Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a great country that is also an excellent travel destination for those who wish to experience a unique mix of Asian and Western culture. A place of multiple personalities, Hong Kong was heavily influenced by Western elements as a result of being a long time British colony before having its sovereignty transferred back to the People’s Republic of China in the year 1997.
Hong Kong has so much more to offer than mere concrete buildings. Weary tourists would unkindly label this misunderstood harbor city as “Hong Kong-crete” but the truth is, Hong Kong is made up of several interestingly contrasting districts. These include the main Hong Kong Island. It was the site where the British first built their settlement upon. Now, years later, this island contains the bulk of Hong Kong’s metropolitan skyscrapers, shopping districts, cutting edge infrastructure and governmental headquarters. Next, the district of Kowloon is best known for being the most densely populated area in Hong Kong. The New Territories is basically the countryside part of Hong Kong with quaintly build farms, villages and townships and finally, the Outlying Islands are made up of 234 small islands.
Hong Kong is blessed with four seasons: winter, summer, autumn and spring. Those who detest the cold will be glad to know that the temperature in Hong Kong never drops below 10°C even during winter time. And whenever you choose to visit Hong Kong, do bear in mind that peak periods in hotels are usually between April and October.
People who live in Hong Kong are generally known as HongKongers but interestingly, most detest being labeled HongKies. Most residents are of Chinese descent and originate from various ethnic groups such as Hakka, Hokkien and Teochew. But don’t be perturbed though, as English is also deemed an official widely used everywhere in Hong Kong so communication should be a problem at all. Buddhism and Taoism are the main beliefs in Hong Kong but a vast majority of residents are also Christians.
Those with a burning interest in the world of architecture will be excited to know that Hong Kong boasts of the world’s largest amount of skyscrapers totaling up to 7681, followed not so closely by New York City, with 5627 skyscrapers. Another fascinating fact about Hong Kong is that four out of the fifteen tallest skyscrapers in the world can be found in Kowloon. In fact, the world’s third tallest building in the world is the Bank of China Tower. It was once embroiled in controversy when critics accuse its architects of including sharp angles in the structure, thus channeling negative feng shui energy into the centre of Hong Kong.
Most travelers are thankful for the fact that getting into Hong Kong commands less hassles compared to entering mainland China. Visitors need not apply for visas in advance but will need to apply for one should they feel the need to hop on a short plane ride to China. There are daily direct flights from almost every country so flying into Hong Kong is made almost effortless. Plus, it’s interesting to note that the Hong Kong International Airport, fondly known as “Chek Lap Kok”, was a 5-time winner of the World’s Best Airport, as reported by Skytrax online survey from 2001 to 2005.