2023/09/06

I think the world of hobbies in Hong Kong is very interesting as I have the opportunity to come across it on a daily basis, and this time I was able to get a little peek into the world of railway enthusiasts (what we call train fans in Japan), so I would like to share it with you.

One weekend, I was helping a friend out, and after I'd finished I was asked, "Do you want to come with me to see some scenic spots and trains?" I immediately replied, "Yes!"

It was 4pm, so we had afternoon tea nearby to fill our stomachs, then met up with another friend. Of course, the conversation was all in Cantonese, but just as I was feeling happy that I could understand it better than before, he asked me, "What do you like about trains?" I replied, "I'm a tram person!", which didn't quite fit in with the conversation, and it became a bit awkward. I would later find out why.

When I asked them for more details, I found out that they were going to a certain model train shop to sell their creations (photo below) and products.

The place we are going to this time is ``Qingyu Trunk Line Visitor Center and Observation Deck.''
I went to a place called "Observation Deck" that I had been curious about every time I passed by.

This time, I got into my friend's car and headed out in time for the sunset. The whole car was filled with talk about trains.
Our destination was the "Tsing Yi Main Line Visitor Center and Observatory", an exhibition room and observation deck that introduces the highway that connects Tsing Yi and Lantau Mountain on the northwest side of Tsing Yi Island. From the observation deck, we could see Tsing Ma Bridge, Kap Shui Mun Bridge, Ting Kau Bridge, and more, and it was a spectacular view. The humidity was at its highest, and because it was by the sea, we were sweating profusely even just climbing up the small spiral observation deck.

View from the observation deck. At the bottom right is our destination, "Hobby NaNa Cafe."

We went downstairs soaking wet, gulped down ice-cold cola and headed to the main exhibition hall...or rather, to a mysterious shop inside the exhibition hall. Apparently it's a famous shop known only to those in the know among railway enthusiasts, and as soon as we entered the shop, we couldn't help but exclaim, "What is this place...?" Who would have thought that such a grand shop could be found in such a remote location (with poor transportation access)...There we saw a variety of train models from Japan and around the world.
Ah, so that's what they asked me at afternoon tea, and I felt a little regretful for casually answering, "I'm a tram person."

The right side was a cafe, and the left side was a strangely designed shop selling railway goods.

I showed my friend's work to the owner and presented it to him, but he said that we can't handle it. When I asked him, ``What, something this wonderful is no good?'', he told me that in Hong Kong, very few people buy dioramas individually because their houses are so small. That's because in a small house, you can't run a train elegantly, and you'd probably get scolded by your mother or wife, so you definitely can't buy one (I've heard similar stories in Japan...).

I was thinking about having it in my own home, but I thought it would be fun, so I took a lot of pictures.

This is the product we delivered this time. It is a miniature tree for a diorama.

Apparently, railway enthusiasts take a lot of trains and go to a model shop in an industrial building to run the trains. After doing some research, I found that there were several such shops, and the interiors were elaborate and interesting. Of course, there was a lineup that would appeal to Hong Kong enthusiasts. I remembered that my friend also occasionally went to the shop and sent me videos of him running trains.

Returning to the story, when I walked around the store, the roads were blocked by many products, and it was like a secret base. There were parakeets inside, and many train-loving people came in and out of the store, chatting enthusiastically, making it very lively. I saw a scene where a friend and a customer who had come separately met, and one of the customers' girlfriends was left alone for a long time, and he got very angry, and said, "Damn! I forgot!", which was a tense moment. I didn't have a chance to join in the conversation, so I just looked around. But it was a very enjoyable time.

It's a shop, but it's very diverse and full of charm that you can't really understand until you go there. It feels like a Hong Kong shop (laughs). There are a lot of Japanese products in particular, and I can feel their passion.

Meanwhile, it was getting too late to get home by public transport, so I parted ways with my friend, whose house was in the opposite direction, and was kindly given a lift to Tsing Yi by someone who had recently become lost on the railway. He had a lovely look on his face as he told me that he had only just started, but was having a lot of fun. The world of hobbies is deep, and even fellow railway fans can be localized (optimized) depending on the country. It was really interesting and fascinating, and I had a stimulating weekend.

By the way, on the way back, I was also excited when I got on the Koba bus, but I missed my stop and ended up going around in circles in the same place, and it took me two hours to get home. But I was able to ride my favorite bus, so I'll call it a success.

I found a tram pamphlet so I grabbed it without hesitation!

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wm_Journal

He first visited Hong Kong before the handover in 1996. Over the years, he fell in love with Hong Kong a few years ago, and in 2020, he decided to move there alone. Even amid the COVID-XNUMX pandemic, he is living happily with his self-satisfied level of Cantonese and a cheerful attitude, with the motto of "act immediately when you think of something." His hobbies are observing and talking with Hong Kong men, watching Hong Kong movies, and taking the bus to the last stop.

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