When Yi Cheong-heon came to Hong Kong 28 years ago, he had little knowledge of the place. But he found resonance in Chow Yuen-fat’s films that he used to watch in Korea. Although the city is less subtle with its action-packed rivalries and flashing neon lights, he still loves it as much.

The humidity was something he had to get used to. Rather than detesting it, Cheong-heon finds it soothing to his skin. When he lived in Los Angeles for his studies, he suffered from allergic conditions. Here, the humid weather healed his skin. He frequently heads out to the Sha Tin area to enjoy the breeze.

“I like to take a walk whenever I have time, and there’s Shing Mun River, flowing through the Sha Tin area,” he says.

When he is not teaching, he is keen to stay active. There are actually a lot of opportunities to explore the neighbourhoods. “I went to the wet market, for example, and also cha chaan teng,” he recalls. “From time to time, I went hiking and cycling in many other places.”

During his early days of teaching accounting at Polytechnic University and City University, he realised that young people were slowly drifting away from the subject. “Nowadays, they are emphasising work-life balance,” he says. However, Cheong-heon believes there is still a big demand for that field because, without accounting, Hong Kong as an international financial centre would not be able to sustain itself.

Now he teaches at Saint Francis University, one of the 12 universities in Hong Kong. In terms of education, he finds similar yet distinctive values between Hong Kong and Korea. In Hong Kong, individualism is encouraged among youngsters, although traces of collectivism still remain. “A nice blend of east and west,” he describes the city. “When I was a kid, I still remember being taught to put society’s interests before my own.”

“But frankly speaking, I haven’t had much cultural shock,” he adds. Whether it is sourcing Korean ingredients in the market or interacting with the local community, Cheong-heon finds it easy to adapt to this place.

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