Let's loiter with the GXR A12 before we continue to discuss the A10... later.
Yesterday, you've learned that Hang Gai Gai means walking with or without intent in Cantonese. The "Yuo" in front of the phrase here is sort of an adverb in Cantonese meaning "Again".
Honestly, I enjoy taking street shots and writing about them much more than discussing the details of a camera in a review. Using a camera is way more educational than grilling it for its performance.
This time we take the GXR to the Hong Kong Island to walk up the Pottinger Street, more commonly known as Stone Slab Street in Cantonese to the local because of the stone stairway running the full length of it.
The Hong Kong Island was where the British soldiers first went ashore and took control of Hong Kong. Hong Kong Island was the citadel of the British viceroys and his forces in the early colonial rule covering the Island, then the Kowloon Peninsular and later the New Territories.
Therefore, glimpses into the old days of the ruling classes and the cream of the society can be seen mostly on the Hong Kong Island. And it is where streets are predominantly named after the British colonial governors and top officials to Hong Kong. Pottinger Street is thought to be one of the first streets in Hong Kong. It is named after Hong Kong's first Governor, Sir Henry Pottinger (1843 - 1844), who was born in Ireland in 1789.
Pottinger Street is well known for its stone stairway. The street starts from Connaught Road and leads up to Hollywood Road. There are innumerable shopping stalls on the way selling clothes, groceries, and so on.
Its steepness made it necessary for stone slab be paved on it, unevenly though, to facilitate walking and allow rainwater to flow down along either side. In 1858, the government named it "Pottinger Street" to commemorate the first governor of Hong Kong. It is one of the few areas that still maintain the city look of the old Hong Kong.
The atmospheric sloping street is flanked by old makeshift stalls interspersed by English bars and eateries. The scene is totally different from the Ladies' Market which is so full of the Hong Kong core value of being street smart. This Stone Slab Street is quieter in a sense, certainly less noisy.
The best part is that the street looks almost the same as in the past. I like history a lot. The last time I was in Stratford-upon-Avon, I spent over three hours exploring the three houses related to the Shakespeareans but did not have enough of it.
^A scene of Pottinger Street in the 1950s and the official script describing it.
^Pottinger Street in the 1960s and another official script
The Pottinger Street is a first-rated destination to anyone visiting Hong Kong.
For those who are interested in the first governor, an oral history about him can be heard here.
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