Scenes from Hong Kong’s Borders

Hong Kong is a unique microcosm of Chinese & Cantonese culture, hanging onto its sovereignty by a thread as mainland China continues to exert intensifying control of the city-state. Under its “One Country, Two Systems” approach, Hong Kong maintains sovereignty from China until 2047, but its existing status as a Special Administrative Region blurs the lines of the agreement.

This distinction between Hong Kong and mainland makes for an interesting scene at the city’s numerous borders. I have gathered stories and images from the various entry points of the country, and I hope to provide an inside glimpse into daily life, travel, and geopolitics in “Asia’s World City.”

Welcome to Hong Kong‘s Kai Tak International Airport.

Hong Kong’s former Kai Tak Airport was world famous for its dare-devilesque approach, during which airplanes would make a drastic banking turn over Kowloon Walled City and land crosswind onto the narrow strip sitting in the harbor. Pilots found it exhilarating and terrifying, passengers barely noticed, and onlookers prepared to witness a crash. There was nothing quite like watching a Boeing 747 land just a few meters above your head as it was banking desperately to hit its target.

Basically, the approach looked so dangerous it was hard to imagine why the airport…