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City:
Population: |
Hong Kong
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Province: |
Hong Kong SAR |
Area: |
1092 km2 |
Population: |
6.9 Million |
Current Temperature: |
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Hong Kong is
a vibrant, noisy, cosmopolitan city of 6.9 million people and is a true blend of
east and west. 150 years of British rule stamped the territory with the
trappings of a British city - complete with pubs, cricket matches, high tea and
rugby games, but with an international flair. With 95 percent of its population
ethnically Chinese, Hong Kong also has an undeniably Chinese heart.
Hong Kong has
been a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China since the handover in 1997
but has retained its own civil service and rule of law. Geographically, Hong
Kong encompasses Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories
and more than 260 outlying islands.
Hong Kong
Island boasts superb modern architecture which house some of the world's most
powerful financial institutions and towering glass residential buildings
teetering up impossibly steep slopes. The Peak offers breathtakingly beautiful
views of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon across Victoria Harbour, and is especially
stunning at night. Central, the financial center and social hub of Hong Kong
Island is where some of the territories' best international restaurants and
premier nightspots are located. The south side of the island including Stanley,
Deep Water Bay and Repulse Bay has nice beaches where you can enjoy different water sports
as well as outdoor restaurants and markets.
The Kowloon
peninsula, in particular its southernmost tip, Tsim Sha Tsui (TST), is a crowded
maze of streets where you can find anything for sale from "antique" ma
jong sets to the latest in video technology. TST is home to more shops selling a
greater variety of goods per square meter than anywhere else in the world. It
boasts a plethora of budget accommodations as well as the five star Peninsula
and Regent hotels.
North of the
Kowloon peninsula, the New Territories connects Hong Kong to the mainland. It is
home to the New Towns, the first of which was built in the 1960s, ancient
villages, sprawling subtropical country parks and secluded beaches.
Despite the
ultramodern high-rise jungle of Central and the Kowloon peninsula, much of Hong
Kong is countryside and coast, with excellent hiking trails and beaches. The
natural beauty of Hong Kong is often a pleasant surprise for tourists who
associate the territory solely with shopping, food and money.
Visitors
should also try to visit one of the outlying islands, most notably Lantau and
Lamma. These islands are home to superb seafood restaurants, white sand beaches,
secluded hiking trails and sleepy fishing villages. Lantau also has the new
airport at Chek Lap Kok and the Giant Buddha, which at 26 meters (85ft) high, is
the world's largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha.