Hong Kong Travel Guide

Cosmopolitan, international and a vivid city of the future, boasting an astonishing blend of beautiful mountain parks and vibrant modern architecture. Crowded, chaotic, but always charismatic, Hong Kong remains the gateway to China, and remains reknowned as the 'Pearl of the Orient'.

Which country is Hong Kong in? Is Hong Kong part of China?
The handover of Hong Kong took place in 1997 and since then Hong Kong has been a Special Administrative Region belonging to China but its colonial roots and British influence on all walks of life can still be seen easily. Under the 'One country two systems' slogan, Hong Kongers have gotten used to the laissez faire attitude of the Hong Kong Government in juxaposition to China. As one of the freest economies in the world, nearly seven million people are crammed and make a living from the mere 1,100 square kilometres that make up the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). Hong Kong is second to Tokyo in terms of population density. The pace of life is quick and Hong Kong is renowned for its efficiency and rush hour traffic.

What does Hong Kong mean?
The official language in Hong Kong is Cantonese rather than mandarin but English is commonly spoken as all. In Cantonese, which is a different dialect from Mandarin, 'Hong Kong' mirrors the Cantonese pronunciation 'Heung Gong' meaning fragrant harbour. The name stems from the fact that Hong Kong's harbour used to be a humid sleepy fishing village with plenty of boats parked around the harbour.

The skyline of Hong Kong is one of the most awe inspiring and panoramic in the world. Some of Hong Kong's favourite skyscrapers include but are not limited to the HSBC building, Bank of China Tower, IFC and Central Plaza complimented by numerous high rise residential apartments. Not just a city of skyscrapers, there is also lush countryside in Sai Kung, Tai Mo Shan and small rural communities in Peng Chau, Cheung Chau as well as Lamma Island.

Where to Go in Hong Kong