In its multi-faceted role as a repository
of traditional Chinese culture, the last jewel in the crown
of the British Empire and one of the key economies of the
Pacific Rim, HONG KONG is East Asia's most
extraordinary city. The territory's per capita GNP, for
example, has doubled in a decade, overtaking that of the
former imperial power. Yet the inequality of incomes is
staggering: the conspicuous consumption of the few hundred
super-rich (all Cantonese) for which Hong Kong is famous
tends to mask the fact that most people work long hours and
live in crowded, tiny apartments. In spite of this, the
population of almost seven million is generally
sophisticated and well informed compared to their mainland
cousins, the result of a vibrant and free press (although
self-censorship is a constant and growing concern). The
territory is currently the largest trading partner and
largest source of foreign investment for the People's
Republic of China, a country of 1.2 billion people. And the
view of sky-scrapered Hong Kong Island, across the harbour
from Kowloon, is one of the most stunning urban panoramas on
earth.
The territory of Hong Kong comprises an
irregularly shaped peninsula abutting the Pearl River Delta
to the west, and a number of offshore islands, which cover
in total more than a thousand square kilometres. The bulk of
this area, namely the land in the north of the peninsula as
well as most of the islands, is semi-rural and is known as
the New Territories - this was the land leased to
Britain for 99 years in 1898. The southern part of the
peninsula, known as Kowloon , and the island
immediately south of here, Hong Kong Island , are the
principal urban areas of Hong Kong. They were ceded to
Britain in perpetuity, though the British government in 1984
saw no alternative but to agree to hand back the entire
territory as one piece, so that from midnight on June 30,
1997, it has been the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region (SAR) of China.
The island of Hong Kong offers not only
traces of the old colony - from English place names
to ancient trams trundling along the shore - but also superb
modern architecture and bizarre cityscapes of
towering buildings teetering up impossible slopes, as well
as unexpected opportunities for hiking and even
bathing on the beaches of its southern shore. Kowloon,
in particular its southernmost tip, Tsimshatsui , is
where many visitors end up staying. This is not only the
budget accommodation centre of Hong Kong, but also the most
cosmopolitan area of perhaps any Chinese city, with a
substantial population of immigrants from the Indian
subcontinent. And as the territory's principal tourist trap,
it boasts more shops offering a greater variety of goods per
square kilometre than anywhere in the world (not necessarily
at reasonable prices, though). North of Tsimshatsui, Kowloon
stretches away into the New Territories, an area of
so-called New Towns as well as ancient villages,
secluded beaches and rural tranquillity. In addition, there
are the offshore islands , which are well worth a
visit for their fish restaurants, scenery and, if nothing
else, for the experience of chugging about on the
inter-island ferries . The islands of Lamma and
Lantau , in particular, offer a relatively rural and
traffic-free contrast to the hubbub of downtown Hong Kong.