Sophia C. reviewed on 5/16/2013 + 289 more book reviews

I think of Chungking Mansions a sketchy place with good Indian food, reflecting the attitudes of the ethnic Chinese locals from whom I derive most of my knowledge of Hong Kong. Gordon Mathews, an anthropology professor from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, offers a much more interesting and nuanced look at this dilapidated building in the middle of Tsim Sha Tsui, one of Hong Kongs busiest tourist districts. Based on years of research while hanging out in the building in the late 2000s, he was able to draw out how it serves as a node of low-end globalization much more than my brief visit to its ground floor during a recent trip to HK. I enjoyed learning about the traders, shopkeepers, and tourists, mostly from Africa, South Asia, and mainland China, respectively, and what makes this unique intersection possible. I recommend it for anyone looking to learn more about Hong Kong and how the developed and developing worlds meet.

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