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Hong Kong |
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Hong Kong has the
big city specials like smog, odour, 14 million elbows and an insane
love of clatter. But it's also efficient, hushed and peaceful: the
transport network is excellent, the shopping centres are sublime,
and the temples and quiet corners of parks are contemplative oases.
The best thing about being in Hong Kong is getting flummoxed and
fired by the confluences and contradictions of a Chinese city with
multi-Asian and Western elements. It's about savouring new tastes,
weaving through a human gridlock and humming some dumb Cantopop tune
while slurping your noodles.
From the vantage point of Victoria Peak, overlooking the world's
busiest deepwater port, you can see a city geared not only to making
money but feeling good about it. At night, it's like looking down
into a volcano.
Despite its British colonial past, Hong Kong has always stuck to its
roots, and the culture beneath the glitz is pure Chinese. Mind you,
that didn't stop locals from feeling apprehensive about being
reunited with the motherland when the British handed the colony back
to China in 1997; however, it seems their unease has largely
evaporated.
Area: 1,098 sq km
Population: 6.7 million
Country: China
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +8 (Hong Kong
Standard Time)
Telephone Area Code: 852 |
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Orientation |
Hong Kong is divided into four
main areas - Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, the New Territories and the
Outlying Islands. Kowloon and the New Territories are on a peninsula
of the Chinese mainland, on the northern side of Victoria Harbour;
Hong Kong Island is on the southern side of the harbour facing
Kowloon; the Outlying Islands simply refers to any of the other 234
islands. The New Territories has a 20km (12mi) land border with
China proper.
The city itself is centred around Victoria Harbour. The main
business district is Central, on Hong Kong Island. East of Central
lies the Admiralty commercial district; Wan Chai, known for
restaurants and clubs; then Causeway Bay, a major shopping area.
Towering above it all is the Peak, Hong Kong's premier scenic
outlook and residential district, which happily has plenty of public
green space. In Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui (on the southern tip), Jordan
and Yau Ma Tei are busy hotel and shopping areas, while Mong Kok is
a bustling residential and shopping area
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When to Go |
Weatherwise, October, November
and most of December are the best months to visit Hong Kong; the
skies are clear and the sun shines. The June to August heat/rain
combo might push your endurance but there's a lot of sunshine and,
after all, it's summer. Hotels tends to offer substantial discounts
outside the high seasons of March-April and October-November. Travel
can be difficult during Chinese New Year in late January/early
February.
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Events |
Hong Kong's combined use of
the Western calendar and the Chinese lunar calendar can make trying
to determine the exact date of festivals a bit tricky. Chinese New
Year takes place in mid- to late-February, and many people get four
days off for the event. Expect a massive fireworks display over
Victoria Harbour. The Tin Hau Festival is a Taoist festival falling
around late April. Junks are decorated and sail in long rows to Tin
Hau temples to pray for clear skies and good fishing. The Dragon
Boat Festival is held in June, with dragon boat races taking place
in Hong Kong and Outlying Islands. Lantern Festival takes place in
September or October. Lanterns are lit in homes, restaurants and
temples. The Festival of Asian Arts is a major international event
and usually occurs in October or November.
Public Holidays
1 Jan - New Year's Day
Jan/Feb - Chinese New Year
Mar/Apr - Easter
early Apr - Ching Ming
late Apr - Buddha's birthday
1 May - Labour Day
Jun - Dragon Boat Festival
1 Jul - Hong Kong SAR Establishment Day
1 Oct - National Day
early Oct - Mid-Autumn Festival
late Oct - Cheung Yueng
25 Dec - Christmas Day
26 Dec - Boxing Day
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Money & Costs |
Currency: Hong Kong Dollar
Nothing beats cash for convenience – or risk. It's still a good
idea, however, to travel with at least some of it, if only to tide
you over until you get to an exchange facility. Banks generally
offer the best rates, though three of the biggest banks – HSBC,
Standard Chartered and the Hang Seng Bank – levy a HKD50.00
commission for each transaction on non-account holders. If you're
changing the equivalent of several hundred US dollars or more, the
exchange rate improves, which usually makes up for the fee. Hong
Kong is littered with branches of these banks, so you should have no
trouble finding one.
The most widely accepted credit cards in Hong Kong are Visa,
MasterCard, American Express (AmEx), Diners Club and JCB, and pretty
much in that order. When signing credit card receipts, make sure you
always write an 'HK' in front of the dollar sign if there isn't one
already printed there. Some shops in Hong Kong may try to add a
surcharge to offset the commission charged by credit companies,
which can range from 2.5% to 7%. In theory, this is prohibited by
the credit companies, but to get around this many shops will offer a
5% discount if you pay cash. It's your choice.
Hong Kong is not a particularly tip-conscious place and there is no
obligation to tip, say, taxi drivers; just round the fare up. It's
almost mandatory to tip hotel staff at least HKD10.00, and if you
make use of the porters at the airport, about HKD2.00 a suitcase is
expected. The porters putting your bags on a push cart at Hong Kong
or Kowloon Airport Express station do not expect a gratuity,
however. It's all part of the service.
Most hotels and many restaurants add a 10% service charge to the
bill. Check for hidden extras before you tip; some mid-range hotels
charge HKD3.00 to HKD5.00 for each local call when they are actually
free throughout the territory and some restaurants consistently get
the bill wrong.
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Attractions |
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Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is the glitzy big brother of Kowloon - a tightly
packed, towering paean to market capitalism that hasn't been dented
one jot by Chinese rule. The bustle of people living and working is
the biggest attraction on the island, although many visitors head
around to Aberdeen, on the southern side of the island, where 6000
people live or work on junks anchored in the harbour. Sampan tours
of the Aberdeen Harbour are definitely worth the expense. The other
major draw is the floating restaurants.
The most popular beach is Repulse Bay, also on the southern side of
the island, but it gets extremely crowded on weekends. Stanley, with
its laid-back atmosphere, is another good spot for escaping Hong
Kong's hustle and bustle, although it is the hustle and bustle that
brings people here in the first place - if you want real solitude,
you've come to the wrong place. City attractions include the Central
Market, which visitors will have no trouble finding (just sniff the
air), the old Man Mo Temple and the Zoological & Botanic Gardens.
Hong Kong Island is steep, so if your'e heading away from the
harbour, do as the locals do and ride the 800m (870 yards) outdoor
escalator.
Kowloon
Tsim Sha Tsui, at the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula, is the
territory's tourist ghetto. It consists of one sq km of shops,
restaurants, pubs, topless bars and camera stores. However, Kowloon
is also home to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Space Museum, the
famous Peninsula Hotel and the Museum of History.
The Promenade, in East Tsim Sha Tsui, is a great place for a stroll,
and has wonderful views of Victoria Harbour, particularly at night.
The liveliest night market in the territory is on Temple St in Yau
Ma Tei.
Victoria Peak
If you're in Hong Kong, you'd be mad to miss a trip to the top of
Victoria Peak, 552m (1810ft) above sea level. The views are
giddyingly beautiful in every direction, with the vista of the
business district, Victoria Harbour and Kowloon especially grand. In
true Hong Kong style the main viewing deck is on the roof of a large
shopping mall.
Join the throng of snap-happy tourists - you won't be disappointed.
If you have time, it's worth making the trip to the top both in
daylight (ideal to get your bearings) and at night, when the mass of
lights around the harbour will take your breath away and make you
wish you had a better camera. The actual peak is a ten-minute walk
west and up.
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Off the Beaten Track |
New
Territories
Although a third of Hong Kong's population lives in new towns
constructed in the New Territories, the area has some scenic
escapes, including the Sai Kung Peninsula, in the east, which is an
unspoilt playground for hikers, campers, swimmers and boaters.
Bird-watchers head to the Mai Po Marsh; cyclists and walkers head to
Plover Cove Reservoir; hiking enthusiasts set out on the 100km-long
(62mi-long) MacLehose Trail which spans the New Territories from
Tuen Mun in the west to Pak Tam Chung in the east.
Outlying Islands
There are 234 outlying islands, many of them little more than
uninhabited rocks. However, Cheung Chau (2.5 sq km/1 sq mi) has
22,000 residents and is fast developing into a mini Honolulu,
although there is no motorised traffic.
Lantau, the largest of the islands (142 sq km/55 sq mi) has a
population of 45,000, a 933m (3060ft) peak, and a 70km (43mi)
walking trail, but has avoided many of the development excesses of
other islands. It is home to several important monasteries,
including Po Lin Monastery with its enormous bronze Buddha. Thanks
to the newish airport development, Lantau is now connected by bridge
to the mainland. Other islands worth visiting include Lamma, Peng
Chau, Poi Toi and the uninhabited Tung Lung Chau.
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History |
Hong Kong has supported human
life since at least the Stone Age. Until the British claimed it, the
area was a neglected corner of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) empire
inhabited by farmers, fishermen and pirates. The British took
control of Hong Kong in 1841 following the Opium Wars. European
trade with China had been taking place since the 16th century, but
as European demand for tea and silk grew, the balance of trade
became more and more unfavourable to Europeans, who were expected to
pay in silver. In 1773, the British unloaded 70,000kg (155,000lb) of
Bengal opium, and the Chinese taste for the 'foreign mud' grew
exponentially. Alarmed at the drain of silver from the country and
the increasing number of addicts, the emperor banned the drug trade.
The Europeans, with the help of corrupt Chinese officials, managed
to keep the trade in opium going until 1839 when the emperor again
issued orders to stamp it out. British traders were forced to hand
over their supplies of raw opium, which was then publicly burned.
The British sent an expeditionary force to China to exact reprisals,
secure favourable trade arrangements and obtain use of some islands
as a British base. The force blockaded Canton (now called Guangzhou)
and a number of other ports, ultimately threatening Beijing. The
British pressured the Chinese into ceding Hong Kong Island to them
in perpetuity. Both sides ultimately repudiated the agreement, but
Commodore Gordon Bremmer led a contingent of naval men ashore on 26
January 1841 and claimed the island for Britain. A series of
conflicts followed, with the British backed by French, Russian and
American interests. A combined British and French force invaded
China in 1859, forcing the Chinese to agree to the Convention of
Peking, which ceded the Kowloon Peninsula and nearby Stonecutters
Island to the British. In 1898, the British also gained a 99-year
lease on the New Territories, which they felt essential to protect
their interests on Hong Kong Island.
In the early 20th century Hong Kong began a gradual shift away from
trade to manufacturing. This move was hastened by the civil war in
China during the 1920s and by the Japanese invasion in the 1930s,
when Chinese capitalists fled to the safer confines of the colony.
When the US embargo on Chinese goods during the Korean War
threatened to strangle the colony, it was forced to increase its
manufacturing capacity and develop service industries, such as
banking and insurance. Hong Kong's existence was threatened again
when the Communists came to power in China in 1949 and during the
Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. Although the Chinese could have
re-taken Hong Kong with ease, a precarious peace prevailed.
In December 1984, the British agreed to hand over the entire colony
when the lease on the New Territories ran out in 1997, rather than
hang on to a truncated colony consisting of Kowloon and Hong Kong
Island. The agreement theoretically allows Hong Kong to retain its
pre-1997 social, economic and legal systems for at least 50 years
after 1997. As the handover approached, controversies raged over the
building of Hong Kong's expensive new airport and the amount of
democracy the Chinese were willing to accept.
Hong Kong has suffered fallout from Asia's economic crises in the
late 1990s, and has experienced rising unemployment, falling
property prices and close to zero growth. However, although not as
robust as it has been, Hong Kong is still a vibrant financial centre
- and one of the world's great cities. China's official policy with
regard to Hong Kong is 'one country, two systems', and the common
view is that as long as Hong Kong continues to make money (and
little noise) its autonomy is assured. But a number of crucial
interventions by Chinese authorities in Hong Kong's affairs have
made it evident that there is not quite as much autonomy going on as
the slogan suggests. Nevertheless, the European Commission has
described Hong Kong as one of the freest societies in Asia despite
not having full democracy. It appears, on the surface, that little
has changed since the handover.
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Getting There & Away |
Air travellers will be treated
to Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong's giant greenhouse of an airport; it's
one of the world's ritziest. By land, the only way into Hong Kong is
from mainland China: you can choose between bus and train. Water is
perhaps the most picturesque way to arrive in Hong Kong; there are
boats that take you between Hong Kong and destinations in Guangdong
and Guangxi Provinces, as well as Macau.
Hong Kong is the major gateway to China and much of East Asia.
International air service is excellent and fares are relatively
cheap. Departure tax is usually included in the airfare. In June
1998 Hong Kong opened its new international airport - Chek Lap Kok -
on Lantau Island, ending an era of steep descents and daredevil
landings at Kai Tak in Kowloon.
By land, the only way into Hong Kong is through mainland China.
Since the handover, transport options have increased dramatically,
connecting places as close as Shenzhen and as far as Beijing.
Although the Hong Kong SAR is now an integral part of China, visas
are still required to cross the border with the mainland. Trains run
between Hong Kong and Guangzhou (Canton), Shanghai and Beijing
(about 30 hours). Big-spenders can take the Trans-Siberian Railway
from Europe to Beijing and on to Hong Kong.
Several transport companies in Hong Kong offer bus services to
Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other destinations in Guangdong Province.
Buses depart from eight major locations: one on Hong Kong Island,
and the rest in Kowloon and the New Territories.
There are boats that take you to destinations in Guangdong and
Guangxi Provinces, as well as Macau. Departure tax is almost always
included in the ticket.
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Getting Around |
The Airport Express train
connects Chek Lap Kok with Hong Kong station in Central, stopping in
Kowloon along the way, in just 23 minutes. Conveniently, you can
check your bags in at the train station when heading out to the
airport. There's also a 35-minute Cityflyer airbus, and public
buses: A21, best for Kowloon, and A11, for Hong Kong Island. Hotel
shuttle buses and taxis are another more expensive option. Hong
Kong's public transport system is a tourist attraction in its own
right: there are old harbour ferries and narrow trams, ultra modern
trains and the world's longest escalator. If you can't get from A to
B with style in Hong Kong, you're not trying.
Public transport is cheap, fast, widely used and generally
efficient. The bus system is extensive and bewildering but you will
need it to explore the south side of Hong Kong Island and the New
Territories.
The north side of Hong Kong Island and most of Kowloon are
well-served by Hong Kong's ultra-modern Mass Transit Railway (MTR).
Three tunnels link Hong Kong with Kowloon. The Kowloon-Guangzhou
(Canton) Railway (KCR) runs from Kowloon to the Chinese border at Lo
Wu and is a quick way to get to the New Territories. Light Rail
Transit (fast, modern, air-con trams) run in the New Territories,
connecting the city of Tuen Mun with Yuen Long. Double-decker trams
trundle along the northern side of Hong Kong Island.
Car rental is available but don't even contemplate driving in Hong
Kong. The complex highway system, clogged roads and devilish parking
will make it an experience more stressful than it's worth. If you're
determined to navigate under your own steam, hire a car with a
driver.
Metered taxis are red with silver tops (and green with white tops in
the New Territories). They're inexpensive compared to other big-city
cabs, but the MTR can often be better value and quicker. They don't
pick up or put down at bus stops.
Cycling in Kowloon or Central would be suicidal, but in quiet areas
of the islands or the New Territories a bike can be quite a nice way
of getting around in a recreational way. Most bike hire kiosks run
out of bikes early on the weekend if the weather is nice.
No visitor to Hong Kong should miss the longest escalator in the
world, the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System. It
consists of three moving walkways and 20 elevated walkways that can
be reversed; they run down in the morning and up the rest of the day
and evening to handle commuter traffic flow.
Hong Kong Island's double-decker trams aren't fast, but if you're
not in a hurry, they're a cheap and fantastically fun way of
experiencing 'old' Hong Kong. Try to get a seat at the front window
upstairs for a first-class view. Services operate at regular
intervals throughout the day and night.
Hong Kong's ferries are usually faster and cheaper than buses and
trams. They are also fun, and the harbour views are stunning when
the weather cooperates. Hoverferries are about twice as fast as
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Western
China
