Just like world’s metropolises such as London, New York or Chicago, Hong Kong is a dynamic place of new things, vitality and cultural harmony as well as a hectic stock exchange market and an important international trade hub. The diligent and striving efforts made by its people, mainly the local Chinese, have made the city so prosperous and become the well-known “Pearl of the Orient”. High-rise buildings, regardless of whether they are commercial or residential, can be seen all over the urban area; people in their business suits walk quickly on crowded roads and streets, or have their lunches hurriedly in order to save time for their own occupations; young schoolboys and schoolgirls with very “in” clothes and hair styles chat and laugh joyously in Cantonese with some English words in fast-food restaurants or McDonald’s, and more and more people speak Mandarin on the street; some middle-aged or senior citizens read in bookshops, libraries or small parks in their leisure time, or just walk around the garden; beautiful young women always get together going out to shopping malls or department stores in weekends; Chinese restaurants are crowded during weekend mornings where family gather to enjoy tea and delicious Cantonese dim sum; good western style restaurants, pubs and bars are at the heart of the commercial district and narrow streets with churches and temples are just around the corner; of course, the traffic is always orderly administrated and people are abiding by the law and great congestion conditions seldom happen. After all, the most pleasant thing to do is to view the night scenery of the majestic Victoria Harbour on the Victoria Peak. You can thus appreciate the “Pearl of the Orient”.
1. Hong Kong Geography
The full name of the territory is Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (abbr. HKSAR). With a total area of 1,104 sq. km, of which some lands are obtained through reclamation. The region lies at the southern tip of the Mainland China, besides Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in the north, Mirs Bay in the east, Pearl River Estuary in the west and the South China Sea in the south.
Hong Kong is divided as Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories. The Kowloon Peninsula is attached to the New Territories to the north, and the New Territories is the largest region spans northwards eventually connecting with Mainland China across the Shenzhen River.
In total, Hong Kong encompasses a collection of 262 islands in the South China Sea, of which the Lantau Island in the New Territories is the largest. Hong Kong Island is ranked second and the most populated. Ap Lei Chau, where lies in the south, is the most densely populated island in the world.
The name “Hong Kong” literally “Fragrant Harbour” in Chinese is derived from the area around the present-day Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island’s south. This is an area where fragrant wood and incense products trades were once flourished. The narrow sea strip which separates the Hong Kong Island from the Kowloon Peninsula is known as Victoria Harbour and is one of the deepest natural maritime ports in the world.
Despite the city’s reputation of being intensely urbanised and densely populated, the territory has made much effort to promote a green environment. Much of the territory remains undeveloped as the terrain is mostly hilly to mountainous with steep slopes. Of the total land area less than 25% is developed ; the remaining land is remarkably green with about 40% of the landmass reserved as country parks with hiking treks and nature reserve zones, of which Mai Po Wetland Nature Reserve Zone is the largest. Most of the territory’s urban development exists on the Kowloon peninsula, along the northern shores of Hong Kong Island and in scattered “new towns” throughout the New Territories.
Hong Kong’s long and winding coastline also affords the territory with many bays, rivers and beaches, where many of them are the best places for yacht lovers, fishermen and swimmers. The environmental awareness is growing as Hong Kong’s air ranks as one of the most polluted; approximately 80% of the city’s smog originates from other parts of the Pearl River Delta. Hong Kong is about 60 km east of Macau Special Administrative Region on the opposite side of the Pearl River Delta. The highest elevation in the territory is at Tai Mo Shan, at a height of 958 m (3,142 ft) above the sea level and the Lantau Peak in Lantau Island at 934 m is ranked second. Low-lying areas exist in the north-western part of the New Territories.
2. Hong Kong Climate
Hong Kong lies in the subtropical climate zone and it’s prone to monsoons, with a blend of continental and maritime airstreams. Unlike most part in the Mainland China, the winter is much milder and there is no need to wrap up much except a few cold and gloomy days with daily temperatures around 10ºC -12ºC (50ºF-54ºF), and many people there are wearing T-shirts during warm days. The cooler period lasts from around December to early March ; very warm, wet and foggy in spring until early May ; hot, humid, sunny and often rainy in summer ; and it is warm, sunny, and dry in autumn which really begins long after the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival and many people regard the season is the best time of the year. Tropical cyclones are occasionally struck in the summer and early autumn.
The ecology in the territory is mostly affected by the results of climatic changes. Hong Kong’s climate is seasonal due to the changing wind directions between winter and summer. Hong Kong has been geologically stable for millions of years, though landslides are common especially after heavy rainstorms or typhoons. Flora and fauna in Hong Kong are altered by seasonal changes, sea level alternation and the impact of human activities. As the trend of global warming, Hong Kong’s winter is getting milder.
The average temperature in the coldest month, January, is 16.1ºC (61.0ºF) while the average temperature in the hottest month, July, is 28.7ºC (83.7ºF). In winter, strong and cold winds of continental northeast monsoons cool the city ; in the summer, the wind’s prevailing direction changes and brings the warm and humid air in from the southwest, but drier and hotter when the light wind is from the northwest and to bring polluted particles to the territory as well. This climate can support a tropical rainforest, which has made forest parks possible in the countryside.
So, the best time to visit Hong Kong is from October to May with an exception of the Chinese New Year, when many shops and restaurants will be closed for holiday.
3. Hong Kong People
Chinese occupies 95% of Hong Kong’s total population, the majority of which are Cantonese descent with immigrants from other provinces. A South Asian population comprised of Indians, Pakistanis and Nepalese, as well as some Vietnamese refugees have become permanent residents. Approximately 140,000 Filipinos work in Hong Kong as foreign domestic helpers. An increasing number of domestic workers originate from Indonesia. There are also a large expatriate community of Europeans, Americans, Australians, Canadians as well as Japanese and Koreans working in Hong Kong’s commercial and financial sector.
