The History and Science Bits (coming soon!)
Hong Kong is one of those wild, exotic names that everyone has heard of, and for everyone, the image the name evokes is different. Some people think of the crazy buildings, while others think of China, or the British, and others still think of the Far East and colonial history. Some people think of food and shopping. Hong Kong is all of these, and more. A worldwide hub on par with other alpha world cities such as Tokyo, London, and Singapore, HK is certainly an incredible central destination for people, money, and power. The raw energy of the city is palpable, and you can feel the incredible wealth and power the city holds by simply being there and walking around and taking it in. Boasting an incredible natural setting, an insane cityscape built over it, and an exciting history to go with it, the city is truly a "must-see" place for any world traveler.
For most people, the idea of "Hong Kong" is that of a city in China. While it is indeed a city, Hong Kong is actually much more than just one city. Spread out over a long chunk of mainland China that juts out into the East Sea/South China Sea, and across sevarall major islands, Hong Kong actually refers to the entire Special Administrative Region that includes a few larger islands as well as the peninsular landmass.
So when you hear of places like "Aberdeen", "Happy Valley", "Kowloon", "Mong Kok", and "Quarry Bay", these are all places, whether neighborhood, zone, district, or town, that are contained within the SAR. Most most people, the city is nicely divided into four zones: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories, and Lantau Island. Each one is unique in it's own ways and is different from the others. Throughout all of them are all walks of life, from the lower class living in housing projects, to the ultra-rich in their penthouse apartments. There are people of numerous cultures mixed in to one chaotic, urban, social cocktail.
Physically the SAR is dominated by granitic mountains, and the city has become so vertical because of the overwhelming lack of developable space around the base of these mountains. There are numerous bays, including the famed Victoria Harbor, one of the most famous in history, and today one of the busiest sea ports in the world. It was this bay that put HK on the map in the first place. Between the rugged natural beauty, and the amazing cityscape that has arisen, there are few places like it in the world, and it is certainly one of the wildest places I've ever been. We visited the city in early November, 2015, and this is meant to be a helpful travel journal where I will sprinkle as many helpful things as I can in our travel narrative.
For the long beginning with some history and background about Hong Kong, start here.
To just get right to the hot stuff then click here!
Thanks for reading!
To just get right to the hot stuff then click here!
Thanks for reading!
All photos copyright Kit Davidson unless otherwise noted.