h many Asian cities claim to be where East meets West, the former British Crown Colony, whose largely Chinese population was ruled by Europeans for 156 years, is probably the closest the world comes to the genuine article.
Perched precariously on the edge of China, Hong Kong has been battered by geopolitical forces for centuries. Thanks to its strategic deepwater harbor and proximity to Asia's most populous nation, the city profited as the capitalist gateway for the communist giant to the north. What was once a fishing village became one of the world's busiest international ports and business centers.
Scratch the cosmopolitan, high-tech surface, however, and you'll discover an old China lying just below the city's modern urban facade and, in some cases, right alongside it. Residents invariably live in two worlds: Skyscrapers and enormous shopping malls sit next to narrow alleys crowded with traditional vendors' stalls. Businesspeople use cell phones to consult fortune-tellers before making important decisions. Taoist priests exorcise evil spirits from buildings, even from the city's racecourses. In sleepy walled villages, farmers tend their crops in the same way they have for generations.
Hong Kong is a city of levels. At the top is Victoria Peak, on Hong Kong Island, from which mansions of the super-rich look out over the high-rise apartments of the merely affluent. Farther down the mountain are alleys and old tenements dotted with colorful balcony gardens. Living on the water itself are Hong Kong's boat people - fishing families who spend most of their lives on their boats. Across the water on the mainland are Kowloon and the suburban New Territories, which were once Hong Kong's vegetable garden.
Although the popular image of Hong Kong is a place where every square inch of land is crammed with high-rise apartments and office buildings, in reality, 38% of all land in Hong Kong is parkland or undeveloped greenery.
Geography
Hong Kong lies on China's southeastern seaboard and borders the mainland Chinese province of Guangdong, the capital of which is Guangzhou. Hong Kong is divided into three distinct regions: Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories, which include the largely rural mainland area north of Kowloon and south of the border with mainland China and the 235 Outlying Islands that speckle the South China Sea. The New Territories is also home to large, high-density "new towns" such as Tuen Mun and Tsuen Wan, created in recent decades to handle population overspill from Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.
Hong Kong Island and Kowloon are still the most urban and densely populated regions. The two are separated by the historically important Victoria Harbor, a naturally sheltered deepwater port (Hong Kong, or Heung Gong, means "Fragrant Harbor" in the local Cantonese dialect), abuzz with luxury liners, cargo ships and old-fashioned sampans.
At the southernmost tip of Kowloon is Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong's most prominent tourist district. Tsim Sha Tsui's main traffic artery is Nathan Road, a bustling, neon-lit strip of camera shops, tailors, souvenir vendors, upscale boutiques, hotels, restaurants and bars known as "the Golden Mile." Nathan Road continues north through Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok, which are also areas notable for their retail outlets and nightlife.
On the north side of Hong Kong Island, directly across the harbor from Tsim Sha Tsui, Central district is the financial and commercial heart of the city. The densely packed, middle-class residential neighborhood above Central, but below the heights of Victoria Peak, is aptly called the Mid-Levels.
Directly east of Central is Wanchai - a bawdy entertainment district and preferred haunt of sailors on shore leave (perhaps best known as the location for the 1961 film, The World of Suzie Wong). Next in line is the bustling shopping district of Causeway Bay. Directly inland behind Causeway Bay nestles Happy Valley, an exclusive residential district and site of the more dramatic of Hong Kong's two racecourses (the other is in Sha Tin in the New Territories) and Hong Kong Stadium, which holds major sporting events.
The south of Hong Kong Island is characterized by prime real estate and golden beaches. The Outlying Islands, which are decidedly Mediterranean in atmosphere, can be reached by ferry. The largest is Lantau, which can also be reached from Hong Kong Island by road and rail and from Kowloon via a suspension bridge. Lantau is the site of Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok. The picturesque islands of Lamma, Peng Chau and Cheung Chau are also popular weekend getaways.

Tourist Attractions in Hongkong:

Aberdeen (Hongkong Island)
with a population of more than 60,000 is the largest town on Hong Kong Island. The harbor here was once famous for being home to more than 6,000 people who lived on moored junks. Many of these people today however, have moved on and up into high rises, and there are less boats in the harbor than previously. Nevertheless, it is still a picturesque and photographic place. On arrival at the harbor, one of the numerous Sampan boat women will try and accost you and whisk you away for a sail. It is a fun thing to do and there are some great photo opportunities. These tours cost approximately RMB 50-70 per person for about 30 minutes, but this can be negotiated if there are more of you.

Happy Valley Horse Track (Hongkong Island)
Happy Valley Horse Track is hugely popular during gambling season (September-June) with rich businessmen, holiday makers, locals and hard gambling addicts all throwing their money at the horses galloping around this famous track. It is quite an experience to visit here, even if you don't take part in the betting. A racecourse was first built here in 1846 and before the one at Shatin was constructed, this was the only place to watch the horses in Hong Kong. It is still a popular past time and the area around the course has recently been gentrified. The name of the district "Happy Valley" seems a little ironic considering that this was once a malaria infested district. There are many old cemeteries here commemorating those who died from the disease and also in the great fire at the racecourse in the 1920s.

Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center (Hongkong Island)
Located in the heart of Wanchai and next to the Wanchai ferry Pier, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center is one of the newest and more impressive buildings to go up in recent years. In fact, this is a fairly symbolic and important building as it was constructed to be the site of the 1997 hand-over ceremony. Hong Kong residents associate the building's huge, wing-like roof with the island's capacity to take flight and advance into the 21st Century.

Hong Kong History Museum (Kowloon)
The Hong Kong History Museum is situated on Chatham Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. This is a great place, especially for those interested in discovering something about Hong Kong's past. The colorful and well presented exhibits here present the history of the area covering the past 6,000 years. There are some nice old colonial photographs and the exhibits are well labeled.

The Hong Kong History Museum is situated on Chatham Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. This is a great place, especially for those interested in discovering something about Hong Kong's past. The colorful and well presented exhibits here present the history of the area covering the past 6,000 years. There are some nice old colonial photographs and the exhibits are well labeled.

Hong Kong Park (Hongkong Island)
Hong Kong Park, tucked discreetly behind Central and the imposing Bank of China building, is one of the most charming and surprising areas in the city. This is a gorgeous and lush urban park, beautifully designed with modern fountains, bamboo and palm trees but also incorporating some fantastic colonial style buildings.
The Hong Kong Park sits in a dip and is sheltered by the huge tower blocks and mountains shooting up into the horizon that surround the area. The Park contains a lovely aviary, and the Museum of tea ware in Flagstaff House. Hong Kong Park also has over 2000 types of plant and there is a pottery and plate-painting center here too.
It is free to enter the Park and it's a gorgeous place to take a break from the high rises and hectic streets of Hong Kong. If you are lucky you may catch a glimpse of a bride as Hong Kong newly-weds love to have their photographs taken here.

Hong Kong Space Museum (Kowloon)
The Hong Kong Space Museum has a fantastic location on Salisbury Road next to the Hong Kong Cultural Center and overlooking Hong Kong Island. This is a fun place, especially for kids, and there are some good high tech exhibits including a Planetarium, a Hall of Space Science and an Astronomy Hall.
The highlight of the Hong Kong Space Museum is the Space Theatre, one of the largest planetariums in the world. This is a great globe shaped theatre with a domed roof. Space films are shown here several times a week (telephone 2734 2722) and it is wonderfully atmospheric.
The Hong Kong Space Museum is particularly renowned for its Space Theatre, one of the largest planetariums in the world, which features both Omnimax screenings and Sky shows several times daily.  

Hong Kong's Beaches (Hongkong Island)
Many of Hong Kong's beaches are a real pleasure. After a few days in the middle of the city surrounded by smog, a day trip to one of the island's bays is a pleasant way to break up a trip.
From the west of the island, the beaches stretch around in a curve. The first bay that you arrive at from Hong Kong, Repulse Bay is of course, the most popular. There is a reasonable beach here but it is consistently busy, especially on weekends and holidays. The two small beaches (mid bay and south bay) just a ten minute walk in either direction, offer a little more peace and quiet. The area around here is home to many of Hong Kong's most rich and famous residents. Luxurious villa's and apartments dominate the hills and there is also a big shopping arcade and park close to the bay.
How to get there: To reach Repulse Bay take bus No. 6,6A, or 61 from Exchange Square or the Star Ferry terminus in Central.
The next beach to the east is Deep Water Bay. There is a nice beach here, and the bay is only a few kilometers east of Aberdeen. Trees along the edges of the beach offer shade from the heat of the sun and there are some nice restaurants and bars to eat around here too. Visitors can also set up their own barbecue at the end of the beach.
How to get there: Take bus No. 6A, 260 or 262 from Exchange Square in Central.
The last two Hongkong beaches in this stretch are the prettiest. It is worth making the effort to get out here, especially if it is peace and quiet that you seek. The beach in Shek O in the southeast is one of the best beaches on the island. It is quiet, clean and the town here is very pleasant too. There is a great laid back feeling about this place, and there are a few great restaurants to try including the Black Sheep. This is a very small, family run place serving up great Mediterranean style cuisine at reasonable prices. The restaurant can be found at 452 Shek O Village.
Just 2km north of here is an even nicer beach, Big Wave Bay. To get here you can either walk or hire a bike from the village. It is usually lovely and quiet and the sea is clear and great for swimming.

Jardine House and Exchange Square (Hongkong Island)
As you leave the Star Ferry concourse in Central, Exchange Square and Jardine House are on the right. Jardine House is a fun building, looking like a cross between a space rocket and an old fashioned merchants ship! This is a tall building on small stilts, known locally as the "Building of one thousand orifices". Jardine House is home to the international traders, Jardine Matheson and there is also a nice Henry Moore sculpture in the concourse at the front of the building.

Kowloon Mosque (Kowloon)
Kowloon Mosque is the largest and most important Islamic Mosque in Hong Kong. There is a significant Muslim community in Hong Kong, most of whom live around here in Kowloon. In fact the ethnic and cultural mix of people is partly what makes Kowloon an interesting area to visit.
The Kowloon Mosque caters to the more than 50,000 Moslems in the territory. Built in 1984, the Mosque, with its grand white dome and minarets stands out on the Golden Mile and the Mosque is especially interesting to visit on Friday lunchtimes.

Kowloon Park (Kowloon)
Kowloon park is a pretty urban park just off Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. The Kowloon Mosque is located just outside the Park gates and the old colonial building in the Park used to house the Hong Kong History Museum. Today, the park has a huge Olympic size pool (outdoor), small gardens and some nice trees and flowers. It is a peaceful place to take a rest from the hectic shopping streets of Kowloon.

Man Mo Temple (Hongkong Island)
Man Mo Temple is a very traditional temple situated at the corner of Hollywood Road and Ladder Street. The Temple is dedicated to two deities; the Military deity, (the god of war) and the Civil deity (a 3rd century BC statesman). This is one of the oldest temples in Hong Kong and contains two antique chairs which are used to carry statues of the gods. The most intriguing thing about this temple are the hundreds of large incense cones that hang, suspended from the ceiling. Smoke from the coils fills the temple making it very atmospheric.
Man Mo Temple is an active working temple and should be treated as so. Visitors are requested not to take photos and according to custom, menstruating women are also asked to keep away!

Museum of Tea Ware (Hongkong Island)
The Museum of tea ware is located in the north side of Hong Kong Park and is housed in the area's oldest surviving colonial building, Flagstaff House. In 1981, this former army commander's home was turned into a museum tracing the history of tea in the area and displaying various tea ware. It's worth having a quick look in here if you are interested in famous Chinese tea and entrance is free.

Ocean Park and Water World (Hongkong Island)
Ocean Park and Water World are huge, fun entertainment parks which are great for kids or the young at heart! The Parks are situated right next to each other and to the east of Aberdeen (Hongkong).

Ocean Park is an amusement park filled with roller coasters, slides, swings and other fairground rides. It's on a huge scale and a lot of fun if this is your thing. There is also a sea life center here, complete with penguins, seals, sharks and killer whales! A cable car runs through the park connecting with the Middle Kingdom, a slightly naff collection of Chinese model villages, pagodas etc.
Directly next to Ocean Park is Water World. This is a massive aqua park filled with swimming pools, slides and diving boards.

Sai Kung Penisula and Clear Water Bay (Kowloon)
Clearwater Bay are out in the New Territories - the area where one third of Hong Kong residents live. The New Territories are hugely popular with locals who want to escape from the city at the weekends. One of the nicest and most convenient spots to do this, is around Sai Kung.
The area around Sai Kung Town (once only a tiny fishing village), is a great place to do some good walking, take in some gorgeous scenery and do some swimming at the great beaches nearby. (Watch out for sharks however!)
One of the nicest ways to see some of the scenery and the beaches is to hire a small boat. By boat, you can either take a tour of all the islands (approximately HK$150) or just take a ride to one of the nearby beaches. The boat owners moor their vehicles by the pier in the town and Sai Kung peninsula will haggle to determine the fare. The boats regularly visit Sharp Island (Kiu Tsui Chau), White Sands Island (Pak Sha Chau), Pillow Island (Cham Tau Chau) and Salt Field Island (Yim Tin Tsai) where there is a small Christian Church.
After a hard day hiking or sunning yourself on the beach, there are some great little restaurants to eat in. Among the best ones are Pepperoni's Pizza and Cafe on Po Tung Road and the Tung Kee Restaurant which serve exquisite Cantonese seafood on Man Nin Street.

St. John's Cathedral
St. John's Cathedral on Garden Street was the first Christian church in Hong Kong when it was built in 1847. Today, it is one of the few colonial structures that has survived the massive renovations and building of skyscrapers in the area.
During WWII, Japanese troops occupied the building and made it their headquarters in Hong Kong. Since then, the Church has been renovated numerous times and this is now the main place of worship for Christians in Hong Kong and Macau.

        
         


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