Laurel Chor (laurelchor)
Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities in the world. For starters, it was my first international destination. I celebrated my 23rd birthday there, and I remember the feeling of walking off the plane and down the stairs into the thick humid air at the old Kai Tek airport. I’d lifted a huge monkey off my back (I used to be not only afraid to fly but to even leave the house), and I’d never felt more alive. What’s going on in Hong Kong right now is tearing me apart because of my history there and because it’s such an amazing place. I’d still go today. However, I know many travelers wouldn’t, and as a result, businesses are getting crushed.
For an inside look at the Hong Kong protests, I recommend following Laurel Chor on Instagram. Laurel is one of the many local journalists and photographers working on the front lines in Hong Kong, and she’s been documenting much of her experience.
As written in Brian Stelter’s Reliable Sources newsletter, “in a recent post, she describes how ‘physically and emotionally exhausting’ the job is, sharing an image taken of her by fellow photographer Jerome Favre. ‘This is me on Saturday in Causeway Bay, on one of the city’s busiest streets and one I’ve probably crossed thousands of times… Sometimes it’s not until you get some rest that you realise how tired you are.’ Chor says she will ‘choke up… seeing a neighborhood I know like the back of my hand descend into violence in the middle of the day.'”
Give Laurel Chor a follow for a look at things on the ground. And let’s hope the violence ends soon and the city can return to being one of the best destinations on Earth.
Have you been to Hong Kong recently?
Have you been to Hong Kong lately? If so, were you affected by the protests? What was it like? Please share in the comments below.
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