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Adelaide Ho (left) & Christina Ho (right)
Nuisance in Tung Chung
ong queue for tables in restau-
rants, crowds, trash, and influx
Lof tourists, are upsetting the
quiet and cozy Tung Chung. Tourists
have flooded the distant town recently
and many residents are annoyed and
frustrated.
Christina Ho, a Tung Chung resi-
dent, complains the influx of tourists
has caused disturbance to her daily
life. “We have to endure much longer
queueing time for restaurants,” she
says. “Worse still, there is rubbish eve- Tung Chung’s Citygate Outlets Mall is packed with tourists after the opening of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in 2018
rywhere,” her sister Adelaide Ho adds.
Hong Kong is one of the most pop- requiring tour agencies and group or- chain stores and outlets inside Tung
ular travel destinations in the world. In ganisers to purchase shuttle bus tick- Chung’s shopping malls, which trans-
the past five years, the city of 7.5 mil- ets through a pre-booking system to form the residential zone into a shop-
lion residents has received an annual regulate traffic flow on specific days. ping attraction. “The residents will
average of 60 million visitors, with a Lau Wing-yin, chairman of Tung not be that disgruntled if the govern-
record-high of 65 million in 2018, ac- Chung Concern Group, says police’s ment encourages more small shop
cording to the Tourism Board. scrutiny on tourists’ activities has tenants to set foot in the district to
Despite the enormous economic improved after resi- serve residents’ needs,” says Lau.
benefits brought to the city, nuisance dents’ protests were Lau suggests the government
caused by tourists has become a head- widely reported in sets a daily quota on the number of
ache for residents. Conflicts between the media. “Police cross-border coaches to put a halt
residents and tourists arose in Tung check tour guides’ on the influx of tourists and advise
Chung after the opening of Hong identity cards and the mainland authorities and travel
Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge last year, licence whenever agencies to remind tourists to behave
which attracted hundreds of flag- they suspect unau- themselves.
wielding one-day tour groups flocking thorised tour guides.” Lau Wing-yin
to Tung Chung, the closest residential But Lau says the new To Kwa Wan – hell’s kitchen
zone to the port facility. measure which only cracks down Similar problems are also observed
Mainland tourists who came by mainland tourist groups that are sus- in To Kwa Wan where crowds of tour-
public transport swarmed into the pected of violating regulations only ists flood into the district every day.
town and caused disturbance, leading brings them temporary peace. No Although the district is not a major
to a series of protests. prosecution has been made so far. tourist and dining attraction, half of
In the wake of the situation, the Lau believes poor town planning the city’s registered souvenir shops are
Transport Department introduced a should be partly blamed for the resi- located in the residential areas and
new measure in November last year, dents’ discontent, as there are mostly more restaurants are opening their