| The City of Hong Kong is very beautiful and
very modern with some of the worlds most unique skyscrapers and
condominium high rises. I visited Hong Kong in the Summer of 2006.
Because I was in the city for a few days I got the opportunity to see
quite a bit. Among the sites I visited was Aberdeen (were many of the
poor live on the water in house boats), Stanley Market (considered one
of the worlds greatest bazaars), and Victoria Peak (the place to go for
panoramic views of the city). Hong Kong is definitely a place I would
like to return to in the future. |
 |
Hong Kong, which means
Fragrant Harbor, was acquired by the British from China in three
stages. The Island of Hong Kong was gained in the Treaty of Nanking in
1842 after the British victory in the Opium Wars, the Kowloon (9
dragons) Peninsula was won by the convention of Peking 1860, and the
New Territories were offered to the British under a 99 year lease by
the second convention of Peking in 1898. Between 1842 and 1950 (apart
from the 1941-45 Japanese occupation), Hong Kong served as a staging
post and entry port for trade between China and the West. The colonies
population, heavily reduced during the Japanese occupation, was rapidly
boosted by the communist victory in China in 1949 when more then 1
million refugees fled to the area. Since then, Hong Kong has
transformed itself from a cheep manufacturing base to a regional
service and financial center. In 1984, the Sino-British Joint
Declaration was signed in Beijing and under the declaration, Hong Kong
returned to China on July 1, 1997. Since the handover, the Chinese
government has allowed Hong Kong to remain fully capitalist and has
allowed democratic elections, though these elections have incurred some
interference from Beijing.
|
 |
To see the picture album of Hong Kong click here
Hong Kong's massive sky scrapers are a site to behold
The Jumbo Floating Resturant in Aberdeen
Hong Kong's Condominium High Rises are massive
Some of the cities unique High Rises
The city shines at night
