Elderly struggle to stay cool in Hong Kong's scorching heat
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ต.ค. 2024
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Ao Meiqiong is a 73-year-old janitor who lives alone in Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po district. She pays HK$5,200 (US$670) per month to stay in a tiny subdivided flat she calls home. Ao also needs to pay water and electricity bills, which are usually higher in summer. As Hong Kong logged a record heat high on August 5, 2024, she was struggling to cope with two fans and a malfunctioning air conditioner.
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It's not the heat but the very high humidity in HK that makes it difficult in the summer. I can easily stand 38°C with 50% humidity versus 32°C with 85% humidity.
It's the flipside in January when the temperature falls to 10°C. With humidity at 85% that 10°C temp will feel like 2°C or even lower.
It’s the century of poor urban planning. Too many buildings congested per square kilometre, and the building arrangements do not allow wind to pass through easily, creating heat sink syndrome. When someone switches on the air con, the heat from the compressor is being blown straight into someone else’s home across to the next building. That’s how bad it is. You don’t see this in other urban cities..
@@vennsim71 Oh really? Have you been to other densely packed cities in Asia? HK is the only one?
@@robocop581 yeah, just a few… not too many Shanghai, Nanjing, Beijing, KL, Jakarta, Manila, Tokyo, Seoul, Shenzhen, Johor Bahru, Quanzhou, Osaka, maybe I skip some Chinese ones since I’ve been to quite a few… I used to fly around 2 trips a month to these cities at the very least.
@@robocop581 can throw in Bangkok and Phnom Penh, the latter now has loads of high rise in the capital city. Luckily they are well spaced out
@@vennsim71 I don't live in densely packed area in HK. My home is in the New Territories where I have a mountain view and behind our building is a river
May she finally find suitable home 😢😢🙏🏽
Hard for hongkonger
At least post a link that we can donate.
Can you give me instead? I really need the 💵 pls
You don’t have money to donate, chanfei. Your shi nung prevents you from having a job. You live with some family member who is paying for that internet you’re currently using. Right?
@@mudshovel289 white American
@@ChiRusNkFUSA no, Malaysian Or Singaporean with ancestors who ran away from China. Don’t lie.
@@mudshovel289 What's the point of this?
Poor woman. Why dont they help her get a new air conditioner? Or at least someone to fix it.
A small 5000btu ac costs around $120 and should be able to cool that space easily. Then she can stop using those worthless fans.
$120 is expensive to their currency
because it's not just her... multiply the $120 by 1000 people and suddenly it's not so cheap anymore
@@ChiRusNkFUSA935 HKD. It’s about a fifth of her rent a month
@@ChiRusNkFUSA I don't think you know where Hong Kong is. You couldn't afford a dog house in that city. And she probably makes more than you.
The electricity bills is what she concerns
When it is extremely hot outside without air conditioning, it is generally better to keep the windows and doors closed to prevent hot outside air from entering the home. Keeping the home's interior sealed up helps retain any cooler air that builds up inside from fans or other cooling methods. Opening windows and doors allows the hot outside air to circulate in, negating any cooling effect.
Not many people know this, only those who lives in hot climate. The exception would be if there is a steady breeze that can be used to create cross-ventilation and draw warmer indoor air out. But in most cases, keeping the home as sealed up as possible is the recommended approach to stay as cool as possible without air conditioning.
Some say the humidity level there can reach 80%, so an exhaust fan HV1 can be very effective in reducing the humidity in your home. An airtight/closed room can also reduce the humidity level inside the room from the outside.
Sometimes the construction material used to build the flat doesn't insulate heat, but rather traps the hot air inside with poor ventilation, that's why the residents have to open up the windows.
She said I was because it’s stuffy. You don’t want to rebreath your own carbon dioxide. Fans only circulate air and not cool it down. Internet often gives people wrong information remember that while seeking “truth” on Google.
@@SeekingTruth11you’re talking from your rear end.
You are absolutely right about that!
670 US dollars for that place? To think how Japan got so cheap to live. I pay 40,000 yens (about 260 US dollars) in a pretty comfortable 6x6 ㎡ apartment. It's old but very well maintained. And there are even cheaper public housings just nearby (something like a 100 US dollars.) Now that's a real damp and mostly vacant. Anyway it's been real hot (pretty much everyday the temperature tips 40 degrees.)
If your reading these Comments...You have No idea how Excessively hot it gets
just clean the airconitioner and see if it works; it may not need replacing at all but just a clean up of all the dust that must've built up in there overtime preventing adequate airflow
Just pay a repairman to quickly repair it. Small a/c units don't have many parts and faulty parts are cheap to replace. It costs less than turning on an electric fan for a month.
@@rcbrascan😊
Whats the point of showing this if you dont give us a link to donate
What’s the point of commenting when you don’t have any money 😂
whats crazy theres millions of millionaires in HK ..they could easily buy a new AC for her and it will be like lunch for them
Talk is cheap
@@camlee2341 When do the rich actually help the poor? That doesn't happen in real life. The wealthy and uber wealthy in HK don't care.
Hk is the home of crazy Rich and crazy poor they are far away better and government even provide free housing for them,if you want to help help your family or neighbors!,news are just one sided
I remembered living in similar temperatures in Germany without AC as I couldn't afford it then. I built myself one using cooper coils, a cooler, and a box fan.
dear peaple out there, i understand that one you guys probably live in the same conditions, but in Hong Kong（香港）this sh**** small housing thing is really bad, but it has high demand because too little land is developed in hong kong, i live in a packed middle class apartment in hong kong, the building i live in is 30-stories, but it squeezed in 1000 people! I live in a 400 sq. feet apartment with my 4-person family, 100 sq. feet per person is crazy!
I'm from South America, and I've experienced 37°C heat, but there's something different about the heat in Hong Kong/China. I think it's the humidity. It feels like the heat just lingers in the air, like a thick blanket pressing against your entire body-so dense you could cut it with a knife. What makes it worse is that there's no wind to blow away that warm air
Heartbreaking.
Her AC unit probably already has a faulty. I hope someone in HK helps her after seeing the video.
Not someone. It requires government or non profit organization to organize and help those people, because not only her. In this video, you just see one auntie, but the reality there are many with similar problem and even worst than what you see in the video.
You still have subdivided flats here? Where’s the justice in all of this?
There is no justice. Money rules in Hong Kong
Travel to hk last july,wow its hot but it was humidity,the wind was hot .31 degree heat feel like 39 degree.
Isn't there a tenants association in Hong Kong which helps such people with disputes to ensure that landlords are holding up their end of the rental agreement? Surely, rats in living conditions is a healthy and safety contravention
Scmp is so great at exposing native HK ers issues
Many comments here are not familiar with HK governing philosophy. It believes in free enterprise, which means low tax and minimal government involvement. In practice, the policy benefits you the more successful you are. Outside of public housing, the government provides very little social support. Biggest funding source for charities in HK comes from the private horse racing club. If you ever visit HK, do drop by McDonald's at night. You may see some folks make their homes there. Real estate is a major source of wealth for many HK billionaires and the biggest revenue source for government. So I doubt affordable housing supply will ever catch up to the demand. Frankly, HK is not a city of 7+ millions people. It's more a business park that happens to have 7+ millions people live onsite.
yes also HK has millions of literally millionares..its a city of immense wealth and some 500k plus very poor people and the rest middle class
they should open ''cooling centers" like they have in NYC
Is there any way we can fund her and is there an outreach for the growing elderly population in China? Theres a huge elderly population who are alone, work, and this is their living conditions. It’s not just this woman.
HK is rich af..very low taxes..somebody can easily buy her a new ac and it eould be like a cup of coffee for them
May I get a contact? I might be able to get her a new air conditioner with installation n replacement
I have seen it too much of this case. Flat users pays rent per month and what happen to the money? The land lords spent expensive stuff with no improvement of the flats whatsoever. Those old buildings sitting there and no one lives there anymore use should have demolished and build new ones but its the land lords, tenders and other third forces are holding back not able to make progress on building new modern flat buildings.
Clearly out useless clutter opens up space too. More space more air
We need a plan to keep our buildings cool because this is going to be all of us soon.
The summer challenges.
Unfortunately people like this poor woman will probably live like this for the rest of their lives. The HK government did not address the housing issue all the while and is now more interested in upholding the security law than to resolve all these social issues. They’re not voted in anyway so these issues will not affect their livelihoods.
is it Ao her name or Au? which is more common spelling of this common Hong Kong family name
It’s sad to see . In that much money you really can have fancy apartment in mainland China
Not fancy unless u go to a lower tire city or outskirts
How can a very rich city like Hong Kong with hundreds of billions in reserves can allow its people to live in such conditions. These are coffin flats.
Are they new citizens from Mainland or Hong Kongers?
@@Adrian-np8vl She is from HK. Can't you sense her HK accent?
@@ramatgan1 The translation says "When I first came to HK I didn't know anything or anyone" 3:43 Unless there's some mistake in that she must be from mainland?
@@KJ_2020 99% of hkers came from china
It is fkn ridiculous an emergency system has not been set up to address the many challenges our seniors face. Not just in Hong King either. From people freezing and not being able to afford heat in Britain to what this poor woman has to face. It is shameful, crazy and lazy issues like this keep being punted year after year. At the very least find a way to pair seniors up with others so they can afford better housing and share costs. Or how about actually forcing these greedy and negligent landlords accountable for their slum-like conditions. Make them provide proper heat and cooling or fine them! It's not perfect here in the U.S. but in my state landlords must provide cooling to 70 degrees. IOW units cannot be hotter than that or owners can get in trouble.
I've lived in subdivided units before and I had AC.
when there is too much people in one small place this happens
Geez, man, it's insanse to see a place as big as china not have regulations that require maintenance on tenants' homes/apartments. Especially when its something as serious as A/C in the summer
1:48 whats the point of turning on the ac if not function.just waste of money.just buy better fan.
fan doesnt do much ..u need AC
I thought Hong Kong's goverment support the elders by giving them monthly money allowance ?
they do ..i am guessing landlord is cheap....they should just rent her a standing AC
@@camlee2341 but then she shouldn't work and pay the rent .. because it's also free (from what i know)
@@Mws7371 theres also retirement homes. maybe she enjoys her freedom
Lawyer Yi Shenghua is a hero!
Even HK reporter is mean to old people. At least install a more efficient AC for her.
I can smell this video
Hey scmp , why not covering the news from U.K. don't want to tell the viewers what's going on over there
Dude it’s called the south morning CHINA post
@@coyote_gamer2002 it seems like you new here.. why not just check the channel videos
I am not from hongkong I am using fan since i was little until now😂😂😂, i guess i more pathetic. Hongkong people are not poor but the cost of the living there very high .
Some ppl do wish to donate and they can, very informative vids, take it further by giving viewers a chance to make a change for these individuals or to the organizations that help them.
Put a bucket ice cubes behind the fan.
🙏
Free Hong Kong❤❤❤
Free UK!
Oh shut up. The UK got Hong Kong here and keeps it here
Free USA, Austrailia, Canada for the Natives!
I studied law in college, kind of interested in social work.
I would say due to the greed of the developer and the landlord and how can people live in pigeon holes apartment ...Unbelievable how the chinese treat their own people with such a cruel action to rent a tiny room for the sake of money...Hoping the chinese politicians will demolish all these apartment to help those elderly in need to have a human way to live for their golden years in this earth...
isnt capitalism just great
You mean the Hong Kong government politicians?
sad :(
Keep the windows and blinds closed. Wet your face, hands, legs, blouse, etc and you will keep cooler
Wet your face and hands at 85% humidity ?
@@manu40729 Yes with the fan on. Basic physics.
They never help the poor
Well, she has a home. She's not homeless like many in USA.
@@cb250nighthawk3exaggerating
@@SeelkadoomTHS
As you wish.
@@cb250nighthawk3 exaggerating
@@SeelkadoomTHS
🦘🦘🦘
I only have fan and when it's hot day i get free sauna 😂😂😂, not lying it's really like sauna
I am glad Taiwan doesn't have subdivided flat
Maybe not but it has the highest housing prices and rents and lowest wages compared to most countries.
Households around Taiwan are struggling to make ends meet after basic living expenses have been accounted for. Benefiting from Taiwan’s health insurance system, plentiful commodities, food and medical care might ease the burden, but many people find transportation and education costs unaffordable.
Those who aspire to live in nicer accommodation are often consigned to long commutes, spending two or three hours every day on crowded public transport. Proximity to the workplace often means having to pay a premium on rent, with a considerable drop in quality of living conditions.
cheenk you are talking about shitguo 🇨🇳, not taiwan @@teflerchina.2987
@@teflerchina.2987 and China?
@@teflerchina.2987gotta be the first time I’m actually seeing a Chinese bot
@@teflerchina.2987lowest wages?still higher than India, other poor countries and developing countries.
She should at least tidy up her place so it looks more comfortable to live in.
Flat tax
Hong kong is a terrible place to live….
Endure just a bit longer. Your mortal journey compared to the younger ones is ending soon. And with it so will your suffering be gone too.
Life on earth. What a disappointing experience.
HK is a land for haves and have nots... And the divide is extreme
What a coincidence, I live in Sham Shui Po too.
🤣🤣🤣
Thank you for the comment, go collect 2 rupees J💩I HIND 😉
Look it's ToiChutGongWu at 0:16
@@nicholasfooong.😂
Go help her then.
@@tonywang4032 you go help, you cheenk
Unless you are Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, or Bill Gates, money is a concern for everyone now
I'm using a 1hp Aircon and I use it for about 2-3 hours each night. Daytime, I use the fan. I'm in sweltering S. E. Asia. And she's complaining? Omgoodness me 😮
😮💨😮💨I only have fan and when it's hot day i get free sauna 😂😂😂, not lying it's really like sauna
The ironic thing is that the Mainland that many people left behind is now seeing living and welfare conditions increase to the point that life is better there than in HK. This lady should be retired and enjoying the rest of her life, but instead she is still working with illnesses, and living in a minute apartment which is extraordinarily expensive and having to deal with ever-increasing utility bills. And HK just has too many people. Even the skyscraper apartment blocks really is no way to live.
Unfortunately some people can’t afford to retire especially where living in a city that everything is expensive and there is only minimal support from the government.
Can come JB meet many cibai apek
poor chinese
I thought you give respect to Hong Kongers, oh yeah because you are a troll, why should i have questioned that in the first place. 😂
@@Sebstian342they are chinese like you bot😂
Thank you for the comment, go collect 2 rupees J💩I HIND 😉
@@Sebstian342shitguo 🇨🇳 cheenk spotted
@@nicholasfooong.How did you manage to get a laptop and to connect the Internet in the Orphanage? 😂
effects of Capitalist democracy bullsheet
I put all my money on Investments and I never get married, now I have lots of money.
I am single too
The blessed Singaporeans make so much negative noise about the govt flats they have been benefiting and living since Independence.
Billion dollar global insight to max profits and charity donations via monetisation in anime, real life, movies, gaming or thesis. Organically via word of mouth, friendships, relatives, digitally via social media and TH-cam or community centres to recommend average and wealthy Hong Kong people to migrate to other countries e.g. Singapore, Taiwan, China, or Western nations, to escape the negative aspects of Hong Kong. This frees up space and creates new jobs for local middle and lower class Hong Kongers which also moves people in deep poverty in China into Hong Kong. From a bird’s eye system view, this might be one way to help everyone, boost economies, max profits, max salary increase and max charity donations.
Move to the U.K. 😢
ain't no way bro just said that 💀
More expensive
同人不同命
Clean room can help less hot auntie😅
Save water save electricity
And HK people just love to diss Singspore for its hot weather 😂😂
Why would people in HK randomly talk about Singapore? 🤣🤣
@@myftecause they wish they were singapore, a sovereign independent country.
@@90taetaeya Why Singapore? Why not every other sovereign independent country?
Can you link some sources showing that people in HK wish they were Singapore?
You can go look it up yourself if you feel the need to verify every opinion in a TH-cam comment thread. Google is free
@@prettygirlinthesun8340 So basically you are saying there aren't any sources else you would have listed them to prove your point.🤣
She is from China.
HK import janitors from China😅
Thank you for the comment, go collect 2 rupees J💩I HIND 😉
Can't you please stop being rude, the Chinese Government is our enemy, not them. makes sense because you are just a troll spreading hatred to everything in China.
do we need another Snowden or Assange - to know about the crimes of united states ???!
27 mins ago hehe
Chinese are janitors in Australia,Canada,USA,New Zealand ...😂
Thank you for the comment, go collect 2 rupees J💩I HIND 😉
😂😂Every country has a lower class peiple.