Today’s Hong Kong can be divided into four parts: Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon peninsula, the New Territories and the numerous outlying islands. Hong Kong Island is 75 sq km (29 sq miles) of topsy-turvy real estate. The earliest British settlements were established here; it is now dominated by great banks, enormous futuristic buildings, opulent hotels, splendid residences on the Peak, surprisingly restful beaches and the territory’s oldest Chinese communities. Across the Harbour – by the Mass Transit Railway, Star Ferry or via one of three tunnels – is Kowloon, with its millions of people packed into just a few square kilometres. Tsim Sha Tsui, the site of many hotels, bars and shops, is changing as fast as anywhere in Hong Kong, with massive developments above and below ground.
Fruit and vegetable market in Yau Ma Tei.
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications
Beyond the mountains which ring Kowloon to the north lie the anachronistically named New Territories, leased by the British for 99 years and handed back to China, together with the rest of Hong Kong, in 1997. A mix of empty hillsides, bucolic landscapes and bustling developments, it’s a very different side of the SAR. Even more remote are the 230-plus outlying islands, some which have remained uninhabited and unaltered since the day the Union flag was first planted and some, like Lantau, which have been radically redesigned to accommodate airports, theme parks and much else besides. To the west across the silt-laden waters of the Pearl River mouth is the former Portuguese enclave of Macau, now firmly established as the world’s leading gambling destination. Across the border, the Pearl River Delta, anchored by the ever-expanding cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou, is one of Asia’s great economic powerhouses.
Signpost to Sai Wan Village.
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications
Local signage.
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications
