Dangers from the new Runway at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)

In May of of 2011 the Hong Kong International Airport released the "Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030" which suggested that a new runway should be built onto the existing facility by extending the artificial island that is the airport's home.   There's been a lot of media lately about the dangers at the from the new runway project.  Since Minxi and I are kind of fond of HKG (It's where we met in February.) we thought we'd take a look at what's going on.

The first thing you need to understand is that Hong Kong International "Chek Lap Kok" is built entirely on a man made island off the side of Lantau island.

In it's current state, with two functioning runways, it's capable of handling one take off or landing about every 56 seconds according to CNN.  The plan is to build a third runway, about the size of 5000 Olympic swimming pools.  With the third runway, the airport is expected to be able to handle a take off or landing about every 30 seconds.  At 300 passengers a flight, this works out to thousands people and millions of dollars a day.

Current growth estimates, again from CNN suggest that by 2030 Hong Kong's air traffic will increase from fifty million annually to nearly one hundred million annually with a matching increase in air freight.  The airport pretty much has to have the runway to meet the need.

If you're looking for ground transportation info. on the airport, try here.

So what's the problem?

Adorable Pink Dolphins that's what!   Well, a whole lot of environmental concerns actually but cuddly pink dolphins top the list.  There's only about a hundred of the dolphins left in the waters around Hong Kong and any invasion into the sea is a cause for concern.  But is the runway dangerous to them and the rest of the environment?   That's a difficult question to answer.

Being a city of seven million people on a landmass of only 426 square miles, Hong Kong places tremendous pressure on the ocean around it.  There, water pollution, noise pollution, habitat destruction and a host of other issues.  Put into the context of the overall human impact on the ocean around Hong Kong, the new runway doesn't seem as big a deal.

Physically, while 5000 Olympic swimming pools seems very large, compared to the size of the ocean, or even just the waters around Hong Kong, it's not much space, less that 1/2% of the total Pearl River estuary.   The real questions have to do with water pollution and noise pollution and these questions remain largely unanswered at this point.

Fortunately, Hong Kong is a world leader in Environmental initiatives.  Fully 40% of Hong Kong's landmass is dedicated to parks and wildlife preserves.  (Maybe that's why Nathan Lane always seems so crowded.)  They have a strong environmental lobby and a track record of balancing human needs with the need to preserve their beautiful heritage.

The staff of HKG recently put out the "Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030" out lining their plans.  You can see the video they put out on the subject here:

Can a third runway be put in at Hong Kong International Airport without sever environmental impact?  That has yet to be seen, but if any city in Asia has the power and smarts to grow and grow green at the same time, it's Hong Kong.  Good luck little pink dolphins!  Good luck HKG!

For more information on the Hong Kong International Airport click here.

QuingMing The "Tomb Sweeping" Holiday

Today is a traditional Chinese holiday.  April 4th is the start of the two day celebration of the dead in Chinese culture.  The name, "Tomb Sweeping Day" sounds a bit odd in English but the purpose is very good.  You show honor and respect to you ancestors by going and tending to their grave sites.

There is also usually a burnt sacrifice.  I find this very interesting.  You burn money (either real or "funerary money" and also paper copies of other objects.  For example, if you knew someone who died who liked cars,  you might burn a paper car to them for them to have  in the afterlife.

Minxi is very sad today.  Although her mother died when she was seven, Minxi still feels very close to her.  Unfortunately, her mother is buried in her hometown.  Local custom dictates that only family  members may be present today and, since Minxi has married, she is no longer, technically part of that family.  She will go to the local temple today and spend some time in memory of her mother.  She will also pray to my ancestors, asking that they bless us.  Boy is that gonna confuse my grandpa!

This Chinese holiday is specifically meant for what it says.  Today is the day that you should go tend to the grave of your lost loved ones.  Southern China is dotted with these beautiful, round tombs. They look very much like Hobbit holes.  The form is a short, curved concrete wall rising to about 3 feet with a round door in the center.  Usually there is a small offering space in front and possibly a small concrete patio.   I would show  you a picture but it is very bad form to photograph someone's final resting place.  I encourage you to Google it.

If you've got a moment, stop and remember your ancestors today  Most cultures have a festival like the "tomb sweeping festival."  It is a shame that in our country is has been reduced to the candy dispensing machine of Halloween.  I very much like the two day Chinese Holiday better.

Fun with Chinese Spam Part 1: Ready the Depth Charges

Since I started dating Minxi, I've managed to make it onto a number of Chinese Spam lists.  Every day or so I get an email in my spam folder that is entirely in Chinese.  This is great fun for me because I can't read any Chinese at all.

At first I was just entertaining myself by replying with messages like "Dear sir or ma'am.  I'm afraid that I cannot read this email as I don't speak putonghua.  If you would be kind enough to translate into English and resubmit, I will be glad to consider your offer."   No has has responded yet but I'm keeping my hopes up.

I also like to send them my chicken foot soup recipe.

Things got much more exciting for me recently when I fed one of these guys to Google's translator and found that I have been receiving Chinese spam selling sex toys.  Whooo hoo!  Now that entertainment.

Out of fear that I might be posting something really vulgar, I'm not going to give you the putonghua, but I just had to share some of the "items" for sale in this email as reported by Google's translator.  I'll let your mind work on just what these things are.


1.  Jump the Tiodan.

2.  Indian God Oil

3.  Strong Brushed Body Lubricant

4.  Security A Box

5.  And my personal favorite:  "Tiodan Depth Charges."  Oh so many bad puns calling to me.  I must resist.


This email also came with an interesting warning that I think we should all be aware of:  "Pay Close attention to snapping. [Pin Million Come Snapped.]"  Now that's what I call good advice.  How many romantic evenings (even those with security A Boxes) have been ruined by an unexpected snapping?

I'm not sure how I got on these guys' list.  Try hanging around Chinese dating sites for a while, maybe you can pick them up too.

Chinese Spam.  It's not just for breakfast anymore.

Pink Dolphins!

Okay, Hong Kong has pink Dolphins (Sousa chinensis chinensis, or   Zhōnghuá bái hǎitún.)  They are very endangered and they are cute beyond all measure of cute:

Chinese Pink Dolphin

Pink Dolphin

These are actually an even rarer (and nearly extinct) subspecies of an already rare white dolphin species.  They are so endangered that there are only about 100 left.  They are native to Hong Kong and the Pearl River Estuary.  They don't migrate so you can find them any time of year.  

If you want to spot them from land, try the overlook above the village of Tai O on Lantau island.  You're pretty far up in the air up there so take a pair of binoculars.   

If you'd like to have a go at getting close to them, Hong Kong Dolphin Watch runs tours year round.  They're in the waters around Hong Kong three or four days a week and boast a 97% spotting rate.  

If you're feeling more adventurous, open boat tours leave out of Tai O every day headed out to spot the endangered white dolphins.

I was really pleased that tour boats were heading out of Tai O.  Fishermen and dolphins are long time enemies.  In Cantonese a bad omen is sometimes called a "wu gei bak gei"  or a black white taboo."  This refers to the fishermen believing that the dolphins would steal their catch.  Sight seeing boats leaving out of Tao O gives the fishing village incentive to work with conservationist to protect these rare and amazing animals.

It was cold and choppy the day we were in Tai O but if the weather is nice and you've got some time, why not add endangered pink dolphins to the list of amazing things you saw while sightseeing Hong Kong.