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Overview of Hong Kong

Hong Kong Travel Guide

Agglomerated in a harbour with skyscrapers reaching towards the sky like needles... That's what we all think of when we hear the name of this tiny land

A former British Colony, returned to China in 1997, Hong Kong still keeps its autonomy and own way of life. This will be maintained until 2047, according to the agreement between the UK and China.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, and it is regarded as a metropolis.

Its population of over 7 million people is mostly Cantonese-speaking Chinese, but there also are significant populations of Filipinos, Indians, Pakistanis, Japanese, Vietnamese and also many Europeans, Australians and North Americans.

A thriving economy and a high degree of technical development characterize this mini country-like region.

Hong Kong is particularly beautiful at night, when the neon lights are lit up. Looking across the Victoria Harbour towards the colourful business district is a "must do" when you're in Hong Kong. Many people take photographs to immortalize the magical moment.

Hong Kong is also a great place for shopping. Prices are average and there are endless places to fill your bags.

Hong Kong Factsheet

State, geography
Official name:	Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
Government type:	Non-sovereign partial democracy with unelected executive
Location:	Caribbean Sea
Area/surface:	1.104 km² or 426 sq mi
Geography overview:	Mountainous territory comprised of several large islands, a mainland comprising of the New Territories and Kowloon areas, which is geographically part of continental Asia. Low mountains and a large number of bays, stretching peninsulas make the landscape of Hong Kong exciting for the traveler and adequate for the hiker.
Demographics, population
Official language(s):	Cantonese, English
Locally used languages:	Mandarin
Other widely spoken languages:	-
Nationalities, ethnic groups, races:	95 % Chinese; 1,6 % Pilipino; 1,3 % Indonesian; 0,5 % Caucasian; 0,3 % Indian; 0,2 % Nepalese; 0,2 % Japanese; 0,2 % Thai; 0,2 % Pakistani; 0,2 % other Asian; 0,3 % other
Population:	7 million
Population density:	6.076,4/km² or 264/sq mi
Capital city & population:	-
Largest city & population:	-
Other large cities & population:	-
Religion(s):	20 % various religions (Buddhist, Taoism, Confucianism, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish), 80 % atheist
Economy
Currency:	1 Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) = 100 Ho = 1.000 Sin/Cent Symbol/sign: $ or HK$
Foreign currencies widely used:	Chinese Yuan (CNY)
GDP (nominal):	223,764 billion USD
GDP per capita (nominal):	31,849 USD
Other data
Time zone:	Hong Kong Time - HKT: UTC +8h
Country telephone calling code:	+852
Internet TLD(s):	.hk
Electric power system:	Voltage & frequency: 220-240 V/50 Hz ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Plugs/sockets/outlets: G, M
Driving system:	Left-hand drive

Hong Kong Interactive Map
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Places to Visit & Things to Do in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Harbour

The Hong Kong Harbour is between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon quarter in the north.

The biggest skyscrapers and the most colourful quarters are in Kowloon.

You can take a cruise through the harbour. Some companies even offer trips with junks (traditional Chinese sailing ships), they usually have orange or red sails.

Get to the Kowloon Waterfront for a great view of the city.

Hong Kong Island is smaller, but it's where the most interesting skyscrapers are. Admire it from Kowloon at night to see the beautiful light show.

The Peak

Located on Hong Kong Island. A good place to see the skyscrapers below. Most of the time, there's myst around the towers and you can hardly see anything.

Markets & Shops

Hong Kong is renowned for its markets and shops of all sorts: food markets, cloth-selling malls, electronics malls, etc.

Hong Kong is a good place for shopping, prices are low compared to Western EU countries and the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan.

Various Festivals

People in Hong Kong have so many festivals that it's better to obtain detailed descriptions of them, we don't want to start writing a book here about all the interesting celebrations, festivals.

Especially beautiful and, perhaps the most important is the Chinese New Year Festival, which represents the Lunar New Year. The date varies from year to year. The festival is colourful, beautiful to attend and take many photos.

Religious Sites

Here is a list of just some of Hong Kong's interesting religious sites: The 10.000 Buddhas Monastery, Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree (old wishing tree), Man Mo Temple, Sik Sik Yuen Wonk Tai Sik Temple, Fung Ying Seen Koon Temple, Tin Hau Temple.

Golden Bauhinia Square

An interesting golden statue stands there. It represents a flower form the species Bauhinia Blakeana.

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

A large modern rectangular building on the ocean shore.

Hong Kong Convention Centre

A modern building with a rounded top, lies on the shore.

Hong Kong Planning and Infrastructure Exhibition Gallery

Here you can see photos, schemes, drawings, scale models of infrastructural elements from Hong Kong.

Kat Hing Wai Walled Village

A village surrounded with a wall. A tiny village that's about 9 centuries old.

Take a Short Trip to Macau/Macao

The former Portuguese colony of Macau is just 60 km away (in straight line) from Hong Kong. It can be a nice experience to get there by ship and then back.

Transportation

By Air

Most popular way to get there. The country's old Kai Tak International Airport was closed and the new Check Lap Kok International Airport was opened, which is expected to handle 37 million passengers a year.

By Road

It is possible to travel to 7 from Hong Kong to China, by road, but it's not a popular way to travel, also because of Hong Kong's right hand drive system and China's left hand drive one.

By Rail

The railroad system is rather internal. You can travel from one part of Hong Kong to the other.

On Water

A very popular way to travel, but slow. You can travel to Macau/Macao and back or other regional ports, but not so many major cruise lines operate in Hong Kong. The ports are rather industrial ones.

Best Time for Visiting Hong Kong

The ideal period is in October and November, in order to avoid the rainy-foggy seasons. It's very rainy in spring and even more in summer.

Risks & Precautions in Hong Kong

Important: We present you some of the most common risks and precautions for you to take in this country, however our list does not cover the whole typology and details of these problems that might occur.

Infectious Diseases

Risks are primarily for dengue fever, also SARS, variations of common flu. In order to avoid SARS, it is advised not to touch any animal on the markets and to avoid contact with mammals and birds especially.

Interesting Things to Know About Hong Kong

At the time of its return to China, Hong Kong was considered the World's 7th most powerful economy

Heritage.org has rated Hong Kong the World's most free economy, meaning that the state's intervention into the country's economy is very low, taxes are low and there are a variety of other factors that stimulate businesses.

Due to China's policy called "One Country, Two Systems", Hong Kong will maintain its autonomy until 1947, even though it is now officially a Chinese territory (returned by the UK to China in 1997).