In a fairly well hidden factory workshop in Hong Kong, we attended an Evangelical church service. A Ugandan pastor preached to a few Cantonese women. Marriage between African traders and Chinese women can lead to an improved residency status. During the service, the daughter of the Chinafrican church founder played in the background.
We had first met the pastor at Chungking Mansions, a complex of hostel towers and three-floor shopping center along the city’s most expensive shopping mile. However, Chungking Mansions is also known for being a place where – at least until recently – African traders could find a cheap place to stay overnight and order various goods made in China at good rates. In the meantime, this trade has moved to the neighboring metropolis of Guangzhou, as trading has moved closer to the manufacturing sites.