Hong Kong Hotels

Today's Hong Kong is a "Special Administrative Region" in the south China Sea. Though it is a part of China, it feels more like an independent city-state. Hong Kong itself is an island and forms the "SAR" together with the surrounding regions called Kowlon, Outlying Islands and New Territories. Hong Kong was founded as a tiny fishing village in the beginning and was under Chinese rule till the year 1841 when it was colonized by the British Empire. Later, the surrounding regions and Kowlon peninsula joined. During the WWII, the Japanese invaded this area but after the war, the region was returned to British rule. The fate of this land changed in 1949 when China was taken over by Communist rule. In an attempt to escape the oppression, many people, mostly wealthy businessman, migrated to Hong Kong. The British government allowed economic freedom thus, the commerce flourished. As of today, Hong Kong became one of the most important financial districts of the world. In 1997, the administration was returned to China. However, the economic freedom wasn't altered. Nowadays, Hong Kong is an important gateway to China. Many Chinese companies have their headquarters in Hong Kong and factories in China. Daily life in Hong Kong is much like the history of it; Chinese in origin, heavily influenced by the west world. More than 90 per cent of the population is Chinese but English language is very widely known. Lifestyles have been westernized. Christmas is properly celebrated here. This doesn't mean they had given away their traditions, they still cherish their heritage. The upside of this for us tourists, is that it has never been easier and more convenient to access Eastern culture. Every shop and every restaurant has more than two language speaking staff, there is better variety in goods and service, and best of all, there is no sales tax (VAT) to drive the prices up! This city is a shoppers heaven, especially on electronics, clothing, jewelery as well as traditional Chinese arts and crafts; all readily available in many high quality malls and shopping districts of the city. Same principals apply for the cuisine. Traditional Chinese cooking is at its best and modern western style restaurants are plentiful. The Hong Kong island is where the heartbeat is. The city is as crowded as you would expect from a far eastern capital. This is also due to land scarcity. North of the island is covered by commercial districts, as well as government buildings, each trying to outrun the other in height and glitter. The streets are so busy that there is no space to spare on the sidewalk. However, the south of the island is more laid back, with well developed and well taken care of beaches and luxury apartments. If you really want to enjoy the beach though, you'd want to wander away from the crowd a bit. The Outlying Islands are perfect. There are hundreds of islands under the Hong Kong SAR territory, from small rock formations that rose from the sea to much larger ones. Kowloon peninsula is the residential district. It once was the most densely populated place in the world. High-rise apartments, neon covered shopping districts, hotels, street markets and stalls... There is much to discover here. The last district of Hong Kong to mention is the New Territories. This area is a contrast to the rest of Hong Kong. There are pastoral villages, farms; overall a good tropical setting. Natura-tourism of Hong Kong is mostly focused but not limited to this district. Victoria Peak offers an astonishing urban view and is a highly recommended spot for all tourists. In all of this land, climate is tropical. Temperatures never drop too low in winter, or turn too hot and humid in summer. Average temperatures are around mid 20 degrees Celsius. Typhoons are common in summer and might halt the ongoing life for a day or so. If you fancy a far eastern vacation, Hong Kong will surely be the best place to start because this city has a lot to offer on eastern culture, without the most common drawbacks experienced in more closed communities.