We are flying to Hong Kong next week. Been planning this trip since February, hoping things would get better but they really haven’t. Traveling with friends. We have friends there who keep telling us things are not that bad and it is easy to avoid the demonstrations. Only thing that would cause us to cancel the trip would be cancelled flights and/or a State Department warning to not go there. We lived in HK for 3 years (1986-89) and I haven’t been back for 19 years; wife hasn’t been back in 30 years. We will be seeing some folks we haven’t seen in 30 years and others that we have seen in the U.S. fairly recently. Should be a fun trip as long as we don’t get tear-gassed! Then, on to Japan!
Sounds wonderful. I am very jealous. Will you be going out to Lamma for some seafood (we used to take a boat out there and did some hiking along the way)? Stanley Market? I enjoyed my dinner at the China Club. We used to go to Lan Kwai Fong and getting a chilly dog before heading home. Dragon club was one our of favorites. We were lucky that my brother lived there for 10+ years as an expat. We went to the American Club and Jockey Club a few times for dinner and brunch.
I was in HKG during the SARS outbreak and the Gulf war. I remember walking through the airport with hardly anyone there. I hope your trip will be fun and uneventful.
Where will you be going in Japan? Kyoto was my favorite part of Japan.
I am currently in the US, but many contacts in HK and much recent travel. Last stop was May, just before the protests. I have been staying virtually day to day on top of this due to my upcoming travel plans.
Ask your friends about getting on-going, real time info on any possible MTR closures. That is the biggest potential source of disruption I would expect. I have the HKemobility app - it has pinged a few times and given alerts/notifications on certain station closings - may be random as I’m in the US and I’m not sure why it is finding me here, or it may be fairly complete info. My impression is that most activity starts after 5 PM, per one of my friends, but everything is fluid. Are you arriving on a weekend? Sat and Sunday seem the big days for disruption. The Airport Express line is closing a couple stops this weekend. There are some also websites and twitter pages that post protest locations.
I personally would not hesitate to travel. It is quite ironic; this is the first time in 4 years that I have not spent August in HK, so I haven’t personally experienced recent events. Certainly, tourists have not been targeted and it is not hard to avoid protests. I have walked past, through and around protests and gatherings in the past couple years that have not gotten the publicity of the recent events. In general, not as threatening as we might expect in the US.
Basically, China has to decide what kind of a major world power it wants to be -cracking down on demonstrators will end the 1 country/2systems rule and will highlight its dictatorial status and “Cold War” redux risks. At the same time, NOT cracking down and giving in to democratic demands in HK creates a difficult precedent, one mainland China may not have the strength to withstand. So, you may be there to witness history. 
and :)… I’m sorry you might be in for that on top of a 30-year reunion with friends.
I hope your reunion goes well. Apparently the demonstrations are located in very specific places and move, so that you can avoid them entirely.
I’d have a proof of US identity with me at all times (not necessarily passport?).
If you haven’t already booked your hotels, you are in luck … I just booked for my H, and hotel prices are the lowest they’ve been n decades.
I had a flight out at the end of August that I postponed, and I consider myself to be pretty native to the area (speak Cantonese fluently). I usually go back and forth most days between HK and SZ but I heard a couple of my preferred methods of doing that were problematic. I’ve rescheduled for beginning of October, hopefully things will be calmer by then.
Prof Plum, I hope not October 1, National Day???
OP, you do know that you can register your trip with the State Dept and get any alerts they send, right? Google STEP which will get you to the website.
I started registering my foreign trips a number of years ago when I was doing a solo journey to Cambodia. The alerts have ranged from notification of possible road blocks to the airport on that trip to an active shooter in a Copenhagen suburb when I was visiting there. I’ve received a couple HK notifications recently, not sure why as I have no active trip registered. I know some people feel these notifications are either worthless or alarming. I have never received anything I found alarming, and I have decided that, sadly, in this day and age, I would rather receive any alerts the State Dept is sending to its employees. I can judge if they are relevant to me or not
The current State Department advisory warning for HK is level 2 - Increased Caution. This is the same level as the UK, Germany, France and many, many other countries.
Thanks for the helpful suggestions! I downloaded the HKemobility app and registered my trip with the State Department (STEP). We don’t have any firm plans other than meeting friends Saturday afternoon.
DH was supposed to be in HK last week, but the group he was meeting with (various gov’t and financial entities) decided three weeks ago to switch to Singapore instead. His only concern about the original trip was the airports, and that was the precipitating event that led the organizers to switch to Singapore. He has been to HK previously and was looking forward to the trip. He’s leaving tomorrow for his second trip to Singapore in three weeks, since this second conference had been planned long in advance.
Registering to get alerts is a great idea. I remember we did something similar when we went to Jordan. I’m under the impression that you can avoid the chaos as long as no one schedules an airport demonstration when you arrive or leave.
I’ve heard the worst is the airports also, but there are periodic temporary MTR closures making general transport sometimes harder than normal. One acquaintance walked home to KennedyTown after the Central and Admiralty and WanChai stops were closed earlier last month. That’s why it’s good to have an app of closures and some notion of alternate transport.
This weekend, police have boarded buses headed to the airports to see if there are protesters on board. Boarding passes may be required to get into the airport.
Taxis are operating and buses are running, even if diverted from the normal route. It is all very a much an “in the moment” situation.
Reporting on yesterday’s events: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3026215/chaos-breaks-out-again-hong-kong-multiple-clashes-central
South China Morning Post is owned by Alibaba Group, a Chinese Conglomerate. Hong Kong Free Press also has reportage - publication is a Hong Kong non-profit formed by independent Hong Kong journalists.
Major MTR stations were closed by late afternoon and protests at American Consulate which is close to Victoria Peak Tram Terminus, major tourist venue.
I still wouldn’t hesitate to travel, but I know Hong Kong well. I would also have multiple plans for activities and transport - especially on weekends.
LIHKG is the website widely used by protesters. I used to be able to google translate the Chinese, denied access now on my laptop but I haven’t explored for alternative translators. Prof Plum can probably read the Chinese!
Decades ago HK resident following events. No clue SCMP was owned by Alibaba! Will look for HK Free Press.
To OP, enjoy your trip!
I am surprised too because the South China Morning Post had way better news and editorials than The China Daily which is a propaganda rag. Lots of anti-Carrie Lam cartoons when we were there.
@Momofadult I was thinking of leaving around Oct 3, but you’re right, I forgot that a lot of people are off that week.
Even in the US, you have media that slant one way or another, which was not that prominent until the last few years. Almost all media with the Chinese-language newspapers, no matter where they originate from, is tilted against China or for China, I rarely see anything that I would characterize as objective. Although seemingly, more and more of the newspapers coming out of North America are tilted towards pro-China these days.
I hate driving in HK, I hope I don’t have to resort to having to do this. Or worse yet, bicycling.
Prof Plum - I wish we could get together and talk!
I have found US reporting on the Hong Kong situation significantly lacking with a few exceptions. More disturbing than failure of news media, I am concerned by the number of US companies that used to indicate they did business with Hong Kong, Hong Kong or Hong Kong, SAR. Now, it has become common to say they do business with Hong Kong, CHINA. (not to mention those that have caved on Taiwan)
I get that companies work for shareholders. I get that they want to do business with mainland China. Nonetheless, I find this bending to the mainland disturbing.
Bikes in HK?? Where? How???
Fogot to add - I have generally found SCMP reporting decent. For instance, I remember their reporting on the poor quality cement (mainland company) that went into the construction of the Macau Bridge. Just mentioning the potential.
well, there is (was) bike sharing in HK but apparently most or all of the big bike sharing companies went out of business by last year. Most people think of HK as the rat race in the Kowloon area of Yau Tsim Mong (Yau Ma Tei, Tsimshatsui and Mongkok), but the the NT eastern side of the area from say the Shatin Race Track along the harbor thru Tai Po and Beverly Hills is a great area for running and biking and away from everything.
The politics of China and the communism/capitalism I try and stay away from, it’s a very sensitive topic amongst many of my family members. My mother and older brothers grew up as HK refugees from the 1949 takeover in China, while my deceased wife’s side parents are/were party officials.
^^^ I know how very sensitive and upsetting the politics of HK and region can be. I have been privileged to hear the thoughts and concerns of many locals. I listen - certainly don’t try to add anything to the conversation which would be quite presumptuous from my personal circumstances. I find the current situation very upsetting - probably obvious from my posts.
Bikes - a happier thought! I was picturing you trying to pedal the length of Hong Kong Island with the ding ding trams or traversing Mongkok. Ouch! I’ve done a lot of hiking in the New Territories and have been told there are bike rental places, but that’s not my sport, so I haven’t explored it. Makes sense though. I have dodged bike traffic on Cheung Chau and Lamma Islands. I’d forgotten that but I was nearly run over a couple years ago on Cheung Chau.
NJres, how was your experience? Prof Plum , any current plans?
I haven’t yet spoken with my on the ground contacts this AM. National Day events as reported locally. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3031044/chaos-expected-across-hong-kong-anti-government-protesters