Asian Paradises

– 20 – www.paradises.com Hong Kong is a dynamic international island—its energy and sophistication contrast with the peace and tranquility that are the essence of its culture. Hong Kong consists of 1070 square kilometres and is divided into four areas —Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories and the outlying islands. The heart of the city is Hong Kong Island with its Manhattan- like skyline and frenzied trading that goes on in the crowded streets below. Kowloon to the north is equally densely populated, particularly the southern tip of the peninsula called Tsim Sha Tsui which is popular with tourists. The New Territories and the outlying islands are more rural in contrast, providing a delightful escape from the frenetic pace of the city. The people The population is predominantly Chinese, although large communities of Europeans, Indians, Portuguese, Iraqis and Jews have lived in Hong Kong since the mid-19th century. There is a substantial international presence today and the city is remarkably multicultural. English and Cantonese, a southern Chinese dialect, are the official languages, however, the use of Mandarin is growing. History Hong Kong has had a settled history of more than 8000 years and became an integral part of China in 221 BC, however it was not until the Song Dynasty (960-1279) that it really f lourished as a port for the burgeoning maritime trade in silk and pottery. Tuen Mun, located in the present New Territories, also became a leading centre for Buddhist scholarship, with its temples and sacred mountain attracting pilgrims and scholars from as far afield as India and Central Asia. For several centuries, Hong Kong existed quietly in this way as China's southernmost entry port. Despite a program of refortification and an economic boom that saw large scale immigration and f lourishing market towns spring up across the territory, Hong Kong's Qing dynasty rulers were unable to resist the military and mercantile incursions of the British, who seized Hong Kong Island in 1841 as a base from which to trade opium. Additional concessions of territory were forced until, by 1898, Hong Kong's boundaries took on their present shape. The turmoil created by China's 1949 communist revolution saw a massive f light of capital, entrepreneurial talent and labour to Hong Kong. This inf lux, together with the non-interventionist style of British colonial administration, resulted in staggering economic growth during the latter half of the 20th century. In the 1980s, Hong Kong H O N G K O N G

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