TRAVEL

Hong Kong, the Pearl of East and jewel of The Orient is famous for its gold and foreign exchange market, natural deep water harbour, commercial trade, toy manufacturing industry and film and service industries.

Hong Kong is located in south China, 32km (20 miles) east of the mouth of the Pearl River and 135km (84 miles) southeast of Guangdong province. It is separated from the mainland by a natural harbour. Hong Kong consists of four parts, Hong Kong island, Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories and 260 surrounding smaller islands and overall covers an area of 1095 square kilometres. Hong Kong island and Kowloon Peninsula are the political, economic, cultural and traffic hub of Hong Kong. Hong Kong is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and is on the other side of the international Date Line (eastern hemisphere), this means people lose one day when travelling from countries in the western hemisphere, such as the US.

Statistics from the Hong Kong SAR government in 2005 shows that Hong Kong has an population of more than 7.2 million, with 6557.4 people per square kilometre. Amongst the 7.2 million population, 98% of them are Chinese and 2% of them are foreigners. Chinese and English are the official languages in Hong Kong, with Cantonese being the most widely spoken.

Hong Kong is a bridge that connects east and west. Various religious groups such as Christian, Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, and other religious groups all co-exist in harmony in Hong Kong. Ancient Chinese traditions such as the Dragon Boat Festival, Tomb-sweeping Day and Festival of Lanterns are celebrated and revered in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong also plays an important part in international trading. There are many famous branded names available and range from electronic devices to clothing, cosmetics and toys. These all combine to make Hong Kong a shopper’s haven at affordable prices.

Welcome to Hong Kong, the brightest pearl in the East!