Fuji XT-1 into 16-55 XF)
Notice anything about this photograph? Its the middle of the day and there is only a single vessel out on the water opposite Central, the approaching Lantau Ferry. This vessel free view was simply impossible back in the shipping hey day of Victoria Harbor!
See you on the Streets of Hong Kong!
WB7
End of Dispatch
ABOUT STREETS OF HONG KONG PREMIUM WALKING TOURS
I am an American of Asian descent from NYC who has spent many years living and working throughout Asia, most recently based from a very old Chinese neighborhood called To Kwa Wan in Old Kowloon for 15 years. I am also a retired international lawyer with strong Asian roots and I have reinvented myself as a professional artist, photographer and street savvy Hong Kong premium tour guide.
I specialize in premium private walking tours with an emphasis on street culture, local history and, for those so inclined, all levels of photography. My private tours are personalized to match your unique interests. Inasmuch as I am a professional photographer, all of the points of interest covered in my repertoire have a very strong visual appeal coupled with a well informed narrative adding dimension and context to your images.
Whether you are into simple travel snapshots, social media image sharing or serious landscape, architectural or urban street photography or just enjoying the Hong Kong experience, I am in a position to maximize your time spent in Hong Kong and its surrounding locales to the fullest.
Hence, my mission can be encapsulated as follows: To provide all of my clients with an entertaining, deeply informative and street savvy premium travel experience ultimately leading to cherished memories, a portfolio of stunning on-tour photographs, an urge for further investigation and a strong desire to navigate your way back to this wonderfully engaging city.
My premium walking tours are ideal for acclimating and orienting first time visitors to Hong Kong as well as for returning visitors eager for a new experience.
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