Location | Hong Kong Tourism Board Tweet Positioned at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta on the coast of southern China, Hong Kong’s geographical position as a gateway between the East and West has made it an attractive centre for international trade. As a reflection of this, the heart of Asia’s world city has always been the bustling and beautiful Victoria Harbour. Hong Kong’s 1,104-square-kilometer area comprises Hong Kong Island, which lies to the south of the harbour, the Kowloon Peninsula, which forms its northern shores, the New Territories to the north of Kowloon, which stretch all the way to Mainland China, and more than 200 outlying islands, including Lantau Island, where Hong Kong International Airport is located.

Sponsored Hong Kong | history - geography - administrative region, China | Britannica.com administrative region, China Alternative Titles: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hsiang-kang, Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu Hong Kong Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu (Chinese); Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (English) Political status special administrative region of China with one legislative house (Legislative Council [701]) Head of state President of China: Xi Jinping Head of government Literacy: percentage of population age 15 and over literate Male: (2002) 96.9% GNI per capita (U.S.$) (2014) 40,320 1Thirty-five seats are directly elected by ordinary voters, and the remaining 35 are elected by special interest groups. 2On Hong Kong Island in historic capital area of Victoria .

Country Data Overview (PDF) Hong Kong, special administrative region (Pinyin: tebie xingzhengqu; Wade-Giles romanization: t’e-pieh hsing-cheng-ch’ü) of China , located to the east of the Pearl River (Xu Jiang) estuary on the south coast of China. The region is bordered by Guangdong province to the north and the South China Sea to the east, south, and west. It consists of Hong Kong Island, originally ceded by China to Great Britain in 1842, the southern part of the Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters (Ngong Shuen) Island (now joined to the mainland), ceded in 1860, and the New Territories , which include the mainland area lying largely to the north, together with 230 large and small offshore islands—all of which were leased from China for 99 years from 1898 to 1997. The Chinese-British joint declaration signed on December 19, 1984, paved the way for the entire territory to be returned to China, which occurred July 1, 1997.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Time-lapse video of Hong Kong. Kris Guico (A Britannica Publishing Partner) Overview of Hong Kong. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz The area of Hong Kong (Pinyin: Xianggang; Wade-Giles: Hsiang-kang) has expanded over the years, and it has continued to grow as more land has been reclaimed from the surrounding sea. Hong Kong Island and its adjacent islets have an area of only about 31 square miles (81 square km), while urban Kowloon, which includes the Kowloon Peninsula south of Boundary Street, and Stonecutters Island measure about 18 square miles (47 square km). The New Territories account for the rest of the area—more than 90 percent of the total. The Victoria urban district located on the barren rocks of the northwestern coast of Hong Kong Island is the place where the British first landed in 1841, and it has since been the centre of administrative and economic activities. Kowloon street at night, Hong Kong.

Photos.com/Jupiterimages Bernard Leach Hong Kong developed initially on the basis of its excellent natural harbour (its Chinese name means “fragrant harbour”) and the lucrative China trade, particularly opium dealing. It was the expansion of its territory, however, that provided labour and other resources necessary for sustained commercial growth that led to its becoming one of the world’s major trade and financial centres. The community remains limited in space and natural resources, and it faces persistent problems of overcrowding, trade fluctuations, and social and political unrest. Nevertheless, Hong Kong has emerged strong and prosperous, albeit with a changed role, as an entrepôt, a manufacturing and financial centre, and a vital agent in the trade and modernization of China. Hong Kong skyline at night, including the Convention and Exhibition Center (centre). © Digital Vision/Getty Images Far Eastern Economic Review Hong Kong is noted for the lushness and great diversity of its plant life. The transitional climate between humid subtropical and warm temperate maritime excludes the most sensitive humid tropical genera due to the cool, dry winter conditions, but many tropical as well as temperate-zone families are represented.

Most of the land, except for the heavily eroded badlands , is under tropical herbaceous growth, including mangrove and other swamp cover. The most common forest genus today is Pinus, represented by native South China red pines and by slash pines, introduced from Australia . Some of the oldest areas of woodland are in the feng-shui wood, or “sacred groves,” found in many New Territories villages. These woods consist essentially of native forest trees, some of which are of potential value to the villagers. Centuries of cutting and burning, however, have destroyed much of Hong Kong’s original vegetation, leaving only about one-sixth of the land forested. A large portion of Hong Kong’s present-day forest cover owes its origin to afforestation programs undertaken since World War II, which have restored some of the stands of pine, eucalyptus, banyan, casuarina, and palm trees. Hong Kong’s animal life consists of a mixture of mammals adapted to the subtropical environment . Among the few arboreal mammals are two species of nonnative monkeys that flourish in forests of the New Territories, the rhesus macaque and the long-tailed macaque.

Tigers are reputed to have once roamed the area, but they are no longer in evidence. The largest remaining carnivores are rare and include the South China red fox , the Chinese leopard cat , the seven-banded civet , and the masked palm civet. Some rat and mouse species typically inhabit scrubland and grassland areas. Birdlife is abundant, and there are numerous species of snakes , lizards , and frogs . People Ethnic groups The overwhelming majority of the population is Chinese by place of origin, the non-Chinese making up only a tiny fraction of the total. Non-Chinese groups consist largely of Asians (primarily Filipinos, Indonesians, and South Asians), with small numbers of non-Asians (mainly Americans, Canadians, and Australians). An overwhelming majority of the Chinese are from Guangdong province and from Hong Kong itself, with smaller numbers coming from other parts of China. Languages Chinese and English are both official languages. Chinese, especially Cantonese in the spoken form, is the common language, however, and is almost universally understood. A variety of dialects and other languages are used among the ethnic minorities.

Apart from Cantonese, common dialects such as Teochew, Hakka, and Tanka are used within separate communities of the Guangdong and Hong Kong Chinese. Groups from other parts of China are also likely to use their own native dialects, and, similarly, the non-Chinese are likely to use their own native languages among themselves. The use of Mandarin Chinese has risen as Hong Kong has reintegrated with China. Religion The majority of Hong Kong’s population does not profess a religion. Those that do practice a wide variety of beliefs. Among the Chinese, followers of Buddhism and Daoism far outnumber other groups; a large number also follow Confucianist beliefs. The numerous Buddhist and Daoist temples and monasteries, some centuries old, play an important role in the daily life of the average Chinese. Although each temple is generally dedicated to one or two deities, it is not unusual to find images of a number of other gods or goddesses inside. For a fishing and trading port, the most significant deities are those associated with the ocean and the weather, such as Dian Hau, the goddess of heaven and protector of seafarers, who is honoured by temples at virtually every fishing harbour.

Other leading deities include Guanyin ( Avalokitesvara ), the Buddhist bodhisattva of mercy; Hong Shing, god of the South Seas and a weather prophet; and Wong Daisin, a Daoist saint and deity. A small but significant proportion of the people are Christians, with somewhat more Protestants than Roman Catholics; there are dozens of Protestant denominations and sects such as Baptist, Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist. There are also small numbers of Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and Jews. Woman lighting incense at a Buddhist temple, Hong Kong. © Corbis Skyscrapers on Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. © Wilfredo Rodríguez (A Britannica Publishing Partner) In the New Territories north of the Kowloon hills, rural settlements vary from hamlets to small towns. Most of the villages, compactly built and often walled, follow the alignment of the river systems in the low-lying but fertile alluvial floodplains or the major route corridors. Villages of the Cantonese people are located mainly in the flat alluvial regions, whereas villages of the Hakka people usually are found in narrow valleys or on foothills.

The feng-shui grove and pond are characteristic of both the Cantonese and Hakka villages: the grove is generally planted on the upslope, or back side, of a village for shade and protection, and the pond is for fish-farming. A number of new towns have sprung up in the New Territories as a result of the tremendous increase in population there. Among these are Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun (Castle Peak before 1973), and Sha Tin, which were established in the 1960s and designed to have populations of between about 500,000 and 850,000 each. Others, including Tai Po, Fanling, Yuen Long, and, more recently, Tseung Kwon O (Junk Bay), were designated as new towns in the 1970s, with population goals ranging from about 200,000 to 450,000.

Thus, the New Territories, where only one-eighth of the population resided in 1961, accounted for more than half of the total by 2005; the bulk of the New Territories population is now concentrated in the new towns. True to its original character as a fishing port, Hong Kong has a sizable, though rapidly dwindling, marine settlement. The “boat people,” or Tanka as they are locally known, are essentially fisherfolk living on junks and boats, as their ancestors did for centuries before them. They inhabit fishing towns, such as Aberdeen, Shau Kei Wan, and Cheung Chau, and typhoon shelters in the harbour areas. With the advance of urbanization and the decline of fishing activity, increasing numbers of them are working ashore. “Boat people” (Tanka) in Hong Kong Harbour. © Goodshoot/Jupiterimages Demographic trends As in many large urban centres of the world, Hong Kong’s population has increased in the late 20th century. Since the 1950s the average annual rate of growth has fluctuated between about 2 and 4 percent, the variations based in some degree on the sporadic flow of immigrants from China.

Immigration has been a chief cause of population increase, but it was slowed through changes in immigration policy in 1980 and 1982, and emigration rose from the late 1980s. Birth rates have steadily declined since the late 1950s, the rate of natural increase falling below 1 percent by the 1980s. Life expectancy , however, has been showing a gradual increase. Since the 1950s, the proportion of the population under 15 has decreased rapidly, while that between 15 and 64 has shown a marked increase and the group over 65 has more than doubled. Hong Kong is one of the world’s most densely populated places. Economy With its limited natural resources, Hong Kong depends on imports for virtually all of its requirements, including raw materials, food and other consumer goods, capital goods, and fuel. Under its unique status as an international free port, entrepôt trade, mainly with China, flourished until 1951, when a United Nations embargo on trade with China and North Korea drastically curtailed it.

This situation, combined with the need to export and with the availability of cheap labour, led to the establishment of competitive light industries and a transformation of the economy in the early 1960s. The market economy and the laissez-faire policy of the British colonial government provided flexibility for further industrialization and the incentive and freedom, from the late 1960s, to attract foreign investment and financial transactions. In succeeding years, with China adopting a more open foreign policy, entrepôt trade rapidly revived, while Hong Kong–China trade surged. Hong Kong developed not only in manufacturing, trade, and shipping but also as a regional financial centre and as an agent in China’s pursuit of modernization. The tertiary (services) sector of the economy now makes up some four-fifths of the gross domestic product (GDP). Agriculture and fishing Only 6 percent of Hong Kong’s land area is arable, and another 2 percent is under fishponds. Since the 1950s about one-third of the agricultural land has been lost to other uses. The growing season is year-round, however, and several crops per year are possible.

Paddy rice cultivation once dominated agricultural land use, but it has practically disappeared, having been surpassed by vegetable and pond fish farming. Other minor uses include the production of fruits, flowers, and crops such as sweet potatoes , taro , yams , and sugarcane . There also is some livestock farming , mainly of chickens and pigs . Fresh pork in a butcher shop in Hong Kong. © Ben Jeayes/Shutterstock.com Marine fishing in the adjacent waters is one of Hong Kong’s most important primary activities. Apart from pond fish, a marine fish culture has shown signs of development, notably in the eastern New Territories. Resources and power Hong Kong is practically devoid of any significant mineral resources. The mining for graphite and lead at Cham (“Needle”) Hill and iron ore at Mount Ma On stopped long ago. The small-scale mining of feldspar , feldspar sand, and kaolin clay ceased by 1990. Some stone is quarried for use in construction. Hong Kong is similarly poorly endowed in other natural resources: no commercial timber is produced from its sparse forest cover, and there is no hydroelectric potential from the small and short streams.

Indeed, even water has been in serious short supply as a consequence of the limited areal extent, the steep terrain, and the lack of catchment areas. In spite of the many reservoirs, which were built mostly before World War II , and several giant projects, such as the water desalinization plant at Castle Peak and the Plover Cove and the High Island reservoirs, which are enclosed sea areas, the bulk of water consumed is piped in from Guangdong province . Hong Kong must import all of the fossil fuel it consumes. It produces most of its electric-power needs at thermal generating plants. The rest of its power requirements are imported from Guangdong province. Manufacturing The rapid development of manufacturing in the 1950s was made possible by immigrant Chinese industrialists, mainly from Shanghai , who brought with them technology and capital. Foreign investments soon began to flow in to tap the huge supply of cheap labour and relatively cheap raw materials available in the surrounding region. Most industry has been confined to the urban areas, especially in the densely populated districts of Kowloon. With the development of industrial and other new towns, manufacturing began to disperse into Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, and other areas.

In 1977 the Hong Kong Industrial Estates Corporation was established to develop and manage industrial estates that would accommodate high-technology industries, first on reclaimed land in Tai Po and later in Yuen Long. Manufacturing, once the most important sector of the Hong Kong economy, has been overshadowed by the vast service sector; manufacturing now constitutes only a tiny fraction of the gross domestic product and employs only a slightly higher proportion of the labour force. Textile and clothing production is the leading manufacturing activity and contributes about one-third of the value of domestic exports. The electronics industry is the second largest export earner. There are some heavy industries such as shipbuilding and repair and aircraft engineering. Steel rolling, production of machine parts and plastics, and cement manufacturing serve local needs. Finance Since 1969 Hong Kong has emerged as one of the major financial centres of the Asia-Pacific region, despite the fact that it is without the services of a central bank. The regional government delegates the functions of such an institution to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority—which oversees Hong Kong’s monetary policy and regulates its currency, the Hong Kong dollar—and to selected commercial banks. In addition to the licensed banks in the region, there are representative offices of foreign banks, including registered deposit-taking companies.

Bank of China Tower (centre), Hong Kong; designed by I.M. Pei. WiNG Domestic and international currencies are traded at the Hong Kong foreign-exchange market. The stock market attracts investment from both foreign and domestic sources. Some of its major shares are also traded on the London stock market. A gold bullion market, once the world’s largest, is operated by the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society. The lack of exchange controls has contributed to the success of Hong Kong as a financial centre. Trade and tourism Hong Kong’s free-trade policy has made the territory one of the world’s great centres of trade. There is no tariff on imports, except for some luxury items, such as perfumes , motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages , and tobacco . Hong Kong is dependent upon imported products, which make up about half of the total amount of external trade, the rest being divided between exports and reexports. Apart from trade with other regions of China, Japan supplies the largest percentage of imports, and other major suppliers include Taiwan , the countries of the European Union (EU), and Singapore . Capital and consumer goods such as electrical machinery and apparatus, clothing, radios , television sets, stereos, and computers represent the largest group of imports.

The second largest group includes mineral fuels, raw materials, semi-manufactured goods (such as synthetic and natural textiles , chemicals, and electronic components), and foodstuffs. Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 2010. It was named for a British colonial governor of Hong Kong, … © Lisa Lubin - (A Britannica Publishing Partner) China became the main market for Hong Kong’s products prior to 1997, and this trade remained predominant after the territory’s reintegration. Other major export destinations include the United States , the countries of the EU, and Japan. Textiles and clothing are the leading exports. Also important are electrical machinery and appliances, office machinery, photographic apparatus, and a variety of other manufactured items. Reexports constitute a major portion of the goods shipped out of Hong Kong. Wholesale and retail trade also are major components of the service sector, as is tourism . The tourist trade, which is highly promoted by the government and well catered to by the huge service sector, now constitutes a significant component of the economy. The greatest number of tourist arrivals are from the mainland.

In addition, a large number of business and tourist travelers from Taiwan pass through Hong Kong on their way to and from destinations on the mainland. Hong Kong Disneyland, a theme park based on the original Disneyland in California, opened in 2005 on Lantau Island and became a major amusement attraction. Disney characters (right to left) Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at Hong Kong Disneyland. Mike Clarke—AFP/Getty Images Transportation and telecommunications With roadways limited relative to the population, the government has enforced strict limitations on automobile ownership and placed heavy emphasis on the development of public transportation . The rate of car ownership is low, although it is steadily rising. There has been much road and bridge construction in the territory. In 2009 work began on a multiyear bridge project to connect Hong Kong, Macau , and Zhuhai on the mainland. Bridge between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on the Chinese mainland. © Polartern/Shutterstock.com The majority of the populace makes its daily trips by public transport. Apart from the bus, tram ( streetcar ), and ferry, the public is also served by a unique minibus service, a rapid transit system, and an electric railway.

Buses are the largest road carrier, responsible for roughly one-third of the daily public-transport trips excluding those by taxi , followed by the combined minibus and maxicab (a regulated form of minibus) service. Commuter rail service also accounts for about one-third of overall ridership. The precipitous Victoria Peak area is served by one of the oldest transport companies, which operates a cable-car system between the peak and the Central District. International traffic is served by Hong Kong’s international airport and its magnificent harbour, and there are good overland linkages with Guangdong province. The Hong Kong International Airport was located at Kai Tak, on the eastern fringe of Kowloon, until 1998, when it was relocated to a new, larger facility on Chek Lap Kok Island. Designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster , the airport’s passenger terminal is among the world’s largest enclosed spaces, covering some 133 acres (54 hectares). The port of Hong Kong, based at one of the world’s finest natural harbours, is renowned for its efficiency and capacity. The capacity of its container terminals at Kwai Chung ranks Hong Kong among the world’s largest container ports.

Speedy ferry service between Hong Kong and Macau and parts of Guangdong is provided by various craft, including hydrofoils and hovercraft. Hong Kong International Airport on Chek Lap Kok Island, Hong Kong. AP Passenger and freight rail services are provided by the Kowloon-Canton Railway (in operation since 1910). Electrification and double-tracking of the railway and the growth along its lines of the new towns of Sha Tin, Tai Po, Fanling, and others caused a considerable increase in passenger traffic. The railway’s commuter services expanded considerably with its merger in 2007 with MTR Corporation, which had been established in 1975 to develop and operate Hong Kong’s mass-transit system. Hong Kong’s rail system is connected by a line running to nearby Shenzhen and, to the northwest, Guangzhou (Canton) in Guangdong province; the line carries millions of tons of freight annually, as well as passenger traffic between Hong Kong and Guangdong. Hong Kong has one of the world’s most advanced and technologically sophisticated telecommunications systems, and it is one of the principal centres of the global telecommunications network.

Hong Kong is a leader in integrating multiple-platform communication modes (e.g., land-line and mobile telephony) and implementing the most cutting-edge technology. Land-line telephones are nearly ubiquitous among Hong Kong households, and mobile-phone subscriptions exceed considerably the total number of inhabitants. Internet use is widespread, a large proportion of it using broadband. Page 1 of 2 Hong Kong - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) A special administrative region of China, Hong Kong is located on the southern coast of China at the mouth of the Pearl (Zhu) River delta. Some of its land is on the Chinese mainland, and some is on islands just offshore in the South China Sea. Its area has expanded as it has reclaimed land from the sea. On the mainland, Hong Kong is bounded by the province of Guangdong, with the large city of Shenzhen immediately to the north. Area 426 square miles (1,104 square kilometers.) Population (2016 est.) 7,294,000. Article Contributors Hong Kong Travel Guide and Travel Information Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying since 2012. Electricity : 220 volts AC, 50Hz.

British-style plugs with three square pins are used. Steamy and gargantuan, Hong Kong has evolved into one of Asia’s most lovable cities. Its incredible skyline – part neon, part steel-and-glass, part towering hills – is one of the most majestic in the world, but it’s a mere backdrop to the 24-hour flurry of activity that makes Hong Kong what it is. From its boat-buzzed waterfront to its packed dim sum restaurants, its incense-smoked temples to its clattering teahouses, its street markets to its old-world hotels, Hong Kong is a destination teeming with energy. For travellers, the best advice is to go with the flow. Situated at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta on China’s southwestern coast, Hong Kong is a city that has a remarkable mix of Eastern and Western influences. The handover of this territory from Britain to China was back in 1997, but the centuries of British rule still have a lasting legacy, tangible in everything from the grand period architecture to the local passion for horse-racing.

Even the name of Hong Kong’s centrepiece – the iconic Victoria Harbour – harks back to another era, and today there’s an international flavour to the destination that sets it apart from other Chinese cities. The gastronomy, nightlife and shopping are all world-class. Hong Kong Island, with its glistening skyscrapers and high-end shopping malls, is in many ways the heartbeat of the city. Get down to street level, however, and the laneways, wet markets and traditional Chinese haunts are a reminder that beyond the city lies a working class populace still making ends meet the old fashioned way – and often the hard way. It’s also worth remembering, of course, that there’s far more to Hong Kong than the city itself. Its natural attractions include hiker-friendly ranges, volcanic landscapes, pristine woodlands, sleepy islands, protected marine parks and miles of golden beaches. Travel Advice Last updated: 15 January 2017 The travel advice summary below is provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. 'We' refers to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. For their full travel advice, visit . Crime The level of violent crime is very low but pick pocketing and other street crime can occur.

You should take extra care of passports, credit cards and money in crowded areas and when checking in and out of hotels. There have been some isolated incidents of robberies in Hong Kong’s Country Parks; these incidents have been reduced following a crime prevention operation by the Hong Kong Police. Nevertheless, if you intend to hike in Hong Kong’s Country Parks you should stick to marked trails and avoid carrying valuables. Make sure anything you drink can’t be tampered with. Be wary of accepting drinks from strangers and always have a trusted friend to keep an eye on any unfinished drink if you need to leave it for a period of time. Political situation Hong Kong is generally a stable society underpinned by the rule of law. While demonstrations are usually conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner, some have been more volatile in nature, resulting in confrontations between police and protesters. On 6 November 2016 a large protest related to the recent Legislative Council elections resulted in clashes between police and protesters into the early hours of the morning of 7 November 2016. There is an increased risk of further protests and public gatherings.

You should monitor and follow the instructions of local authorities, avoid areas where protests and unplanned public gatherings are taking place if possible, follow the instructions of the local authorities and take sensible precautions against petty crime if you are nearby. You may also be interested in: A week near Hong Kong - Wikitravel A week near Hong Kong From Wikitravel A week near Hong Kong Contents This article is an itinerary . This itinerary has suggestions for someone who: wants to get out of Hong Kong (perhaps cannot afford Hong Kong, or has seen it before) has about a week to spend does not want to fly or take a long bus ride. Of course you could easily spend a week, or several, in Hong Kong itself. Also, there are several nearby areas of China that are well worth visiting: Guilin and Yangshuo for famous mountain and river scenery, possibly returning via Southern China's greatest city, Guangzhou . Hainan for tropical beaches. Wu Yi Mountain for history and scenery, returning via the lively modern city Xiamen . Yunnan , home to many of China's minority ethnic groups and a very popular tourist destination. There are direct flights and/or overnight buses to all of those.

Here I assume you want to stay within a few hour's bus or train travel of Hong Kong. Background[ edit ] The region near Hong Kong is called the Pearl River Delta . Politically, it is three areas, parts of Guangdong province and two former colonies that are now Special Administrative Regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. Economically, it is a powerhouse. Guangdong does a third of China's exporting and is China's richest province. While Western countries have GDP growth of 1% to 3% annually, China has had 8% or better every year for a couple of decades. For the Delta area, annual growth has been around 15% for most of those years. The Delta has been the fastest growing region of the fastest growing province of the fastest growing country on Earth. As of early 2009, however, the Delta is also the area of China hit hardest by the world economic crash. Quite a few factories have closed due to a slowdown in export markets. A high-speed rail system (300 km an hour top speed) is being built to link all of the Delta cities together. Parts of it are already in service.

Visas[ edit ] You may need three separate visas for this trip, one each for Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China. See the Hong Kong , Macau and China entries for details. Citizens of most countries can get Macau and Hong Kong visas at the airport, but will need to get a Chinese tourist visa in advance. You can get these from a Chinese embassy or consulate in your own country. For most passports, visas can also be obtained in Hong Kong or Macau via travel agents or the government office. The Macau office has shorter lines. There are special visas which allow you into Shenzhen or Zhuhai but not out into the rest of China. They would not be useful for my suggested route, but might be for related trips. They may be obtainable at the border, but last I heard were not available for US or some other passports. Check the Shenzhen entry for details. Cities[ edit ] Guangzhou is the provincial capital a few hours up the Pearl River. It was known as Canton in the tea-clipper era. Guangzhou is thousands of years old and has always been the most important city of Southern China. Macau is a former Portuguese colony on the West side of the river mouth.

It was the first European enclave in East Asia, and a major trading port from its founding in the 1500s. Today its main attractions are casinos, European food and wine, and old colonial buildings. In 1999 it became a Special Administrative Region of China. Hong Kong is a former British colony on the east side of the river mouth. It was founded in 1841, Britain's prize after one of the Opium Wars, and soon eclipsed Macau as the center of the China trade. In 1997 it became a Special Administrative Region of China, retaining much of its laissez-faire capitalist energy under the slogan "one country, two systems". Shenzhen is on the mainland next to Hong Kong. It was basically a fishing village until the 1970s. Then it was made a Special Economic Zone and developed incredibly rapidly. Today it is a boom town of at least six million. Zhuhai is on the mainland next to Macau , also a fishing village turned SEZ, and is home to well over a million and is somewhat less rich and less brash than Shenzhen .

For an explanation of the terms "Special Administrative Region" (SAR) and "Special Economic Zone" (SEZ), see List of Chinese provinces and regions . Costs[ edit ] The traveler on a really tight budget should get out of this area altogether and seek the real bargains in China's hinterland. The cost-is-no-object traveler can stay in Hong Kong, or go to up-market places in other cities, and have a wonderful time either way. As a general rule, both Shenzhen and Macau are cheaper than Hong Kong. Zhuhai is cheaper than any of the above. Consider doing most of your shopping there. Risks[ edit ] There are a lot of pickpockets throughout this area. See the Wikitravel article pickpockets for advice on precautions. See individual city listings for other risks. Liwan 3-1 Gas Field, South China Sea - Offshore Technology In 2004, Husky Energy signed a production sharing contract with China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) for the Liwan block.

Liwan 3-1 Gas Field, South China Sea, China The Liwan 3-1 gas field sits in licence block 29/26 in the South China Sea, 350km south-east of Hong Kong in the Pearl River Mouth Basin. It lies in an average water depth of 1,300m. In 2004, Husky Energy signed a production sharing contract with China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) for the 3,965km² block. Husky is the field's operator, although CNOOC has the right to participate in the development for up to a 51% working interest. Husky has allocated a capital expenditure programme of $500m for all its projects offshore China and Indonesia. While the company did not disclose the capital expenditure for Liwan, delineating and evaluating the discovery was the major focus of the 2009 programme. The FEED study for the development of Liwan 3-1 was completed in February 2010. Husky and CNOOC signed a Heads of Agreement for the project in December 2010.

In September 2011, development of the field was approved by Husky Energy. Development is expected to begin after approval of the Overall Development Plan (ODP) submitted to the Chinese Government. Gas produced from the field will be sold to CNOOC Gas & Power Group through the Guangdong province natural gas grid. Liwan 3-1 discovery and geology "The Liwan 3-1 gas field sits in licence block 29 / 26 in the South China Sea." The Liwan 3-1 field was discovered by the Liwan 3-1-1 well in 2006. The discovery well indicated a possible contingent resource of four to six trillion cubic feet of gas – China's largest-ever offshore natural gas discovery. The Liwan 3-1 gas field is located on the eastern end of the Zhu II Depression, seeking objectives in the Upper Oligocene Zhuhai Formation and Lower Miocene Zhujiang Formation.

Appraisal drilling In January 2007, Husky Oil China, a wholly owned subsidiary of Husky Energy, signed a three-year contract worth $580m with Seadrill Offshore for the West Hercules deepwater semi-submersible drilling rig, with extension options. Built at the Daewoo shipyard in South Korea, the rig can run parallel drilling operations, is designed with a dynamic positioning system and can operate in waters up to 3,000m deep. The rig began drilling the first appraisal well, Liwan 3-1-2, in November 2008. The well's location was selected and drilled using 3D seismic data supplied by China Oilfield Services, and was drilled to a total vertical depth of 3,887m below sea level – making the deepest natural gas discovery offshore China so far – on a large structure with 55km² of mapped closure. The well logged 36m of net gas pay over the main reservoir zone.

In February 2009, Husky said the well flowed at an equipment-restricted rate of 53MMcf per day of gas, indicating that future deliverability could be more than 150 million cubic feet per day per day. This well was completed and the West Hercules moved to another location in the field to drill the second appraisal well, Liwan 3-1-3. Drilling and testing of Liwan 3-1-3 was completed in May 2009. The well was located in a water depth of 1,449m and reached a total depth of 3,688m. West Hercules also drilled a third well, which flowed at a rate of 52MMcf per day. "Husky will develop the field in parallel with the Liuhua 34-2 field." Development of the field is likely to be carried out by subsea wells tied back 100km to one or more central processing platforms located at a water depth of 200m. From there, the gas will be piped by a 260km subsea export pipeline to a new onshore gas processing facility for full processing.

First production is planned for 2013. Husky is planning to develop the field in parallel with the Liuhua 34-2 field in the China Sea. The fields will have common gas processing and transportation facilities. Contractors for Liwan 3-1 In March 2009, WorleyParsons was awarded the contract to carry out FEED studies at the field. The company is also responsible for estimation and planning of the project. WorleyParsons will also provide its services to prepare engineering, procurement and construction tenders for different packages. Consequently, it will not participate in the EPIC phases of the project. In April 2011, CETS, a joint venture of Expro and China Oil Field Services, was contracted to execute subsea well testing services for the field. Saipem was awarded a contract in May 2011 to engineer, procure, construct and install two 79km-long pipelines with a 22in diameter, umbilicals and a subsea production system. Share Shama Hong Kong Shama Hong Kong Hong Kong A city of contradictions, Hong Kong’s steel and glass exteriors belie its traditional heart.

Fast-paced, innovative, and ambitious, this is also a city where Buddha has his own mountain, noodles are slurped in alleyways, and Cantonese opera is sung on the streets. Here, Shama offers residents a choice of serviced apartments in the city’s most happening neighbourhoods: hip Hollywood Road, exciting Central, thrilling Tsim Sha Tsui, convenient Fortress Hill, and lavishing Midlevels. Each offers an enviable location, supreme style, and all the comforts of home. Hong Kong is situated on the southeast coast of China at the mouth of the Pearl River facing the South China Sea. Covering an area of 1,104 square kilometres (425 square miles), the territory is made up of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories. At the core is Victoria Harbour, which separates Hong Kong Island from Kowloon and beyond that, the New Territories that runs up to the boundary with Mainland China. As well as making up the bulk of Hong Kong’s land mass, the New Territories also incorporates 262 outlying islands, including Lantau where the airport is located.

Hong Kong serviced apartment Close to MTR Sheung Wan Station Rate from One Bedroom – Two Bedroom with Terrace Fully-equipped kitchenette, separate living area Free WiFi Private balcony for all room types LCD TV, fully-equipped kitchenette

Question: Hong Kong, in China, lies at the mouth of which river?
Answer: Pearl River