June 5-6, Party like the Russians, Eat like the Chinese, Live like the Tangs

Friday night we celebrated the end of the work week (and our first full week in Hong Kong) in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon – one of Hong Kong’s buzzing dining and nightlife districts. The highlight of the night, beating such tough competition of free Stella Artois, intoxicated baby boomers and 1:30am kebobs at Ebeneezer’s, was the Russian bar we stopped into which featured a vodka-tasting freezer. We eagerly donned the faux fur coats and hats and clambered into the freezer…those Russians know how to throw a good party.

Saturday morning we gathered at our beloved next door neighbor, the You Me You Me Diner, for standard breakfast fare: beef satay with ramen noodles plus toast and an egg. Americans get it all wrong when it comes to the morning meal. We made plans for a group trip to Ngong Ping on Sunday and then went our separate ways for the rest of the day; some went to the nearby beach town of Shek O, Melinda went hiking on “monkey mountain” which is exactly as it sounds (she fed monkeys!), Jessica engaged in a language exchange to practice her Mandarin (one day she’ll take over the world), several journalism students worked on their stories, and I set out for Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery in Diamond Hill, Kowloon.

Nan Lian Garden was built in the ancient style of the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907) and so every hill, rock, body of water, plant and timber structure has been placed according to specific rules and methods. The garden is an oasis in the middle of bustling Kowloon (look for the skyscrapers in the background of photos!) and is offered as a haven for peace and tranquility…another perfect example of Hong Kong’s old and new, tradition and modernity, coexisting in strange but harmonious ways. The concept of Nan Lian is hard to appreciate until you come to experience it. As I leisurely strolled along the garden path, I was transported to a time of classic Chinese culture, architecture and style. The meticulous detail that went into the design of the garden, its structures, and its “personality” was very inspiring. I wound my way past serene waterfalls and koi ponds, exquisite galleries and pagodas, and emerged at the grand Chi Lin Nunnery.

Chi Lin is the largest Buddhist nunnery in Southeast Asia, also constructed in the Tang dynasty architectural style. The nunnery is a huge, elegant complex which features several gardens, pavilions, and galleries containing religious relics. The nunnery’s Hall of Celestial Kings was the most impressive, showcasing huge ornate, golden statues of Buddha and his guardians. Out of respect, we were not allowed to take photos of this hall, so you’ll just have to trust me that it was one of the more remarkable things I have seen. Ever.

After Nan Lian and Chi Lin, I visited the nearby Wong Tai Sin temple, a large Taoist temple dedicated to the very popular god, Wong Tai Sin, who controls the fortunes of gamblers. (Macau, anyone?) Rather than one single temple, WTS is a complex of temples, gardens, halls, and fortune teller and incense vendor stalls. While the architecture was stunning (how could it not be?), Wong Tai Sin was somewhat disappointing. There was a lot of construction around the temple so much of it was closed off, and there were such large crowds of people and though the temple was very large in size, it was not really grand in any other way. It seemed almost circus-like, and I felt a much deeper connection to the more intimate and serene Man Mo temple I visited earlier last week. Next on my list of temples to visit is the 10,000 Buddhas Temple in the New Territories...followed by Emily's church in LA because Mark Wahlberg goes there :)

I'll post pictures of Nan Lian, Chi Lin and Wong Tai Sin soon! Time for bed - Ngong Ping tomorrow!

Photos from Tiananmen Commemoration

The crowd in the MTR station, all heading for Victoria Park

150,000 at Victoria Park

June 4, Twenty Years Since Tiananmen Square

Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre – when China’s communist leaders sent military tanks into the peaceful protests of Beijing students calling for political reform and democratic freedoms. The Chinese government opened fire on its own citizens, killing thousands of innocent people, gunned down in the streets by soldiers. Leaders of the student protests were jailed and others forced into exile. My professor, Mike Chinoy, reported live from Tiananmen as the events unfolded in 1989. He and his news crew were in the throng of the chaos – charged with the responsibility of reporting Tiananmen to the rest of the world and all the while their own lives at risk as gunfire hailed overhead, stampedes rocked them on the ground, and police attempted to destroy their cameras and confiscate their tapes. Hearing the story through Mike’s memories has been a powerful experience – and especially meaningful as we found ourselves in Hong Kong on the 20th anniversary of that tragic day.

The Chinese government still does not take accountability or even recognize the horrific events of June 4, 1989 – and for millions of Chinese citizens, they do not know the story of Tiananmen as the government controls the public information. Old habits die hard in communist China:
In the weeks and days leading up to the 20th anniversary, pro-democracy organizers and exiled students were denied entry back into China. Tiananmen Square was blocked off and secured by police – no one was allowed near the square. Journalists in China had their broadcast transmissions blocked and news feeds cut off. The government limited internet access, blocking several news sites, blogs, the hotmail email server, and social networking sites including Twitter and Flickr. Internet message boards at China's universities were also closed down. Families of students who died in the pro-democracy protests were held prisoner in their homes. The Chinese government refused to comment on the security crackdown or even admit its existence, while China’s people are forbidden (and always have been) from talking openly about the events of Tiananmen. The South China Morning Post echoed the pleas of the people – begging the government to face up to the truth about June 4th and to make amends so that the country can move on after 20 years of pain.

Hong Kong is the only region in China in which people are allowed to talk about Tiananmen and commemorate the massacre. As said by Xiong Yan, the first exiled former leader of the student protests in Beijing, “Hong Kong is the pride of all Chinese – because you have people who dare to defend freedom.” Last night, an estimated 150,000 people gathered in Victoria Park for the candlelight vigil and commemoration – roughly the same number that gathered for the very first vigil in 1990. My classmates and I were privileged to join the commemoration in Victoria Park.

Though the ceremony was in Cantonese, we didn’t need to hear the words in order to understand the significance. I watched as thousands of people sang songs of prayer and remembrance, lit candles, and openly wept for the people they lost, the leadership that betrayed them, and the ideals and freedoms that for today, are still out of reach. As Americans, we take democracy for granted – it is like the air that we breathe. I will not forget standing in the park and being forced to imagine what it would be like to have that taken away from me. In the faces of those people there was injustice and pain but there was also hope…and it’s that hope that I would like to remember most.