Our last destination in China was Hong Kong. Talk about a change of pace. The skyline was awesome and the feel of the city was lively. It was again mostly tourism although we did visit the US Consulate one of the days, which I found quite interesting. The man who spoke with our group was born and raised in Hawaii before living in Beijing for 4 years and Shanghai for 9 years only to move to Hong Kong a year ago. As you can imagine he had a broad perspective on China and was able to put Hong Kong’s history in proper perspective.
Hong Kong was a dependent territory of the United Kingdom from 1842 until the transfer of its sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997. The Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Hong Kong stipulate that Hong Kong operate with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2047, fifty years after the transfer. Under the policy of "one country, two systems", the Central People's Government is responsible for the territory's defense and foreign affairs, while Hong Kong maintains its own legal system, police force, monetary system, customs policy, immigration policy, and delegates to international organizations and events.
International Finance Centre, Tower 2. It is the tallest building in Hong Kong, the third tallest building in the Greater China region and the 7th tallest office building in the world, based on structural heights. By roof height only it is the third tallest in the world, exceeded by Taipei 101 and Sears Tower.
View from Victoria's Peak. The Peak offers views over central Hong Kong, the Harbour and surrounding islands and the tram ride up is fun too!
Despite the cargo traffic, Hong Kong's economy is dominated by services, which accounts for over 90 percent of its gross domestic product. In the past, manufacturing had been the most important sector of the economy, as Hong Kong industrialised following the Second World War. Driven by exports, the economy grew at an average annual rate of 8.9 percent in the 1970s. Hong Kong underwent a rapid transition to a service-based economy in the 1980s, when growth averaged 7.2 percent annually. Much of the manufacturing operations moved to mainland China during this period, and industry now constitutes just 9 percent of the economy. As Hong Kong matured to become a financial centre, growth slowed to an average of 2.7 percent annually in the 1990s. Together with Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, Hong Kong is known as one of the Four Asian Tigers, or Dragons for its high growth rates and rapid industrialisation between the 1960s and the 1990s.
View of Causeway Bay, in the eastern part of Hong Kong.
Another look at the skyline.
About 95% of Hong Kong's population of 7 million is of Chinese descent, the majority of which are Cantonese or from ethnic groups such as Hakka and Teochew. Cantonese, a Chinese language originating from Guangdong province to the north of Hong Kong, is Hong Kong's official dialect. English is also an official language widely spoken by more than 38% of the population.
More people.
I still can't figure out where this pastime originated. For several hours in the afternoon hundreds of women gather on scraps of cardboard in the heart of downtown in aboveground metro connection tunnels to play cards, snack, and chat.
More great views.
Cool buildings.
Busy streets.
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