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Drag queens and refugee stories: touring the ‘real’ Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Sept 10 (Reuters) – Guide Michael Tsang was able to take tourists freely around Asia’s financial hub in 2019, introducing them the city’s protest movement, explaining “one country, two systems” and showing them scenes of economic inequality.

Since the coronavirus pandemic cut off foreign visitors and a sweeping national security law passed last year limited what Tsang’s tours could show, his business has been hit hard. So he shifted to attract local residents with activism tours, including the city’s LGBT movement and refugee community.

During an August tour he took 30 people to a drag show with a person called “MissTina UglyHaira” who styles herself after singer Christina Aguilera. Prancing up and down a bar in the city’s Soho district in high heels and a mesh top, Tina details some of her life stories before lip syncing and gyrating for the audience, who applaud loudly.

Karen Lai, who said she had a “very conservative” upbringing, called the experience eye opening.

“I realized it is nothing like my parents said,” said Lai, 29.

Tsang, who quit his finance job in 2016 to start Hong Kong Free Tours, said he wanted to help bring harmony to society and engage people from different facets of life.

The tours, which also show the city’s disappearing heritage, religious diversity, socio-economic inequality and housing crisis, are a far cry from typical shopping and foodie trips.

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