I Returned to Hong Kong After 6 Years. The West Is Wrong— It Still Works

Hong Kong used to be a regular port of call for me. I first visited in the early 2000s and was immediately struck by the collision of old and new, the city’s incredible architecture, infrastructure, and hospitality culture. It was a love affair. I hadn’t been since 2019, before the widespread protests that year and the Covid lockdowns that followed. 

Many in the West viewed Hong Kong in the past tense, as a city that was. But I hadn’t forgotten it: the urban density that somehow works, the way you can move from the financial district to hiking trail in 20 minutes, and the cosmopolitan fluency that feels effortless.

I recently returned to see what memories still held up and what had changed. I arrived on Cathay Pacific, a carrier working its way back to former glory. On arrival, the liveries still frame against those verdant green mountains at the airport. Its lounge product remains among the best in the world.

Hong Kong International Airport