Coronavirus and social distancing

It turns out that Hong Kong has really gotten off lightly compared to many other parts of the world.  Whilst other places have gone into full lockdown mode, we in Hong Kong have been able to continue our lives with only mild interruptions.  This is quite a bit change in circumstances from only a couple of months ago.  I remember being on video chats with friends from Europe, Australia and the US, all them being curious about what was happening in Hong Kong and whether we were all wearing face masks.  All of us in Hong Kong were considered to be the ones suffering as people from other countries looked at us with pity.  Times and circumstances have now changed dramatically as I now find myself checking back with them to see how long it's been since they've been allowed out of their homes... 

None of this is to say that life has changed in Hong Kong.  The bustling nightlife is now long gone.  I went for a walk through Lan Kwai Fong one night to have a look at the extent of the carnage.  I expected to see it quiet, but I didn't expect it to be completely deserted.  Walking down to LKF from Soho, I passed by Dragon-I which was now shuttered.  The models and the bankers are all gone and the party was well and truly over.

Downstairs on Wyndham Street, there wasn't much difference.  Normally, it wouldn't matter what day of the week it was, there would still be people milled around drinking and there would be cars constantly driving past.  Not on this evening though.  I stood in the middle of the road to take the photo with no need to avoid any oncoming traffic.

Further down in Lan Kwai Fong itself, I stood in a ghost town.  This was the very heart of Hong Kong's nightlight... or it used to be the very heart of Hong Kong's nightlife.  Now, there was quite literally nothing.  Every single shop was closed and there weren't any of the usual touts trying to get you to go into their bars.  There was a tragedy to it all, it felt like part of Hong Kong had died.

I kept wandering around the area and walked up Pottinger street for a little bit.  This is one of my favourite old streets in Hong Kong, with its old paved stone steps.  I wondered when it was that these steps had last been empty for such a long stretch of time.

Further down at the bottom of LKF was the biggest shock of all.  Tsui Wah, the old late night dining institution of LKF had permanently closed.  It didn't seem like it was possible for this place to close.  There were so many nights over the years that I had found myself sitting inside greedily eating some noodles after spending far too long out with friends.

Even after the worst of the restrictions pass, I wonder how much will be left to reopen.  Will there be a rebirth of the nightlife or could this be the death of the party that used to never end?