Located on the busiest stretch of Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Chungking Mansions has always had a mysterious and somewhat intimidating reputation—even many locals in Hong Kong have never dared to step inside. Ever since I watched Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express as a child, I was captivated by the chaotic, multicultural scenes it depicted. The desire to explore this place for myself never quite left me.
When I became a stage actress four years ago, I couldn't have imagined bringing my work to Hong Kong.
The iconic Sidewalk Snack Booth（大排檔）, with its foldable stalls that open up like large metal boxes, is one of Hong Kong's most unique culinary landscapes. Unable to withstand the passage of time, these stalls have been dismantled, relocated, and transformed. Lan Fong Yuen, which started its business in 1952, is now one of the fewer than thirty remaining sidewalk snack booths in Hong Kong.
On this work trip to Hong Kong, we had to stick to a tight budget, so we ended up sharing a small suite for five days with four of us. It was so cramped that even turning over in bed had to be done with extreme care. In this situation, we finally got a taste of a unique aspect of Hong Kong's lifestyle known as the "ant nest."
During my trip to Hong Kong, one of the main reasons I chose to stay at Mandarin Oriental was the chance to enjoy their English afternoon tea at a relaxed pace. When I saw the complete set of tea utensils, the three-tiered dessert platter, and the beautifully embroidered tablecloth, it felt like a special ceremony.