Hong Kong
From ChinaTravelGuide
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[edit] Overview
Hong Kong (香港) is a unique city in the world with multiple personalities - Chinese territory, Chinese labor, and Chinese entrepreneurship with a long-time British influence. Hong Kong was a dependent territory of the United Kingdom from 1842 to 1997.
Today, Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, but with its own flag and currency. It enjoys a high degree of autonomy and operates under the policy of "one country, two systems": Hong Kong continues to use its own existing economic, legal and social systems for 50 years after the handover in 1997 while China takes care of the territory's defense and foreign affairs.
Hong Kong is a major tourism destination and an important hub with close connections to other areas in China and to most of the world's cities. Hong Kong boasts one of the world's best airports, some of the world's best shopping malls, and the breathtaking skyline dotted with most beautiful modern architecture in China.
Hong Kong has a subtropical climate, and rarely experiences frost. Summer is hot and humid with occasional showers and thunderstorms. Typhoons likely hit from July to September. The best time to visit is from October to early December, which is usually cool, dry, and sunny. Winter weather usually starts from sunny in mid-December and becomes cloudier towards February with the occasional cold winds from the north. Rain comes mainly from March and mid-May, which is often not sunny enough for good pictures.
[edit] History
[edit] Geography
Hong Kong covers an area of 1,104 sq km, and has a population of 6.92 million.
[edit] Map
Click here to open Hong Kong map.
[edit] Weather
There are four distinct seasons in Hong Kong. Hong Kong can be a little chilly in the winter (10°C) and hot and humid in the summer (33°C). The best times of year to visit are thus, spring (March-May), when the average temperature is around 25°C and autumn (September-December). Christmas in Hong Kong can be a delight with a fair chance of mild sunny weather that will appeal to those coming from colder northern climates. Hotels experience peak occupancy in the months of April and October. Typhoons usually occur between June and September and can bring a halt to local business activities for a day or less. The weather in winter is usually caused by the winter monsoon which brings dry cold winds from the north. In winter the air can be cold but the sun can still burn. Expect winter temperatures to rise to 22°C on sunny days and fall to under 10°C at night. Chinese New Year is notorious for cold wet weather and, since many businesses close, non-Chinese tourists will not see Hong Kong at its best. Should you find yourself in Hong Kong at Chinese New Year, you can make the best of the weather by going hiking if it is dry.
--from wikitravel.org
| Weather averages for Hong Kong | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Avg high °C (°F) | 20 (68) | 20 (68) | 22 (72) | 26 (79) | 29 (84) | 31 (88) | 32 (90) | 32 (90) | 31 (88) | 29 (84) | 25 (77) | 21 (70) | |
| Avg low °C (°F) | 13 (55) | 13 (55) | 16 (61) | 20 (68) | 24 (75) | 26 (79) | 26 (79) | 26 (79) | 25 (77) | 22 (72) | 18 (64) | 14 (57) | |
| Rain mm (inches) | 21 (0.8) | 33 (1.3) | 45 (1.8) | 113 (4.4) | 159 (6.3) | 238 (9.4) | 252 (9.9) | 282 (11.1) | 166 (6.5) | 41 (1.6) | 22 (0.9) | 21 (0.8) | |
| Source: per MSN 2008 | |||||||||||||
Current Conditions (2010-03-11 18:02:00, local time)
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Hong Kong |
Temp: 63°F (17°C) |
Hong Kong Weather Forecast
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[edit] Districts
Hong Kong is made up of four parts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories and the Outlying Islands.
- Hong Kong Island (香港岛) was the original British settlement. Northern Hong Kong Island is the main commercial, shopping and entertainment area, in addition to the government offices. Most of Hong Kong's skyscrapers and the famous skyline are along the northern coastline. The residential area is located in Eastern Hong Kong Island. Southern Hong Kong Island is known for its leisure facilities, with beautiful beaches and bays, and luxury ocean-front residential complexes.
- Kowloon Peninsula (九龙) is the peninsula north of Hong Kong Island, separated by the famous Victoria Harbour (维多利亚港). It is the most populous area in Hong Kong. Causeway Bay (铜锣湾), Wan Chai (湾仔区), Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok are the most popular areas.
- The New Territories (新界) is a rural area mixed with industrial installations.
- The Outlying Islands (离岛) are the 234 other islands including Lantau (大屿山), Lamma Island (南丫岛).
[edit] Other Places
[edit] Video
| Hong Kong |
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[edit] Attractions
- Hong Kong Island
- Aberdeen
- Causeway Bay (铜锣湾)
- Happy Valley (Horse Racing)
- Man Mo Temple (文武庙)
- Ocean Park
- Repulse Bay
- Stanley
- Victoria Peak
- Wanchai
- Kowloon
- Hong Kong Coliseum
- Hong Kong Museum of Art (Tsim Sha Tsui)
- Hong Kong Space Museum
- Kowloon Park
- Star Ferry
- Temple Street
- Tsim Sha Tsui
- Wong Tai Sin Temple
- New Territories
- Che Kung Temple
- Hong Kong Heritage Museum
- Sai Kung Peninsula
- Sha Tin (Horse Racing)
- Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas
- Outlying Islands
- Ngong Ping 360
- Cheung Chau Island
- Hong Kong Disneyland
- Hong Kong Wetland Park (香港湿地公园)
- Lamma Island
- Lantau Island
- Po Lin Monastery
[edit] Culture
[edit] Language
Cantonese is the language spoken by 95% of the people in Hong Kong. Due to British colonial influences, colloquial Cantonese in Hong Kong tends to incorporate some English words and slang, which may sound strange to Cantonese speakers from mainland China.
Compared to other Asian metropolises, English proficiency in Hong Kong is considered quite good, particularly on the island side, in the financial districts and wherever tourists and Western expatriates congregate. Education in English begins in kindergarten and its fluency is often a prerequsite for landing a good job. However, English proficiency can be limited among non-professionals in districts where there are fewer tourists, such as those in the New Territories. Also, some locals, even if they can understand English well, do not feel comfortable speaking it. Regardless, most Hong Kongers aged 40 or younger throughout the territory are fluent enough in English for basic communication. To ensure they understand you, it is a best to speak in short sentences and avoid slang or colloquial expressions.
Hong Kong also has several minority communities, such as the Teochews (Chiuchow in Cantonese) and Shanghainese who fled to Hong Kong when the mainland fell to the communists in 1949. Some of them still speak their respective dialects, though most of them are also fluent in Cantonese. There are also non-Chinese resident communities in Hong Kong, largely originating from the Indian subcontinent, and among them, various South Asian languages are spoken, though it should not cause much of a problem as almost all of them are fluent in English and many are fluent in Cantonese as well.
Most locals are not fluent in Mandarin (also known locally as Potonghua) but can comprehend it to a certain degree. However, Mandarin proficiency is improving rapidly, especially after reunification with mainland China and increasing demand from employers. Due to the increasing number of tourists from mainland China, most (if not all) shops and eateries in the city centre and more touristy areas will have at least one staff member who can speak Mandarin.
All official signs are bilingual, in both Chinese (Traditional) and English. However, Chinese-only signs have become more common in recent years, e.g. at minibus bus stops. Most shops and restaurants also have English signage, though don't expect this from the more local or obscure establishments. Under the "one country, two systems" policy, Hong Kong continues to use traditional Chinese characters, not simplified Chinese characters used in Mainland China.
--from wikitravel.org
[edit] Cuisine
Perhaps the number one highlight of Hong Kong is the cuisine. Not only is it a showcase of traditional and modern Cantonese cuisine, the various regional cuisines from around China, such as northern Chinese, Chaozhou (Chiuchow/Teochew) and Sichuan are all well represented. There are also excellent Asian and some fairly good Western restaurants as well.
Residents tend to eat out a lot more than in other countries. Because of this, eating out can be fairly cheap, as long as you stick to local restaurants, and avoid the often overpriced Western counterparts.
While dining out, it is easy to find places offering mains for well under $80 offering both local and international food. Fastfood chains such as McDonald's and Café de Coral offer meals in the vicinity of $30. Mid-range restaurants generally charge in excess of $100 for mains, whilst at the top end the city's best restaurants (such as Felix or Aqua) can easily see you leave with a bill in excess of $1200 (including entrées (appetizers), mains, desserts and drinks).
--from wikitravel.org
[edit] Music
[edit] Notables
[edit] Ethnic Groups
Residents of Hong Kong are sometimes referred to as Hongkongers. The territory's population increased sharply throughout the 1990s[citation needed], reaching 6.99 million in 2006.[65] Hong Kong has a fertility rate of 0.95 children per woman,[66] one of the lowest in the world and far below the 2.1 children per woman required to sustain the current population. However, the population in Hong Kong continues to grow due to the influx of immigrants from mainland China, approximating 45,000 per year. Life expectancy in Hong Kong is 81.6 years as of 2006, the sixth highest in the world.
About 95% of the people of Hong Kong are Chinese by ethnicity, the majority of which is Cantonese or from linguistic groups such as Hakka and Chiu Chow. The remaining 5% of the population is composed of non-ethnic Chinese forming a highly visible group despite their smaller numbers. A South Asian population of Sindhis, Indians, Pakistanis and Nepalese are found. Some Vietnamese refugees have become permanent residents of Hong Kong. There are also a number of Europeans, Americans, Australians, Canadians, Japanese, and Koreans working in Hong Kong's commercial and financial sector.
Hong Kong's de-facto official language is Cantonese, a Chinese language originating from Guangdong Province to the north of Hong Kong (of which Hong Kong was part of before British colonial rule), and is spoken by 95% of the population as a first language. English is also an official language, and according to a 1996 by-census is spoken by 3.1% of the population as an everyday language and by 34.9% of the population as a second language.[67] Signs displaying both Chinese and English are common throughout the territory. Since the 1997 handover, an increase in immigrants from mainland China and greater integration with the mainland economy have brought an increasing number of Mandarin speakers to Hong Kong.
Religion in Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of freedom, guaranteed by the Basic Law. 90% of Hong Kong's population practises a mix of local religions,[68] most prominently Buddhism (mainly Chinese Mahayana) and Taoism.[69][70][71] A Christian community of around 600,000 exists,[72][73] forming about 8% of the total population, and is nearly equally divided between Catholics and Protestants, although other, smaller Christian communities exist such as Latter-Day Saints[74] and Jehovah's Witnesses.[75] There are also Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Bahá'í communities.[72] Concerns over a lack of religious freedom after the 1997 handover have largely subsided, with Falun Gong adherents free to practice in Hong Kong, and the Anglican Church and Roman Catholic Church each freely appointing its own bishops, unlike in mainland China.
--from wikipedia.org
[edit] Colleges and Universities
[edit] Dining in Hong Kong
You can't talk about Hong Kong without talking about the food as it's such an integral part of the culture. Hong Kong is known as the 'culinary capital of Asia', and as the place where the eating cultures of East and West meet. The sheer range on offer is impressive in itself, with more than 11,000 restaurants to choose from Hong Kong recently became only the second Asian city to be awarded its own Michelin Guide. If that wasn't enough of a reason to visit, the city has also just waived the alcohol duty. There has never been a better time to come and take part in the Hong Kong Food and Wine Year, launched by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The festivities include a spectacular Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival to be held from the end of October to early November. There are food and beverage offers and promotions in popular dining areas all year round, which will be downloadable from our dedicated website, HKFoodandWineYear.com, packed with essential information. Don't miss the chance to recognize Hong Kong's rich gastronomic heritage by celebrating with a sparkling array of events throughout the year.
Dining in Hong Kong Congee - Leaves You Satisfied Rice Noodles - World Famous Diversity Noodles - Origin Bamboo Rolled Rice - Joy of Eating Tea Cafe & Fast Food - Dim Sum for Fashion
[edit] Area Codes
| City | Area Code | City | Area Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hongkong (香港) | 852 |
