Hong Kong is a place with multiple personalities, as a result of being both Cantonese Chinese and under a long-time British influence. Today, the former British colony is a major tourism destination for China’s increasingly affluent population. It is also an important hub in East Asia with global connections to many of the world’s cities. It is a unique destination that has absorbed people and cultural influences from places as diverse as Vietnam and Vancouver and proudly proclaims itself to be Asia’s World City.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China is much more than a harbour city. The traveller weary of its crowded streets may be tempted to describe it as Hong Kongcrete. Yet, this territory with its cloudy mountains and rocky islands is mostly a rural landscape. Much of the countryside is classified as Country Park and, although 7 million people are never far away, it is possible to find pockets of wilderness that will reward the more intrepid tourist.
Hong Kong has a subtropical climate with at least one season to match your comfort zone. Boasting one of the world’s best airports, it is the ideal stopover for those who wish to travel deeper into the Orient.
While legally part of China, Hong Kong is secluded from mainland China as a dependency with a high degree of autonomy. The former colony has its own laws, separate immigration controls, financial system and is officially bi-lingual (Cantonese and English). It also enjoys western-style freedoms unheard of in mainland China.
Hong Kong has significant cultural differences from mainland China both due to past British influences and its evasion of communist ideologies. In particular, as Hong Kong was once a British colony, it was largely spared the Cultural Revolution that devastated much of the mainland. Today, while Hong Kong people seldom deny their Chinese heritage, many consider themselves to be a pioneer in developing a new Chinese culture that readily mixes and adapts both western and Asian trends. Showing Hongkongers that you understand that there are cultural differences with the mainland will go a long way in aquainting yourself with them.
For instance, spitting on the pavement, although common on the mainland, is considered uncivilised in Hong Kong. Spitting is against the law and carries a fixed penalty fine of $5,000. As a visitor, you should be mindful of the volume of your voice when speaking in public. Speaking or laughing vociferously on the bus, for example, will be viewed as uncouth.