The Semi-weekly leader., 1922-01-07

sampans and numerous launches Of
the harbor.
For nearly FIVE miles the water front
Is an unbrOken quay which the dwell
ers of Hong Kong, borrowing the
name from the famous quay Of the
Portuguese at Macao, call the Praya
Great ocean liners can dock directly
beside this quay or at one Of the many
wharveS which extend outward from
it. Back from the sea wall a broad
road extends along the entire water
front Of Hong Kong, and facing the
harbor across 1t are public buildings
business houses and some of the great
warehouses which proclaim Hong
Kong's chief activity-the distribu.
tiOn of merchandise to and from
southeastern Asia. Many of the
structures are faced story upon story
by the arched external galleries or
loggias, like our porches, that have
become characteristic of British archi.
lecture in this semi-troplcal island.
But looking at Hong Kong from a
ship In the harbor, the newcomer gives
only scant attention to the water front,
interesting as its appearance and &C.
tivities are. For Victoria is a city Of
terraces; the whole city is spread out
before him as though 1t were map
upon the wall. His eyes are newt
ably led upward to row upon row Of
buildings clinging to the sides of a
great hill, past patches Of bare rock
and forest. to dwellings perched near
the crest of the ridge. To the right, at
the very peak of the island, rise the
wireless towers Of one of Great Bri.
tain's most important radio stations
Climbing Up "The Peak"
Suburban conditions are not reached
in Hong Kong by moving outward as
in most thickly settled communities,
but by moving upward. On~the level
area of the middle portion of the town
near the water front-much of which,
incidentally, has been reclaimed from
the harbOr-are the banks and count
ing houses, the business structures
and warehouses of the merchants and
shippers. To the east and west Chin
ese merchants hold sway. This level
mercantile region Of Victoria extends
only a few blocks from the harbor's
edge. Back of itrise steeply the lower
slopes of ''the Peak" against whose
green sides the light buildings of the
residential section of the city stand
out boldly. Most of VictOria's cross
streets surrender Internationally at
the foot of the hill and are trans
formed into stair steps. A few, as
though more determined to conquer
the heights, wind with many contor-
tions, covering rods that they may
rise feet. But parallel with the edge
of the harbor the streets continue,
each ON different level, like receding
shelves or the tiers of seats of huge
theater.
The. first zone of shelf-like streets
that rises above the mercantile level
is Victoria's chinatown" where live
the greater part of the closely packed
multitudes of Chinese who have come
from the mainland to cast their lots
under the British flag.
The next level In Vietoria's social
stratifcation is a closely built up Sec
ton of substantial houses occupied
by British, Americans, Portuguese, and
indeed by representatives of most
European nations and the United
States. Farther up the side Of the
peak, above the closely built section
for westerners, are the residences of
the more wealthy, set In spacious
grounds, half hidden In gardens. !,
Hong Kong is in effect colony of
Chinese ruled by the British. But in
spite Of the fact thar e5 per cent of
the population is Chinese, people Of
many nations, and creeds have made
place for themselves in this unique
community. Near the water front may
be found representatives of almost
any nationality or race one likes.
from Portuguese to Norwegian, and
from South Sea islanders to African.
And in spite Of this seeming stage set
ting for eternal turbulence Hong Kong
is the most orderly city of the East.