cqvip:The parting phrase, "Manzou," means walk slowly, in the sense of mind how you go. It is frequently heard on China's mainland, where locals indeed proceed in leisurely fashion on foot. But it is plainly inappropriate in Hong Kong. The region's rapid rhythm of life, emphasized by the marching air emitted at each intersection as pedestrians surge across, demands haste of its inhabitants. Oddly enough, the "number eleven bus" is a main mode of transport in this contemporary cosmopolis. The majority of MTR passengers, adults and children alike, are shod in smart sports shoes suitable for maintaining a brisk gait. It is believed possible to distinguish a native of Hong Kong from a visitor by their walking pace. As we observed Hong Kong's fleet-footed inhabitants making their way purposefully along the city's crowded thoroughfares, we wondered about their thoughts since the return of Hong Kong to the motherland, and about the impact it had made on their lives.
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