For most visitors to Hong Kong, no trip would be complete without a stop at The Peak to take in the city鈥檚 sweeping vistas or a walk along the Avenue of Stars to witness the skyline lit up at night.
With such glitzy attractions having become synonymous with the city, few people would ever consider visiting a wet market in one of the city鈥檚 poorest neighbourhoods or a public housing estate slated for demolition.
But for Hong Kong tour guide Angel Lau Tsz-tung, these lesser-known locations reveal the true essence of the city.
The 35-year-old Hongkonger, who goes by Dearesthongkong, has built a reputation for showcasing many of the city鈥檚 hidden and vanishing gems to foreign visitors.
鈥淚 am a big Anthony Bourdain fan,鈥 Lau said, referring to the late chef and television personality known for taking viewers off the beaten path as he explored countries around the world.
鈥淚 want my guests to feel like they are Anthony Bourdain when they book a tour with me. I can show them not the fanciest place, but the most authentic place.鈥
Lau took a Post reporter on a six-hour tour that started at North Point鈥檚 ferry pier and seafood market, where some residents still engage in the Buddhist practice of releasing captive animals back into their habitat.
Next stop was Chun Yeung Street, where the city鈥檚 鈥渄ing ding鈥 tram snakes its way between street vendors. As The Peak was not part of the tour, Lau visited the Hopewell Centre鈥檚 56-floor observation lift in Wan Chai.
After crossing Victoria Harbour, she explored Tai Hang Sai Estate in Shek Kip Mei, once the city鈥檚 only privately owned low-income housing estate, now in the process of redevelopment.
The rest of the day consisted of visits to other nearby estates and wet markets, as well as enjoying some snacks from a family-run bakery.
Throughout the tour, Lau highlighted many traditional aspects of the city that have been disappearing, including the city鈥檚 neon signs and bamboo scaffolding.
The stories behind the scenes are equally important to her tour, such as heart-warming tales about pastry chefs and why there are so many red buckets in wet markets.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really have a mentor to tell me how to tell the story of Hong Kong,鈥 she said. 鈥淪o what I can do is just to tell the Hong Kong that I know.鈥
Hong Kong welcomed more than 4 million visitors in May, a 20 per cent year-on-year increase, with those from mainland China accounting for 77.5 per cent, or 3.1 million, of the arrivals.
Since the city鈥檚 reopening in early 2023 following the Covid-19 pandemic, authorities have been jostling to promote new tourism activities amid a shift in travelling habits, including the rise of the 鈥渃heck-in鈥 culture and budget tours from the mainland.
Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, has repeatedly urged the local administration to revitalise its tourism offerings and treat every corner of the city as a potential spot that could entice visitors.
Lau said that she felt that Hong Kong鈥檚 current tourism strategy promoted the city in what she described as a 鈥渟ingular way鈥, with visitors from the mainland being the main priority.
She noted that most of her clients were from the United States or Europe and other Asian jurisdictions, such as Singapore, adding that she found they were not as interested in the 鈥渃heck-in鈥 style of travelling.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not that attractive to them, and they would like to see things that are more authentic,鈥 she said.
Originally a jewellery maker, Lau shifted to giving tours full-time after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis during the Covid-19 pandemic. She said she quickly fell in love with the job after seeing the city through visitors鈥 eyes.
The name 鈥渄earesthongkong鈥 is meant to evoke someone writing a letter, Lau said. She also produces visual content for her social media accounts, showcasing many of the vanishing gems she has introduced to her clients.
Part of her inspiration is derived from processing her own grief. Shortly after her mom died in 2018, Lau said she found old footage of illuminated neon signs decorating Nathan Road in the 1980s 鈥 which would have been the Hong Kong that her mom had known.
鈥淧laces and moments disappear, but experiencing them before they鈥檙e gone 鈥 that鈥檚 what shapes us,鈥 she said.
鈥淚 believe all we鈥檙e left with in life are memories and experiences, so I鈥檓 driven to record them, to hold onto the soul of Hong Kong. That鈥檚 what keeps me going.鈥