Discover hidden and overlooked treasures on Hide and Seek Tour
By Julian Ng
Memories of Hong Kong’s past are fading, so four Hongkongers are showing locals the stories and hidden treasures in both historic and urban parts of the city, from walled villages and temples to shopping centres.
Chan Yee-tak, Rosita Chan Hei-ming, Tiffany Chan Hoi-ni and George Wan, who have been good friends since college, founded Hide and Seek Tour in December last year. They run the tours without any support, but they only hold one tour per month because they all have full-time jobs.
George Wan says the tours are about showing people the heritage sites while they’re still there.
“There are a lot of heritage sites in Hong Kong that no one cares about,” he says. “We want to bring people to these places, so that when another one gets demolished, people won’t form concern groups without knowing where they are.”
He adds that they don’t limit themselves to famous sites; what is more important is that the sites reflect local culture. They take you to places like walled villages next to the Tai Wai MTR station and the Wholesale Fruit Market in Yau Ma Tei. The first tour was in January this year and it showed visitors some little-known temples in Sheung Wan.
Apart from visiting older and more traditional places, Hide and Seek Tour also brings people to skyscrapers or even shopping malls in Causeway Bay. Chan Yee-tak studied urban planning at university and he tells visitors the stories of urban development in the city. Chan wants to remind people that you can see the story of a neighbourhood from these skyscrapers.
The tours all take two hours and most of them are close to MTR stations to make it convenient for visitors. They now charge HK$50 per person to cover operating costs, for instance the costs of printing notes for visitors. Wan shows visitors the historic parts of the city, Chan takes care of the urban development tours, and Rosita Chan and Tiffany Chan do the administrative work.
If you feel like escaping the familiar commercial side of the city and getting a taste of the colourful and storied Hong Kong, check out their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/hideandseektour/
Edited Zoe So
