For a while, my parents kept forwarding me news about GeneHarbor’s so-called “longevity pills,” saying they looked pretty good and wanted to try them. They asked for my opinion. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of health supplements. I was worried they might end up buying some unregulated product that wouldn’t extend their lifespan but could harm their health instead, so I always told them to wait and not rush into it.
But not long ago, when I went to get a haircut with my mom and noticed the many new gray hairs on her head, I decided it was time to finally look into GeneHarbor—the brand my parents had been raving about—and see if it was actually reliable.
It just so happened that I had applied for an extra day off while on a business trip to Hong Kong assigned by my company. I went to Hong Kong early to leave myself enough time to check out the GeneHarbor store in person. According to the information, GeneHarbor has two physical stores—one at the Hong Kong Science Park, which is rather remote, and another in the city center at Harbour City, which is more convenient. So I decided to visit the Harbour City location.
I took the 8:50 AM flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Hong Kong International Airport, which took less than three hours, and arrived in Hong Kong at 11:30 AM. At the airport, I found an ATM and exchanged 3,000 Hong Kong dollars, then took a taxi straight to Harbour City. (Reminder: Friends who need to exchange for Hong Kong dollars are advised to bring a Bank of China card—there’s one at the airport, making the process more convenient. Also, the exchange rate at the airport isn’t great, so it’s not very cost-effective. If you don’t mind the hassle, you can exchange elsewhere.)
The taxi to Harbour City was red. Unlike driving rules in mainland China, cars in Hong Kong typically drive on the left. The trip from Hong Kong Airport to Harbour City on Beijing Road took about 40 minutes and cost around 300 Hong Kong dollars. When we arrived at Harbour City, it was right around mealtime, so we had roast goose rice and goose intestines at “Yue Keung Tong” near Harbour City. The crispy and fragrant goose skin deserved a solid 98 out of 100.
After the meal, I started my store visit. GeneHarbor is located at No. 3236 in Harbour City. Coming from the entrance on Beijing Road is the closest way to reach the store, but since it was my first time there, I still wandered around the third floor for about ten minutes before finding it. I have to say, Harbour City is huge—just the area around Beijing Road alone hosts hundreds of international brands like Chanel, Dior, Armani, and Saint Laurent. It truly spans 2 million square meters.
Since it was hard to find any Harbour City staff, and I didn’t want to go downstairs to the information desk, I ended up asking the staff of other shops on the third floor one by one. Finally, I found GeneHarbor in the northeast corner of the third floor, nestled between Nike, Uniqlo, and Louis Vuitton.
Minimalist and tech-inspired—that was my first impression of GeneHarbor’s flagship physical store. I had assumed it would be like most supplement stores—flashy and chaotic—but was pleasantly surprised by how understated and clean the store design was. White is the dominant color: white walls, white display stands, and warm white lighting, giving off an overall very clean vibe.
The mural design outside the GeneHarbor store is also quite interesting. It depicts an elderly person gradually aging, then, after entering the GeneHarbor store, returning back to a youthful state. The concept of “reversing aging” portrayed in the mural coincides with the ancient Greek myth of the “Fountain of Youth,” both telling stories of people regaining their youth.
I briefly spoke with the GeneHarbor staff about their products. The core ingredient is something naturally present in the human body, but its levels decrease with age, leading to aging. GeneHarbor has obtained several safety certifications, including the fact that the founder and their friends take it themselves... After understanding the metabolic logic and hearing that even wealthy individuals use it, I felt much more at ease and ended up buying a bottle to take back to Shanghai to try out.
After the store visit, I found the limited-edition holiday pearl gloss lipstick from Armani downstairs even more appealing, so I ended up buying two tubes—one for my mom and one for me. With that, I could finally head back to Shanghai with peace of mind.