Hong Kong & Macau adventures

English Teacher in China

Trips to Hong Kong

2003-2006

Background

During my more than 3 year stay in Taiwan and China as an English teacher, I managed to visit and or stay in Hong Kong 4 times. It is definitely one of the most unique places in the world. More than 6 million people are squeezed into a very small piece of real estate. In fact, there is a ‘junk’ or boat community in Aberdeen harbour that very rarely set foot on land, if at all. It is a city that does not sleep. It is an Asian population, but due to its history as a British colony, is more Western in its workings. Reminds me of Taiwan, which can be described as Little America with Asians. So is Hong Kong probably little Britain with Asian faces. It is a self-administered region, part of China, yet separate. I stayed in Hong Kong with friends for 10 days in 2003 as part of a visa run. After that, I managed at least a couple of days each consequent year to visit Hong Kong and Macau.

Ferry terminal

 Boat city, Aberdeen Harbor, Hong Kong with my friend Kitty

About Hong Kong

Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory on the Pearl River Delta of China. Macau lies across the delta to the west, and the province of Guangdong borders the territory to the north. With a total land area of 1,106 square kilometers and a population of over 7.3 million of various nationalities, it ranks as the world's fourth most densely populated sovereign state or territory.

After the First Opium War (1839–42), Hong Kong became a British colony with the perpetual cession of Hong Kong Island, followed by the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and a 99-year lease of the New Territories from 1898. Hong Kong was later occupied by Japan during World War II until British control resumed in 1945. In the early 1980's, negotiations between the United Kingdom and China resulted in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, which paved way for the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, when it became a special administrative region (SAR) of the Peoples Republic of China with a high degree of autonomy.

Under the principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system from China. Except in military defense and foreign affairs, Hong Kong maintains its independent executive, legislative and judiciary powers. In addition, Hong Kong develops relations directly with foreign states and international organisations in a broad range of "appropriate fields". 

Hong Kong is one of the world's most significant financial centers, with the highest Financial Development Index score and consistently ranks as the world's most competitive and freest economic entity (Wikipedia).

Boat city, Aberdeen Harbor, Hong Kong

A Hong Kong road

A Hong Kong road

Hong Kong scenery

Kowloon at night

 Subway station

Victoria harbor

Hong Kong scenery

Victoria harbor

Hong Kong at night-Kowloon

Hong Kong at night-Kowloon 

Hong Kong at night-Kowloon

Hong Kong apartment blocks

Hong Kong scenery

Subway station

Hong Kong scenery

Victoria harbor

Hong Kong skyline from Victoria peak

Macau

I spent one night in Macau and briefly walked the streets the next day. I only have these 2 pictures...

About Macau

Macau (literally: "Bay Gate"), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory on the western side of the Pearl River Delta in East Asia. Macau is bordered by the city of Zhuhai in Mainland China to the north and the Pearl River Estuary to the east and south. Hong Kong lies about 64 kilometres to its east across the Delta. With a population of 650,900 living in an area of 30.5 km2, it is the most densely populated region in the world.

Macau was administered by the Portuguese Empire and its inheritor states from the mid-16th century until late 1999, when it constituted the last remaining European colony in Asia. Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 1550’s. In 1557, Macau was leased to Portugal from Ming China as a trading port. The Portuguese Empire administered the city under Chinese authority and sovereignty until 1887, when Macau, through a mutual agreement between the two countries, became a colony. Sovereignty over Macau was transferred back to China on 20 December 1999. The Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau and Macau Basic Law stipulates that Macau operate with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2049, fifty years after the transfer (Wikipedia).

Macau

Macau