The past two years have been really stressful for almost everyone. Considering the pandemic and the constant fear of unemployment, people need a way to destress and an island in Hong Kong is offering just that.?
Former film producer Zero Chan talked about her journey to the island of Peng Chau. It is a short ferry ride from Hong Kong's central business. She said how she feels distressed on the ride to the island.?
The island provides stress-free living for all those people who have had it tough for them. Stress has accumulated from events such as pro-democracy protests in 2019, a national security crackdown that followed, and more recently, strict curbs against COVID-19.
These changes have been hard on many globally. So many have shifted to?Britain, Canada and Taiwan, but Zero Chan has stayed on.
She talked to Reuters about how the island of Peng Chau has helped her. She has been?running a yoga and meditation studio in her home on the island, following that first visit in 2020.
People who visit her studio are?housewives, office workers and retired people. Zero starts every morning by eating breakfast and drinking tea at a white cast-iron table facing the sea, collecting her thoughts for the day.
The 36-year-old who follows Buddhism and Zen said that people come over to take space from the city and the noise.?"In the face of all these changes, all these tensions and all these conflicts, I think it's inevitable that people of all generations have to reflect on what's going on, and what life means," she said.
People are drawn to this island due to the low rent and rejuvenating properties.?Many dilapidated village homes have been renovated, and deserted concrete husks such as the Fook Yuen leather factory have been converted into a "secret garden" art space featuring graffiti and installation works.
Not just that, the place has emerged with cafes, boutiques and independent bookshops along with?traditional Chinese temples, family-run shops and diners. However, despite people shifting there for simple living and quiet life, spaces are being threatened by new development.?
Taki Chan, a college lecturer who moved to the island this year talks about the close sense of community. She met a group of women during a walk and then became friends with them for a swim.?
But if you are looking for a simple life which is within your budget, Peng Chau island seems like the place to be.?
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