Hong Kong, the Pearl of East and Jewel of The Orient is famous for its gold and foreign exchange market, natural deep water harbor, commercial trade, toy manufacturing industry and film and service industries.
History
221 BC is the first record in Chinese history of the territory, which is now known as Hong Kong. Hong Kong Village was built in 1550 AD. Originally, Hong Kong was once named Xiangjiang because in the Ming dynasty, it was used as a harbor to
transport fragrant trees from Dongguan (a city of Guangdong province). Since “Xiang” in Chinese means fragrant, the name Hong Kong (meaning“Fragrant Harbour") was derived from this. In those times, Hong Kong was a small place, which belonged to Xinan, Guangdong province, which is now known as Shenzhen. Hong Kong was part of the Chinese empire before coming under British administration as a direct result of the 19th-century Opium Wars. On 1 July 1997, Hong Kong officially became a Special Administrative Region of China in an arrangement that would last for 50 years. Operating under the "one country, two systems policy", Hong Kong maintains its own political, social and economic systems and enjoys a high degree of autonomy with its own currency, laws and customs. English remains an official language and Hong Kong's border with China still exists. The Cantonese language is the mother tongue of the Hong Kong people but Mandarin language is becoming more popular and is taught in all schools.
Development
Nowadays, Hong Kong has developed into a very modern society. Many of its industries are leading the world, particularly in telecommunication, banking, insurance and technology. It is one of East Asia's leading trading and transshipment centers. It has become renowned for its lifestyle and entertainment being amongst the world’s best. Another aspect to this development and now gaining world-wide recognition is the movie industry. Home of Kung Fu heroes like Jackie Chan and the late Bruce Lee, Hong Kong continues to attract more and more ambitious would-be stars and entrepreneurs. Many of its productions are now being screened around the globe.
Location
Located on the southeast coastline of China, it is to the east of the mouth of the Pearl River and about 200 km away from Guangzhou city, it faces Macao across the sea in the west, and boarders Shenzhen city in the north. With an area of 1,110 sq.km, Hong Kong is made up of four parts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories and the Outlying Islands.
Climate
Because of its subtropical climate, Hong Kong has four distinct seasons; generally, good weather makes it an ideal destination all year round. The peak travel season is autumn, from September to around Christmastime. Hong Kong has a perfect transportation system. It boasts the world-class Hong Kong International Airport, strong maritime transportation and convenient railways. Also there are helicopters between Hong Kong and Macau and long-distance buses from the major cities in Guangdong Province to Hong Kong. All those transportation advantages make getting to Hong Kong a breeze.
Religion and Festivals
Hong Kong is a bridge that connects east and west. Various religious groups such as Christian, Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, and other religious groups all co-exist in harmony in Hong Kong. Ancient Chinese traditions such as the Dragon Boat Festival, Tomb-sweeping Day and Festival of Lanterns are celebrated and revered.
Attractions
Hong Kong is a popular tourist destination as well as being one of the world's major business centers. In addition to its impressive modernity, Hong Kong has many accessible beaches and natural sights for outdoor lovers. It has over 260 outlying islands but only a few are inhabited. This means that Hong Kong offers a great range of contrasts, with numerous islands that provide a tranquil alternative to its frenetic energy elsewhere. Hong Kong Island is an eclectic mix of modern skyscrapers, colonial buildings and traditional temples.
There are many attractions in Hong Kong. High above Hong Kong Island on the "back of the Dragon" is Victoria Peak. This is Hong Kong's premier visitor attraction, providing magnificent harbor and city views. Arriving in the late afternoon enables you to experience the dazzling panorama of Hong Kong Island, the harbor, Kowloon and the hills beyond. The inauguration of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre marked a new era in the development of the performing arts in Hong Kong. The Cultural Centre has remained the premier cultural venue offering stimulating environment for arts talents and quality programes to the public. Happy Valley Racecourse was built on reclaimed marshland. It has been extremely popular ever since. Today, the track is ultra-sophisticated with computerized betting and races broadcast live on gigantic screens. Hollywood Road is an antique lover's paradise. The street is filled with curio and antique shops of all kinds. Apart from all the antique shops, it has numerous small specialty shops that sell unique home accessories and handmade products. Furthermore, visitors can enjoy a lot of marvels such as St John's Cathedral, Golden Bauhinia Square, Repulse Bay, Tai Tam Country Park and so on.
Whether it is one of the museums, great restaurants or Chinese festivals, Hong Kong attractions offer many things to do and see in this world city.