INSOMNIA
Stars in the night sky above Hong Kong Island are searched in vain. Instead, the city is enveloped in a pink-orange haze that downright suppresses the darkness of the night. Hong Kong‘s urban night sky is 100 to 1000 times brighter than the international brightness standard between 8.30 and 11:00pm, according to the Hong Kong Night Sky Brightness Monitoring Network. Hong Kong isn‘t called the Pearl of the Orient for nothing.
Artificial, external light, the daily light show at Victoria Harbor and numerous advertising and illuminated advertisements significantly brighten the night sky. What is particularly critical are those external light sources that shine vertically into the night sky, where they offer no benefit at all.
The Hong Kong Night Sky Brightness Monitoring Network stresses that the illumination of the night sky is a man-made problem. The level of light pollution can be reduced as soon as external light sources are partially or completely dispensed with and the direction of light is deliberately chosen. Apart from humans, factors such as the nature of the night sky, e. g. cloudiness, moonlight and air pollution also play a role in the extent of light pollution.
The illumination of the night sky is a man-made problem.
Hong Kong‘s night sky has been proven to be one of the brightest in the world and this is not without consequences. Light pollution has an impact not only on flora and fauna, but also on Hong Kong residents, especially on their sleep quality and well-being. Artificial light in the evening hours influences our internal clock, which in turn regulates organic processes such as hormone production and cell regulation. A disturbance of the day-night rhythm is associated with various physiological and psychological disorders, including depression, insomnia and cardiovascular diseases. Artificial light gives the impression of prolonging our day and makes it difficult to fall asleep and relax. At night, our body produces the hormone melatonin, which is essential for controlling the day-night rhythm.
If we are exposed to artificial light more often during our sleeping hours, the melatonin level drops steeply and shifts the rhythm of the inner clock. Light pollution by external, artificial light plays an indirect role in the development of potential diseases. Light advertisements dazzle and throw light into the bedrooms of many people, especially in commercial and light-rich areas such as Mong Kok and Causeway Bay. Life in Hong Kong takes place in a confined space, so that the neighbor‘s enlightened room also brightens up one‘s own bedroom.
Lulu:
„There are places in Hong Kong where light was very present during light. It usually happens in tourist spots, such as Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Chui and Central etc. The LED display board outside the buildings are too bright, which I have to face another side in order to protect my eyes.”
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In the long run, continuous and intense lighting damages people‘s vision. The biggest problem for me personally was falling asleep. Hong Kong has been given the name „a city that never sleeps“. In addition, people miss the beautiful starry sky due to the bad light pollution, which I find very sad.
Jessica
“In the commercial and entertaining areas and places, there have to be lots of neon lights and signs on the street to show that HK is a tremendous city. And sometimes they like to call HK a sleepless city as the lights will keep turn on for whole night to show the city‘s energetic.”
„If I have trouble falling asleep , most of the time it is because of my own problems, Like about my future or my current job.“
“And personally i think not many people are aware of the harm of light smog, people who not live in that area will find the neon lights beautiful and the countless neon signs above street as a feature of HK; government cares about are these neon signs set up solidly that they will not fall down and harm passingbys but not very caring if the lights will affect residence‘s sleeping quality.”
Ozzy
"There is no privacy in Hong Kong. Everything is so compact. You can see every move your neighbour makes. But at the same time, Hong Kong is this huge anonymous city."
„There are places in Hong Kong where light was very present during light. It usually happens in tourist spots, such as Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Chui and Central etc. The LED display board outside the buildings are too bright, which I have to face another side in order to protect my eyes.”
Kathy
“There is definitely a light pollution problem in HK, as a lot of the lights are on during the day and stay lit for quite long into the night time.”
„I always notice that I get headaches and my eyes feel very dry and tired.”
“I had to leave my dorm because of the spotlights from the nearby soccer field. Although I always closed my curtains it was still very bright. I think the light smog definitely affects people living in the city areas a lot. Even though you get used to it, it has many adverse effects.“
