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The 'Sound' of Tsim Sha Tsui
The 'Sound' of Tsim Sha Tsui
The ‘sound’ of TST is very diverse – ranging from Chinese, English, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Filipino to Indian and so on. Such variation could be explained by the unique demographics, which compose of overseas tourists and local minority groups.
How do tourists ‘sound’?
At the T-junction of Salisbury Road and Nathan Road, there are some hotels and flagship stores of world-famous brands. Tourists from different nations stay at and shop there. The majority of tourists come from Mainland China and Taiwan as we hear Mandarin conservation all the time. The next frequently-heard language is English. As a lingua franca, English is commonly used by non-native speakers of English, like Koreans, Japanese and Singaporeans. For most Westerners, they could only speak in English, as they are unfamiliar with Asian languages.
Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board, 2008
Surprisingly, Putonghua is the major language in this tourism hub, Tsim Sha Tsui! It seems only compulsory for us Hongkongers to learn the language – after all, Putonghua is really applicable, especially when tourists from the Mainland or Taiwan ask for your help.
How do ‘black’ people ‘sound’?
Passing the Sheraton Hong Kong and some modern buildings, we arrived at the Chungking Mansions – an old building with 'baying touts and shabby surrounds' (Fitzpatrick, 2007). According to the Population By-Census 2006 Thematic Report: Ethnic Minorities, the majority of local Indians and Nepalese reside in Yau Tsim Mong district – which includes the Tsim Sha Tsui area. Most of the local Indians and Nepalese also earn a living in the district (The Census and Statistics Department of HKSAR Government, 2007).
We found the statistics particularly interesting. It shows that most local Indians and Nepalese live and work in - or near - Tsim Sha Tsui. One possible reason would be the district’s accessibility, as residence can go to different parts of Hong Kong easily via different types of transport.
Source: The Census and Statistics Department of HKSAR Government, 2007
At the entrance of Chungking Mansions, there are groups of ‘black’ people wandering around. Some of them are actually the staff of the restaurants in Chungking Mansions. The business is very competitive – they would chase down potential customers, and try to catch their attention with different languages. Through observation, we discovered that the staffs could handle at least four foreign languages - Cantonese, English, Mandarin and Japanese.
How do fast food shop customers ‘sound’?
Before arriving at the mosque next to the Kowloon Park, we went to the KFC to get some refreshment. The KFC was crowded with Filipinos, who were enjoying fried chicken and shooting breeze. There were larger groups (16 Filipinos sharing 5 Bucket Meals) and smaller groups (pairs of Filipinos and Indonesians chatting away with KFC's Autumn Special – Green Tea Soda).
The Population By-Census 2006 Thematic Report: Ethnic Minorities shows that some 89% of Filipinos and Indonesians work as domestic helpers in Hong Kong (The Census and Statistics Department of HKSAR Government, 2007). TST must be a hot spot for domestic helpers – just look at the Indonesian crowds at Nathan Road! Compared to Central, the crowds don’t sit around on roads - thanks to the hustling traffic – and chit-chats in fast food shops instead.
Tsim Sha Tsui sure is a fusion of culture. Take a stroll in TST, and experience its hybrid sound!
References:
Census and Statistics Department. (2007). Population By-Census 2006 Thematic Report: Ethnic Minorities. Retrieved October 20, 2008,
Hong Kong Tourism Board. (2008). Visitor Arrival Statistics and Hotel Occupancy Report. Retrieved October 21, 2008, from
Liam Fitzpatrick (2007, May). Chungking Mansions. Kowloon, Hong Kong. Time International, 169(17), 48. Retrieved October 21, 2008, from
The ‘sound’ of TST is very diverse – ranging from Chinese, English, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Filipino to Indian and so on. Such variation could be explained by the unique demographics, which compose of overseas tourists and local minority groups. How do tourists ‘sound’?
At the T-junction of Salisbury Road and Nathan Road, there are some hotels and flagship stores of world-famous brands. Tourists from different nations stay at and shop there. The majority of tourists come from Mainland China and Taiwan as we hear Mandarin conservation all the time. The next frequently-heard language is English. As a lingua franca, English is commonly used by non-native speakers of English, like Koreans, Japanese and Singaporeans. For most Westerners, they could only speak in English, as they are unfamiliar with Asian languages.
| Country/Territory of Residence | Percentage |
| Mainland China | 53.80% |
| South & Southeast Asia | 10.50% |
| Taiwan | 8.60% |
| North Asia | 8.00% |
| Europe, Africa & the Middle East | 7.60% |
| The Americas | 6.50% |
| New Zealand & South Pacific | 2.60% |
| Others | 2.40% |
| Total | 100.00% |
Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board, 2008
Surprisingly, Putonghua is the major language in this tourism hub, Tsim Sha Tsui! It seems only compulsory for us Hongkongers to learn the language – after all, Putonghua is really applicable, especially when tourists from the Mainland or Taiwan ask for your help.
How do ‘black’ people ‘sound’?
Passing the Sheraton Hong Kong and some modern buildings, we arrived at the Chungking Mansions – an old building with 'baying touts and shabby surrounds' (Fitzpatrick, 2007). According to the Population By-Census 2006 Thematic Report: Ethnic Minorities, the majority of local Indians and Nepalese reside in Yau Tsim Mong district – which includes the Tsim Sha Tsui area. Most of the local Indians and Nepalese also earn a living in the district (The Census and Statistics Department of HKSAR Government, 2007).
We found the statistics particularly interesting. It shows that most local Indians and Nepalese live and work in - or near - Tsim Sha Tsui. One possible reason would be the district’s accessibility, as residence can go to different parts of Hong Kong easily via different types of transport.
| Proportion of local Indians and Nepalese by District Council Districts | ||
| District Council Districts | Percentage (Indians) | Percentage (Nepalese) |
| Central and Western | 16.30% | 3.10% |
| Wan Chai | 4.50% | 10.80% |
| Eastern | 7.30% | 1.20% |
| Southern | 8.70% | 0.80% |
| Yau Tsim Mong | 22.60% | 39.80% |
| Sham Shui Po | 1.80% | 4.60% |
| Kowloon City | 12.70% | 3.20% |
| Wong Tai Sin | 1.50% | 0.10% |
| Kwun Tong | 3.30% | 0.20% |
| Kwai Tsing | 2.60% | 0.50% |
| Tsuen Wan | 1.30% | 4.60% |
| Tuen Mun | 2.30% | 1.30% |
| Yuen Long | 1.90% | 27.30% |
| North | 0.40% | 0.10% |
| Tai Po | 0.70% | 0.10% |
| Sha Tin | 3.10% | 0.20% |
| Sai Kung | 3.20% | 0.40% |
| Islands | 5.80% | 1.70% |
| Total | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Source: The Census and Statistics Department of HKSAR Government, 2007
At the entrance of Chungking Mansions, there are groups of ‘black’ people wandering around. Some of them are actually the staff of the restaurants in Chungking Mansions. The business is very competitive – they would chase down potential customers, and try to catch their attention with different languages. Through observation, we discovered that the staffs could handle at least four foreign languages - Cantonese, English, Mandarin and Japanese.
How do fast food shop customers ‘sound’?
Before arriving at the mosque next to the Kowloon Park, we went to the KFC to get some refreshment. The KFC was crowded with Filipinos, who were enjoying fried chicken and shooting breeze. There were larger groups (16 Filipinos sharing 5 Bucket Meals) and smaller groups (pairs of Filipinos and Indonesians chatting away with KFC's Autumn Special – Green Tea Soda).
The Population By-Census 2006 Thematic Report: Ethnic Minorities shows that some 89% of Filipinos and Indonesians work as domestic helpers in Hong Kong (The Census and Statistics Department of HKSAR Government, 2007). TST must be a hot spot for domestic helpers – just look at the Indonesian crowds at Nathan Road! Compared to Central, the crowds don’t sit around on roads - thanks to the hustling traffic – and chit-chats in fast food shops instead.
Tsim Sha Tsui sure is a fusion of culture. Take a stroll in TST, and experience its hybrid sound!
References:
Census and Statistics Department. (2007). Population By-Census 2006 Thematic Report: Ethnic Minorities. Retrieved October 20, 2008,
from http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/.
Hong Kong Tourism Board. (2008). Visitor Arrival Statistics and Hotel Occupancy Report. Retrieved October 21, 2008, from
http://partnernet.hktb.com/.
Liam Fitzpatrick (2007, May). Chungking Mansions. Kowloon, Hong Kong. Time International, 169(17), 48. Retrieved October 21, 2008, from
Academic Research Library database. (Document ID: 1263710071).
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