A love letter to Hong Kong and a tribute to the journalist credited with changing modern journalism.

In 1960 the acclaimed journalist Gay Talese wrote a piece for Esquire magazine titled “New York Is A City of Things Unnoticed”, detailing his many observations of people and places based on his wandering and exploring of the city that never sleeps. Talese is most famous for his longform article "Frank Sinatra has a cold" in which he pioneered an in-depth literary-styled form of storytelling to profile the famed singer. However, it is his piece about New York which informs this special episode, based on historical research and observations of the architecture, the people and daily life in taxis, wet markets and the streets of Hong Kong.

Not far from the new Kai Tak stadium in Hong Kong is a small stone monument carved with the Chinese characters for “Sung Wong Toi” - “Terrace of the kings of the Song dynasty" - in the year 1279. It was once a 45 metre high monument to the child king who gave Kowloon its name, translated from the Cantonese words for "Nine Dragons". Look closely at the knife-shaped Bank of China tower and you'll see another tower with what appears to be cannons aimed at its banking competitor. Pick the right double-decker tram and you will be on the oldest operational example of its kind in the world. Learn why Hong Kong taxi cab drivers call each other to say they’re “banging the gong” when driving to Causeway Bay, why they call particular types of fares a “chicken foot” and the passive-aggressive meaning of why drivers tuck CDs behind their rear view mirrors. Learn about the place where statues of the Christian, Chinese, Thai and Indian gods are not so much disposed of as concreted into retirement. .. and much more.

Written by Billy Potts and Jarrod Watt

Presented by Billy Potts, Jason Budovitch, Lauren James, Laura Westbrook, Maria Spackman and Robin Ewing

Produced by Jarrod Watt

Podcast theme music composed by Allen Youngblood

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