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To call Hong Kong (香港) a city of contrasts would be an understatement. This small region on the South Eastern tip of China has been labelled as the New York of Asia, the meeting point of East and West, and even disregarded as a barren rock. While it is a haven for peace, tranquillity and nature, it is also a busy metropolitan business centre at the same time.
Once a British colony, Hong Kong is now a Special Administrative Region of China, but it is a special region that has lost none of its charm. Sure there are many colonial legacies that have been left behind, but Hong Kong is a modern metropolis that refuses to stand still. Hong Kong is like a bustling ball of energy. From the ultramodern central business district to the the swarming late-night shopping districts of Mong Kok, and then even down to the idyllic beaches in the New Territories, Hong Kong really has it all. There is the world’s tallest out-door seated Buddha but there is also the number one skyline in the world. There are some of the busiest shopping and business districts in world, but there is also a 60-hectare public wetland reserve. The main island is home to the sixth tallest office building in the world, but it is also part of a group of 263 islands that make up the region of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is defined by its contrasts and it really is contra-distinctive in every sense of the complicated word.
Fast Facts About Hong Kong
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Located on the Eastern side of the Pearl River Delta.
6,748,389 (as of 2006)
Predominantly from Chinese descent.
Cantonese and English are considered the official languages.
Fusion of Eastern and Western cuisine.
"+852” from abroad.
Air, train or boat from mainland China.
Extremely efficient transport system including a metro system (MTR), thousands of taxis, buses, mini-buses/mini-vans, old-school historical trams, and since Hong Kong comprises 260 islands there are also numerous ferries to outlying islands.
Subtropical, being hot, humid and rainy during spring and summer and dry and cooler in autumn and winter. Prone to occasional typhoons and squally thunderstorms.
The Hong Kong stock exchange is the sixth largest in the world being the 3rd financial centre globally and the strongest in Asia. The world’s tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha; some of the most futuristic architecture in Asia; Disneyland; some of the craziest and busiest shopping malls and districts like Mong Kok (possibly one the most densely populated areas in the world); and numerous scenic wildlife parks. |
Hong Kong Tourist Attractions
Hong Kong is not your average tourism destination. There are no white sand beaches and no real main attractions like the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State building. Yet Hong Kong has just been voted the best overseas city as part of a European poll involving 15’000 people. The reason for Hong Kong’s popularity is probably due to the vibrant energy and excitement of this amazing city.
Although there are not many of your typical tourism clichés, the attractions that are here are multifarious and abundant. While there is Disneyland and the third tallest building in Greater China, there is also the largest outdoor statue of a giant Buddha and a massive wetland park to attract the ecotourist in us all. More often than not, visitors come to this city not for the attractions, but for the energy, the scenic views, and the overall unrivalled Hong Kong experience.
