Hong Kong in Focus

Travel Facts

Official name: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Languages: Cantonese and English both are official languages.
Currency: dollar (HKD)
Time zone: Hong Kong is +8 GMT
Principal airlines: Cathay Pacific Airways (CX)
Gateways: Hong Kong is a major gateway and airline hub to the Asian continent. Most major carriers operate direct flights from Europe, North America, Asia, and North Africa.
Transportation: Bus, taxicab, and ferry services are widely available throughout the city.
Accommodations: Hong Kong is famous for its deluxe hotels, which include some of the most luxurious in the world. Inexpensive guest houses are found in Kowloon. Youth hostels are available for young travelers.
Climate: Hong Kong has a mild temperate climate, with warm, humid summers and cool winters. The most rain falls from October through April.

Hong Kong in Focus

Hong Kong (HKG) is a densely populated city on a small island off the southeast coast of China. The name Hong Kong means "fragrant harbor" in Chinese. The region consists of three islands: Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, and Stonecutter Island. In addition, 235 uninhabited islands, called the New Territories, are also part of the colony. Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on 1 July, 1997, after a century and a half of British administration. A major gateway and hub to the Asian continent, Hong Kong has a population of over 5 million and a modern metropolitan skyline.

Hong Kong is sometimes called an "endless marketplace," where shoppers can find bargains on furs, leather goods, shoes, and garments made in France, Italy, and other fashion centers. The city is also a contrast of Asian and European influences, with an active nightlife and a varied selection of tourist attractions.

Places to see include the Tiger Balm Garden, with its unusual Chinese statues, and Victoria Peak, which offers a panoramic view of the harbor. In the Sung Dynasty Village, visitors can explore a replica of an ancient Chinese village dating from 960 B.C. Floating restaurants are anchored at the Aberdeen typhoon shelter.

At one time, the entire fishing community of Hong Kong lived on junks (flat-bottom boats with high keels and square sails) and sampans (small, motor-driven boats with mat canopies). The Tanka (boat People) spend their entire lives, from birth to death, upon the water.

Kowloon is the industrial center of Hong Kong and the gateway to the New Territories, where a peaceful, rural atmosphere is found. In the Tsimshatsui district is the Ocean Terminal, a vast shopping complex built alongside a 1,200-foot pier. The Temple of the Thousand Buddhas is found in Shatin.

Though Hong Kong has golf courses, tennis courts, and yacht clubs, the most popular leisure pastime is shopping. Tailored silk suits, cameras, watches, consumer electronics, jade artifacts, and jewelry are favored purchases.