K-pop idol Jackson Wang was recently appointed as the Hong Kong’s first tourism envoy by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). He is now busy following a promotional campaign to highlight the diverse tourism appeal and vibrant travel experiences of his hometown.
HKTB Deputy Executive Director Becky Ip led the appointment ceremony, wherein Jackson was formally presented to guests and members of the media. In his acceptance speech, Jackson said, “I am honored to be invited by the HKTB to take up this role. As “Hong Kong Tourism Envoy,” I can now play a part in promoting my beloved home and birthplace to visitors from around the world.”
In pursuit of his K-pop idol dream, the young Jackson left Hong Kong and a promising career in fencing. After years of training in South Korea, Jackson with six other members successfully debuted under the idol group GOT7, where he’s the rapper and dancer. With an ability to speak multiple languages (English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Shanghainese, Japanese and Korean), Jackson also does hosting stints, as well as represent different companies as its brand ambassador as a solo artist.
As part of HKTB’s promotional activities, Jackson will be appearing in videos and photos to introduce Hong Kong’s exciting tourism spots that are waiting to be discovered by tourists involving arts, entertainment, sports, outdoor activities, gourmet food and night life.
In an exclusive interview, Jackson shared to the BusinessMirror his favorite spots in his hometown. “As a Chinese that’s born in the city of Hong Kong, I feel that the city is very suitable [for travel], no matter [the reasons whether] if it’s for vacation, work, or business. If you ever want to stop by Asia, it’s always one of the best choices, because they have basically everything in Hong Kong,” Jackson said.
Whenever he’s working overseas, Jackson badly misses Hong Kong, especially its outdoor eateries and restaurants called Dai Pai Dong and Cha Chaan Teng. “That’s the very, very traditional Hong Kong food that everybody eats. And for me, since right now, [I’m] working in different countries, my best memory of Hong Kong is the food, the Dai Pai Dong and the one called Cha Chaan Teng. I always visit them whenever I’m back in Hong Kong.”
Dai pai dong are open-air street stalls that serve cooked food and can be found almost anywhere in the city. The decades old ones are near the Central-Mid-levels escalator in Central, or in the neighborhood of Sam Shui Po in Kowloon. They commonly serve snack food, stir fry dishes, braised dishes, fried oyster omelette, and chilled crab and fish.
Hong Kong diners, also called Cha Chaan Teng, offer dishes with Western influences at reasonable prices. Most of these diners have English menus and operate into the wee hours, or around the clock. They usually serve stir fry dishes, pineapple buns, and Chinese barbecue served in a local fusion style known as Soy Sauce Western.
Whenever he’s back home, you would probably find Jackson hanging out in Tsim Sha Tsui. “If I want to have drinks with my friends, just chillin’ or have a very meaningful reunion, then I would go to TST, also known as Tsim Sha Tsui. It’s a very famous street in Central where there are a lot of bars. There is [another] very good place to be with your friends and have a drink, and it is called Lan Kwai Fong.”
Jackson also recommends checking out Victoria Peak for its “night view and the Madam Tussauds Hong Kong museum, for its wax figures of celebrities and pop culture personalities.”
When asked for that one place he would like to visit someday, Jackson said, “It’s a mountain called Dai Yu Shan. Shan means mountain in Cantonese. I have been there, but I’ve never hiked in Dai Yu Shan. So if there’s a chance in the future and if I have time, I would definitely want to go back there with my friends and family.”
Dai Yu Shan, a.k.a. Lantau Island, is famous for its Buddhist architecture, long sandy beach and a mall of shopping outlets. Tourists usually go there to visit the Tian Tan Buddha (also known as the Big Buddha) and the Po Lin Monastery, to explore Ngong Ping 360, take a cooling dip at the beach, or hike to reach the Lantau and Sunset Peaks.
If he is to accompany a young lady tourist on a personal city tour, Jackson said, “I’ll probably take her to [the] famous, well-known Hong Kong dessert stores. And I’m always gonna stick with Dai Pai Dong and Cha Chaan Teng. This is the best choice. No matter who visits Hong Kong, they should definitely go [and] have a try [of the food].”
Image credits: Hong Kong Tourism Board