Hong Kong
Quick Facts | |
| Capital | None (formerly Victoria, most government offices located in Central) |
| Government | Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China |
| Currency | Hong Kong dollar (HKD) |
| Area | total: 1,092 km2 |
| Population | 6,980,412 (July 2007 est.) |
| Language | Chinese (Cantonese),Chinese (Mandarin), English |
| Religion | Eclectic mix of local religions 90%, Christian 10% |
| 220V/50Hz (UK plug) | |
| Internet TLD | .hk |
| UTC +8 | |
Hong Kong (香港 Heūng góng in Cantonese, Xiāng gǎng in Mandarin) [1]is a place with multiple personalities, as a result of being Cantonese Chinese with a long-time British influence. Today, the former British colony is a major tourism destination for China’s increasingly affluent population. It is also an important hub in the Chinese diaspora with global connections to many of the world’s cities. It is a unique destination that has absorbed people and cultural influences from places as diverse as Vietnam and Vancouver.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is much more than a harbour city. The traveller weary of its crowded streets may be tempted to describe it as “Hong Kongcrete”. Yet, this SAR with its cloudy mountains and rocky islands is mostly a rural landscape. Much of the countryside is classified as Country Park and, although 7 million people are never far away, it is possible to find pockets of wilderness that will reward the more intrepid tourist.
Hong Kong has a subtropical climate with at least one season to match your comfort zone. Boasting one of the world’s best airports, it is the ideal stopover for those who wish to travel deeper into the Orient.
Hong Kong is divided into a number of contrasting districts.
§ Hong Kong Island (香港島) was the site of the original British settlement. The northern part of the Island is densely populated. Here, because of the scarcity of land, you'll find most of Hong Kong's skyscrapers and the famous skyline along the northern coastline. The main business, shopping and nightlife districts, in addition to the government offices, can be found here. The southern part of the Island has more leisure facilities, with beautiful beaches and luxury residential complexes.
§ Kowloon (九龍) is the peninsula jutting south towards Hong Kong Island. It is the most populous area in Hong Kong and at one time it was the most densely populated place in the world. Kowloon literally means nine dragons and refers to the eight hills that were once visible before the skyscrapers took the view away. Legend has it that the ninth dragon was the boy emperor who counted the hills.
§ The New Territories (新界), named by the British officials when leased from the Chinese government in 1898, are a curious mix of farms, abandoned villages, industrial installations, mountainous country parks and new towns that have populations the size of small cities.
§ The Outlying Islands (離島) are the 234 other islands in the territory ranging from Lantau (大嶼山) (twice the size of Hong Kong Island) to rocks poking out of the sea.
History
Archeological findings date the first human settlements in the area back to more than 30,000 years. It was first incorportated into China during the Qin Dynasty and largely remained until Chinese rule until 1841 during the Qing Dynasty, with a brief interruption at the end of the Qin Dynasty, when a Qin official established the kingdom of Nam Yuet, which later fell to the Han Dynasty.
In January 1841, as a result of the defeat of the Qing Dynasty of China in the First Opium War, Hong Kong became a British colony, under the Convention of Chuen Pi. After the defeat of China in the Second Opium War, the Kowloon Peninsula was ceded to Britain in 1860. In 1898, the New Territories — a rural area north of Boundary Street in Kowloon district — were leased to Britain for 99 years. Hong Kong fell into Japanese hands during the Second World War but returned to British control after the end of the war.
After the communists took control of mainland China in 1949, many of the Chinese businessmen fled to Hong Kong due to persecution by the communist government. Unlike the restrictive policies imposed by the communists in mainland China, the British government took a rather "hands off" approach in Hong Kong, as proposed by former financial scretary John James Cowperthwaite, which led to a high degree of economic freedom. Under such conditions, businesses flourished in Hong Kong and its economy grew rapidly, earning it a place as one of the East Asian Tigers. In 1990, Hong Kong's GDP per capita surpassed that of Britain, the first time a colony's GDP per capita surpassed that of its colonial master. Hong Kong is now the world's fourth largest financial centre after New York, London and Tokyo.
In 1984, the Chinese and British Governments signed the Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong, giving Hong Kong back to China on 1 July 1997. Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the Peoples Republic of China. Under the slogan "One Country, Two Systems", Hong Kong remains a capitalist economy without various restrictions that apply in mainland China such as news censorship and foreign exchange controls.
In accordance with the Joint Declaration, the Basic Law was enacted to serve in effect as a mini-constitution for the Hong Kong SAR. In theory, Hong Kong enjoys "a high degree of autonomy" in most matters except foreign and defence affairs. In practice, it is more complex than that: on the one hand, Beijing exerts much influence, on the other, there are groups pushing for a more democratic regime and universal suffrage.
In many respects, little has changed since the Handover to China in 1997. A Chief Executive, chosen by an elite electoral college, has replaced the Colonial Governor – Beijing’s man has replaced London’s man. What was once a British colony now looks like a Chinese colony. Although “part of China”, Hong Kong operates like a tiny country with its own currency, laws, international dialling code, police force, border controls and the like. It is also a member of international organisations that are not restricted to sovereign states such as the WTO, APEC and the IOC.
The majority of Hong Kong's population are Han Chinese (95%), mostly of Cantonese ancestry, though there are also sizeable numbers of other Chinese groups such as Teochews, Shanghainese and Hakkas. A significant number of Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese live here too, and many have families that have lived in Hong Kong for several generations. The largest groups of recent, non-Chinese, immigrants are Filipinos, Indonesians and Thais, of which most are employed as domestic helpers.
There are four distinct seasons in Hong Kong. Hong Kong can be a little chilly in the winter (10°C) and hot and humid in the summer (33°C). The best times of year to visit are thus, spring (March-May), when the average temperature is around 25°C and autumn between (September-December). Christmas in Hong Kong can be a delight with a fair chance of mild sunny weather that will appeal to those coming from colder northern climates. Hotels experience peak occupancy in the months of April and October. Typhoons usually occur between June and September and can bring a halt to local business activities for a day or less. The weather in winter is usually caused by the winter monsoon which brings dry cold winds from the north. In winter the air can be cold but the sun can still burn. Expect winter temperatures to rise to 22°C on sunny days and fall to under 10°C at night. Chinese New Year is notorious for cold wet weather and, since many businesses close, non-Chinese tourists will not see Hong Kong at its best. Should you find yourself in Hong Kong at Chinese New Year, you can make the best of the weather by going hiking if it is dry.
Festivals
§ Chinese (Lunar) New Year (農曆新年)
Although this may seem like an ideal time to go to Hong Kong, many shops and restaurants close down during the Chinese New Year. However, unlike Christmas in Europe where you can hardly find shops open on this big day, you can still get food and daily products easily during the Lunar New Year period. The week or two leading up to the Chinese New Year as well as the period just after the third day up to the fifteenth day are good times to soak up the festive mood and listen to Chinese New Year songs being played in the shops.
§ Spring Lantern Festival (元宵節)
If you go to Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, you will be able to experience this traditional Chinese festival. A number of beautiful lanterns can be found in the park at this time.
§ Ching Ming Festival (清明節)
This festival in Spring is also known as grave sweeping day. To show respect to the deceased, family members go to the grave of their ancestors to sweep away leaves and remove weeds around the grave area. Paper offerings are also burned, such as fake money.
§ Cheung Chau Bun Festival (長洲太平清醮)
This is takes place on the tiny island of Cheung Chau. In the past the festival has involved competitions with people climbing bun towers to snatch buns. After the unfortunate collapse of a bun tower in 1978, due to an overload of people, the competition was abandoned. It was resumed again in 2005 with better safety measures.
§ Tuen Ng Festival (端午節)
This is a festival in memory of a national hero from the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. Dragon boat races are typically held during this festival and glutinous rice dumplings, usually with pork fillings, are eaten by many.
§ Hungry Ghost Festival (中元節)
This festival runs throughout the seventh month of the Chinese calendar. It is believed that the gates of hell open during this period and hungry ghosts are allowed to roam freely into our world. Though not a public holiday, this is the time where one can see many people perform various rites to appease the wandering ghosts, such as offering food and burning joss paper. One can also see traditional performances such as Chinese opera which are held to appease these ghosts.
§ Mid Autumn Festival / Moon Festival (中秋節)
This festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. Moon cakes which contain lotus seed paste and duck egg yolks are a popular delicacy. Many Western people will find the traditional mooncake hard to appreciate, so you might like to try the ice-cream version as well. The festival is also known as the lantern festival and various parts of Hong Kong will be festooned with decorative lanterns which set the night scene ablaze with colour.
§ Chung Yeung Festival (重陽節)
Is a day also known as Autumn Remembrance, which is similar to Ching Ming in spring, where families visit the graves of their ancestors to perform cleansing rites and pay their respects. As the weather cools down during this part of the year, hiking is a good activity to do during this holiday.
§ Halloween (萬聖節)
Halloween has grown rapidly in popularity and many people dress up to party till late. Trick or treat is not common but most restaurants and shopping centres are decorated and have special programmes. It is not a public holiday.
§ Christmas (聖誕節)
Christmas is celebrated Hong Kong style. The city is adorned using traditional Western Christmas decorations. Many shopping centres, such as Pacific Place, offer ample opportunities for children to meet Santa. Most shops and restaurants remain open throughout Christmas. You should expect large crowds out shopping for the Christmas sales.
§ New Year's Eve (元旦除夕)
New Year's Eve in Hong Kong is something to check out if you are seeking a carnival experience. Hundreds of thousands of people out on the streets to celebrate the New Year is truly an unforgettable time. There are all-night services on the MTR, night-buses, and of course, many taxis. Fireworks go off on the harbour front, which a lot of people attend to watch on both sides of the harbour: Tsim Sha Tsui (Kowloon side) and Central (Hong Kong Island). The young adults and older adults decide to party with the rest of Hong Kong at the hot-spots such as Causeway Bay, Lan Kwai Fong and Tsim Sha Tsui. Many people dress up and attend private parties and others flock to the streets to enjoy the atmosphere. Police patrol around popular areas to make sure the city is a safe party-zone. Hong Kong people are not great drinkers and most of them stay dry for the night. Drinking alcohol on the street is uncommon. So visitors who drink should moderate their behaviour or risk being screened out by the police as the only drunks in the crowd.
Non-guidebooks about Hong Kong or by Hong Kong writers.
In English:
Myself a Mandarin- Memoirs of a colonial magistrate, by Austin Coates. Each chapter is an entertaining episode of an English man's time as a colonial magistrate in the New Territories.
East and West- China, Power, and the Future of Asia. A memoirs of Chris Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong. Published in 1998, Patten provides his account of Hong Kong in the final years before the Handover.
Gweilo- Memories of a Hong Kong Childhood, by Martin Booth. A well-written book that offers an insight into colonial life in Hong Kong through the eyes of a young English boy.
The World of Suzie Wong- A classic novel published in 1957, later adapted to film in 1961. Set in Hong Kong, it is the fictional story of a young expat's life.
We Deserve Better- An account of the "decline" of Hong Kong's "governance, spirit and ambition in the years following the Handover", by Hemlock.
Winter Stars- A collection of poems born between the Alps and the Tyrrhenian, by Beatrice Lao.
Weather— For those who are seeking warm, dry and sunny weather, the ideal time is October to December. Those who are wanting to escape the humidity of tropical climates will appreciate the cooler months of January to March. The temperature ranges from 9°C to 24°C during winter, and ranges from 26°C to 33°C during summer. The humidity is typically high in the spring and worse in the summer, when high temperatures (usual maximum of 32-34°C) are often recorded.
Events — During Chinese New Year, whilst there are some extra celebratory events such as a lion dances, fireworks, and parades, many shops and restaurants are closed for three days to 5 days. Official public holidays last 3 days.
Culture lovers will be able to feast on a multitude of cultural activities from February to April. The Hong Kong Arts Festival, a month-long festival of international performances, is held in February and March. The Man Literary Festival, a two-week English language festival with international writers as guests, is held in March. The Hong Kong International film festival, a three-week event, is held in late March to early April.
Rugby fans, and those wishing to party, should come during the weekend of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens.
There is a second round of cultural activities in the autumn lasting till the end of the year.
Christmas is also a nice time to visit as many shops and shopping centres are nicely decorated and the festive mood is celebrated across the city.
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