Hong Kong Introduction

Hong Kong is known for its skyline and deep natural harbor. It shares its northern border with the Guangdong Province of the mainland. Its service sector-dominated economy is characterized by free trade and low taxation.

Release time : 2016-06-02 13:49:34

source : WTCF

Kong Island to Britain. Within 60 years, Kowloon, the New Territories and 235 Outlying Islands were also leased to Britain. However, the history of the more than 1100 square kilometers that Hong Kong now occupies predates the events of the Qing dynasty by more than a thousand years. And, as you explore the city’s colorful heritage, you’ll discover stories of powerful clans, marauding pirates, and European traders.

From its earliest days as a British colony, Hong Kong served as a center of international trade. In the turbulent years of the early 20th century, the city’s population was bolstered by refugees, mostly from the mainland. The arrival of immigrants in large numbers helped launch a new role for Hong Kong as a major manufacturing hub. It also brought economically stimulating energy and industry to the city’s character. In recent decades, as the economy of the Chinese mainland has undergone a process of opening up, Hong Kong has transformed yet again - this time into a service-based economy as well as an important gateway to the world’s largest market.

Under the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems,' Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China on July 1st, 1997. This arrangement allows the city to enjoy a high degree of autonomy, including retaining its capitalist system, independent judiciary and rule of law, free trade, and freedom of speech.

A look at the city’s history could give a strong impression that change is the only constant here. However, despite all its reinventions, Hong Kong’s spirit has never changed. In fact, the same energy and dynamism that turned a group of sleepy fishing villages into a crossroads of international trade is now taking Asia’s world city into the 21st century.

Natural Environment

Positioned at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta on the coast of southern China, Hong Kong’s geographical position as a gateway