HONG KONG
Population
7 Million
Area (sq mi)
426
Area (sq km)
PORT BACKGROUND NOTES FOR HONG KONG, S.A.R.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HONG KONG:
• The Hong Kong film industry is the world's third largest, after
Hollywood and Bollywood
• Fast food noodle shops called Dai Pai Dong are located
throughout the city and offer free tea with your meal
• In Hong Kong, it is customary to politely deny a compliment to
show humility; do not say thank you
• The name Hong Kong means Fragrant Harbor, derived from
incense wood that was once shipped through the harbor
PORT: The ship usually docks at Ocean Terminal in the center of Kowloon and approximately
110 yards from the Star Ferry, which transports thousands of people daily back and forth
from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island. The gangway leads directly into Ocean Terminal which
contains a lavish collection of shops, restaurants and hotels, as well as postal, telephone and
banking facilities. Always carry your shipboard ID, as it will be required for returning to the
port area.
REGION: Most people think of Hong Kong as an island. Hong Kong actually consists of 236
islands plus a chunk of mainland bordering the province of Guangdong. Hong Kong Island is
one of the largest and most important of the islands; peninsular Kowloon is an urban center on
the mainland, and the New Territories is a more suburban and rural area on the mainland.
SAFETY AND SECURITY: Though past Semester at Sea students have experienced few crimes,
Hong Kong is a large city and care should be taken. You may witness occasional heated
disputes with retail merchants, especially in the electronics shops in Kowloon. When
shopping, agree to terms carefully. Inspect your purchases immediately; if a warranty is
promised, read it before you buy. Also, watch your credit cards. Do not allow your card to be
swiped through more than one machine. Retain all transaction slips and carbons.
As a general rule: always be sure to keep an eye on your food and drink, especially if out at a
bar or nightclub, and do not accept a drink from a “friendly” stranger in order to avoid the
possibility of being drugged and/or robbed.
The local equivalent to the “911” emergency line in Hong Kong is 999.
For a more detailed analysis of safety and security in Hong Kong, please refer to the U.S.
Consular Information Sheet for Hong Kong, which is posted on the ship.
HEALTH CONCERNS: Tap water is safe to drink in most hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong.
When in doubt, do not drink it. Bottled water is readily available.
CLIMATE: Hong Kong has a temperate climate moderated by the Pacific Ocean; it is usually
warm during the day (60s to 70s) and cooler during the evening. It is often breezy because of
its waterfront location, and you may need a sweater in the evening if going out near the water
or taking the ferry.
GOVERNMENT: Hong Kong has been a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic
of China since 1997. This means it falls into China’s "one country, two systems" policy in
which China's economic and central governmental systems are not imposed on Hong Kong
and the region maintains a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign affairs and
defense. The Head of Government is Chief Executive CY Leung as of July 1, 2012, and Chief
Secretary is Carrie Lam.
PEOPLE: Ethnically, Hong Kong is comprised of 95% Chinese, 1.6% Filipino, 1.3% Indonesian,
and 2.1% Other. The region is highly diverse. Although the western eye may find it difficult to
perceive differences among the people of Hong Kong, the different Chinese dialects indicate
regional, cultural differences, and way of life.
LANGUAGE: The official languages are Cantonese and English. Most southern areas of the
PRC, including Hong Kong, use Cantonese while the rest of China uses Mandarin. English is
spoken in most main tourist areas, hotels and restaurants. Taxi drivers may speak some
English, but it is advisable to have your destination written in Chinese characters.
RELIGION: The majority of Hong Kong's population practices ancestor worship due to the
strong Confucian influence. Ninety percent follow a combination of Buddhism and Taoism, and
ten percent make up a sizable Christian community of around 500,000. There are also
estimated 3,000 Jews and a few Hindus and Sikhs. Bahá’í are also represented. For information
regarding religion, please see “Chinese Religion” in the China
Port Background Notes.
CURRENCY: The Hong Kong dollar (HKD) is made up of 100
cents. Coins are issued in 10, 20, 50 cents and 1, 2, 5 and 10
HKD. Bills come in 10, 20, 50, 500 and 1,000. The best rates
are given by banks, and the worst are given by money
changers on the streets. Major banks are open from 9:00 to
16:30 Monday to Friday and 9:00 to 12:30 on Saturday.
Traveler’s checks are relatively easy to cash, especially at banks.
ATMs: ATM’s can be found almost everywhere.
SHOPPING: One of the better shopping areas for inexpensive clothes is Stanley Market
located on Hong Kong Island (bus 6 from Central). Many of the clothes have designer labels
but are most likely fakes. You will also find other inexpensive clothing at Temple Street and
Shanghai Street. A jade market is located at the junction of
Reclamation and Kansu Streets, just west of Nathan Road. Bus
No. 973 departs from Canton Road just outside of the Marco
Polo Hong Kong Hotel directly to Stanley Market. Cost is HK
$13.00 and will take approximately 20 minutes.
BUSINESS HOURS: In Hong Kong, businesses usually open from
9:00 – 17:00 on weekdays, and 9:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays.
Most shops open every day from 10:00 to 19:00, but be aware
of exceptions; stores in busy retail areas like Causeway Bay and
Tsim Sha Tsui may stay open later.
TIPPING: Most restaurants and hotels add a 10 percent service
charge automatically, and service staff will be grateful if you
leave some small change. Taxi drivers will always happily accept
a tip, but most will simply mark the fare up to the nearest HKD.
ELECTRICITY: 220 volts, 50 cycles AC. This is not the U.S.
standard. Hair dryers and other appliances designed for lower voltages will quickly burn out
unless they have a switch for dual operation or use a converter.
COMMUNICATIONS: International direct dial calls to almost anywhere in the world can be
made from most public telephones in Hong Kong, but you will need a phone-card. These are
available as stored-value Hello cards and as Smartcards in various denominations. The latter
allow you to call from any phone – public or private – by entering in a PIN code. You can buy
phone-cards at any PCCW branch, 7-Eleven and Circle K convenience stores, Mannings
pharmacies and Wellcome supermarkets. To make international calls to the US, dial 001 and
then the country code. The Internet is easily accessible in Hong Kong. There is free wireless
access in many shops and malls. Many hotels in China have their own mailing desk for
postcards and letters. These hotels provide stationery, but the envelopes may not have
adhesive on them. Seal the envelopes with glue at the mail desk. If you wish to mail something
that will involve customs you must find the local branch of the international post office.
CLOTHING: Hong Kong residents are generally very style-conscious and dress well. Modesty
and cleanliness are very important.
TRANSPORTATION: Hong Kong is rife with modes of transportation that are efficient and
affordable. MTR is Hong Kong’s underground railway with fares ranging from 4.00 HKD to
47.00 HKD. It is fast, clean, efficient and inexpensive. MTR typically runs daily from 6:00-1:00.
Taxis are color-coded with red taxis serving most of Hong Kong, green taxis serving the rural
areas of the New Territories and blue taxis serving Lantau Island. You can hail taxis on the
street and taxi fares are printed inside the taxi. Buses come in both single and double-deckers
and are quite cheap (starting at 1.20 HKD) however, exact change is needed. Mini-buses are
also an option and instead of following strict routes (like buses) they can drop-off passengers
anywhere along the route. Please note that knowledge of
Cantonese is a plus on these buses.
Star Ferry: This is how to get from Kowloon Island
(where the ship will be docked) to Hong Kong. Fares are
1.50 HKD to 3.40 HKD. Try the upper deck option at
least once while you are here.
Ferries are clean and plentiful in Hong Kong. There are
two types of ferries on most routes: Standard Ferries and
the slightly more expensive Fast Ferries. Ferries provide service to Peng Chau, Cheung Chau,
Lamma Island and Lantau Island including Discovery Bay.
FOOD IN HONG KONG: Hong Kong is known for its wide variety of fine restaurants. Almost
any type of cuisine can be found. Chinese cuisine has developed over many centuries from
several overriding concerns. One is religion. Taoism, which taught mankind to seek union with
natural forces, encouraged a simple, vegetarian existence. Tender young vegetables are still an
integral part of the Chinese diet. A second governing aspect of Chinese cuisine was the
country’s chronic fuel shortage. Stir-frying small chunks of food over a hot stove for short
periods of time is far more energy-efficient than baking. Thirdly, pure survival led to the use of
a vast range of domesticated, wild and exotic animal, aquatic life and vegetation.
Dim sum means “little heart” or “touching the heart” and refers to food which comes in small
portions on equally small plates. In a dim sum restaurant, an infinite variety of Chinese hors
d’oeuvres are available. Dim sum lunches are extremely popular with Hong Kong’s Chinese
population today. The various delicacies are stacked on trolleys, and the trolleys are wheeled
from table to table by women. If they are true to Chinese tradition, these ladies will sing
traditional verses of praise about the food as they push the trolleys through the aisles. It is
proper etiquette to lift the top off a steaming bamboo canister
to see what is inside. Invariably, when serving a table of
Westerners, the servers will take the tops off all the canisters anyway. With a dim sum lunch,
the dishes are usually left on the table until it is time to tally the bill; the waiter merely counts
the number of dishes served. A sampling of dim sum treats:
Har gau: steamed shrimp dumpling
Shiu mai: steamed minced pork and shrimp dumpling
Cha siu cheung: steamed rice-flour roll with barbecued pork filling
Jar fun gwor: deep-fried rice-flour triangle filled with pork, shrimp and bamboo shoots
Pai gwat: steamed spareribs with red pepper sauce
Ho yip fun: steamed fried rice in lotus leaf wrapping
Gai chuk: steamed chicken roll with bean curd wrapping
Ng lau jar wan tun: deep-fried dumpling with sweet and sour sauce (dessert)
Dun sun: crisp and sticky sweet cake topped with almonds (dessert)
PLACES OF INTEREST IN HONG KONG
Hong Kong is one of the easiest of all our ports for local travel. English is widespread, signage
is good and Hong Kong’s citizens are certainly familiar with foreigners. Hong Kong holds few
historic monuments. Known as a shoppers’ paradise, the trick is to appreciate Hong Kong
without damaging your budget or missing the Chinese culture of the region. The retail areas of
Kowloon, Central and Stanley are attractive and accessible. Shopping is attractive because of
the variety of goods for sale, but you will have to look very hard for real bargains.
Do not let the commercial glitter blind you to the traditional Chinese markets in the city, the
sparsely populated outer islands and the trails and fishing villages in the varied New
Territories. Macau offers perhaps a better look at traditional Chinese culture than Hong Kong
does and you can complete a round trip in a single day. As a Portuguese colony, Macau offers
some glimpses of Portuguese history and culture as well.
Among other things, Hong Kong offers an unusual collection of settlement patterns and built
environments. Hong Kong and Kowloon have a dense forest of commercial and residential
highrises.
Take the Peak Tram cable car to the upper terminus
on Victoria Peak (1300 ft. high) for one of the best
views of the island. From the Peak’s summit, visitors
can gaze down on the jungle of skyscrapers and
Victoria Harbour, where ferries and pleasure junks
glide by. At night the whole area becomes a dazzling
spectacle of lights. Hong Kong also has an immense
shoreline, much of it accessible via ferries.
The outer islands such as Lantau and Cheung Chou
are often sparsely populated, with surprisingly
beautiful (if chilly) beaches and pleasant hiking trails.
The floating community of Aberdeen gives you a look at one of Asia’s most unusual
communities. The New Territories are developing rapidly, with many experiments in housing,
land development and urban design. Mai Po Marshes in the New Territories is a wetlands area
and an excellent site for field observations of local birds and aquatic life. You can obtain
assistance and a permit from the World Wildlife Fund in Hong Kong. You will need to arrange
for transportation, as no buses are convenient. The MacLehose Trail runs the full length of
the New Territories, offering a variety of hiking trails, including the remote High Island
Reservoir on Sai Kung Peninsula.
If you are interested in learning more about the history of Hong Kong,
consider checking out the Hong Kong Museum of History, located at 100
Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong (next to the Hong
Kong Science Museum). To contact the museum, please call (852) 2724 9042
or refer to the website (hk.history.museum). The museum is open Monday
and Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Sunday and public
holidays from 10:00 to 19:00. Admission fees are $10.00 US for adults and
children, $7.00 US for groups and FREE on Wednesdays.
The Hong Kong Museum of Art has good displays of classical Chinese art,
showcase-paintings and lithographs of ‘old’ Hong Kong. It also contains a
collection of Xubaizhi painting and calligraphy. Another hall shows creditable
international exhibitions. This museum does not, however, have a good
collection of contemporary Chinese art. Consider visiting the smaller galleries located
throughout Hong Kong for that.
ang (1555–
after rain
A great place for kids and families alike is the Hong Kong Museum of Science. This museum
offers great hands-on exhibits focused on computers, energy, physics, robotics,
telecommunications, health and more. Another captivating place to visit is the Hong Kong
Space Museum. The Space Museum is home to one of the largest planetariums in the world,
as well as the Hall of Space Science and the Hall of Astronomy.
If nature is your forte, visit the Kowloon Walled City Park. The walls that enclose this
beautiful park were once the perimeter of a notorious village, part of China throughout British
rule. The enclave was known for its sordid proclivities until the Hong Kong government
acquired the area, evicted the residents and replaced them with pavilions, ponds, turtles,
goldfish and exquisite flora.
LANTAU ISLAND
Lantau Island is the largest island in Hong Kong. It is
nearly twice the size of Hong Kong Island, but home to
less than 30,000 people compared to Hong Kong’s
population of over a million. Lantau is the home of
several important monasteries, including the Trappist
Monastery and the Buddhist Po Lin Monastery. All
of the Trappist monks have taken a vow of silence and
there are signs asking visitors to keep their radios and
cassette players turned off and to speak in low tones.
The Po Lin Monastery was rebuilt several years ago,
but lately it has become a Disneyland in miniature
rather than a place of quiet retreat. It is a large temple
complex of mostly new buildings. On a hill above the
monastery is the largest Buddha statue in Southeast Asia - 33 meters high and financed by
Hong Kong Buddhists at a cost of more than HK$20 million. The views on Lantau are
spectacular. Lantau Trail runs the whole length of the island. If you are interested in hiking, it
would be wise to pick up the Lantau Trail Map published by the Country Parks Authority. Maps
are
available
from
the
Government Publications Center next to
the General Post Office in Hong
Kong. The Hong Kong-Silvermine Bay
ferries
provide
the
most
frequent service and depart from the
Outlying Islands Ferry Pier at
Central on Hong Kong Island. The first
departure is about 7:00am, and
the last return is about 10:00pm.
MACAU
Macau is the oldest surviving European settlement in Asia. It is a city of cobbled side streets,
baroque churches, Portuguese fortresses and street names in Portuguese. Macau’s culture,
cooking and people are a hybrid of Portuguese and Chinese. Portugal and the PRC agreed in
1979 to regard Macau as “a Chinese territory under (temporary) Portuguese administration.”
Negotiations between the Chinese and Portuguese governments on the question of Macau
started in June 1986. In 1987, an international treaty, known as the Sino-Portuguese Joint
Declaration, was signed to make Macau a Special Administrative Region of the PRC. In 1998,
Cantonese was given official status and the same legal power as Portuguese, the official
language. The Chinese government assumed sovereignty over Macau on December 20, 1999,
ending 329 years of Portuguese rule.
Historical sites in Macau include the Old Protestant Cemetery, Catholic Cemetery and Leal
Senado (Loyal Senate) so called because it refused to recognize Spanish sovereignty over
Portugal when the Spanish marched into Portugal in the 17th century and occupied it for 60
years. Sao Domingo (Church of St. Dominic) is representative of baroque-style churches in
Macau. The church is open only in the afternoon. To get in ring the bell by the iron gates at the
side. Monte Fortress is on a hill overlooking the ruins of Sao Paulo and was built by the
Jesuits. From the hill there are sweeping views across Macau. Other sites are Guia Fortress,
the Theatro Dom Pedro, Sao Augustus, the Memorial Home of Dr. Sun Yatsen and the
Macau Maritime Museum.
Macau is separated from Hong Kong by 65 kilometers of water. You can reach Macau by jetfoil,
hydrofoil, hoverferry, jet cat, high-speed ferry, slow ferry or various other means of watercraft.
Most of the boats depart from the huge Shun Tak Center Terminal at 200 Connaught Road,
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Island. This is easily reached by MTR to the Sheung Wan Station.
There are also some departures from the Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry Company's Sham Shui
Po Ferry Pier, New Kowloon.
HISTORY OF HONG KONG
Hong Kong has supported human life since at least the Stone Age. Until the British claimed it
the area was a neglected corner of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) inhabited by farmers,
fishermen and pirates. The British took control of Hong Kong in 1841 following the Opium
Wars. European trade with China had been taking place since the 16th century, but as European
demand for tea and silk grew the balance of trade became more and more unfavorable to
Europeans, who were expected to pay in silver. In 1773 the British unloaded 70,000kg
(155,000lb) of Bengal opium and the Chinese taste for the ‘foreign mud’ grew exponentially.
Alarmed at the drain of silver from the country and the increasing number of addicts, the
emperor banned the drug trade. The Europeans, with the help of
corrupt Chinese officials, managed to keep the trade in opium
going until 1839 when the emperor again issued orders to stamp
it out. British traders were forced to hand over their supplies of
raw opium, which was then publicly burned.
The British sent an expeditionary force to China to exact
reprisals, secure favorable trade arrangements and obtain use of
some islands as a British base. The force blockaded Canton (now
called Guangzhou) and a number of other ports, ultimately
threatening Beijing. The British pressured the Chinese into
ceding Hong Kong Island to them in perpetuity. Both sides
ultimately repudiated the agreement, but Commodore Gordon
Bremmer led a contingent of naval men ashore on January 26,
1841 and claimed the island for Britain. A series of conflicts
followed, with the British backed by French, Russian and
American interests. A combined British and French force invaded
China in 1859, forcing the Chinese to agree to the Convention of Peking, which ceded the
Kowloon Peninsula and nearby Stonecutters Island to the British. In 1898 the British also
gained a 99-year lease on the New Territories, which they felt essential to protect their
interests on Hong Kong Island.
In the early 20th century Hong Kong began a gradual shift away from trade to manufacturing.
This move was hastened by the civil war in China during the 1920s and by the Japanese
invasion in the 1930s, when Chinese capitalists fled to the safer confines of the colony. When
the US embargo on Chinese goods during the Korean War threatened to strangle the colony, it
was forced to increase its manufacturing capacity and develop service industries, such as
banking and insurance. Hong Kong’s existence was threatened again when the Communists
came to power in China in 1949 and during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. Although the
Chinese could have retaken Hong Kong with ease, a precarious peace prevailed.
In December 1984 the British agreed to hand over the entire colony when the lease on the New
Territories ran out in 1997 rather than hang on to a truncated colony consisting of Kowloon
and Hong Kong Island. The agreement theoretically allows Hong Kong to retain its pre-1997
social, economic and legal systems for at least 50 years after 1997. As the handover
approached, controversies raged over the building of Hong Kong’s expensive new airport and
the amount of democracy the Chinese were willing to accept.
Hong Kong suffered fallout from Asia’s economic crises in the late 1990s and experienced
rising unemployment, falling property prices and close to zero growth. Although Hong Kong is
not as robust as it has been, it is still a vibrant financial center and one of the world’s great
cities. Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (S.A.R.) of China on
July 1, 1997. China promised that its socialist economic system will not be imposed upon
Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except
foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years. China’s official policy with regard to Hong
Kong is “one country, two systems,” and the common view is that as long as Hong Kong
continues to make money (and little noise) its autonomy is assured. But a number of crucial
interventions by Chinese authorities in Hong Kong’s affairs have made it evident that there is
not quite as much autonomy as the slogan suggests. Nevertheless, the European Commission
(Updated: 12/21/12) S13
has described Hong Kong as one of the freest societies in Asia despite not having full
democracy. It appears, on the surface that little has changed since the handover.