Looking back to the start of the Umbrella Movement and ahead to there being continued protests in Hong Kong

How Harcourt Road looks on protest-less days

 

Admiralty is definitely more colorful when occupied by 

pro-democracy protestors and decorated with their creative works!

Six years ago today, what came to be known as the Umbrella Movement (or Umbrella Revolution) began in earnest after the police fired what was then an unprecedentedly large amount of tear gas into a protest crowd assembled at Admiralty.  I don't expect any tear gas to be fired today or to see water cannons going into action in the area, as was the case one year ago.  But make no mistake: the pro-democracy protest spirit that emerged on September 28th, 2014, has by no means been extinguished.  This even though the authorities have been doing what they can to bring Hong Kong to heel.  

 

Take, as an example, the banning of a protest march intended to take place this upcoming October 1st (with an appeal against the decision having proved unsuccessful).   As expected, the police cited public safety fears by way of the Wuhan coronavirus.  This is despite the third wave now being under control: as evidenced by there just being 10 new cases today; of which only 3 are local transmissions, all of which are linked to other ones.  And you also had the proposed march's very experienced organizers also indicating that social distancing measures could easily be practiced, such as asking marchers to wear masks and walk in groups of no more than four, the maximum number of people allowed to gather under regulations.    

 

As Renaud Haccart Tweeted back on September 15th: "As noted by other commentators, there’s a fair chance that group gathering rules will be the very last to go, as they provide the perfect cover for police to disrupt any public protest of any size or form and make arrests."  And it really didn't seem purely  coincidental that one week later, the powers that be proceeded to extend the current coronavirus social distancing measures until October 1st, amid online calls for a protest march on that day.

 

As a reminder: even without there being the Wuhan coronavirus attacking much of the world, the October 1st protest was banned last year.  And the ban not withstanding, tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of Hong Kongers went out onto the streets to protest nonetheless; and, in so doing, produced the kind of visuals that the authorities most certainly did not wish to have beamed out to the world on China's National Day.

 

It's not entirely impossible that a good number of people will elect to march in protest again this October 1st.  This despite anti-Wuhan coronavirus social distancing measures being in effect -- and the vague, broad and sweeping security law China imposed on Hong Kong on June 30th whose penalties include life imprisonment.  

 

Alternatively, it's been suggested that people wear black on the day to register that October 1st is a day of mourning, not celebration, for most Hong Kongers as well as a sign of solidarity with the 12 Hong Kongers whose bid to seek asylum and freedom in Taiwan led instead to their detention in Shenzhen.  I do sincerely hope though that people won't dress up in black if they do plan to go onto the streets to protest because black attire has become the equivalent to the Hong Kong police of red cloth to bulls!    

 

For those who are wondering why Hong Kong is such a city of protest: do realize that one big reason why this is so is because Hong Kong has never been fully or really democratic.  Consequently, Hong Kongers have had to find other ways to make our will be known and heeded; with mass protests having met with some notable success in the past (e.g., in 2003 and 2012).           

And for those who reckon they know about the security law that's been imposed on Hong Kong: do give the quiz by The Guardian a try.  In what loos to have been an effort to commemorate the start of the Umbrella Movement (even without outright stating it), that British newspaper has shone the spotlight today on: Hong Kong's "freedom swimmers" (the hundreds of thousands of Mainland Chinese who escaped to Hong Kong between 1950 and 1980);  the Chinese Communist Party faithful shipped in to carry out Beijing's will in Hong Kong this year; and Oxford University's efforts to protect the students of China in the wake of the coming into being of China's security law for Hong Kong.  

Vignettes from yesterday's mega protest in Hong Kong

Walking along undaunted, complete with balloon eye, 

70 days on from the mega protest march that 

kicked off this summer of protest in Hong Kong

 

 Holding firm amidst the deluge, confident that the

storm would soon blow over and calm skies return

 

I had agreed to meet with a bunch of friends at 2.15pm outside Tin Hau MTR station to get into Victoria Park for the extradition bill-themed protest rally that would officially get going there at 3pm yesterday. With trains bypassing the station from time to time (because the station had become super crowded with people intent on getting to the same destination) though, more than half of the group ended up getting there late -- with one friend telling us that the closest she figured she would be able to make it to was Causeway Bay, over on the other side of the park.

 

As the minutes ticked by and it got close to 3pm, those of us at Tin Hau realized that the lines to get into Victoria Park had stretched past where we were standing and the crowd was overflowing into the nearby streets.  Rather than stay put and risk being squashed by others, we decided to go with the flow and join the crowd -- partly in search of a more accessible entry point into the park and also with a vague idea of meeting up with the one friend over in Causeway Bay.

Shortly after we made our move, the heavens opened and we had the kind of downpour that we joked had far more water pouring heavily onto us than the police's new water cannons would ever be able to  While a few people elected to make for cover, most people already on the road stood resolute in the storm -- with pretty much everyone equipped with umbrellas to shelter under.

While standing on the road and under my umbrella for what seemed like an eternity, I looked to my left and caught sight of a plastic-covered baby stroller belonging to a family who had decided to bring at least one child along with them to the protest -- a decision that I wager is far less uncommon in Hong Kong than most other parts of the world.  Also spotted nearby braving the storm was a woman in a wheelchair holding an umbrella for the man wheeling her. 

I'm not going to lie: The sight of those fellow protesters made me choke up. And tears are coming out of my eyes again as I write this.  So here's throwing out a couple of lighter observations from yesterday.  Firstly, there sure were a lot of kawaii umbrellas at yesterday's protests -- with the visages of Totoro, Hello Kitty, Kumamon, Doraemon and Winnie the Pooh among my spottings.  

Secondly, I must confess to finding a Twitter thread of protest anecdotes started in the wake of yesterday's peaceful, feel good mega protest to be charming as well amusing.  And it really is so very Hong Kong to learn about the middle-aged protester who was overheard telling the woman next to him (who chances are pretty high was his wife): "This is the most radical I have ever been in my life. I am marching on a road"! :)    

Flowers, foods, pigs and politics at the 2019 Chinese New Year flower market

Flowers galore at the Chinese New Year flower market...

 

 The abundance of pig plushies tells you what zodiac year's coming up!

 

And the topical political displays let you know what's on the mind of

many Hong Kongers even as the most festive time of the year approaches...

 

In just a few hours, it'll be Chinese New Year.  I've spent a good part of today cleaning up my apartment, and also spent some time today and yesterday shopping for food (even though I actually know that at least a couple of the supermarkets I shop at will be open every day of Chinese New Year this year).  And earlier still (on its opening day, in fact), I paid a visit to the Chinese New Year flower market in Victoria Park to check out what was on offer there this year.  

 

Entering from the Tin Hau side of Victoria Park, the first stalls I came across were those selling food and drinks.  Because it was so unseasonably warm when I went, I actually wasn't all that attracted to what I saw on sale -- a large percentage of which was "stick food", be it Hong Kong curry fish balls, Xinjiang lamb skewers or Japanese king crab sticks.  And it didn't help that there was a stall sending stinky tofu whose distinct -- and, to my mind, seriously smelly -- aroma could be detected several meters away!

 

Actually, one of my abiding memories of this year's Chinese New Year flower market may well be the strong aromas that wafted about the place; with there actually be two stalls hawking durian -- yes, really! -- and at least one selling kimchi located not in the designated food stall area but among those hawking pig plushies, pig-shaped balloons and the like!  And for the record: despite my actually loving to eat (Malaysian) durian quite a bit, I declined the opportunity to do so in Victoria Park; this not least because I have a feeling that the prices being asked (t)here for the king of fruits would be on the princely side!

 

While I walked quickly by the durian and kimchi stalls, I did linger in the section of the Chinese New Year flower market set aside for the sale of the titular blooms.  And while it's true enough that I never do buy any flowers at this festive fair (or, for that matter, the Hong Kong Flower Show that's also held each year in Victoria Park), I do like the sight of the many beautiful and colorful flowers set in row upon row next to one another or similarly auspicious plants that are particularly sought after at this time of the year, such as the "lucky bamboo" and orange trees. 

 

What I did come away from my visit to this year's Chinese New Year flower market with were a pair of Totoro-themed bedroom slippers and, as has become a customary practice for me since the Umbrella Movement came into being in late 2014, an item purchased at a stall operated by a political party that's part of the pan-democracy camp.  

 

While we're on the subject: this time last year, I got the sense that many people sought to steer clear of the overtly political-themed booths but this year, support for those associated with the Umbrella Movement looks to be up again.  At the very least, I personally observed a matronly woman walk up to the Demosisto stall and drop a HK$500 note into a donation box without anyone approaching her to do so.  And that action makes up one of my abiding memories of this year's Chinese New Year flower market -- along with the strong afternoon heat and strong smell of stinky tofu encountered in Victoria Park that day!

No Face, a broom, and misbehaving Studio Ghibli fans?!

Spirited Away's No Face posing on stage 

with a broom and a fake tree 

 

A sign nearby in English and Chinese with instructions about

how to treat (or not, as the case may be) No Face and the broom!

 

After marching from Wan Chai to Central yesterday afternoon with tens of thousands of others to express our solidarity with the young men recently sent to prison by the authorities for acts of civil disobedience which many people find far more admirable than criminal, a friend and I decided to have an early dinner on the other side of Victoria Harbour at a restaurant located within the cavernous Harbour City complex in Tsim Sha Tsui. 

 

With time to spare after dinner, and our mood considerably brighter and lighter than it had been earlier in the day (thanks in part to having received a boost to our morale post seeing so many Hong Kongers still willing to stand up for others who they believe have been wronged), I decided to drag my friend -- who is not unfamiliar with things Studio Ghibli -- into the Donguri Republic store located within the mega-mall.     

 

The large, familiar figure of of O-Totoro greeted us at the entrance to this very attractive character goods store.  As I told my friend (and also promptly demonstrated to her), I find it well nigh impossible to pass by what is effectively a giant plushie without stroking it a few times; something which -- as far as I know -- is not discouraged by the Donguri Republic personnel!

A new feature at the store (or, at least, one which wasn't in place on my previous visits) is a stage area on which can be found Spirited Away's No Face along with a broom that people can pose with and have their photos taken if they so choose.  During my time at this branch of Donguri Republic, no one seemed all that inclined to do such -- or, for that matter, interact in any other way -- with this Studio Ghibli movie character and its broom prop.  But it seems some kind of mischief must have occured in the area since, in their vicinity can be found a sign in both English and Chinese asking people not to hit or climb No Face, sit or bounce on the stage -- and generally be nice to No Face and the broom!

 

Upon seeing the sign, my first reaction was to laugh incredulously at the need for such a sign and, also, at the way the requests were worded (especially the first line of "Please be nice to No Face and the Broom").  My second reaction was to try to figure out who would actually misbehave at a Studio Ghibli character goods store!  

 

I suppose the most logical suspects would be young children with parents who haven't taught them how to behave appropriately in public, etc.  But looking around me, it's actually the case that adults predominate at pretty much every Donguri Republic store I've visited, be they in Japan or Hong Kong; and those individuals who are fans of Studio Ghibli don't tend to look like they have anger management issues or hooligan tendencies!  (And for the record, it's been similar with Funassyilands and also outlets showcasing Sanrio products!!) ;b   

The enchanting place that is the Ping Che Mural Village (Photo-essay)

"Have you seen all of Hong Kong already?"  That was a question that a Penang friend posed to me before I had even completed my first month here in the Big Lychee.  Close to 10 years on, my answer remains as it was then: definitely not!  Indeed, last Saturday, I not only hiked along Hong Kong's "Great Wall" for the first time ever but I also set foot in a couple of villages in the northern section of the New Territories for the first time ever!

If truth be told, by the time we got to Ping Yeung, the group I was with was feeling too fatigued to be interested in properly looking about the village (which is home to at least one interesting looking temple).  On the other hand, I reckon we did a good job of exploring Ping Che, particularly the delightfully picturesque section designated as the Mural Village.  

Our hike leader had described it as an artist's village and I had visions of a place filled with artist studios and arts workshops that would be the rural equivalent of Fotan.  Instead, what we found was a part of Hong Kong where creative souls had come together to paint on and beautifully decorate public pathways, walls of houses, benches and more in ways that have to be seen to be believed.  Hence the following photo-essay:-

Walk along the narrow path and have your mind blown! ;b

Behold, a whimsically creative wonderland! :)

 

The further you go, the more you see, and 

the wider will be the smile on your face :)

 

The paint is fading but fans of My Neighbor Totoro

still will be able to easily figure out what's depicted here :b

 

Why am I not surprised to see a yellow umbrella and companion 

flowers among the images at Ping Che Mural Village? ;)

A colorful sign and heart-emblazoned fridge-turned-storage 

unit where pens and paper can be found for writing

messages or unleashing your own creative inclinations :b

 

A bench so beautifully decorated that I was afraid to sit on it!

 

An enchanted tree for an enchanting village? :)

Kawaii vehicles whose sight made me do a double take! ;)

The kind of car decorations that one can see

in Hong Kong around Christmas time ;)

Not a cat bus but fans of My Neighbor Totoro

still will approve of this vehicle :)

A surprisingly common sight on the roads of Amsterdam!

More than ten years ago now, I lived in a city which seemed impossible to (fairly efficiently) get around without either driving one's own car or -- more dangerously -- riding a motorcycle.  Although I've long been a far bigger fan of public transportation rather than private vehicles, even I succumbed to having a car during my time in Kuala Lumpur.  

But I never ever became a car enthusiast like quite a few people I knew there, and to this day, am not likely to have my head turned by such as the expensive luxury cars and sports cars that some people can get super excited about, and which one often sees on the roads of Hong Kong.  Instead, the vehicles that tend to grab my attention are those that are on the kawaii side, be it because they are on the unusually small side -- as was the case with the Canta cars I saw when I visited the Netherlands around a year ago that make Smart Cars look big! -- or have cute decorations on them.

A few months back, a post on the invaluable We Love Funassyi blog alerted me to the existence of an amazingly Funassyi-fied car here in Hong Kong.  Sadly, although I've tried to keep a look out for the customized Suzuki Hustler, I've yet to spot it speeding around on the roads of the Big Lychee.  On the other hand, however, I've definitely seen my share of Hello Kitty-fied vehicles about here in Hong Kong, including cars, vans and even trams.  And a few weeks ago, I came across a van on a Shau Kei Wan street that marked out its owner as a big fan of Totoro!   

Also bringing a smile to face was the sight of a car that's part of the Kowloon Shangri-La's stable which was festively festooned with horns and a red nose that brought to mind Rudolf the Reindeer.  Some may cry "Bah humbug" over it but my feeling is that its appearance did add at least a bit of Christmas cheer into the lives of some (easily amused) people as well as cause a number of folks to do a double take! ;)

Funabashi's flagship Funassyiland!

The main place in Funabashi that I wanted to go to!

 

Not for sale items at Funabashi's Funassyiland!

 

Among the Funassyi memorabilia on display are items from  

the recent Funassyi-McDonalds Japan collaboration :)

When I visited Japan this past May, I made sure -- as I've always done so each time that I've visited Tokyo -- to go to the Kiddy Land flagship store in Harajuku.  But whereas on previous visits, I would make a beeline for the Studio Ghibli section to look for Totoros and Ponyos, the establishment in recent years of branches of Studio Ghibli's Donguri Republic character shops in Hong Kong has made them easier to come by here.  So, instead, it was Funassyi items that I focused on getting my hands on as paraphenalia featuring the mainly yellow and blue gotouchi chara from Funabashi are still on the rare side in the Fragrant Harbour (despite The Pear having been to this part of the world, including this past July)!  

Despite a good bulk of the ground floor of Harajuku's Kiddy Land now housing the Funnasyiland Select store-within-a-store, I came away from my visit wanting to see -- and get myself -- still more Funassyi items!  And even while I did manage to add to my Funassyi haul by doing such as a getting a Funassyi t-shirt from a branch of Shimamura over in Nagano and a Funassyi charm at Narita International Airport (which, despite serving Tokyo, is actually located in the same prefecture as Funabashi), I hankered to get still more by visiting a larger Funassyiland on my next visit to Japan.

As might be expected, the largest Funassyiland of all is located in Funassyi's hometown of Funabashi.  And while my party didn't head straight there upon arriving in Funabashi (but, instead, went and fortified ourselves first with a bowl of the Pear's favorite sauce ramen), there was no way we would not be spending a significant amount of time at the flagship store located within the LaLaPort Tokyo Bay megamall which the "Boss Pear" can be seen prancing about in one of its music videos!

 

While my mother went and explored other sections of the mall, my fellow Funatomo friend and I set about checking out both the items available for sale and that were not for sale at Funassyiland.  I think on account of it being the first Funassyiland she had ever visited, my friend looked to have been overwhelmed by the amount and variety of Funassyi items on view (which, more than by the way, included packets of instant sauce ramen with Funassyi's visage on it!).  

 

I, on the other hand, have to admit to wishing that the store was larger still, and had a greater choice of Funassyi items for me to choose from!  (Among other things, I wish there had been a better choice of Funassyi t-shirts and sweatshirts, and also would have loved to come by such as a Funassyi-themed mousepad.)  Even so, I have to say that I was not unhappy with my haul which included: a 2017 Funassyi desktop calendar, a copy of the Funa Metal Rock CD and -- woohoo! -- a 50cm Funassyi plush which is super soft as well as absolutely kawaii and comes complete with such details as its own name tag and "Illusion" (neither of which the Sleeping Bag Funassyi I got first -- and still do also love -- possesses)! ;b   

Torii and more at Hakone Jinja

One of Hakone Jinja's torii lies at the water's edge and 

makes for a lovely landmark on the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise

 

Further inland and hidden from the lake are

still more picturesque sights within the shrine precinct

 

And what's a Shinto shrine without steep stone stairs? ;S

 

Some day soon, I tell myself, I will make it to Miyajima and behold the great Torii located some 200 meters offshore that is its UNESCO world heritage listed Shinto shrine's most well known feature.  In the meantime, I love looking out for and at the torii of Hakone Shrine situated at the edge of Hakone's Lake Ashi when sailing on one of the "pirate ships" that transport visitors from the northern side of this beautiful body of water to its eastern end.

 

On my second trip to the area, I decided to not only view this eighth century shrine's most visible vermilion torii from afar but also to pay a visit to Hakone Jinja.  Unlike many a samurai of old, the group I was with didn't approach this ancient Shinto place of worship but, rather, walked to it from the pier at Moto-Hakone a few hundred meters away.  This way, we passed through a number of other torii and along an approach lined by over 800-year-old cedar trees before getting to the vermilion structure that is Hakone Jinja's most visibile feature from the boat.

 

Within the shrine precinct is a cedar tree with a shimenawa (a straw rope with white zigzag paper strips) around it denoting its sacred status.  Whenever I see such a sight, I get to thinking of My Neighbor Totoro, in particular the tree in the clearly enchanted woods near their home that the father takes his two daughters to pay their respects to/at.  

 

And as I've come to expect of Shinto shrines, there are a number of stone steps to climb up to its main hall.  Even while I made noises about shrine buildings often not being all that impressive, I still couldn't resist climbing up to the very top of the stairs to take a look around up there before making my way down to the water's edge and what I have to say is Hakone Jinja's more picturesque spot: by the torii that points out the whereabouts of this shrine to people sailing by on the lake.

 

As my mother and I approached that torii on the edge of the lake, we caught sight of a couple dressed in traditional Japanese wedding attire posing for photographs.  As they must have expected and resigned themselves to, the pair also attracted the attention of many tourists in the area -- and consequently had lots more people snapping shots of them than just the man they had expressly hired to do so.  And yes, I must admit to having taken a few snaps of them myself; all the while thinking that they were far more elegant and had picked a far more suitable spot than the Hong Kong wedding photo parties I've encountered at such as Shek O Beach and by a country road deep in the heart of Sai Kung East Country Park! ;D   

Partaking of regional specialities at Sake Bar Ginn's Toyama Night :b

Three of the sakes I tasted at Sake Bar Ginn's

Toyama Night special event :)

Dried firefly squid snacks, complete with eyeballs!

A raw egg went very well with the Himi udon

that's a speciality of Toyama prefecture! ;b

Although I've been told by a few Japanese friends that I've been to more Japanese prefectures than many Japanese people, there still are a fair few which I've yet to set foot in.  Among the Japanese prefectures I've yet to visit is Toyama: whose western border abuts the Japan Sea, and is best known for its industrial activities, yet also has sake breweries and food products to be proud of.

At Sake Bar Ginn's this evening, I got to taste five different sake and six different food dishes from Toyama.  Like at this past March's Tokushima Night, the food and drink on offer are regional specialities which one doesn't often see at the venue along with other Japanese dining and drinking establishments in Hong Kong.  So it really did feel like a special treat to get to try them tonight.

As the Toyama Prefecture representative present at the event informed me, the Toyama sake made available this evening came from five of the prefecture's nineteen sake breweries, and the ones I tasted included a variety of grades and types of the Japanese alcoholic drink: namely, junmai daiginjo, junmai daiginjo nama, junmai daiginjo, junmai ginjo nama genshu, and tokubetsu junmai.  And true to form, my favorite of these was the junmai daiginjo: specifically, the Haneya Junmai Daiginjo Tsubasa Nama from Fumigiku Brewery which I felt was pleasantly delicate, yet flavorful.  

Although Toyama actually has mountainous inland areas, seafood dominated its culinary offerings right from the start, with the first dish I was served being while hotaru (firefly) squid served three ways!  Squid also figured in two other dishes on offer this evening: an oden-like offering which also included balls of potatos and taro (yam), mushrooms and slices of carrots; and the Takaoka-style black croquette with a center made up of rice, onions and potatos cooked in squid ink and consequently very black looking! 

Two other seafood dishes included in the mix were a tororo kombu (seaweed) rice ball, and a yellowtail miso soup.  (And for those who wondered: yes, I did type "tororo" as Totoro the first time! ;b) So it may be rather ironic that my favorite dish on the special Toyama Night menu was the sole one that wasn't a seafood dish!  And while the Himi udon may not look like anything special, let me emphasize how wonderful this chewy wheat noodle's texture was -- and how much of a treat it was to feel safe to eat the rich-tasting Toyama egg -- with its big and bright yellow yolk -- that came with it raw! ;b

Meet Funassyi, my latest Japanese love! (Photo-essay)

"All your favorite plushie characters are from Japan!"  That's what a friend of mine recently noted.  Believe it or not, I hadn't actually realized it until she said so.  But it's indeed true enough that Winkipinki (my first Sanrio love), Hello Kitty, Totoro, and Ponyo do indeed all hail from the Land of the Rising Sun (or, rather, their creators -- since Kitty Chan's actually supposed to be an English girl cat character!).  

And so too does Funassyi, the pear fairy from Funabashi, whose existence I only got to know about in the final months of last year but whose incredible -- and often incredibly diverse -- exploits I've been addictively and vicariously following via such as the amazing We Love Funassyi blog and often hilarious Youtube appearances such as this, this, this and this!  (For those who are interested in checking out more videos featuring this shrieky yellow and blue creature, you could do worse than Google "Funassyi explosion run", with a version with English subtitles being available on Youtube!).   
Although the hyper-active unofficial mascot of Funabashi (a city in Chiba prefecture with pear orchards) is super popular in Japan, it's not yet that well known internationally -- and its merchandise (still) is not all that easy to find in Hong Kong.  So even though a friend very kindly got me some Funassyi items when she visited Tokyo a few months back, I was determined to buy myself some more goodies with the Pear's visage on them when I went over to Japan myself at such as the branch of Funassyiland located on the ground floor of the wonderful flagship Kiddy Land store in Harajuku...

 Actually, as I found out on this recent Japan trip,

the Pear -- pictured here holding an apple in Nagano -- 

can be seen in many places in the country! ;b

And on the very first day of my recent Japan trip, Puppet Ponyo posed 

with a tiny Funassyi charm in the grounds of Nagano's Zenkoki :) 

It was raining when I got to Funassyiland/Kiddy Land but 

I just knew there would be things in there that'd brighten up my day :b

 On those shelves alone are far more Funassyi merchandise

than I've seen (to date) in all of Hong Kong!

Funassyi rules!  (And with the Pear being a charitable fellow,

I wouldn't be surprised if it had allocated some of its store space

for Kumamon items to help with the Kumamoto earthquake relief) 

I wonder how many men out there wear Funassyi 

boxer briefs... willingly and of their own volition! :D

In retrospect, I really wish I had bought that 60 cm 

Funassyi plush sitting on the edge of the shelf... :S

 Still, I think I got a decent sized Funassyi haul 

on this one trip... (Confession: that's actually not 

everything I bought this time around! ;b )

Creative, colorful displays at the 2016 Hong Kong Flower Show (Photo-essay)

There's a report in The Guardian today about this past February having broken global temperature records by a "shocking" amount.  But Hong Kong continues to experience unusually cold temperatures; with last month having been a cooler February than usual in this part of the world and the attendees at the 2016 Hong Kong Flower Show (which began last Friday and runs through the 20th of this month) consequently having more layers of clothing on than at the Hong Kong Flower Show last year. 

Visitors to this year's edition of the floral extravaganza also have had to protect themselves from the rain at times.  But while the sky was on the gray and cloudy side when I went over to check out the cool and colorful sights on view at Victoria Park earlier today, I didn't have to take my umbrella out of my backpack.  Consequently, my hands were free to hold on to my camera and take lots of pictures with it, including the following:-

The Hong Kong Flower Show is where people get to 

feast their eyes on colorful flowers galore :)

What with it being the lunar year of the monkey, of course there'd be

depictions of such as the Monkey King about the place! ;b

The dragon and the phoenix also make appearances at

this often noticeably Asian-flavored flower show

Lest we forget where this flower show is situated, here's including 

a representation of the city's iconic skyline in the frame ;)

 Some of the other exhibitors opted to depict idyllic landscapes

that look like they belong more in the West though!

As far as I was concerned, this creative display which made

wonderful use of mirrors came straight out of fantasyland! :)

Speaking of fantasy: a tiny Totoro had a place in

a cute miniature bonsai arrangement :b

All in all, it was great to see so many beautiful flowers

in bloom despite the cooler than usual temperatures for March :)