When people think of Hong Kong, they think of cheap shopping, good food, and swarms of people all around. And yes, Hong Kong does have all these things. But underneath Hong Kong's bustling surface lies enormous social inequality. Contrast the bankers in Central to the beggars lying on the streets of Mong Kok. Compare the shoppers at Causeway Bay (as shown in the first picure) to the workers at the side of the street in Quarry Bay (as shown in the second picture).
Every city has its rich and its poor, but the divide between the two in Hong Kong is particularly strong because a dollar can go a long way in this city. Though it is no longer on the World's Bank list of top countries with income inequality, Hong Kong was on the list in 2002; it was number 17, right behind Zambia, Sierra Leone and Nicaragua.
With its economy continuously expanding and with more young people getting post-secondary education, the upper-middle class of Hong Kong has grown. However, at the same time, those whose parents or who themselves did not take advantage of the 1980s and 1990s economic boom are now falling behind.
If we move across the border into mainland China, a similar situation is brewing. The country's economy has taken off in the past decade and its global influence has expanded. But it is growing too fast and too quickly for its citizens to catch up. A socio-economic divide has already emerged within the nation, and it is up to China to act swiftly to make sure the social inequality of its citizens doesn't become too far gone.
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