Hong Kong - Over view

Hong Kong is a modern city of engaging contrasts with an impressive skyline. It has been called the “most thrilling city on the planet.” The images of Hong Kong are captivating. It has much more diversity in sights than most people think. Aside from streets banked with skyscrapers, there is imposing colonial architecture, ornate temples and thousands of acres of country park.

The best thing about being in Hong Kong is getting perplexed by the confluences and contradictions of a Chinese city with multi-Asian and Western elements. Because of these dazzling contrasts, Hong Kong offers visitors something unique.

Hong Kong is divided into three main areas: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Apart from that, there are also outlying islands that float in the surrounding waters of the South China Sea. Its main attractions lie in Kowloon , which juts from the tip of southern China, and on Hong Kong Island, with its Central downtown district, just across the harbor. The island of Lantau is home to the airport and several large country parks. Outlying islands are less densely populated but readily accessible. An extensive transportation network linking the city’s various districts include tunnels, ferries, subways, and, of course, taxis, which are plentiful and cheaper than those in comparably sized cities.

Much of Hong Kong's Western framework comes from the legacy left by the British, who ruled the colony until 1997. British influence is still evident, from the school system and free-market economy, to the double-decker buses, English pubs, afternoon tea and orderly queues. Although the city was moulded by the British, it has always been, at its heart, Chinese; with Chinese medicine shops, street vendors, lively dim sum restaurants, old men taking their caged birds for walks in the park, and colourful festivals.

Hong Kong is a ‘City of Life’, with its lush green forests and the glistening sea, avenues that sizzle with activity, shopping, art, the aroma of food and strains of nightclub music, temples and museums make Hong Kong a truly huge feast for the senses. From Victoria’s Peak to Kowloon, Disneyland and Ocean Park to the Sung Dynasty Village. No matter how long you stay, dazzling Hong Kong will capture your imagination.