Yes, I have been visiting the spot for many times, but never walked through the crowd and demonstrators and stayed long.
The 4 hour custom tour was pretty smooth on a sunny day, and the weather was excellent for a walking tour. Since the clients were vegetarian, I rearrange the spot at the Hong Kong Park the last so that we could, if they like, there were pure vegetarian dim sum and fantastic Chinese tea available. It was an alert to me as they told me they came from London, as they did share their view towards the current political situation in Hong Kong at the very beginning when we touched on the history.
It was a good break near the end of the tour at the tea house where we ordered the organic green tea, blossom flower tea and our southern people favorite, pu-er. Clients were so surprised to glance some advance booking of the premium tea tasting at 150 pounds for a mere 15 grams and we did have a chance to “see” how those expensive tea cake look like inside the shelve.
With the sudden request to finish the tour at the Peak Tram Terminus, I agreed to take a look on the crowd first before moving ahead. At one o’clock in the afternoon, the lines was crossing the other side of the pavement and I guessed we might have to wait another one hour. Clients agreed they should take a taxi uphill anytime they saw fit, might be as early as 8am or as late as 9pm in the evening, as the Peak Tram runs quite early until midnight and they should not spend their time in lining up as they still have their free time strolling around.
Again, another ad hoc request by clients, “Let’s see the demonstrators, can we?”. Since we were at Admiralty already, we could really walk through the main trunk road for vehicles back to their hotel in Central. Since the beginning of the movement, I would update the situation to the clients when I greeted them, and when we were near, depending on the district, I would offer the best advice to come close, a quick look, or skip away. It was the first initiation of the clients and, as we were already inside the Admiralty area, there were more students and academic people around and I felt good the district I familiar with where I came cross everyday. I checked the latest information before we move.
Again, it was another good photo-shooting opportunity, as clients said, “It is the history, a part of history!”. They were impressed by the tidiness and self-discipline around, but might not share everything the students were asking. This is also what our Hong Kong people’s feeling. In fact, this was also my first time to walk through, as I might only take a few shots with clients and then left. That day, I went through the crowds and walked along, until the very end at Central.
