Plying the Waters to Get to Hong Kong Fashion Week
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HONG KONG—If the idea of watching too many fashion shows or seeing too many apparel booths overwhelms you at Hong Kong Fashion Week, one way to catch a breath of fresh air is to hop aboard the Star Ferry from Hong Kong Island, where the show is held, over to Kowloon.
It’s one of the best values for the money. It costs only about 33 cents for the five-minute ride on well-worn wooden ferries that ply the waters of Victoria Harbour at eight-minute intervals. They carry romantic names such as Celestial Star and Morning Star.
Once on board, what you see is a microcosm of Hong Kong life—from well-dressed matrons and tired workers to a bevy of international tourists. You might also spot a buyer or two making the trek back to his or her hotel after wandering the vast Hong Kong Convention Centre halls in search of a new factory or sourcing contact. You also get a spectacular view of the skyscrapers that tower over Hong Kong.
The average age of the fleet is about 49 years, which means you’re using transportation that was around when Hong Kong wasn’t even a prime sourcing location and business contacts between the United States and China were practically nil. What a difference 49 years make.
