A Personal Guide to Hong Kong


A bit about the writer

Introduction to Today's Hong Kong


Hong Kong is a major economic power now, ranking within the top 10 economies in the world. Much of this success is due to trade. Considering that Hong Kong is really just a city, smaller than Los Angeles, it is an incredible accomplishment. The success of Hong Kong today, can be partly attributed to the British government and it's policies. The British government, which has ruled over Hong Kong for about 140 years, established a government that gave the peopl e in Hong Kong an opportunity to succeed. Capitalism, low taxes, a fair court system, are just some of the reasons I attribute to Hong Kong's success. The econo mic outlook for Hong Kong seems pretty good.

On July 1, 1997, the British rule over Hong Kong will be over. Hong Kong's sovereignty will revert back to Mainland China, it's motherland. China will keep Hong Kong as a special administrative zone, and with it, special privileges. China, being a communist country, has agreed to leave Hong Kong "unchanged" for 50 years after 1997. Here is where you learn more about the transition and policy issues regarding Hong Kong after 1997. Hong Kong is very important to China after 1997, because China is beginning to change into a free market system, essentially changing it's socialist economic policies to a capitalistic one like Hong Kong. Hong Kong and China are interdependent and when t hey reunite, China has the potential to become the largest and most successful economy in the world. Currently, many Hong Kong residents worry about the reunion in 1997 because of China's policies and officials. Corruption and crime is widespread throug hout China, especially in China's other special economic regions. Hong Kong has also faced more problems during recent years as the 1997 date comes closer. But so far, Hong Kong and China has worked well together to deal with these problems, and I belie ve that the reunion will be a success.

Hong Kong's Past


Two thousand years ago, the Han Dynasty absorbed Hong Kong as part of their land. Because Hong Kong is very far from the capital of China, the imperial government did not have a significant presence in the area. Hong Kong was a perfect natural port. It was a convenient place for trading to bloom between the Western world and China. Before Hong Kong became a major port, the city consisted of many fishing communities and small villages. In the mid 19th century, the British made a fortune trading op ium into China through Hong Kong and Canton. The Chinese Imperial government worried about it's people and attempted to stop the drug trafficking. It confiscated and destroyed much of the opium the British tried to bring into China. The British demande d compensation and when was denied, looked for an excuse to attack China, attempting to secure it's current opium market. China was no match for the British navy and loss the Opium War (1840 - 1842) embarrassingly. In the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, Hong Kong island was ceded to the British. Due to hostilities British territory was expanded into Kowloon in 1860. Finally in 1898, a 99 year lease from China of the New Territories expanded Hong Kong to it's size today. In 1997, the lease will be over, an d the British government in 1982 agreed to give the entire Hong Kong back to China in 1997; the British government knew that Hong Kong never really belonged to them in the first place. In the 1950's Hong Kong was a manufactural and industrial center ("Ma de in Hong Kong" products were found throughout the world). Today's Hong Kong has become a service center, manufacturing has moved across the border.

The Name HONG KONG

The name Hong Kong pronounced in Cantonese is "Heung Goung," it literally means "Fragrant Harbour." People believe the name originated from the export of fragrance incense. But nobody associates Hong Kong with incense anymore, people just think of i t as a place. Across from Hong Kong island is Kowloon; pronounced as "Kow Lung" meaning "Nine Dragons." This romantic name was thought to have oriented hundreds of years ago. It was said that a boy emperor was fleeing from rebels when he arrived into H ong Kong. Hong Kong was thought to provide him in safe haven because of the eight mountains surrounding the area. Each mountain represented a dragon and including himself (yes the emperor is also considered a dragon), there were nine. Thus the name "Ko w Lung" or "Nine Dragons." Finally the third area in Hong Kong is the New Territories, as the name implies, this was a new territory when China leased it to the British 98 years ago.

  1. When is best time to visit Hong Kong?
  2. A bit on Transportation
  3. Where is there to go and what to do there?
  4. Shopping
  5. Hong Kong Yellow Pages


[Introduction] [When to Visit] [Hong Kong Island]

[Kowloon] [Shopping] [Transportation] [Things to Do in HK]

You are vistor number since March 25, 1998.

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