Hong Kong

Hong Kong (; ,  , literally "Fragrant Port"), officially The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of The People's Republic of China, is one of two Special Administrative Regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China (the other is Macau). 

It is one of the richest and most developed parts in the world, and one where the cost of living is one of the highest. Hong Kong grew quickly in the decades after World War II, becoming a famous world-class financial centre. Hong Kong was one of the last territories of the British Empire until 1997, when United Kingdom handed it over to China. China then promised to grant it special status for 50 years.

The population of Hong Kong is over seven million. The economy has rapidly grown from a trading port to a very rich city. Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers in the world.

Hong Kong is divided into 3 main parts:
 Hong Kong Island
 Kowloon
 New Territories (including 235 outlying islands)

Hong Kong was a British colony from 1842 to 1997 as China surrendered the city after losing the Second Opium War. After the handover in 1997, Hong Kong became under Chinese control under special status.

Hong Kong has its own constitution that is different from that of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

 Climate 
Hong Kong is in a sub-tropical area, and has monsoon winds. It is cool and wet in winter (January-March), hot and rainy from spring through summer (April-September), and warm, sunny and dry in the autumn (October-December). The rainy season is from May until September. In summer and early autumn, there is a frequent threat of typhoons.

 Population and language 
The population of Hong Kong reached 7.5 million (7,503,100) in 2023. Most of the people in Hong Kong are Chinese. Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. It has an overall population density of 6,300 people per square kilometre.

Hong Kong has one of the world’s lowest birth rates — 1.05 per woman at an age of being capable to give birth as of 2019. This is far below the rate needed to replace each person, 2.1.

People from Hong Kong mainly speak Cantonese. Students are required to learn English at school. Ever since Hong Kong became a part of China, the number of people who speak Mandarin has increased because Mandarin is the official language of China.

 Public holidays 
In Hong Kong, 17 days of the year are public holidays:
 1 January - New Year's Day, the beginning of the year
 Chinese New Year (3 public holidays)
 Ching Ming Festival, also known as "Tomb Sweeping Day"
 Easter (3 public holidays)
 1 May - Labour Day
 The Buddha's birthday
 Dragon Boat Festival
 1 July - Hong Kong SAR Establishment Day
 The day after Mid-Autumn Festival
 1 Oct - Chinese National Day
 Chung Yeung Festival - a day when people honour their ancestors, similar to "Tomb Sweeping Day", and people often do something for the olds who is still living
 25 December - Christmas
 26 December - Boxing Day

 Currency 
There are coins from 10 cents to 10 Hong Kong Dollars and bank-notes (paper money bills) from $10 to $1000. One American dollar equals to  HK$7.80±0.05 Hong Kong Dollars, according to the official pegged exchange rate.

 Public transport 
 Mass Transit Railway (MTR) which was established in 1979, owns seven lines (10 lines after KCR merger),
 Kwun Tong Line (running between Whampoa and Tiu Keng Leng)
 Tsuen Wan Line (running between Tsuen Wan and Central)
 Island Line (running between Kennedy Town and Chai Wan)
 South Island Line (running between Admiralty and South Horizons)
 Tseung Kwan O Line (running between North Point and Po Lam/LOHAS Park)
 Tung Chung Line (running between Tung Chung and Hong Kong)
 Airport Express (running between AsiaWorld-Expo and Hong Kong)
 Disneyland Resort Line (running between Sunny Bay and Disneyland Resort)
 East Rail Line (running between  Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau and Admiralty)
 Tuen Ma Line (running between Tuen Mun and Wu Kai Sha)
 Bus: there are four major bus companies in Hong Kong, namely KMB which mainly serves Kowloon and New Territories,  New World First Bus, which mainly serves Hong Kong Island, New Lantau Bus, which mainly serves Lantau Island, and Citybus, which mainly serves airport routes.
 Public Light Bus: in the 1960s, it was an illegal transportation, but later on, the government noticed that if there were only buses in Hong Kong, then some villages in N.T. will not have a public transport. Therefore, the Legislative Council made it legal and under government regulation.
 Tram (running between Kennedy Town, Happy Valley, and Shau Kei Wan)
 Peak Tram (running between Garden Road and Victoria Peak)
 Taxi [Red (Kowloon and Hong Kong Island), Green (New Territories), and Blue (Lantau Island)]
 Ferry (Lots of different companies, including the Star Ferry, First Ferry and Fortune Ferry)
 Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport. It is the busiest airport in the world in terms of cargo traffic.

Education
Hong Kong's education system is mostly based on the English system. Children are required to be in school from age 6 until completing secondary school (high school) at age 18.

Universities
Hong Kong has 11 Universities:
University of Hong Kong
Chinese University of Hong Kong 
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Hong Kong Polytechnic University
City University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Baptist University
Education University of Hong Kong
Lingnan University
Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Hong Kong Shue Yan University
Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

Housing in Hong Kong
According to the International Housing Affordability survey, Hong Kong has the most unaffordable housing market in the world since 2010.

 Timeline of Hong Kong 
Here is a brief history of Hong Kong:

Around 4000 BC
 Sea levels rose above 100 meters
Around 3500 BC
 Ceramic forms decorated with a wide range of patterns
Around 2000 BC
 Bronze weapons, knives, arrowheads & tools.
 Metal worked locally
Around 500 BC
 Ancient Chinese writing developed
221 BC
 People from Mainland China came to Hong Kong
220 BC
 Coins from the Chinese Han period were used in Hong Kong
1555
 A Portuguese named Jorge Álvares was the first European to reach Hong Kong
1799
 China banned the drug trade in Hong Kong
1800
 Opium became a huge business
1839
 Lin Zexu was appointed Special Commissioner
 The First Opium war began
1841
 Hong Kong was given to the British and became a dependent territory of United Kingdom
 Lord Palmerston wrote that Hong Kong was a barren island with only a few houses on it
 January 26, 1841
 The British flag was raised at Possession Point, on Hong Kong Island
August 1841
 Sir Henry Pottinger became Hong Kong's first governor
 The Treaty of Nanjing was signed, ending the First Opium War
1860
 China was defeated in the Second Opium War. Boundary Street and Stonecutter's Island were leased to Britain
1888
 The Peak Tram started operating on Hong Kong Island
1898
 Lantau Island and the New Territories were leased to the British for 99 years
1900s
 Hong Kong became a refuge for exiles from China
1920s-1930s
 Western dress began to come in fashion for the locals
1933-1934
 Father Daniel Finn began excavations on Lamma Island
1941
 Refugees fleeing the Chinese Communist Party came to Hong Kong
December 8, 1941
 The Empire of Japan invaded Hong Kong
December 25, 1941
 The British authorities surrendered Hong Kong to the Japanese Army
August 1945
 Britain reclaimed its territory after Japan's surrender
1949
 Double-decker buses were introduced to Hong Kong
1950
 Hong Kong became a free port
1953
 The Shek Kip Mei Estate was built, establishing the program of public housing
1955
 A Han period tomb was discovered near Lei Cheng Uk
1983
 The Hong Kong dollar was tied to the US dollar
1984
 China and Britain signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration
1990
 The Hong Kong Basic Law was confirmed
1997
 Asia's financial crisis
 Archaeologists discovered 20 graves on the island of Ma Wa
 Tung Chee Wa elected as the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong. Voting was conducted by 400 committees of an electoral college whose members are appointed by the Chinese Government.

July 1, 1997
 Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of China for 50 years
1998
 Hong Kong International Airport opened, replacing Kai Tak Airport in Kowloon
June 2002
 Tung Chee Hwa was elected as Chief Executive for a second term.
2003
 Citizens wanted a more democratic and republican system
 The SARS epidemic began
March 10, 2005
 Tung Chee Hwa resigned as chief executive because of health problems.

June 16, 2005

 Donald Tsang Yam-kuen was elected unopposed as Chief Executive.

March 2012

 Leung Chun Ying was elected as Chief Executive.
2014
 People occupied the Central region to demand universal suffrage for the next chief executive election, to take place in 2017.
2015
 The government voted against the universal suffrage demanded by the people.
2016
 There were more protests in Mong Kok because the government voted against universal suffrage. Police had to use pepper spray and Tear gas on the protesters to get them to leave.
2019
 Protestors in Hong Kong demonstrated against a new extradition law proposed by the Hong Kong government.It was the largest protest in Hong Kong's history. This law would allow Hong Kong to send people to other jurisdictions where they have committed a crime, including mainland China.* People opposed this because of the poor reputation of China due to allegations of torture, forced confessions and arbitrary detentions. There were fears that the bill would just bring Hong Kong closer under China's control, even though Hong Kong have their own judicial system.
2020
 The Hong Kong National Security Law is created. This law will give Beijing, more power to control Hong Kong. Beijing also put a security office in Hong Kong. The law was created at 11 P.M. on 30 June 2020, Hong Kong Time. 

 Media 
Hong Kong has a few media companies, notably Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), HK Television Entertainment (HKTVE),  and Fantastic Television. Access to television is not affected by Chinese regulations, such as the Great Firewall, which filters and blocks certain programs.

 Places in Hong Kong 
 Hong Kong Disneyland
 Victoria Peak
 Victoria Park
 Ocean Park
 Man Mo Temple
 Repulse Bay
 Hong Kong Park
 Yuen Po Street Bird Garden
 Hong Kong Museum of History
 Hong Kong Space Museum
 Hong Kong Museum of Science & Technology
 Wong Tai Sin Temple
 Fung Ying Sin Koon
 Kowloon Walled City
 Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre
 Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong
 Sham Tung Uk
 Po Lin Monastery and the Big Buddha on Lantau Island (currently the largest bronze Buddha in world)
 Cheung Chau (Long Island)
 Chek Lap Kok
 Clock Tower, Hong Kong

Notes

 References 

Other websites