It will be a scene from the 1930s, says the guidebook, a golden age in someone's eyes. A Hong Kong native tells me his history classes skipped the 20th century altogether. Golden or not, that era is gone. Tucked down alleys are remnants of the shabby gray stucco buildings whose manufactories once undergirded the local economy. Building piles on building, and person on person.
Every sidewalk is jammed.
Even though it's clear and reasonably cool, at ground level the air feels dense, as if compressed by the throng. The second floor of Luk Yu, where non-regulars are dispatched, feels wonderfully calm. It's a long way from our takeout favorites back home. We head to the harbor. At first, it looks like college students camping out for basketball tickets.