The chinese characters that make up Hong Kong mean fragrant harbor. Once this island in the south of China was an harbor that was used a lot for the commerce of incense, and that is what gave it its name. Centuries later, already under British rule, this territory was extended to the Kowloon peninsula, and incorporated some more small islands, creating the territory we know today as the great Asian metropolis.

Nowadays, the aroma of incense is still felt on the temples like Man Mo or the Po Lin Monastery, but it’s no longer the main fragrance, giving place to others we can feel as we walk through the city. The light ocean breeze when we catch the Star Ferry to Kowloon, the smell of the fresh grass of Happy Valley racetrack, mingled with the cigarette smell when someone anxiously decides to place a bet in his horse, or the scent of the street food that opens our apetite, as we walk through the many open air markets like Temple Street or Chun Yeung, are just a few examples of the evolution that, throughout the centuries, has transformed this area, from a small port of commerce, to a vibrant territory, full of stories to tell.