Stepping out of the high-speed train, he followed station staff to take the elevator, exchange currency, and purchase an Octopus card. Then, with the guidance of MTR personnel, he passed through the gates, bought a local SIM card, boarded the subway, and finally arrived at Kwun Tong after a transfer… Throughout the journey, he received continuous assistance from staff and kind-hearted passersby. This was Jacky's first trip to Hong Kong since losing his sight in 2017, and the eighth destination in his "Journey Across China" initiative, which he began earlier this year.
Jacky admitted that he felt slightly nervous before coming to Hong Kong because he hadn't brought his guide dog, Alpha, along. "But the moment I actually stepped off the high-speed train at West Kowloon in Hong Kong, all my fear disappeared." With a laugh, he described his state as one of "unshakable confidence"—so relaxed that he even forgot to activate his phone's roaming function.
Right outside the train station, Hong Kong staff approached him to ask if he had an Octopus card or needed help setting up a local SIM. Jackynoted that what struck him most about Hong Kong was this: People here proactively helped, but when he said he could manage on his own, they respected his independence and let him proceed freely, while still quietly keeping an eye out for his safety.
"So is this coldness?" Jacky answered his own question with a firm no. To him, this attitude reflects "a way of treating you more equally as a person."
In 2017, Jacky—then a mid-level manager at a state-owned enterprise in Guangzhou—completely lost his vision due to a rare eye illness. The sudden blow led him to quit his job and withdraw into isolation, severing almost all connections with the outside world.
"Every day was filled with confusion, fear, anxiety, and other negative emotions. At that time, my situation was that the path to my own heart was broken; then naturally, the path to the outside world was also broken." Jacky described his mindset at the time as one of "self-stigmatization." Yet life had to go on, so he forced himself to adapt to living without sight.
Now, through rebuilding his life, Jacky has come to realize that disability isn't the end of many things—it's the starting point of new possibilities. As a short-form video creator, he hopes his actions, his daily vlogs, and his "Journey Across China" project can inspire, encourage, and empower more visually impaired individuals to step out bravely and embrace society.
(Reporters: Shuai Cheng, Ella Qu; Camerapeople: Shuai Cheng, Hu Liwen (intern); Video Editor: Yuge; Editors: Shuai Cheng, Kelly Yang; English Translator & Editor: Darius; Producer: Tracy)
Related News:
100 Ways To Live | Elegance in 6m depths: Harbin quintet turns mermaid dreams into reality
Comment