Cities and Perfumes

Written by Aurooj Khan

Edited by CHIQIO

Keywords: Hong Kong, scents, perfumes, cultural experience, city fragrance

Meta description: Explore the unique and unforgettable scents of Hong Kong, from its bustling streets and aromatic food markets to serene parks and sea breezes. Discover how these fragrances can be captured in a perfume that embodies the city’s vibrant culture and charm.

My bond with Hong Kong

I always tell people who haven’t been to Hong Kong that their life hasn’t been completed unless they visit that place at least once. Hong Kong, unlike any other city, is a place that is filled with stories, culture, and beauty. Its beauty lies within its bustling streets, scrumptious food, and joyful people. It is a city famous for its breathtaking landscape, like the Victoria Harbor and Victoria Peak. Even for shopping, it is known to be a paradise to the shopping lovers. There are luxury boutiques and busy street markets. The city offers great public transportation, like MTR and buses, for its community, making it easy for everyone to travel to different places in just one day. Hong Kong, in general, is a city that seamlessly merges tradition with modernity.

I was there for only a few years but was able to learn so many new things. Not only was I able to learn a whole new culture and language, I was able to socialize with the community and learn how mannered and mature everyone is. It made me realize how much there is in this world that is still out there for us to learn and explore. I remember how I would always go out with my friends to different places after school and try new foods or visit new places. Right from the day I stepped into that city, I fell in love and wanted to spend my whole life there. Even now, I’ve been continuously planning on when it would be best to go there. It felt like home. I still clearly remember the scents and fragrance of Hong Kong and feel nostalgic from time to time.

Hong Kong’s unforgettable Aromas

Hong Kong is filled with numerous skyscrapers that tower over you and an unforgettable landscape. The scents that linger in the city are so memorable that I remember them even after four years. The street food markets, throughout the whole city, filled up with the savory scent of dim sum to the unique smell of tofu. There’s also the sweet scent of egg waffles or pineapple buns. Each scent of the food tells the story of the high quality culinary traditions, drawing the person closer to the aroma out of hunger. 

I remember clearly how I would always start drooling every time I walked past any street food markets. As you keep walking around the city, you would continuously get to smell the cultural and spiritual breeze of the fragrant incense coils in temples. The scents embrace me as soon as I walk past. The fragrance is mixed with earthy and spicy scent of the wood and jasmine, creating a sacred atmosphere.

The parks are always filled with children’s laughter and the floral scents of the bauhinia and jasmine flowers, along with the petrichor scent that you can smell almost everyday. The petrichor and flower scents are especially found a lot in hiking trailers like the Dragon’s Back. They are the kind of scents that would allow a person to relax and not have any worry of the world.

Then, there’s also the food that ā yí (aunty) would cook for me every time I would go to visit her. She took care of me as if I was her real daughter. Her food had a memorable scent that still has me feeling nostalgic. The comforting aroma greeting me from her busy kitchen as I step in the house, making my mouth water. The obvious scent of garlic, onion, and tender meat filling the air with promise of soul-warming dishes. For me to put it into words is really hard unless someone has had the same experience as me. The dishes made by her were just always filled with love and warmth, making every bite a cherished memory that I will remember forever. 

Last but not least, there’s also the cooler days in Hong Kong, when visiting places near the sea like Victoria Harbor, there’s always a noticeable scent of the sea breeze that has a hint of saltiness, representing the city’s role as a bustling port city. At first, it did shock me a bit due to it being so unfamiliar but unsurprisingly, I am here missing that scent as well. 

Hong Kong is really a place where one can experience all kinds of scents all at once and not forget or feel overwhelmed at all. As I continue reminiscing about the scents that define Hong Kong, I wonder if it is possible to bring these scents out to the world and have them experience the city’s vibrant culture and diverse experience. That’s when it comes to me, the perfect way to capture and express memories and emotions is through perfumes. I want everyone to go on this journey to Hong Kong with me and feel the city’s uniqueness by translating the essence of Hong Kong.

A Perfume for Hong Kong

To design a perfume for Hong Kong, it is important to show the personality of the city through it since that would also help give the perfume more emotion.

Top Notes:

1. Green Tea: To represent the love for tea of the Hong Kongers.

2. Mandarin: To represent the energetic and lively atmosphere of the city. It can express freshness and vibrancy. Mandarin is also a very popular and traditional fruit in Hong Kong.

Middle Notes:

1. Bauhinia Blakeana: Is the floral emblem of Hong Kong. It can also add a sweet and delicate fragrance to the perfume.

2. Lotus Blossom: Is a really significant flower in Asian culture. Would bring an aquatic and sweet scent note to the perfume, which could represent the city’s breathtaking waterfront views.

Bottom Notes:

1. Sandalwood: Would add a warm and woody scent note to the perfume. Could also represent the traditional but modern side of the city.

2. Amber: Would help increase longevity of the perfume. Would also help represent the city’s vibrancy. The amber color is also seen throughout the city at night, which could be another thing that it represents.

I believe these are the main things that can help bring out the city’s culture and beauty to more people through the perfume. It would help people feel the warmth and emotions of the city while it would also help people like me that deeply miss the city to continue experiencing the smell and living through the memories. Hong Kong’s scent is really something that is worth remembering and experiencing. It is filled with joy, spirit, culture, beauty, and everything that one can think of. A perfume that can perfectly capture the essence of Hong Kong is really something that everyone should be able to smell and feel, a journey that could make even the person that hasn’t been to Hong Kong feel nostalgic.

This perfume would be like a VR experience for the person using it. With their eyes closed, they would feel as if they are standing right in Hong Kong, smelling all these scents while feeling the warmth.

Is there any city that has also left a deep impression on you? A city that makes you want to design a perfume for it as well? Share your story with us using this link here.