In the midst of this week's Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, however, travelers in Hong Kong may find moving around slightly more difficult than usual.
Since being occupied by
demonstrators, access for vehicles is restricted in key areas of the
city and many shops and restaurants in those areas have chosen to close.
Sections of major roads
have been closed to vehicle traffic, though largely left open for
pedestrians. In fact, walking around Hong Kong has been an extremely
pleasant experience for a lot of visitors walking on roads that are
normally jammed with cars.
After the clashes and
tear gas attacks on protesters on Sunday night/Monday morning, the
protests have been extremely peaceful and relatively festive.
However, the situation on the ground could change at any time and all visitors are advised to be appropriately cautious.
Several nations have posted travel warnings to Hong Kong with similar advisories.
Brief transport update:
- Hong Kong International Airport is operating as per normal. The Airport Express train, stations and check-in services are also operating normally.
- The MTR subway system is operating as normal and is the transport of choice at the moment as it serves all of the road closure areas.
- Vehicular access is restricted or completely closed in parts of Wan Chai, Admiralty, Central, Mong Kong and Tsim Sha Tsui. Around 70 bus routes have been rerouted and around 25 services stopped. Check with hotel concierges and bus companies KMB, Citybus and NWFB for more details and advice on making your journey.
- The Hong Kong tram track section between Western Market and Victoria Park (including the Happy Valley loop) has been suspended.
- Visitors arriving at or leaving from hotels in affected areas should allow more time for their journey and be prepared to lug their baggage to MTR stations if buses, taxis and other road vehicle services cannot access the hotel.
In more detail:
Areas affected
In Hong Kong Island's
Admiralty and Wanchai districts, Gloucester Road, Harcourt Road and
Connaught Road Central have been closed to vehicle traffic, but remain
open to pedestrians.
The area outside SOGO
shopping mall in Causeway Bay, including Yee Wo Street and Percival
Street remain closed but the demonstrators have agreed to reopen East
Point Road as an emergency corridor for fire engines and ambulances.
The public square Edinburgh Place in Central is also a protest zone.
Various streets in these above areas have also been closed to vehicle traffic, but remain open to pedestrians.
Protests are also
happening across Victoria Harbour in Kowloon, with sections of Argyle
Street and Nathan Road in Mong Kok occupied by demonstrators.
Tsim Sha Tsui's popular
shopping street Canton Road is also affected by the protest. A small
crowd of a few dozen now occupy a section of the road. The crowd once
peaked to a few hundred.
Hong Kong has its second
public holiday in a row on Thursday and the size of the protests has
increased over two days. The protest tends to grow at night, as more
residents join after school, work or other activities.
It is also possible the protest groups may move or extend to other areas without notice.
'Protest tourism'
Hong Kong protest hotspots
The protests have proven to be an attraction for some visitors.
Many tourists have taken
to walking to and through protest zones independently, though tourists
on private tours around protest areas have been seen.
Locals, tourists and
supporters of the protestors have taken to "sightseeing" and looking for
photo ops on elevated pedestrian bridges over roads near the Central
Government Offices in Admiralty, where the largest protest (in terms of
number of people) is taking place.
The idea of Hong Kong protests as tourist attractions might seem surreal, but it isn't entirely new.
In 2012, Lonely Planet included Hong Kong in its list of top 10 cities to visit, recommending such exotic attractions as the Star Ferry, Chinese fortune-telling and local protest rallies.
The popular guidebook
called Hong Kong "China's most liberated city" and predicted that 2012
would be an exciting year for the city, highlighting its "rallies
infused with theatrics and eruptions of song, dance and poetry" as it
continued its push for greater democracy.
Safety concerns
Travel to and within protest areas is generally safe.
On Sunday evening and
early Monday morning, police attempted to move crowds with force,
including firing tear gas canisters. The protests have since been
peaceful.
However, protestors
continue to operate ad hoc supply depots at various points around and
within protest zones, handing out water, towels and surgical masks to
those wandering through the area as minimal protection against further
potential uses of tear gas by police.
Supplies including food and umbrellas are also being given out to protestors and sometimes others entering protest areas.
Hong Kongers have their say on protests
Public transportation has also remained safe.
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