Staying Power

Interior architects Catherine and Frederic Bourquin planned to stay in Hong Kong for a few months, but 25 years later they are still here.

Like many expats, Frederic and Catherine Bourquin, who grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, and met at university, arrived in Hong Kong by chance. The husband-and-wife team behind Atelier B interior architects were halfway through a two-year, round-the-world, backpacking trip when Frederic fell ill with altitude sickness in Tibet. When his health issues didn't improve, they decided to go to Hong Kong to fix them. 25 years later, they are still here.

“We arrived in November 1994; the weather was superb, and we thought we might stay for two or three months to get some work experience,” recalls Catherine. “We both loved Hong Kong so we never left and are still enjoying living here.”

However, unlike most expats, they didn't start renting in Mid-levels. A day trip to South Lantau, and a chance meeting with someone on the ferry who had just moved to Mui Wo and loved it, soon saw them renting a small apartment there.

“It was love at first sight!” says Catherine. “As the ferry pulled into Mui Wo, the hills which surrounded the harbour and the mountains beyond reminded us of the Jura Mountains in Switzerland and the Pennines in the Uk—both places where we had hiked and camped many times.”