The Young Reporter Vol. 53 Issue 4

The Young Reporter Volume 53 Issue 4- Minority

Cover Story

The conservation of traditional art: A Hong Kong calligraphy master

Editor’s Letter Happy year of the ox! The Young Reporter welcomes a brand new editorial board, alongside our reporters last year who are now on the learning curve of becoming editors. We’re excited to present this new magazine issue to you.

Hong Kong has been through a lot, to say the least. In times like these, people are struggling on a day-to-day basis. But marginalised communities suffer the most. That’s why this issue is dedicated to minorities. Instead of putting them down, let’s lift them up. We aimed to highlight minorities, what they do everyday, how they do it and what it’s like. It’s important we hear from those who don’t necessarily have the platforms themselves to be heard by others.

The Young Reporter Vol. 53 No. 4 Printer Department of Journalism School of Communication Hong Kong Baptist University

Editor-in-Chief Simran Vaswani Deputy Editors Cora Zhu Janice Lo Jasmine Tse Sara Cheng Art Designers Bowie Tse Cora Zhu Emily Poon Eunice Lam Stacy Shi Tobey Chan Reporters Bell Chan Bowie Tse Cora Zhu Emily Poon Esten Amalvy Eunice Lam

From those that have been misrepresented, to those that simply go unnoticed, we wanted to give our readers a peek into their worlds.

We hope that these stories enlighten you and provide you the firsthand insight we had while reporting on them. And most importantly, we hope their voices are heard by you.

Sincerely, Simran Vaswani Editor-in-chief Icy Chen Kitty Wong Sara Cheng Shameel Ibrahim Simran Vaswani Sumnima Lama Editors Cora Zhu Janice Lo Jasmine Tse Justy Lai Kylan Goh Moon Lam Tobey Chan Samuel Li Stacy Shi Yvonne Chung Yvonne Tung Advisor Jenny Lam Robin Ewing

hkbutyr hkbutyr hkbutyr The Young Reporter tyrmagazine@gmail.com

tyr.jour.hkbu.edu.hk

In This Issue 04

The Insistence of Traditional Art: The Chinese Calligraphy Master

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Ethnic minority entrepreneurs break the glass ceiling

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Prison rights groups call for transparency in complaint system

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False negative tests leaves man struggling with Covid

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Preservation of iron mine history impossible under the Ma On Shan rezoning plan, descendants of miners say

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My day in Chungking Mansions: disconnected “country” in Hong Kong

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The Insistence of Traditional Art:

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The Chinese Calligraphy Master Reported by Emily Poon Edited by Tobey Chan Every corner, wall and even the floor of King Wah Signboards in North Point is covered with the calligraphy of Au Yeung Cheong. There are also photos of his visitors, both local and from overseas. It’s a kind of creative mess with ink, plastic boards and paper all over the floor.

The shop has been around for 30 years but recently relocated to Kam Ping Street after the State Theatre building was sold.

The 65-year-old Chinese calligraphy master is well known for his remarkable and unique real script Mr Au Yeung has created more than a thousand signboards in Hong Kong, starting from writing, text carving to installing lightboxes.

He started when he first arrived in Hong Kong in the 1970s and later set up his shop King Wah Signboard.

“The real script was created and used by emperors as the official typeface since the Tang Dynasty,” Mr Au Yeung claimed. He described the strokes as Guan Yu’s blade, clean-cut, awe-inspiring, which is different from the Song Ti font and regular script typeface.

“The Real script shouldn’t look as if they don’t have heads or tails.

The characters are tightly structured and as sharp as a knife cutting a watermelon,” he explained.

As Mr Au Yeung demonstrated his calligraphy, he almost threw himself into a trance, savouring the connotation his work seemed to bring him.

He then compared his work with the calligraphy of Wu Zetian, the only empress of China. “Don’t you think mine is more beautiful than hers?” he asked.

It might be a common misconception that expensive brushes and ink are needed for the artform. But Mr Au Yeung revealed that his brushes and inks were bought from a hardware store nearby.

“What matters most is the skill you have in handling the brushes and how familiar with the word,” he explained.

Mr Au Yeung has been practising Chinese calligraphy since early childhood, studying different font types of the “Three Character Classic” and other ancient Chinese books.

In 1995, he had to shut down all the signboard stores because of a fire at the State Theatre building. That was because of the prime of his life.

Today, his workshop has become his prized fortune and his “home”, where he meets with guests and makes traditional signboards.

“Only authentic and hand-written calligraphy has its own meaning and value. Machines that make strokes like “hook” and “press” cannot replace my hand-written work,” he asserted.

But Mr Au Yeung is worried that no one will inherit his real scripts to make signboards.

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a social media page on Mr Au Yeung’s calligraphy.The shop has attracted many internet celebrities and non-Chinese visitors. Social media promotion has helped to gain attention to Mr Au Yeung’s work.

“There are no signs written in real script in Guangdong or Taiwan.

If you look over the signboard in Hong Kong streets, most of them are probably written by me,“ Mr Au Yeung said proudly.

Mr Au Yeung likened the loss of the art of calligraphy to the burning of Yi He Yuan, a fire at the Summer Palace in Beijing in the 19th century which destroyed a treasure trove of Chinese culture.

“I really hope that people will treat the real script seriously otherwise it will be a lost art in this big city,” he expressed.

Mr Au Yeung gives up to 20 Chinese calligraphy classes at North Point Community Hall every week. “The classes are full! But I am willing to teach at my shop if anyone is interested,” he smiled.

Whenever some pedestrians stop by and would like to learn, Mr Au Yeung would offer to teach them. He is never bothered by his admirers.

“I only need one lit cigarette time to finish,” he said to a customer.

Mr Au Yeung showed a quiet side when he was shaping the word at a stencil cutting machine.

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Aman Selarka, 21, is a co-founder of PayPhone, an international remittance platform that runs on a cryptocurrency exchange.

Mr Selarka and his co-founders came up with the idea one day in a coffee shop. He described it as their “eureka moment” where they decided to use their financial backgrounds to start a business created by minorities for minorities.

Focusing on financial inclusiveness, PayPhone is designed to help those who do not have the proper resources and access to banks. “We created this open platform where anyone can get access to [banking services]” said Mr Selarka.

11% of Hong Kong international remittance users are foreign domestic helpers, he said.

passport, proof of address, a clean credit score and more to open an account.

Not all foreign domestic helpers can fulfill these requirements.

Most are unable to get proof of address since they live with their employers, and some don’t have clean credit scores because they’ve been exploited by loan sharks or high banking rates.

Banks require an identity card,

Breer uses food upcycling to solve the growing problem of wood waste in Hong Kong.

Photo source: @breerhk on Instagram

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32% of international remittance users in Hong Kong do not have access to banking such as fair interest rates, according to PayPhone’s research.

Thomas Man, Associate Dean of the School of Business at Hang Seng University of Hong Kong and Director of Wu Jieh Yee Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Cryptocurrency — a digital currency that can be transferred instantly and directly — allows interest rates on PayPhone to be as low as 1% for customers, as opposed to 7 to 8% at banks.

There has been a change in the ecosystem that now supports young entrepreneurs with more government aid, grants and loans.

With PayPhone, Mr Selarka hopes to offer foreign domestic helpers a reliable and accessible platform for them to send money without having to forgo a portion of their salaries on interest rates.

Over the years, more and more young people are coming up with entrepreneurial ideas, said Dr.

Now, entrepreneurs start off as fresh graduates or even while simultaneously pursuing their education as opposed to starting in their thirties or later, said Dr Man. Even students or fresh graduates can start a business.

68% of Hongkongers planned to be self-employed or start their own businesses within the next

decade, according to the Global Entrepreneur Survey by GoDaddy.

Dr Man said entrepreneurship is suitable for those who prefer autonomy at work and have practical ideas that can be implemented.

Hong Kong is ranked 28th as the best ecosystem for startups worldwide, according to the 2019 StartupBlink Startup Ecosystem Rankings report. But it’s high risk, high reward nature does not guarantee success.

“It depends on whether you can make your business sustainable,” said Dr Man. “You have to balance between your aspirations and reality.”

PayPhone, the international remittance app that aims to help the underprivileged with their financial needs.

Photo source: http://payphone.hk/

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“The test was cursory, they only used swabs on the surface of my nostril and mouth,” Dillip Rai

Both sites where Mr Rai went to get tested, used polymerase chain reaction testing (PCR testing), which uses swabs that are inserted 1-2 cm inside each nostril and throat.

tests, as his wife and son also received false negative results on January 18 but subsequently, tested positive in Penny Bay Quarantine Centre in Lantau Island, the very next morning.

“The test was cursory, they only used the swabs on the surface of my nostrils and mouth,” said Mr Rai. He spoke slowly and was occasionally interrupted by the beeps of a heart monitor.

“The sensitivity (of PCR tests) is almost 100%. Even if there are only 200 copies of the virus per millilitre they can be detected.

The specificity is also up to 100%.

That means we do not have any problem of false positives or false negatives,” said Peter Zheng Guo-zhu, a

Mr Rai said that he is now questioning the reliability of the

scientific officer at Public Health Laboratory Services Branch, in an interview with news.gov.hk last year.

PCR testing for coronavirus in the early stages of injection is more likely to show false negative results, up to a 100% inaccuracy on day 1 of infection, according to a study published by Annals of Internal Medicine. The report states that “infection should not be ruled out on the basis of RTPCR alone.

Mobile testing centres for mandatory mass testing Canton Road, Jordan, for several buildings in the area confirmed to have COVID-19 cases.

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In September and October of 2020, out of 286 imported cases, 73 people received false negative test results at the Hong Kong Airport and were allowed to enter the city.

The fourth wave was suspected to have started due to these imported infections that were undetected at airports, according to a study led by Dr Gilman Siu Kit-hang, an associate professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Department of Health Technology and Informatics.

“The virus we identified in Jordan and Yaumatei districts [is] actually quite similar to those identified in October,” said Dr Siu. He elaborated that the fourth wave of Covid-19 began in early October and the cases since were genetically identical.

He emphasized the importance of multiple testing in order to avoid false negative test results, such as Mr Rai’s, and said a negative Covid-19 test does not mean the

virus is not present in a person’s body.

“If an individual tests negative for Covid-19 but shows all the symptoms, he or she should undergo radiological examination for the chest and antibody test to check that there is no evidence of the virus in the patient’s body,” said Dr Siu. Mr Rai believes that’s what he should have done.

“If Mr Raymond had been focused on the testing that had been going on in community and mobile centers rather than making ignorant racist comments, maybe I wouldn’t have to suffer,” said Mr Rai.

“If Mr Raymond had been focused on the testing that had been going on in community and mobile centres rather than making ignorant racist comments, maybe I wouldn’t have to suffer” Mr Rai

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Mr Shiu Ka-Chun and Wall Fare coworkers distribute letters from members of the public to prisoners who were arrested during the social movement.

A 2015 joint report submitted to the Legislative Council on the rights of prisoners found that the impartiality of the internal investigation mechanism of the Correctional Services Department was “questionable”. Subsequent external investigations, such as visits by a Justice of the Peace or resorting to the Ombudsman’s office either “lacked investigation initiative” or “ had limited mandate to hear complaints”.

The complaints range from misconduct of staff and use of unnecessary force to operational problems, such as diet and visiting arrangements.

Shiu Ka-chun, a former legislator and social worker, spent eight months in jail for his role in the 2014 Occupy Central social movement.

He filed 16 complaints during his time in prison, including his difficulty to try to lodge a complaint.

“13 out of 16 complaints were accepted. But they were all found to be invalid ( by the Complaints Investigation Unit) due to lack of evidence. How can I provide evidence when I have no camera or recording device in jail?” Mr Shiu said.

Prison policy reform, including how complaints are handled, is urgently needed, said Mr Shui, a founder of Wall Fare, a local prison rights organization. He also supplies free “approved articles,” such as tissue and shampoo, and has forwarded more than 7,000 letters from members of the public to inmates.

Mr Ma, who doesn’t want to reveal his full name for fear of retaliation, was arrested in Nov 2020 due to the social movement. He has been in solitary confinement for more than a month, and he doesn’t know when he will get out. ”You lose all your rights in solitary NEWS MAGAZINE

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cells where you spend 23 hours a day in your cell facing four walls,” said, Mr Ma, who has been in the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre since late November 2020. “Everything is worse in solitary cells.”

Solitary confinement should only be used as a last resort and never longer than 15 days, according to the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

But Mr Ma hasn’t filed a complaint.

Mr Shiu alleged that prisoners are beaten up or threatened by guards if they ask to fill out a complaint form.

Their names and serial numbers are on the forms and their forms are speculated by the prison wards before submitting.

The statement emphasized that the department attaches great importance to complaints and constantly reviews and enhances the regime for better transparency and credibility.

The Complaints Investigation Unit is appointed by the Commissioner of Members of the public who wish to the Correctional Service Department enquire about a specific complaint to handle and investigate all can do so through the Office of the complaints and deliver the findings Ombudsman or the Home Affairs of their investigation within 18 Department. weeks. Complainants may then appeal to the Correctional Services Mr Shiu says a transparent and Department Complaints Committee, independent complaint monitoring and demand that the investigation system is needed, which the be conducted externally through United Nationas outlines in the a Justice of the Peace or the 2002 Optional Protocol to the Ombudsman’s Office.

Convention against Torture and other Cruel,Inhuman or Degrading In 2019, the Society for Community Treatment or Punishment, an Organisation, an advocacy group agreement ratified by 90 states, but that has been fighting for human’s not including China or Hong Kong. rights and equality of all members of the society, proposed to set up an The Correctional Service Department independent ombudsman to monitor issued a statement in 2019 after how complaints are handled in its legislator Mr Shiu, Dr Fernando annual report.

Cheung, Mr Charles Mok and several other legislators held a The pro-democracy camp also press conference concerning the proposed comprehensive prison complaints mechanism of the reform in 2018, including setting Correctional Service Department. up a transparent and independent NEWS MAGAZINE

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complaint system with confidentiality for complainants and witnesses.

The Correctional Service Department said the situation is complex due to security considerations, in a statement to the Legislative Council in response to the proposal.

The Correctional Service Department did not reply to The Young Reporter enquiries for an interview.

“Prisoners are frightened without a protected complaint system. This is exactly why an independent monitoring department should be established for justice and fairness,”Mr Shiu said.

Preservation of iron mine history impossible under the Ma On Shan rezoning plan, descendants of miners say

Reported by Kitty Wang Edited by Stacy Shi

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Mr Wong introduces the slogan posted outside the village. “Government takes the lead in destroying the countryside, causing ecological damage,” the sign reads.

Wong Mei-fong, 55, still remembers her childhood summers in Pun Shan, a small village in the New Territories in Ma On Shan: catching shrimp in the rivers of the backyard garden, playing with mud with her neighbors who also helped them to renovate their house and playing hide-andseek behind the old tree of the village temple.

These places will only be retained in memories if the amendment to the Ma On Shan Outline Zoning

Plan passes.

The Wong family represents three generations of villagers born and raised in this former iron ore mining village. Now, Pun Shan is marked for redevelopment in the amendment to Ma On Shan Outline Zoning Plan, originally approved in 2016 to develop 814 hectares of land. The new proposal will add 9.67 hectares from seven green belt lands, the size of approximately 27 football fields, and will cut around 3,560

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trees, according to the villagers. The village land will be developed into a private estate and government, institution and community lands.

A group of villagers are actively protesting the amendment, working with district councillors and local green NGOs and setting up social media accounts to raise awareness.

Villagers have held around 10 demonstrations to raise awareness of their plight.

“My parents don’t have much energy to protest and some of the elderlies are not familiar with social media, so we as the younger generation, take up this job to reach out to the public and Ms Wong and the organizer of the rezoning plan protest.

As one of the oldest mining villages in Ma On Shan, Pun Shan village witnessed the mining industry from its beginnings in 1906 to prosperity and finally to its closure in 1976.

Every road, house and temple in the village was built Mr Wong creates a leaflet to show the timeline of Ma On Shan’s rezoning plan.

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oby the first generation miners.

Mr Wong’s grandfather was in the first batch of Chiu Chow miners to explore Ma On Shan, and he built their family house with other miners in 1959, where Mr Wong’s grandmother still lives.

“All the villagers feel the same pity and sadness, as we want to preserve the historical memory of our ancestors,” said Mr Wong.

Lam Bik-ha reminisces about her life in the old family house. She prefers living here rather than moving to apartment buildings because of the close relationship between villagers.

Old photos show the first batch of miners who built the village in the 1950s.

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In front of the old family house, Ms Wong is talking about her difficulties in going to school.

“I gave birth to my five children in the house,” said Lam Bik-ha, 81, Ms Wong’s mother and Mr Wong’s grandmother. Ms Lam has been living here for 61 years. When they arrived, Pun Shan village was nothing but a slope covered with plants.

“We built the village with our own hands. Although there were no nice materials, no one gave up,” said Ms Lam. No money, no resources, dangerous terrain, these were not considered barriers as the villagers had a strong desire to build a home that belonged to them. Until now, Ms Lam is still impressed by the cooperation between households.

“During the daytime, men mined for a living while women raised pigs

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and farmed,” said Ms Lam. A housewife, she spent most of her time taking care of her family and helping build the village. Women planted passion fruit trellises, banana trees and sewed handmade clothes to sell to local clothing factories.

Today, villagers still raise pigs.

Ms Lam is still emotional when reminded of those days.

“We were poor, but we were happy and close to each other,” Ms Lam said.

Although many young villagers have moved out, the bond between the old neighbors remains.

“Despite the hard times, Pun Shan Village is still a wonderland to me,” said Ms Wong, adding that the Ma On Shan area was still isolated 40 years ago.

She went to high school in Shatin by boat every day.

“The government didn’t provide us any support during our hard times,” said Ms Wong, close to tears “When a typhoon no. 3 caused the boat to stop, I couldn’t go to school.”

Not until the 1980s, her nightmare of typhoons stopped as land

reclamation was completed and the roads into the city were built.

“When living conditions become better, the government seeks to rezone our homeland,” Ms Wong added. As a nobody, she said, she has no power to fight against the government.

“As the first mine in Hong Kong, why can’t the government leave this historical place to Hong Kong people?” said Ms Wong in a trembling voice.

The Chiu Chow temple, backed by an ancient tree, is located at the top of Pun Shan village. Although the temple is not included in the amendment, no one will take care of it if villagers move away because of rezoning, villagers say, NEWS MAGAZINE

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Ma On Shan is not only a beautiful place for hiking, but is also a wonderful storage of Chiu Chow culture and the mining history of Hong Kong, she said, “We have temples and mine culture.

They are all symbols of ‘Hong Kong spirit’,” said Ms Wong.

The village, home to about 100 people now, is halfway up Ma On Shan mountain, surrounded by quiet and full of temples, old village houses, fish pools, vegetable gardens and pig pens. It’s a rare reminder of old Hong Kong.

Many residents still live in the past.

“The Internet here is not strong enough, and most villagers still use mountain spring water,” said Mr Wong as he headed towards the mountain top.

The Chiu Chow temple at the top of the village is dedicated to three gods, the Earth God of Heaven, Chinese Sea Goddess and Monkey King.

“It is a holy place in our village,” said Mr Wong. “Our ancestors believed that the tree could protect

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the village’s peace and safety. We all believe in that,” he said while repeatedly touching the ancient tree behind the temple.

“But now these might all be gone,” said Mr Wong.

Mr Wong said that the second round of protests and collection of signatures began on Jan. 30.

“We won’t allow our homeland to become a cold building block,” said Mr Wong.

Mr Wong is now preparing for the second round of promotion and protest. He rushed to the villagers’ meeting after the interview.

“We won’t allow our homeland to become a cold building block,” Mr Wong

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My day in Chungking Mansions: Mansions:

disconnected “country” in Hong Kong Reported by Cora Zhu Edited by Moon Lam

The elevator in this 17-storey behemoth of a building with more than 4,000 residents and hundreds of small businesses, can only hold five people. Waiting for an uncrowded one needs both patience and luck.

After 10 minutes, I give up and enter the stairwell to walk six numbers of flights downstairs. The walls are covered with graffiti. Through the window, I can see nothing but pipes with black stains.

Nearly half a century ago, Chungking Mansions was one of the most upscale buildings in Tsim Sha Tsui.

But now, this complex has become a low-priced gathering place for minority groups and asylum seekers.

Before the pandemic, it used to see about 10,000 visitors every day. They come here for authentic food, affordable rooms, drugs and prostitutes. For decades, some local people have viewed the complex filled with crimes and violence, as another “Kowloon Walled City ‘’,

which was known for its high density and lawlessness.

But fewer visitors amid the pandemic have made this building further disconnected with the outside world. I’m here to spend 24 hours, to get inside the look of this building and its people.

It’s 5 pm on Sunday. Outside the stairwell on the ground floor, about 10 African are drinking beer and watching football on the television with loud music.

I feel nervous in this unfamiliar place with so many corners and aisles, which are like scattered puzzle pieces. So I choose to stand still and look around to figure out the direction.

Luckily, someone is waving at me.

I tell him that it is my first-time visit and ask for his advice. This 37-yearold Indian grocery shop owner, Muddassar Ahmed, is keen to give me an introduction.

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than 3 hundred stores. Most are run

by African and Indian migrants, and are known for affordable prices and a wide range of options.

Mr Ahmedsells goods from snacks to lipsticks. One bottle of water, which sells around HK$9 outside, costs only half price here. Laundry house, computer room and worship place can be found around his store.

“You can get everything here. It’s just like a country. You don’t need to go outside,” Mr Ahmed says. He adds that most stores and restaurants are on the first two floors, catering to all daily needs.

Right above my head, there’s a surveillance camera. It’s just one of the other 400 cameras installed by the government due to safety, as Chungking Mansions has made headlines because of drugs, fights and rape cases. Last year, a South Asian man was slashed in Mr Ahmed’s store.

“But it doesn’t mean the whole building is unsafe,” he says. He was several metres away from the injured man when the attack happened, but he didn’t get hurt. “Danger goes for dangerous people. Most of us just do our ordinary business without any trouble,” he says.

“Of course, there are still bad things that happened. But other places outside also have crimes, not just here,” he says.

The overall safety is better now because of security cameras, Mr Ahmed says. But while I’m talking with him, about half of his customers come to buy “smoking paper,” thin rolling papers for handmade cigarettes. Mr Ahmed explains many people use it for marijuana.

People here call Mr Ahmed “Sunny Bahi “. Sunny is his nickname, and “bahi” means “brother” in Indian.

He is close to residents here and the police in other districts, because of his “naughty” gangster past.

But now he says the police come for assistance. In his Whatsapp messages with them, one police officer also calls him “brother”.

However, when the police first meet him, some of them are cold, which he says is common for minority groups.

“When we go into shops, there’s always someone following us, to see if we’re going to steal something,” says Jeffrey Andrews, 35, the city’s first registered ethnic minority social

worker. “That’s the society we live in. We pay the price for our colour, which is unfair.”

Mr Andrews, an ethnically Indian who was born in Hong Kong, has worked at the non-governmental organisation, Christian Action, in Chungking Mansions for 12 years, helping ethnic minorities and refugees.

Christian Action set up this Centre for Refugees in 2003. It has provided basic living assistance, education training and psychology services to nearly 15,000 refugees and asylum seekers, Christian Action’s report says.

Mr Ahmed uses his 8-year-old daughter’s name Mysha as the store name. He has also tattooed her name on left arm.

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Minority groups continually face barriers in daily life, from seeking accommodation to employment, the Equal Opportunities Commission reports. But few of them file complaints to the government, because they don’t want to be viewed as “trouble-makers”.

Another reason is that they think such complaints lack effectiveness for solving the long-existing discrimination in this international city, the report says.

“We have made some progress in tackling discrimination during the recent years, but that’s too slow,” Mr Andrews says.

Having experienced three generations in Hong Kong, Mr Ahmed also sees some improvements. Twenty years ago, locals stepped away from him in the MTR, but now such problems don’t exist.

About 8 percent of the Hong Kong population are ethnic minorities, in a total of 580,000. Most of them are Filipinos, Indonesians and South Asians, according to the 2016 Population By-census.

Some minorities have been marginalised due to language barriers and biases, the Equal Opportunities Commission says in the report. Besides, the “oneside” media also make it difficult for people to know ethnic minorities, especially the ones in Chungking Mansions, Mr Andrews says.

He organised visiting tours to the building last year to raise awareness of Chungking Mansions and the residents there. The activity received warm responses from the public, Mr Andrews says.

He explains that many residents and shoppers distributed water

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to protesters during the social movement last year, making more people change their mind and connect with ethnic minorities.

Local people also gathered at Chungking Mansions to support their business as a way of saying thank you.

“But the pandemic has made almost every effort back to zero,” Mr Andrews says. He ceased the tour this year. “The Covid-19 enlarges the gap between people outside and inside.”

Now only a few local visitors are coming here, especially under the fourth wave of Covid-19 infections and tightened social distancing rules. I’ve met local couples who come here for curry.

The room is better than expected. Because of the pandemic, the Holiday Guest House in Chungking Mansions now needs to complete disinfection everyday.

“I didn’t want to come here at first, because I thought the hygiene was bad and I don’t understand their language,” Tom Ho Ka-kei, sitting at the table next to me, says. The 26-year-old comes with his Indian friend. “But I see them sanitising their hands, so I’m less worried. And the food is cheap! I spent around HK$100 for four dishes.”

the price outside, for their bestselling Mutton Tikka Masala, a creamy mutton recipe with gravy, and Chicken Chettinad with naan a traditional Indian flat bread. The spicy sauce of this chicken curry is perfect for bread.

There are 18 licensed restaurants, most of them serving Indian, African and Chinese food. On upper floors, there are also many unlicensed restaurants, some of them require special codes to get in.

For the accommodation, I’ve booked a twin room at Holiday Guest House on the sixth floor for HK$250. Apart from two single-size beds with thin mattresses, my 8-square-meter room also has a television, small fridge, air conditioner and bathroom, which does not separate the toilet from shower.

The “Uncle’s Center” restaurant has eight different curry options.

I spend HK$60, less than half of

“It’s Sunday, many domestic helpers come here to spend their day-off,” the 60-year-old Nepalis owner,

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Qurung Khiman Dhoj, says.

Because of the social distancing ban, the domestic helpers are not allowed to gather in a big group.

“It’s the cheapest place they can get,” he says. A single room costs HK$100 per day.

There are about 180 guest houses in the building, which normally cater to travelling backpackers and those unable to afford rooms in the city’s pricier hotels.

When I check out the next day, the owner tells me to use another “faster elevator”. But still, I end up walking downstairs.

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