Hong Kong

From Track2Asia

Contents 1 Overview 2 Climate and When to Visit 3 Getting There 4 Places to See 5 Nightlife 6 Getting Around 7 History 8 Cuisine 9 Culture 10 News from Hong Kong 11 Hong Kong Videos 12 Useful Links

Overview

Ah, Hong Kong!

Hong Kong is like a jewel – with many personalities, many facets. Here, traditional culture meets modern, east meets west, exotic combines with the everyday, mundane things. Its bustling metropolis presents a stark contrast to the natural landscape. Each facet beckons with a promise to keep you enthralled, amazed and entertained.

Situated on the southeast coast of China, it is a growing, thriving city, not just in the economic sense, but in the physical sense as well. Hong Kong is around 400 square miles in size, but it is ever growing – what with its land reclamation projects. The new airport is but one example of such projects.

Climate and When to Visit

In Hong Kong, summers are humid and hot while winters are chilly. Typhoon season is typically from June to September. These strong winds ("typhoon" literally means that in Chinese) can sometimes wreak havoc to your plans of going shopping or sightseeing. Winters may also be unstable, with temperatures ranging from 12° to 22° C.

Thus, we recommend that you go to Hong Kong in the spring (March to April) or autumn (September to November). In the spring, it is not too hot or humid and the temperature averages around 25° C. The best time, though, is during the months of October and November.

You should also take note of the special festivals and events celebrated in Hong Kong. There is the weekend of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, where enthusiasts party hard as they celebrate their favorite teams. The Chinese New Year is also a special time - a festive mood fills the air and you can enjoy parades, lion dances and jaw dropping fireworks.

Getting There

Air

There are many direct flights to Hong Kong from destinations in America, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and Africa. At least one flight per day is connecting Hong Kong with major cities in North America, Europe, and Oceania. Flights from other Asian cities are very frequent. More than ten flights per day are connecting Hong Kong with Bangkok, Beijing, Manila, Singapore, Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei, and Tokyo.

Road

Boat

Hydrofoil ferries connect Hong Kong with Macau, and it takes a little bit more than one hour. There is also hydrofoil service between Hong Kong and Guangzhou, in mainland China. There are two different ferry terminals so make sure you know which one your ferry to going from. The terminals are

• Macau Ferry Terminal
• China Ferry Terminal (which also has service to Macau)

Places to See

Oh, the places you can see in Hong Kong! If you want to know more about what to see in Hong Kong, click here.

Nightlife

Hong Kong is a party lovers’ haven – it’s where it’s happening! Here are some of the hotspots if you want to explore the nightlife in this city of lights. The choices are varied – from the laidback and relaxing to the raunchy and adventurous, from the artistic and cultural to dance ‘til you drop madness. Click here for more...

Getting Around

Hong Kong prides itself with its transport system, which will easily take you where you want to go. Be sure to get the Centamap, which is a must-have for tourists as this provides you with the best options of going out and about. The Centamap is produced by a local local property agency. Click here to read more about getting around in Hong Kong.

History

Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was officially given up by China the next year. Later in the 19th century, Hong Kong was expanded with bordering lands.

On 19 December 1984, an agreement between China and UK was reached that would lead to the handover 13 years later. On 1 July 1997, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. Under this agreement, China has promised that its "one country, two systems" will not impose China's socialist economic system on Hong Kong. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will have a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs.

Cuisine

Culture

The culture of Hong Kong is characterized by the blending of Chinese, Asian, and western influences. Chinese people in Hong Kong have adopted some of the western way of living, but a large population still hold on to traditional Chinese traditions such as family solidarity and “keeping face”. Hong Kong has the status as one of the greatest cities in world, and also holds the position as the major international business centre in Asia.

News from Hong Kong

More

Hong Kong Videos

Useful Links

• Discover Hong Kong - Website of the Hong Kong Tourism Board
• Hong Kong Toilets - Guide of Public Toilets in Hong Kong