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LATEST NEWS

LATEST NEWS

 

Hong Kong?s Pro-Democracy March Draws Thousands

The turnout fell short of a candlelight vigil held nearly four weeks ago to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing.

 

To Flu Experts, ?Pandemic? Confirms the Obvious

It came as no surprise on Thursday when the World Health Organization declared that the swine flu outbreak had become a pandemic.

 

Hong Kong Pays Tribute to Tiananmen Protesters While Beijing Stays Silent

China appeared determined to prevent commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the military crackdown.

 

Thousands Gather in Hong Kong for Tiananmen Vigil

The tens of thousands of people assembled represented the largest crowd for the annual event here in recent years.

 

Civil Liberties Within Limits After 12 Years of Beijing Rule

Many democracy advocates are increasingly anxious about whether the former British territory can maintain its independence from China?s authoritarian grip.

 

A City and a Fashion Empire Come Together Over Art

?Louis Vuitton: A Passion for Creation? highlights the obstacles and opportunities in Hong Kong?s grand ambition to become an internationally recognized cultural center.

 

Quick Action by Hong Kong Reflects Experience of SARS

Six years after SARS paralyzed the city and killed nearly 299 of its citizens, Hong Kong is not taking chances with swine flu.

 

Hong Kong, Minding SARS, Announces Tough Measures in Response to Swine Flu

Hong Kong, the epicenter of a SARS outbreak six years ago, announced on Sunday some of the most stringent policies anywhere, which have the potential to dampen air travel across the Pacific.

 

U.S. Declares Public Health Emergency Over Swine Flu

U.S. health officials said that they had confirmed 20 cases of swine flu in the country and expected to see more as investigators track the path of the outbreak.

 

Hong Kong Court Allows Telecom Buyout

Accusations that the shareholder vote on the deal to privatize the telecommunications giant had been rigged, has led to an investigation by regulators.

 

A Little Rugby With Your Cross-Dressing?

The Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament has long been a coping mechanism for the expatriate set.

 

It's Time to Buy, the Oracle of Hong Kong Says

The rare comments made Thursday by Li Ka-Shing come at a time when world stock markets have rallied on hopes that the economic slump may be bottoming out.

 

Hong Kong Billionaire Says It?s Time to Buy

Li Ka-Shing refuses to say whether the stock markets have bottomed out, though, and he advises against borrowing to invest.

 

East Asia?s Small Edens of Trade Wilt as Need for Exports Dries Up

Small, globalized trading centers like Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan are proving to be particularly vulnerable to the wave of global economic troubles.

 

Abruptly, Expatriate Bankers Are Cut Loose

The salaries and bonuses were great, the lifestyle grand. The party?s over, and expats are joining the ranks of the jobless.

In its multi-faceted role as a repository of traditional Chinese culture, the last jewel in the crown of the British Empire and one of the key economies of the Pacific Rim, HONG KONG is East Asia's most extraordinary city. The territory's per capita GNP, for example, has doubled in a decade, overtaking that of the former imperial power. Yet the inequality of incomes is staggering: the conspicuous consumption of the few hundred super-rich (all Cantonese) for which Hong Kong is famous tends to mask the fact that most people work long hours and live in crowded, tiny apartments. In spite of this, the population of almost seven million is generally sophisticated and well informed compared to their mainland cousins, the result of a vibrant and free press (although self-censorship is a constant and growing concern). The territory is currently the largest trading partner and largest source of foreign investment for the People's Republic of China, a country of 1.2 billion people. And the view of sky-scrapered Hong Kong Island, across the harbour from Kowloon, is one of the most stunning urban panoramas on earth.

The territory of Hong Kong comprises an irregularly shaped peninsula abutting the Pearl River Delta to the west, and a number of offshore islands, which cover in total more than a thousand square kilometres. The bulk of this area, namely the land in the north of the peninsula as well as most of the islands, is semi-rural and is known as the New Territories - this was the land leased to Britain for 99 years in 1898. The southern part of the peninsula, known as Kowloon , and the island immediately south of here, Hong Kong Island , are the principal urban areas of Hong Kong. They were ceded to Britain in perpetuity, though the British government in 1984 saw no alternative but to agree to hand back the entire territory as one piece, so that from midnight on June 30, 1997, it has been the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China.

The island of Hong Kong offers not only traces of the old colony - from English place names to ancient trams trundling along the shore - but also superb modern architecture and bizarre cityscapes of towering buildings teetering up impossible slopes, as well as unexpected opportunities for hiking and even bathing on the beaches of its southern shore. Kowloon, in particular its southernmost tip, Tsimshatsui , is where many visitors end up staying. This is not only the budget accommodation centre of Hong Kong, but also the most cosmopolitan area of perhaps any Chinese city, with a substantial population of immigrants from the Indian subcontinent. And as the territory's principal tourist trap, it boasts more shops offering a greater variety of goods per square kilometre than anywhere in the world (not necessarily at reasonable prices, though). North of Tsimshatsui, Kowloon stretches away into the New Territories, an area of so-called New Towns as well as ancient villages, secluded beaches and rural tranquillity. In addition, there are the offshore islands , which are well worth a visit for their fish restaurants, scenery and, if nothing else, for the experience of chugging about on the inter-island ferries . The islands of Lamma and Lantau , in particular, offer a relatively rural and traffic-free contrast to the hubbub of downtown Hong Kong.

Some visitors dislike the speed, the obsessive materialism and the addiction to shopping, money and brand names in Hong Kong. As in many a Western city, the locals are reserved towards strangers, and, with its perennial massive engineering projects (something else which hasn't been changed by the handover), downtown is certainly not a place to recover from a headache. On the other hand, it's hard not to enjoy the sheer energy of its street- and commercial life, which continues despite the uncertainties over the long-term future of the city


Hung Hom Bay
Wan Chai
 
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