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8.5.14

King Hui: The man who owned all the opium in Hong Kong

I picked up this book in flow books, a wonderful second hand book store soho (If you're a book lover in Hong Kong i'd definitely recommend checking in out. Location: Wing On building 1A, 38 Hollywood Road, Central). I hadn't read any Hong Kong based novels prior to this, so when this title caught my eye I knew it was time to give it a go. The story of Peter Hui is a fascinating one, which not only tells the thrilling tale of his life, but is also an excellent insight into a bit of 20th Century Hong Kong history. Peter Hui lives in colonial Hong Kong, he experiences life through the Japanese occupation during the second world war, and he sees the changes bought to his home Canton during the communist takeover. It was fascinating to hear the familiar places described so differently to how they are now (for example, the three story houses in central - imagine!). An engaging story that also gives an interesting insight to some Hong Kong history, told through the eyes of a local, who interacted with people from all different walks of life and on many different levels of society.



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