Day 1

The difference between the suburban area in Tuen Mun where Lingnan is located and more urban areas of Hong Kong is stark. As you go deeper into the city, there is a noticeable gradient from suburban to urban, green to metallic, and open to crowded. Even in the more crowded sections of the city that we saw this afternoon, I thought the noise was noticeably quieter than in cities I have visited in the United States including Portland, Boston, and New York. I was particularly impressed by the way that public transportation connected all of the spaces through which we moved. We moved from countryside to an urban area, above and below ground, over streets and through them, and across water to reach Hong Kong Island. Much of the city is very accessible from Lingnan via bus and train. I am interested in the effects that these transportation systems have on individuals’ abilities to work, receive education, and interact with other individuals all across the city. I wonder if individuals living in the Hong Kong area travel greater distances on average to work, go to school, shop, and socialize than individuals living in cities with less developed public transportation systems. It seems that these options might be available to people in Hong Kong when it is not for citizens of other cities though the price of taking transportation is a serious consideration.