Hong Kong Map Flag of Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong is located in eastern Asia at latitude 22.5° north and west of the Pearl River Delta, bordering the South China Sea and the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Shenzhen, China. It comprises of three main areas: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories and 235 outlying islands, including Lamma and Lantau islands.
Total area of Hong Kong covers approximately 1,102 square kilometer (425 square miles), about 6 times larger than Washington, D.C. But the land area continues to expand due to many reclamation projects currently at hand. From 1851 to 1997, the total area of land reclaimed from the sea measured to 60 square km (23 square miles). The breakdown of the total area of the 4 regions of Hong Kong is as followed: Hong Kong Island total 80 square km (31 square miles), Kowloon peninsula total 47 square km (18 square miles), the New Territories total 794 square km (306 square miles), and the remote islands total 175 square km (67 square miles).
The highest peak in Hong Kong is Ta Mo Shan (“Foggy Mountain”), located in central New Territories at 957 meters (3,140 ft) above sea level. But the best-known peak in Hong Kong is Victoria Peak, a.k.a. “The Peak”, which is 552 meters (1,811ft). It provides a spectacular view of Central and Wan Chai in Hong Kong Island, the Victoria Harbour, and the Kowloon peninsula. The lowest point in Hong Kong is Lo Chau Mun at 66 meters (217ft), located in outlying islands.
The terrain of Hong Kong Island is mountainous with many steep slopes. A crest from the northeast to southwest forms the backbone of Hong Kong Island. Kowloon peninsula and the New Territories are mainly flat lands. Lantau Island, the largest island of Hong Kong, is now the location of the new Chek Lap Kok international airport. Hong Kong stands on a volcanic terra firma but there are only minor seismic activities that have occurred in Hong Kong. The last earthquake was dated back in 1874, with a magnitude of 5.75 on the Richter scale, which caused only minor damages.
7% of the land in Hong Kong is arable and, of that, 3% is agriculturally cultivated and this is mostly at the New Territories large alluvial plains. 12% of Hong Kong territory is forested. 6.8 million people populate the rest of the area. It is no surprise people refers to Hong Kong as a “cement forest”. Deep waters surround Hong Kong and the region is favorable as a passing point for ships with its wide harbors protected by mountains in the north and south. Its geographical location between the Taiwan Straits, the South China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean make it a strategic channel for sea traffic in Asia and the world. The Underwater Tunnel, built under the Victoria Harbor, links the Hong Kong Island and Kowloon peninsula. Hong Kong has 12 more tunnels besides the Underwater Tunnel. And 3 more are being built to meet the increasing demand for roads as the population increases in the newly developed areas in the new Territories and the outlying islands.
Hong Kong during typhoon season Hong Kong Observatory logo
Hong Kong is characterized as sub-tropical: cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in the fall. Spring occurs in the months of March to the middle of May. Temperature ranges from 64 to 80 degree Fahrenheit and humidity averages up to 77%. Summer starts in June and ends in mid September. The weather becomes hot and humid, with temperatures ranging from 78 to 91 degree Fahrenheit and humidity level at above 86%. In autumn, clear sunny days are usually expected and temperatures range from 64 to 82 degree Fahrenheit. Humidity averages 72%. Winter starts from mid December to February. January is normally the coldest month of the year. Temperatures can drop from 68 to 50 degree Fahrenheit with occasional wind chills.
About 90% of rainfall occurs between March and September. The average annual rainfall is 87 inches. The wettest month is August, when rain occurs about four days out of seven and the average monthly rainfall is 15 inches. The driest month is January. Rain falls only about six days a month with a monthly average of only 0.92 inches. Fog, constant rain and showers with only a few moments of sunshine characterized the transitional period from winter to summer. Higher altitudes, such as west of the New Territories and the southern islands, receive more rainfall than other areas.
Typhoons are the area's primary natural hazard. They occur occasionally during the summer months, which can range from mild to severe. Other severe weather phenomena include strong winter monsoon winds and thunderstorms with associated squalls that are most frequent from April to September. Hailstorms occur infrequently. Snow and tornadoes are very rare. Air and water pollutions are a major problem of the area due to urbanization. People are sometimes recommended to restrain from outdoor activities in cases of high level alert. Beaches can also be put on alert watch or ban from public access when water quality reaches an unacceptable level.
Hong Kong Island – view from Hong Kong crowded street scene
“The Peak”
Hong Kong’s population is over 6.8 million at the end of 2002 with a population density of 16,000 people per square miles. However, this number is deceiving as most of the population concentrates in only certain areas. The urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon pack in over 163,000 people per square miles, compared to only 8,800 in the New Territories. About 33% of the population lives in Kowloon, 22% on Hong Kong Island, and 45% in the New Territories, with around 2% of the latter living in the Outlying Islands.
About 60% of the populations are Hong Kong natives. Migrates make up about 40% of the population. 98% of Hong Kong's population is ethnic Chinese, most of whom are Cantonese. There are close to 530,000 foreigners in Hong Kong. The top three nationalities are Filipinos, Indonesian, and Americans. Although birth and death rates are comparatively low in Hong Kong, migration from other parts of China creates a high population growth rate.
Life expectancy of Hong Kong residents averages 80 years (76 years for males and 82 for females). About 92% of the total population is literate. All children are required by law to be in full-time education between the age of 6 and 15. Pre-school education for most children begins at age 3. Over 90% of children complete upper secondary (high school) education or equivalent vocational education. The majority of the 3.4 million employed in Hong Kong works in merchandising, restaurants and hotels businesses.
Hong Kong Island in the early 19th Old Hong Kong street scene
century
The origin of Hong Kong, literally means “Fragrant Harbor” in Chinese, can be traced back 6,000 years, according to prehistoric records and artifacts found in various areas. But the major population boom began at the time of the Qin (221 – 206BC) and Han (206 – AD220) dynasties when groups of settlers came from the mainland and settled in Hong Kong. Western influence in Hong Kong came about during the 15th and 16th centuries due to flourishing trade between China and Europe. Hong Kong served as a safe harbor for the Europeans in route to China.
The British is the dominant trading partner with China in Guangzhou, formerly known as Canton, the southern region of China. The Chinese and British business partnership untangled when the British East India Company tried to reach equal ground for its huge purchase of Chinese goods by doubling its sale of opium to the Chinese. The Chinese emperor’s various attempts to ban the drug had met with failure, due to a large population already deeply addicted. The Chinese government then resorted to military force to try to rid the drugs in 1839. Chinese troops were deployed to Guangzhou to force the foreign companies to surrender their stocks of opium. Special Commissioner, Lin Zexu, confiscated thousands of opium stock and burnt them on site. This act angered the British and resulted in the outbreak of the First Opium War.
The British defeated China in January 1841 and Hong Kong was rewarded to the British under the Convention of Chuen Pi as a result. But, the treaty was never signed at that time and thus Hong Kong was not officially handed over to the British until August 1842 when the British sent their troops to Nanjing, threatening an attack. As a result, the Treaty of Nanjing was signed when the Chinese emperor yielded to the British military pressures. Then, in 1860 after the Second Opium War, the Convention of Beijing was signed with the British granted a perpetual lease on the Kowloon Peninsula. And, in 1898, the British also executed a 99-year lease of the New Territories in order to seize control of the entire Hong Kong territory.
Hong Kong prospered under British rule when the British realized its potential as one of the best deep-water ports in the world and thus being the gateway for trades with China and other Asian countries. However, in 1984, the British 99-year lease of the New Territories expired. After months of negotiation with the Chinese Communist government, Britain solemnly agreed to return the entire Hong Kong territory, including Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, to China. The Sino-British Joint Declaration was also signed, which stated Hong Kong would retain its political, economic, and judicial systems and its unique way of life for 50 years. In June 30, 1997, the hand-over was completed and Hong Kong was named a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. The Basic Law, issued by the Chinese government, becomes the mini-constitution that now governs Hong Kong.
The transition did not adversely affected Hong Kong’s economy as many has predicted, yet Hong Kong continues to prosper under Chinese rule. Hong Kong is now the world’s 10th largest trading economy, as well as is the world’s 7th largest foreign exchange market. It is also the location of Asia’s 3rd largest stock market. Hong Kong remains a free and open society, where East and West fused in this vibrating city known as “the Pearl of the East”.
Buddhist temple in Wong Tai Sin, The world’s tallest bronze Buddha statue
Hong Kong in Lantau Island, Hong Kong
Religion is an essential part of life in Hong Kong. An eclectic mixture of local religions exists, with the majority of Chinese origin. The three primary Chinese religions in Hong Kong are: Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. There are currently approximately 600 temples in Hong Kong, many centuries old. Ancestor worship is predominant due to the strong Confucian influence. Besides Chinese religions, 10% of the overall Hong Kong populations are Christians and the other minorities are Muslims, Jews, and Hindus.
Although Hong Kong is a westernized city, Chinese traditional customs for marriage are still widely practiced. But, most people have free choice of their partners and arranged marriages are a rare phenomenon in modern Hong Kong. Generally, the two families meet, usually over a formal dinner, to propose marriage. Then, if they are in agreement, the two sides proceed to discuss wedding arrangements. Normally, the groom’s family is responsible for the wedding expenses but the bride’s family will also provide money or jewelry as dowry. A particular day is then selected from the lunar calendar that designates the date to bring good luck to the marriage. The color Red symbolized good luck and happiness, therefore, is the primary color for Chinese weddings. Red is the color of the bride’s costume, accessories, and wedding decorations. However, it is also common practice for the bride and groom to wear western-style wedding attires, usually during daytime ceremony at the church or at the marriage registry office. A multiple-course banquet is held at night where families and friends gather to offer the couple their blessings. Traditionally, the wife lives with the husband’s family but most modern couples have their own place if they can afford it.
Chinese
traditions also dictate funeral ceremonies. A traditional Chinese coffin is
rectangular with three ‘humps’, but many used western style coffin these days.
Before being placed in the coffin, the corpse is embalmed and dressed in his/her
best clothes. At the funeral service, the family wears a hood of sackcloth over
their heads. White is the dominant color of Chinese funeral and only dark color
clothes can be worn. Upon arrival, funeral guests are asked to bow three times
at the deceased and bow once at the family as a sign of respect. Incense and
paper money are also burnt as an offering for the deceased. Prayers and chanting
is played in the background to help smooth the passage of the deceased’s soul
into the afterworld. Paper models, such as cars, statues, houses and jewelry,
are burnt to accompany the deceased to the life in the afterworld. For burial,
Chinese cemeteries are generally located on hillsides. However, because land is
scarce in Hong Kong, cremation is a common practice. An urn containing the
remains is placed in a special spot on the wall in temples or at the family
home. For more traditional family, each member wear a piece of colored cloth on
the sleeve for hundred days to signify mourning: black by the deceased’s
children, blue by the grandchildren and green by the great-grandchildren.
Chinese believes, seven days after the death of a family member, the soul of the
departed will return to his/her home. On the day of the return, the family sets
up a special area with offerings of rice, fruit, tea or liquor to the soul of
the deceased.
Hong
Kong people also retain many of their traditional Chinese beliefs in regards to
luck. Professionals would consult fortune-tellers before asking for a promotion
or making an investment. Many people also flock to the temples during Chinese
New Year to learn about their fortune of the year. When moving into a new home
or office, people would bring in feng shui masters to design the placement of
furniture and lucky charms, in hope to welcome in good fortune and ward off evil
spirits. People also place significance on certain numbers. 6, 8, and 3
symbolize longevity, prosperity and birth/livelihood respectively. Hence, some
people are willing to pay astronomical price to obtain these numbers or
combinations containing them (eg. 168) for license plates or house numbers. The
number 4 which sounds like the word for death in Chinese and the number 1 which
signified loneliness are obviously considered unlucky numbers. For colors, black
and white are considered bad luck because of their association with death. On
the other hand, red symbolized good luck and prosperity and gold symbolized
wealth and power because of its association with the ancient imperial color.
It is obvious Cantonese people view food as a significant element when the common greeting among each other is “have you eaten yet?” (sik tzo fan may?) Hong Kong people dine out often because living quarters are generally too small to entertain guests and for family gatherings. There are more than 6,000 restaurants in the city, which include a wide variety of cuisines, and people are always on the look out for new dining adventures. But, one of the city’s most popular cuisine would be dim sum
(點 心). Dim sum literally means “touching your heart”. People are said to have enjoyed dim sum as far back as 960 A.D. when tea becomes a popular drink during the Sung Dynasty. People gathered to enjoy tea an converse while sampling small dishes of delicacies. Each dish includes 3 or 4 bit-size items, such as steamed and fried dumplings, steamed buns stuffed with meat or vegetables, and sweet pastries.
Cantonese
Opera
Cantonese opera is a fine art consists of fluid and graceful body movements and expressions and melodious songs with poetic lyrics. A live orchestra, playing traditional Chinese music instruments, provides music for the songs and sound effects for the scenes. Actors and actresses wear elaborate and flamboyant costumes, exquisite wigs and colorful make-up. Most of the stories are based on Chinese history, folklore and classic literature. There are two types of Cantonese opera: Mo (martial arts) and Mun (scholastics). Mo plays depict many battle scenes intricately choreographed and often using weapons. The main character is usually a general or warrior. Mun, on the other hand, are usually melodrama about romance, loyalty, and diligence.
Tung Chee Hwa Li Ka Shing
Jackie Chan
Tung Chee Hwa
was born in Shanghai on May 29, 1937, the first child of shipping businessman
Tung Chao Yung and Koo Lee Ching. In 1947 the Tung family moved to Hong Kong.
After completing secondary school in Hong Kong, Mr. Tung studied in the United
Kingdom and graduated from the University of Liverpool in 1960 with a Bachelor
of Science degree in marine engineering. Mr. Tung then worked for General
Electric and the family business in the United States before returning to Hong
Kong in 1969 to join the family group business.
On December 11, 1996, Mr. Tung won by a wide margin in the first election to the
post of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)
of the People's Republic of China (PRC). He was formally appointed by the
Central People's Government on December 16, 1996 and assumed office as the first
Chief Executive of the HKSAR on July 1, 1997 for a five-year term. Mr. Tung was
elected uncontested for a second term on February 28, 2002, and was formally
appointed by the Central People's Government on March 4, 2002. His second term
began on July 1, 2002.
Li Ka-shing
was born in 1928. He and his family fled to Hong Kong as the Japanese invaded
China in 1940. After getting his first job as a watch strap salesman, he became
a wholesale salesman at age 17, and a general manager at age 19. In 1949, he
founded a plastics company in Hong Kong, and was known for making a fortune in
plastic flowers. In 1958, Li became involved in the real estate business and
found a property investment company, Cheung Kong Real Estate Company, in 1971.
Now, the Cheung
Kong Group's businesses encompass such diverse areas as property development and
investment, real estate agency and estate management, hotels, telecommunications
and e-commerce, finance and investment, retail and manufacturing, ports and
related services, energy, infrastructure projects and materials, media, and
biotechnology. Based in Hong Kong, the Cheung Kong Group combined ranks among
the top 100 corporations in the world, with businesses in 42 countries and over
180,000 employees. The Cheung Kong Group of companies currently has a combined
market capitalization of approximately HK$500 billion.
Jackie Chan
was born in Hong Kong on April 7, 1954 under his real name of Chan Kwong-Sang.
His father was a chef and his mother was a housekeeper. Shortly after he was
born, his parents found jobs in Australia and the whole family moved there. In
1961, Jackie, who was only 7 years old at the time, returned to Hong Kong to
enroll in the Chinese Opera Research Institute. He learned dancing,
singing, miming, acting and martial arts there for 10 years. In 1971, Jackie
graduated from the Institute and returned to Australia. He worked as a
dishwasher and bricklayer. But, he later went back to Hong Kong and adopted a
studio name: Chen Yuan Long. He got a job at the Shaw Brothers Studios as
a stunt man. He finally got his break in the movie, Little Tiger from Canton.
In 1972, the Hong Kong movie industry noticed him when he successfully performed one of the greatest stunts of the 70s in Fist of Fury, a Bruce Lee’s international hit, in which he served as stunt double for the evil Mr. Suzuki. He executed the longest stunt fall ever attempted in Asian Cinema. At that time, Jackie’s dream was to become a stunt coordinator or martial arts director. In 1976, he starred in 6 kung fu flicks for the late Lo Wei who gave him the English name: Jackie Chan. He also gave him a new stage name, Sing Lung, which means, "become a dragon" in reference to Bruce Lee's Chinese name Siu-Lung. In 1977, Jackie starred in Half a Loaf of Kung Fu. He infused his brand of humor into a kung fu movie, which eventually become his signature style. In 1978, Chan appeared in Drunken Master, which catapulted him to stardom. Jackie is now a world famous martial arts movie star who directs and stars in numerous of his blockbuster action movies.