IN THE HEART OF THE METROPOLIS : TAUMATEI AND ITS PE

Yaumatei, ever since it was first established in 1864, has always been a vigorous and vital place. It has always been the economic and social heart of West Kowloon, which in turn has, at least in recent decades, been the heart of the "real" Hong Kong. The district teems with life, from before dawn to late at night. It is, and always has been, over-crowded, noisy, odorous, and a little scruffy - intensely down-to-earth, hard-working, lacking in sophistication and glamour, but full of zest and liveliness. Walking its streets brings the visitor close to the essential Chineseness of Hong Kong: there is little of the international veneer of Central and Tsimshatsui here. It is not, perhaps, and easy place for a visitor to get to know, but, once known, it is an easy place to fall in love with. Who can resist such exuberant vitality, or such an ever-changing kaleidoscope of people?