New Harbour Views from Fortress Hill

Another new spot to take fantastic panoramic shots of the city

 

Hong Kong Island's harbour front is slowly opening up more for pedestrians to enjoy the view and new public spaces. The latest one to just open is the East Coast Park Precinct in Fortress Hill.

I checked it out tonight the day after the official opening and luckily there weren't too many people. Some of the fixtures like reclining seats look similar to the ones by the Wan Chai promenade, while the area with benches look like the ones found in Kennedy Town.

Do we really need this redundant sign here?

You can walk right up to where a giant "swirl" is, an air purifier and take some great photos looking towards Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Central. This place will probably become the next "Instagram Pier" even though it's hardly a pier.

It will also be a very good spot to catch the fireworks -- if Hong Kong ever has them again.

There are also mini slides for young children to play on and spaces for dogs to roam around too. 

One complaint is the gaudy "Victoria Harbour" sign that lights up the area. Really? Do we really need to put that there? It seems whoever approved the place was worried there was too much empty space.

But that's what public spaces are for, for people to decide what they want to do with it in the time that they are there. Maybe they can have a picnic or children can have more space to run around, play games, or draw chalk drawings.

The other thing the government and designers didn't think through properly was the name of the place. Type it into Facebook or Instagram and you get "East Coast Park, Singapore", a well known spot in the Lion City that is a park and beach, as well as recreation area in the southeastern coast of the city.

From the entrance of the park looking west

So it seems in Hong Kong, they added the word "Precinct" to make it different, but when it's not located on social media sites, East Coast Park Precinct won't get the buzz it needs to make people more aware of the place.

For those interested in finding it, from Fortress Hill MTR, walk along Oil Street and Electric Road, and then walk down Watson Road.

No more Instagram Pier

One of my favourite photos from the cargo pier from Dec 2019

 

Instagram Pier, the unofficial name for the Western Cargo Working Area has closed off to the public since Sunday -- possibly for good.

It's a favourite spot for many photographers who like to go to the end of the pier to capture sunsets, others like to walk their dogs there, or practice skateboarding, aunties dance there in the evenings, and runners go there as one of their points on their route.

The spot was also a favourite of mine too, and I was hooked about three years ago when I discovered it and went there more often from late 2019. It has an edgy feel to it, one section had tons of bamboo poles piled up, another had old unused cargo containers that people liked to pose with, and newlyweds took pictures there too.

The sunset drew many people to the pier

But alas, the public found the gates closed on February 28. The Hong Kong Tourism Board said the pier would be closed "citing Covid concerns".

However, many visitors did not understand this place is a working pier -- during the day there are cranes transporting items from one place to another, or even moving shipping containers. There are boats from Lamma that come to pick up supplies that are manually moved or hoisted onto them.

A few times security staff handed out leaflets to people warning them to leave the area or risk a hefty fine, and towards the end they tried to get people to wear masks in the area, sometimes without success. Some people seemed to think the pier was a public area without realizing it isn't at all. Or they climb up onto container or the cranes to take pictures without regard for safety.

One time during the day a man who was walking his dog got into a shouting match with one of the dock workers. In front of me was a group of policeman who saw the incident and went over to investigate; I didn't stay to see what happened. Some dog owners don't clean up after their pets, leaving a mess.

With the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic last year and gyms closed most of the time along with cinemas and other entertainment venues, many went to Instagram Pier to hang out, have some beers (and not clean up after), and have their dogs socialize with others. 

But in the end it was too much for the staff to enforce the rules and stopped everyone from going in at all.

Many brought their dogs to the pier to play

So I understand why the cargo pier had to be closed to the public, but it's disappointing that such a lovely spot is now completely off limits. 

My last visit there was February 24 and had no inkling anything would happen, though for a few weeks before, the gates were completely closed and there were only two side entrances to get in. The pier was also completely shut to the public on February 12, the first day of Chinese New Year.

District Councillor Paul Zimmerman criticized the closure of the pier, saying it "breaks the waterfront connectivity".

"The presence of the public has been tolerated and condoned for many years. Instagram pier was voted the most favourite public space in 2016. It is very regrettable that the Marine Department has decided to suddenly close the gates without prior consultation of the District Council, nor The Harbourfront Commission," he says.

"If any closure is to proceed, government should first widen the pavements around the Western Cargo Working Area before the closure is implemented," Zimmerman adds.

However the deed is done.

The pier was a lovely spot to admire and reflect

Many were quick to vent their anger on Twitter, saying the government would rather encourage people to go into indoor spaces like shopping malls than outdoor areas like the pier, and that it was the one place that wasn't programmed to show people how to use the space. 

This evening was the first time I had to alter my walking route and go around the cargo pier to get to the harbourfront promenade. Zimmerman is right that the closure of the pier breaks up the connectivity of the harbourfront. It's weird not being able to go to the pier to finish my walks, but like everything else, this is the new normal where things change without consultation...

Picture of the Day: Wan Chai Waterfront Extension

Boxing Day views of the Convention Centre and beyond

 

The Victoria Harbour water front on Hong Kong island is becoming more and more accessible. In mid-October the Belcher Bay harbourfront opened in Kennedy Town, and now a patch in between Wan Chai and Causeway Bay has opened to the public, east of the bus terminus by the Wan Chai Star Ferry.

Chocolate Rain has painted fun characters

A friend had posted a picture on social media the other day so we went to check it out.

It's a small area right now, but it's very colourful with lots of illustrations by local design brand Chocolate Rain. Instead of steel gates lined by the water to prevent people from falling in, instead there are relatively thin steel cables hung between posts to allow more view of the water.

There's even a maze painted on the ground as well as other drawings, making it another version of "Instagram Pier" -- the latter being a real working port complete with cranes and well-worn shipping containers and stacks of pallets, making it industrial and edgy. This new area is perfect for young children to hang about, though if the skaters find out about it, they'll be all over this new concrete space...

With the pandemic children have taken to playing with scooters, while teenagers and young people are showing off their tricks on their skateboards. 

Steel cables prevent people from going into water

Nevertheless, we're liking these new extensions every few months. They add a few more kms to our walks!

Public Space Opens in Kennedy Town

A girl and a boy hanging out at the new promenade

 

By the Belcher Bay bus terminus, there is a nice walkway that led to... nowhere. 

Until now.

After dinner I went out for a walk and was surprised to see the giant yellow water barriers were removed to reveal a giant public space and a small dog part to boot!

There's a public washroom at one corner and piles of painted pallets, benches for people to sit on and even chairs. How novel!

The walkway on the left now has more space

The government prides itself on completing this project ahead of schedule. On a plaque it explained construction started in the second half of 2018 and was supposed to be completed in 21 months.

"Traditionally the Promenade should be open to the public only when it is fully completed. That said, having regard to keen public expectation in getting close to the Harbour, the Government has adopted the latest 'incremental approach' advocated by the Harbourfront Commission and strived to first complete and open the 5-metre boardwalk in the first quarter of 2019.

"Belcher Bay Promenade is the first completed project under the 'incremental approach' by the current Harbourfront Commission. The arrangement allows the public to enjoy the boardwalk 19 months ahead of the original schedule, testifying the effectiveness of the phenomenon."

This doesn't really make much sense, implying the project was finished in two months. In any event we're just glad it's finally open and it will be interesting to see how the public, particularly residents in the area take to the space.

A small dog park for canines to socialize

For daytrippers visiting Kennedy Town, they will find more things to photograph and another reason to take their pet Fido there. Tonight lots of dogs were running around the area. It's going to be the new hangout spot other than Instagram Pier.

Hongkongers Determined to Remember June 4

A few thousand people came out to Victoria Park tonight

The city was on edge today wondering what would happen on the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

For the past three decades, people would make their way to Victoria Park, putting up with pan-democratic figures shouting on the bullhorns to solicit donations and people handing out flyers about political parties or remembrances of June 4.

Lighting up our small collection of candles

Once inside the park, the same songs would be repeated over and over before the actual vigil began with a wreaths carried and a large flame lighting a cauldron on stage.

Everyone would light their candles and have a moment of silence.

But this year the police had banned the event, and just for extra measure, officers used police tape to cordon off the football pitches. Oh and to further discourage people from even going near Victoria Park at lunchtime, police in riot gear flooded the Causeway Bay streets leading to the park.

However Hongkongers were not deterred. Many of them began showing up at Victoria Park towards 8pm and a few thousand people arrived, pushing down the barriers and tape and with main organizer Lee Cheuk-yan, began a pared down version of the vigil.

The police were standing nearby and used loud speakers to warn people they were taking part in an illegal assembly, but did nothing to clear attendees in the area.

A full moon and the dark liaison office at left

Others gathered in Mongkok by Langham Place, or outside several MTR stations, like Sai Ying Pun, Tuen Mun, and Tai Wai.

My friends and I decided to meet at Instagram Pier and light candles there. It was the perfect evening to gather in Victoria Park with a strong breeze going, but for us the breeze made it difficult to keep our candles lit. Nevertheless our intentions were there -- to remember the countless number of victims who died in the pursuit of democracy and accountability.

People are determined to keep June 4 alive despite the impending national security law. Tonight was proof that Hongkongers will press on despite the challenges. To not remember the victims of the June 4 massacre would be unimaginable.

"We will fight on, we will let the world know we will not give up our freedom," Lee said at the end of the vigil.

Picture of the Day: Hot Dog

Yuen Yuen with his proud owner showing off pictures

This afternoon we walked towards the waterfront and came across a man in his 70s and his dog, a Japanese Shiba Inu.

"He's very docile, he likes people petting him," his owner said and so we did.

"Touch his ears, they are particularly soft," he added, and they really were. It was the first time my three-year-old nephew had ever pet a dog!

The dog's Instagram page

Then the owner told us if we take pictures, we should tag his dog's Instagram account (@yuenyuen9011)...

And oh boy does the white dog with cream-coloured ears have a lot of fans! Most of the pictures are of the canine with various random visitors in Kennedy Town, and he has posted for pictures at the Instagram pier, and he's even been to the swimming shed along Victoria Road.

What a hot dog.

Picture of the Day: New (Short) Promenade

Cute knit bombing in Western District! Need to go see it during the day

The Hong Kong government claims it wants to make the city more livable by creating more public spaces for people. It is creating promenades along Victoria Harbour so that people can walk, run and play the length of Hong Kong island's north side.

New boardwalk that I stumbled upon near my neighbourhood

After work I went out for a walk in the neighbourhood in Western District and near the main bus depot, I found there was a newly-developed boardwalk. I immediately went to check it out and was amazed to see some yarn bombing -- a knitter or knitters who had created beautiful displays of crochet or knitted yarn on some of the railings and even sitting above low lamps!

The ones on the railings feature creatures sitting in pairs with arms across the others' shoulder. So cute. I was hoping to walk further, but the boardwalk came to an abrupt end after about 200 metres! There was no way of getting past the barrier to get into the well-known "Instagram pier" and continue my walk.

More adorable creatures enjoying the view

So what was the point of these 200 metres then? It just seems ridiculous to not have them all connected. I will have to find a relatively new promenade that has opened east of "Instagram pier" and check it out... But in the meantime will have to check out these yarn bombing creatures again during daylight hours!