World City Guide

Mini Guide of Hong Kong

City Overview

This former British imperial enclave (situated at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta, on the southwestern coast of China) has been rapidly changing since the hand-over from British colonial to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Or rather, the underlying city presents a new guise without the imperial overlay. Hong Kong’s role as gateway to China is more in question than ever, with the Bamboo Curtain a distant memory, WTO accession opening the entire mainland to foreign economic penetration and China enjoying surging growth while Hong Kong is still emerging from long-term recession. Hong Kong has also become far more Chinese than ever before, with many ex-pats departed and an overwhelmingly Cantonese government presiding over the Filipinos, Indians, Nepalese and other minorities that make up the city’s ethnic patchwork. Nevertheless, the Hong Kongers resist assimilation, reluctantly yielding to pressures for economic integration while jealously guarding their separate freedoms and identity.

With the political reasons for its creation fast receding into history, Hong Kong’s geographical oddity comes into focus. The few square kilometres of territory conceded to the British now top the UN list for urban population density. Hong Kong Island itself is the core of the old imperial possession, with Kowloon just across the harbour forming the other half of the main conurbation. Further north are the New Territories, leased from China in 1898, which form a slightly more rural hinterland. And around this main focus are the large islands of Lamma and Lantau and the smaller Outlying Islands that complete the patchwork.

This assortment of pinnacles and paddies sits slap in the South China Sea’s typhoon alley. In winter and early spring, the climate can be mild and fresh but, in May, the ever-present humidity skyrockets and summer is both hot and frequently wet. Typhoons hit during summer and early autumn and, even without them, ferocious rainstorms fall intermittently. Hong Kong is not the ideal summer holiday destination.

The city’s economy has suffered since the Asian economic crisis of 1997, but although commerce remains subdued, Hong Kong is beginning to experience some green shoots of recovery. The tourism industry is leading the way. Strong international marketing has enabled tourism to recover vigorously from the 2003 SARS outbreak, and Hong Kong expects to welcome 20.5 million visitors during 2004. In the proverbial scale of Cantonese values, money comes first. And Hong Kong still has plenty of that. Hong Kong has a more determined sense of its separate identity than ever before, although it remains a thrustingly commercial city, whose dedication to fast money has never been greater. However, its economic future lies, undoubtedly, in aligning itself closely with the Pan-Pearl River Delta cities, who are working together to create an economic power zone in southern China, Hong Kong and Macau.

Away from the business of making money, and its traditional fine dining, great shopping and world-class hotels, Hong Kong has its unsung natural beauties, in the shape of looming mountains, secluded islets, white beaches, hiking trails and island landscapes. The Special Administrative Region (SAR) government recently branded the entire city as ‘Asia’s World City’. Visitors can judge how true that is but, unquestionably, Hong Kong remains unique.

Getting There By Air

Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
Tel: 2188 7111 or 2181 0000 (enquiry hotline). Fax: 2824 0717.
E-mail: customer@hkairport.com
Website: www.hkairport.com

Frequently voted World’s Best Airport, Hong Kong’s airport is located 45km (28 miles) from central Hong Kong, at Chek Lap Kok on Lantau island. It opened on 6 July 1998, replacing the existing Kai Tak airport, and is now the world’s fifth busiest passenger airport, with an average of 600 aircraft taking off/landing each day. Its cargo capacity (increasingly important as the airport competes as a cargo hub) is planned to rise from its initial three million tons to nine million tons. This is especially important, since new ‘open skies’ agreements between incumbent carrier Cathay Pacific and US regulators have opened up many direct and onward routes between Hong Kong and US cities. The expanse and quality of shopping, dining and relaxation facilities at Chep Lap Kok are a real eye-opener for any first-time visitor. The new SkyPlaza, being built next to the passenger terminal, will serve as a focal point for air, sea and surface traffic and forms part of the larger SkyCity development, including the AsiaWorld-Expo exhibition centre, a hotel, golf course and cross-boundary ferry terminal.

Chep Lap Kok airport was one of the largest global infrastructure projects ever undertaken. It includes the 2.2km (1.4-mile) Tsing Ma Bridge (the world’s largest suspension bridge) linking Hong Kong to Lantau. Approximately three quarters of the 12,480 sq kilometres (7800 sq miles) of the airport site was constructed from land reclaimed from the sea. The airport terminal building, designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster, is Hong Kong’s largest single building.

Major airlines: Cathay Pacific (tel: 2747 1888; website: www.cathaypacific.com) is the territory’s flag carrier, operating direct flights to most major destinations in the West and Australasia. Other major airlines out of the 60 international carriers that serve the territory include Air Canada, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air New Zealand, Alitalia, American Airlines, British Airways, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, Emirates, Finnair, Garuda Indonesia, Gulf Air, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Malaysian Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Olympic Airways, Qantas, Royal Brunei, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, United Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

Approximate flight times to Hong Kong: From London is 11 hours 45 minutes; from New York is 20 hours 10 minutes (due to fall by seven hours or more with more non-stop New York-Hong Kong services launching); from Los Angeles is 14 hours 35 minutes; from Toronto is 15 hours 15 minutes and from Sydney is 9 hours.

Airport facilities: Hong Kong International Airport has a suite of facilities appropriate to its size and importance. There are 118 immigration desks for arriving passengers and 88 for departing passengers, operated by Hong Kong’s Immigration Department. Twelve baggage carousels give an estimated baggage reclaim time of as low as 10 minutes. The Hong Kong SkyMart shopping centre (open 0600-2430) has over 150 shops, including 30 food and beverage outlets – soon to expand still further. Three information centres (open 0600-2400) provide extensive services, including hotel reservation and touch-screen passenger information kiosks. Free multimedia and Internet access lounges are available in the passenger terminal; wireless broadband access is available to passengers with wireless Ethernet cards. Bureaux de change are open daily 0600-2330. The passenger terminal building offers special-needs facilities for passengers with disabilities. Car hire is available at the Ground Transport Centre from Avis, Hertz and other major operators.

Business facilities: The PCCW HKT business centre (tel: 2883 3871) provides Internet services, fax and telegram facilities, as well as a small conference room accommodating four or five people (daily, 0700-2300, check-in hall).

Arrival/departure tax: There is a departure tax of HK$120, included in the price of your air ticket. No collection/payment is made at the airport. Travellers arriving/departing from Hong Kong on the same day are exempt from payment.

Transport to the city: Rail, bus and taxi links from Hong Kong International Airport to central Hong Kong leave from the Ground Transportation Centre. The easiest connection is via the high-speed MTR Airport Express train (tel: 2881 8888), which runs daily 0550-0048 and leaves every 10 minutes, taking passengers from the airport to central Hong Kong in just 23 minutes, via stops at Tsing Yi and Kowloon stations. A single adult ticket costs HK$100 (a one-month return is HK$180 - concessions are available) to Hong Kong Station, and HK$90 to Kowloon – the likeliest destinations for international travellers. The Airport Express is operated by the Mass Transit Railway – MTR (see Public Transport), which also connects districts through Kowloon and Hong Kong Island with the airport. There is a combined Airport Express Tourist Octopus three-day Hong Kong transport pass available, which allows for a single journey into Hong Kong, plus three days of unlimited rides on the MTR. This costs HK$220 – or HK$300 for two journeys on the Airport Express plus the rest of the package. Passengers can also take advantage of free shuttle buses linking MTR’s Hong Kong and Kowloon stations with major hotels; there is also a free check-in service at both stations for up to a day before departure.

By bus, the quickest way to central Hong Kong is on the Airbus (tel: 2261 2791) and Cityflyer airport bus (tel: 2873 0818), which departs every 15 minutes (journey time – 1 hour) at a cost of approximately HK$40 for services to Central. About 30 franchised routes serve the airport, including night buses, with 17 pick-up bays. The earliest ‘A’ route express bus services run 0530-2400, when the ‘N’ night-bus service takes over from 0015-0500.

Taxis to Hong Kong are readily available. Red taxis serve Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, green taxis serve the New Territories and blue taxis serve Lantau Island (journey time to Hong Kong – 45 minutes). The fare to Central is typically HK$330, while to Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon Side, this is HK$270. Limousine hire is available from desks in the arrivals hall, from International Hire Car (tel: 2261 2188) and Parklane Limousine (tel: 2261 0303). Ferry links operate between the airport and Tuen Mun in the New Territories every 30 minutes, daily 0600-1000, costing HK$15 (journey time – 9 minutes).

Turbojet (website: www.turbojetseaexpress.com.hk) now provides direct daily ferry services from Chep Lap Kok airport to/from Macau (45 minutes – 1000-2115) and Shenzhen (40 minutes – 0820-1945).

Getting There By Water

Water
The Port of Hong Kong, situated right at the heart of the territory, between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, is a major global maritime hub, providing a stream of ocean traffic visible from the city centre. It is administered by the Marine Department of the Government of Hong Kong (tel: 2852 3001; fax: 2541 7194; e-mail: mdenquiry@mardep.gov.hk; website: www.info.gov.hk/mardep). The public passenger ferry terminals process approximately 18 million passenger trips a year.

Hong Kong harbour’s Ocean Terminal (tel: 2118 8951; fax: 2736 2481; website: www.oceanterminal.com.hk), situated on Kowloon Side, is a major cruise destination, able to accommodate the largest liners. Many of the cruise trips, however, are overnight casino trips to international waters, catering for the Chinese passion for gambling. The Ocean Terminal contains 24-hour customs and immigration services at Western Anchorage, left luggage, banks and bureaux de change. The facilities at the adjacent Harbour City mall are extensive and include banking, duty-free shops, department stores, cafes and restaurant.

Some hydrofoil and ferry services (including daily ferries, every half hour to/from Macau) depart from China Ferry Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Others depart from the Shun Tak (tel: 2859 3333) Macau.

Ferry services: Cruise lines serving the Port of Hong Kong include Club Med Croisieres, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line, Holland American, Norwegian Cruiseline, Princess Cruises, Orient Lines, P&O Cruises, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises and Star Cruises. Hovercrafts and jet catamarans link Hong Kong Island and Kowloon with Chinese ports in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other neighbouring centres, including Shenzhen Airport. Far East Hydrofoil Co Ltd (tel: 2921 6688) is the main provider. There are also a number of ships sailing to major Chinese ports, although these are less frequent. There is a fast hydrofoil link to Macau. Ships berth at the China Hong Kong City Terminal, in Tsim Sha Tsui. Cruise ships of the Star Line also berth at the Ocean Terminal, giving a superb view of central Hong Kong from arriving boats.

Transport to the city: The Ocean Terminal is a major node for bus and taxi services on Kowloon Side and is adjacent to the Star Ferry services linking the terminal to Hong Kong Island. Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station is a short walk away. Transport from the Shun Tak hydrofoil terminal is from the nearby Sheung Wan MTR station.

Getting There By Road

Hong Kong traffic drives on the left. Routes are designated by a number (such as Route 1, the main expressway route to China, or Route 3, from Hong Kong Island). Speed limits are 50kph (30mph) in built-up areas or 100kph (60mph) elsewhere. An International Driving Permit is recommended, although not legally required. A valid national driving licence is accepted for up to 12 months and the minimum age for driving is 18 years. Third-party insurance is compulsory. Holders of a valid foreign licence who are over 18 years old can drive for their first year of residence, after which they must apply for a local licence. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.05%.

The Hong Kong Automobile Association (tel: 2739 5273; fax: 2721 8940; website: www.hkaa.com.hk) can provide more information.

Emergency breakdown service:
HKAA 2304 4911 (24-hours for members)

Routes to the city: The most accessible places for one to drive to are Lantau Island (for the airport) and Guangzhou. Although there is no theoretical reason not to drive to and from the mainland, few visitors do.

Approximate driving times to Hong Kong: From Lantau Island – 1 hour; from Guangzhou – 3 hours.

Coach services: There are bus and coach links to destinations on the Chinese mainland. Citybus (tel: 2736 3888) and CTS (tel: 2853 3888) offer coach services to Guangzhou and Shenzhen, departing from the China Hong Kong City Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, and other pick-up points, including the Island Shangri-La Hotel in Admiralty.

Getting There By Rail

Kowloon-Canton Railway – KCR (tel: 2929 3399; fax: 2601 6602; website: www.kcrc.com) is the service provider for railways leading north from Kowloon. The KCR Terminal is located in Hung Hom, Kowloon. Immigration facilities are handled before boarding – passengers are asked to arrive 45 minutes before departure.

Hong Kong Station, located in the International Finance Center Mall, Exchange Square, Central, serves the MTR Airport Express link – passengers wishing to connect to the KCR rail lines must cross to Kowloon by MTR or ferry. The station has a left-luggage service, advance airport check in, information offices, exchange offices (at the Hang Seng Bank), duty-free shops, banks, restaurants and supermarkets.

Rail services: Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) operates a service jointly with Chinese Railways (tel: 2947 7888) from Kowloon to Guangzhou, four times a day (journey time – 1 hour 35 minutes). There are also services from Hong Kong to Foshan (journey time – 3 hours) and Changping (journey time – 1 hour 15 minutes). Restaurant cars are only available if travelling first class. Local KCR trains run regularly, daily 0530–0025 (every 5–10 minutes) to Lo Wu (the last stop before the Chinese border) with many passengers joining the trains where the KCR line connects with the MTR at Kowloon Tong. It is possible for travellers to then cross the border to Shenzhen – the first city in China over the border. To go as far as Lo Wu, it is necessary for passengers to hold a visa for China, otherwise it is only possible to get to Sheung Shui. Immigration is handled at the Lo Wu border crossing and there is a last-minute border visa shop, although visitors are recommended to obtain visas earlier. It is also advisable for travellers to leave plenty of time, especially at weekends and public holidays, as the crowds at the crossing point can be nightmarish. The KCR WestRail information line (tel: 2684 8623) can provide further information.

Besides the express service from Kowloon to Guangzhou, there are now direct express links to Beijing (journey time – 16 hours) and Shanghai (journey time – 15 hours 35 minutes), as well as sleeper trains and stopping services to many other Chinese cities.

Transport to the city: The Hung Hom station has plentiful bus and taxi services to destinations in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Mongkok and Kowloon Tong stations have direct links with the MTR.

Getting Around

Public Transport
Hong Kong has one of the most efficient and diverse public transport systems in the world, incorporating an underground railway, light urban railways, buses, minibuses, boats, ferries and trams. However, the diversity of operators prevents full integration and it is not possible, for example, to transfer from train to minibus on the same ticket, although the Octopus Card is very widely accepted.

The Mass Transit Railway – MTR (tel: 2881 8888; fax: 2795 9991 website: www.mtrcorp.com) has five underground metro lines including two cross-harbour lines, as well as the Airport Express link. It is more expensive than the ferry but quicker, particularly for those travelling further into Kowloon than Tsim Sha Tsui. The MTR runs daily 0555-2435. The only other railway line is the Kowloon-Canton Railway – KCR (see Getting There By Rail), which has 13 stations within Hong Kong. Fares are metered by the number of stations, with only limited zoning. The cheapest fare (for one to two stations) is KH$4 (concessions available).

Bus routes run throughout the territory, with cross-harbour routes via the tunnel. These, however, are often very crowded. Exact change is required for those passengers not in possession of an Octopus Card. Air-conditioned coaches operate along certain Hong Kong and Kowloon routes. Citybus (tel: 2873 0818; fax: 2857 6179; website: www.citybus.com.hk) and New World First Bus (tel: 2136 8888; fax: 2136 2136; website: www.nwfb.com.hk) are the two licensed operators for bus services on Hong Kong Island. Kowloon Motor Bus (tel: 2745 4466; website: www.kmb.com.hk) operates on Kowloon Side. Buses operate daily from around 0600-2430. A night bus service runs all night. Bus fare is generally around HK$5.

Minibuses operate on fixed routes. These pick up passengers who flag them down like taxis and stop on request (the procedure is for passengers to stand up and yell) except at regular bus stops and other restricted areas. Payment is almost invariably by cash and drivers are not compelled to move without a full load, so they often loiter at traffic lights, waiting to pick up more passengers. Fares vary by distance and are usually incomprehensible to non-locals; most are around HK$5-7 – some minibuses now accept Octopus Card payment. Minibuses run daily from around 0600-2430 and a night service operates on specific routes – between Central in Hong Kong and Mongkok or between eastern Hong Kong Island and Kennedy Town in the west.

Trams are only available on Hong Kong Island. They are frequent and cheap, with a standard fare of HK$2 for the entire journey – temporary visitors are unlikely to encounter the far more advanced supertrams in suburban Kowloon. The Peak Tram, on the Island, is a funicular tramway to the upper terminus on Victoria Peak (see Key Attractions).

The Star Ferry (tel: 2367 7065; fax: 2118 6028; e-mail: sf@starferry.com.hk; website: www.starferry.com.hk) ride across Hong Kong harbour is a tourist ‘must do’, as well as the cheapest way to make the crossing at HK$1.70, or HK$2.20 for the upper deck. Star Ferry terminals are in Tsim Sha Tsui and Central. Services operate daily 0630-2330. Other ferry services also connect with the outlying islands of the territory and other destinations.

An MTR Tourist Ticket, valid for a full day of unlimited rides, is available at a cost of HK$50. The price of the pass includes a map and souvenir ticket. A three-day Hong Kong Transport Pass is also available for HK$220 for one Airport Express single journey and three days of unlimited MTR rides, or HK$300 for two Airport Express journeys and three days of MTR rides. Both can be upgraded for an additional HK$20 for use on all buses, trams and other public transport services. The price includes a refundable deposit of HK$50; the value of unused travel can be refunded at the end of usage.

However, for visitors staying for a week or more, it is worth getting the Octopus Card (tel: 2266 2266; website: www.octopuscards.com) – a smart card that automatically deducts the cost of the journey when it is placed on a sensor. The card costs HK$150, which includes a refundable deposit of HK$50. Any other credit remaining is also refunded when the card is handed in. At present, the card may be used on MTR services, as well as on the Kowloon-Canton Railway, major bus routes, some minibuses and some ferries. Plans are underway to extend its use to other routes and means of transport, as Hong Kong’s transport system becomes more and more integrated. It can already be used in convenience stores and branches of Starbucks to pay for goods (acting like a debit card). The MTR Tourist Ticket and Octopus Cards are available for purchase at the ticket kiosk of any MTR station.

Taxis
Taxis are plentiful in Hong Kong and Kowloon and are extremely cheap – most journeys cost less than HK$20. Minimum fare is HK$15 in central Hong Kong (less in the New Territories). There are taxi ranks in busy locations but taxis can be flagged down anywhere on the street. Red taxis serve Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, green ones serve the New Territories and blue ones Lantau Island. Taxis with a rectangular red plaque on their dashboard are generally cross-harbour taxis. Some journeys incur an extra toll, such as trips through the cross-harbour tunnel (HK$20-HK$50, depending on which tunnel is used). Charges are also sometimes added when carrying luggage. It is common for passengers to round up the fare to the nearest Dollar, although this is not mandatory.

Many drivers speak a little English but visitors would be advised to carry a map or have their destination written in Chinese characters. It is also wise for passengers to ask if the taxi is a Hong Kong or Kowloon taxi when boarding, especially late at night – drivers are happiest sticking to their own side of the water.

Limousines
Intercontinental Hire Cars (tel: 2336 6111) and Oriental Travel Service Ltd (tel: 2865 2618; fax: 2865 2984; website: www.orientaltravel.com.hk/tours/limousine.htm) both provide chauffeur-driven limousine services with prices starting from around HK$280 per hour.

Driving in the City
Driving in Hong Kong is best left to professionals. With one of the best public transport systems in the world and ubiquitous taxis, there is no need for visitors to risk going behind the wheel. Rates on cars are strong deterrents, with a 100% vehicle import tax and petrol tax, as well as hefty insurance and vehicle registration fees. This does, however, make second-hand cars surprisingly cheap, even once the price of shipping one home has been factored in. The Ferraris, Maseratis and other premium vehicles lined up in Central in the evenings, show that cars are expensive toys in Hong Kong.

Major car parks in Central are at the Parking Building, Murray Road, and the Airport Express Terminal, Man Cheung Road. In Causeway Bay, the World Trade Centre, near the Excelsior Hotel is the main parking point, while in Kowloon, parking can be found at the Lippo Sun Plaza, Kowloon Park Drive in Tsim Sha Tsui. Parking prices are approximately HK$22 per hour, with a minimum stay of two hours in many locations.

Car Hire
It is wise for one not to be in charge of a rented vehicle in Hong Kong’s vertiginous streets, as the average HK$5,000 refundable deposit on hire cars testifies. Car hire companies usually require drivers to be over 25 years. A valid driving licence from the country of residence or an International Driving Permit is required, as well as minimum third-party insurance. Hire rates for a standard saloon car start from about HK$1,000 per day. Major operators include Avis (tel: 2890 6988; website: www.avis.com) and Hertz (tel: 2525 1313; website: www.hertz.com).

Bicycle Hire
It might be consoling to know that if one chooses to cycle in central Hong Kong, the traffic will kill one long before the appalling air quality does. In any event, the Hong Kong authorities actually prohibit bicycle riding in Central. Nevertheless, there are places for visitors to enjoy cycling – out on the islands or in the New Territories.

Bicycles are available for hire from Hop Cheong Bicycle Shop (tel: 2896 0816) and Siu Kee Bicycle (tel: 2981 1384) in Cheung Chau. The New Territories offer bicycle hire at Tai Po KCR station, where there are numerous small stalls located directly outside. For a standard bicycle, hire prices average HK$50 a day.

Business

Business Profile
The mainstays of Hong Kong’s economy are trading, light manufacturing, shipping, media, financial services and tourism, as well as the property sector, which is of huge interest to locals but little to outsiders. Although transport routes to the newly opened-up ports across coastal China are challenging Hong Kong’s pre-eminence, the city’s great trading houses remain important. These major international conglomerates, such as Swire, Jebsen and Jardine Matheson, have widely diversified interests. Li Ka-shing and his Hutchinson Whampoa is the quintessence of how Hong Kong’s economic power, founded on trade, has spread octopus-like from the Pearl River Delta into vastly diverse locales and commercial holdings, ranging from ports to telecommunications. Property, through eminent houses such as Sun Hung Kai Properties and Kerry Properties, provides much of the investment funding to support Hong Kong’s broader economy, although the sector itself has been in crisis since the late 1990s. Tourism might yet be Hong Kong’s salvation, with the 2005 opening of Disneyland Hong Kong on Lantau island, increased international promotion and huge interest in travelling to Hong Kong from the new middle class of China’s most affluent cities.

Government statistics for November 2004 declare Hong Kong’s labour force at 3.54 million. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the city stood at HK$158 billion in 2003, which rose in real terms by 8.7% in the first three-quarters of 2004. Growth, however, was expected to slow in the final quarter to an estimated annual growth of 7.5%. The headline unemployment rate in Hong Kong was 6.7%, which dropped steadily during 2004 as the green shoots of economic recovery began to take root.

Hong Kong has developed into a major international financial centre since the incorporation of its stock exchange in 1980 – currently the 10th largest in the world, as ranked by capitalisation. Banking, insurance and other financial services are provided to local and mainland firms, as well as the many international conglomerates with offices there. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) is the strongest bank to originate locally and develop an international presence. The Bank of East Asia is another notable body. Investment banking houses, such as Goldman Sachs and BNP Prime Peregrine, are also highly active locally. A large number of financial brokerage houses, many of them now going online, serve the insatiable appetite of the Hong Kong punter for short-term speculative investing. They also offer a broader range of investment services that use this money to gamble on a bigger scale with venture capital initiatives of various kinds.

Manufacturing is concentrated in textiles, consumer electronics and other consumer goods – Hong Kong is the world’s largest producer of children’s toys. Increasingly, manufacturing operations are headquartered in Hong Kong but use infinitely cheaper labour across the border. The shipping and logistics industries are assisted by Hong Kong’s natural deep-water harbour, probably the best in the region. Maritime entrepôt trade remains very significant, although somewhat diminished by competition from Shanghai and other ports in Shenzhen and South East Asia.

Hong Kong also has a strong media and telecommunications sector, churning out Cantopop, kung fu and rom-com movies and television and music programmes for the Greater China public. Companies like Golden Harvest and the Emperor Entertainment Group dominate the local industry. Internet and telecommunications companies, such as Richard Li’s Pacific Century CyberWorks, have risen on the backs of established telcos like Cable and Wireless HongKong Telecom. Hong Kong’s efforts to reposition itself as a wired city of the new millennium have faded as a dominant policy theme, although the quality of the telecoms infrastructure remains excellent. Investment into China has replaced this strategy as the main current entrepreneurial driver.

The main financial district of Hong Kong is the International Finance Centre (IFC), where the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is housed, although this is more like a mall or walkway complex than Wall Street. Most corporate headquarters are housed around Central, Admiralty and Nathan Road, on Kowloon Side.

Business Etiquette
Suits are advisable for business – Hong Kong can be surprisingly formal in its outward business standards, in contrast to the casual bucaneering enterpreneurialism of its business practice. Hong Kongers are also not casual about business punctuality – appointments should be fixed in advance and kept. The culture of business cards is prevalent and, if possible, cards should be printed up with Chinese translations on the reverse. Almost all top hotels provide business centres for visiting businesspeople, with typing, photocopying, translation and other services. Normal office hours are 0900-1300 and 1400-1800 Monday to Friday and 0900-1300 Saturday, with some offices staying open later on Saturday and almost every Hong Kong office full of late-night workers long after sunset.

Although business lunches (especially dim sum) and after-hours drinking are a prevalent part of the Hong Kong business scene, there is not the same emphasis on drinking parties and bonding evenings as there is in China and Japan. Hong Kongers are too busy focusing on the bottom line to worry about company camaraderie and many have far lower tolerance for alcohol than their hardened mainland compatriots. Ex-pat workers drink together hugely but this is not a formal part of local business culture – just an unavoidable one.

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
One should pity the poor locals who never lift their eyes from the streets – Hong Kong can be one of the most riveting and unexpectedly beautiful urban spectacles on earth. A two-minute walk from the bustle of Central reveals a harbour view that the architectural boom of the 1980s and 1990s has turned into a mixture of Manhattan and San Francisco, with added shipping bustle. At night, it just gets better. The view of Hong Kong’s glittering lights from the Peak by night is unforgettable, particularly at 2000 when a nightly laser and music show invigorates the towers of Central and Kowloon’s Tsim Sha Tsui. By contrast, the south side of Hong Kong island, at Stanley or Repulse Bay, is an entrancing islandscape straight out of a classical Chinese ink painting. And any backstreet market provides folksy, ethnic charm by the barrow load. Lamma Island provides a picturesque (power plant excepted) getaway and some excellent seafood restaraunts and vegetarian cafes.

Old colonial Hong Kong may have been short on grand monuments but the now famous Bank of China and the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) give the place a 21st-century buzz suited to one of the Pacific Rim’s most important economic hubs. These buildings are sharing the limelight with the rainbow-coloured light show of The Center skyscraper, the waterside steel wings of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and the soaring International Finance Center. Die-hard colonialists can content themselves with Government House, the Former French Mission Building, the Former Gate Lodge on the peak, the Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower, the Former Kowloon British School and a host of other ‘Olds’ and ‘Formers’.

There are far older relics of the region’s past still surviving the relentless forward drive, especially out in the New Territories. These include the Causeway Bay Tin Hau Temple, Law Uk Hakka House, Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb, Sam Tung Uk Village, Liu Man Shek Tong Ancestral Hall, Kun Lung Wai Gate Tower, Yeung Hau Temple and so on. Hong Kong is pinning much of its hopes as a future tourist centre on the Hong Kong Disneyland, which opens in 2005 on Lantau Island as well as a 75m (246-foot) ferris wheel at Victoria Harbour, due to open in 2006. It is also developing closer cooperation and transport links with neighbouring Macau, which is developing as a major casino tourism destination and potential low-cost airline hub in Asia.

Tourist Information
Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Information Centre
Ground Floor, The Center, 99 Queen’s Road Central, Central Tel: 2807 6543 or 2508 1234 (tourist information). Fax: 2806 0303.
E-mail: info@hktourismboard.com
Website: www.discoverhongkong.com
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1800.

Passes
The HKTB Museum Pass gives unlimited admission to the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Hong Kong Science Museum, the Hong Kong Space Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, the Hong Kong Museum of History and others, as well as some discounts in the museum shops. Valid for one week, the pass costs HK$30 and is available from HKTB offices and participating museums.

Key Attractions

Statue Square
Previously never a feature of traditional Hong Kong tourist itineraries, Statue Square is now a must-see, on account of its dazzling ensemble of modern architecture. The headquarters building of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) forms the south side of the square and just to the east of it is I M Pei’s Bank of China Tower. Less distinguished but equally prominent buildings jostle around them, towering over the colonial remnant of St John’s Cathedral. In more antiquated contrast, the Legislative Council Building, formerly the Supreme Court, on the east side of the square, houses Hong Kong’s partly elected assembly.

The bizarre profile of Norman Foster’s masterpiece may not look monumental on paper (it is on most Hong Kong Dollar banknotes) but in the flesh (or steel) it is tremendous. Opened in 1986, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation building exemplified the fashion for atriums in world architecture and an escalator ride up into the belly of the building. The building has no central core (bridge engineering techniques secure the walls and its infrastructure is on the outside) so all 11 storeys of the central atrium are open and unobstructed.

Deliberately planned to dwarf the neighbouring Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Building, the Bank of China Tower is now Hong Kong’s ‘national’ monument. The Chinese-American architect, I M Pei, developed Beijing’s triumphalist intentions into a soaring, gracefully irregular pinnacle, the design characteristics of which inspire lively debate among connoisseurs of feng shui. The triangular and hexagonal structural logic requires some minutes of puzzled scrutiny. Visitors can ascend to the 43rd of the building’s 74 floors for a particularly stunning view of Central.

Standing beside the Star Ferry terminal is the soaring 88-storey International Finance Centre (known as ‘Two IFC’ - One IFC building is older and much smaller) building is for now Hong Kong’s tallest skyscraper at 420m (1,378 feet) and the sixth tallest in the world – the Union Square Phase 7 will be taller once completed in 2007. Topped by a sculptural ‘crown’ reaching inward and outward, the buildings tapered upward appearance is achieved by smaller floor areas towards the top. The building featured in the movie Tomb Raider II. The 55th-floor Hong Kong Monetary Authority Information Centre is open to the public and there is also a cinema, upscale shopping mall and the super-trendy new ISOLA bar and grill on the third floor.

Central
Transport: MTR Central station, exit K.

Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Building
Des Voeux Road, Statue Square
Tel: 2822 1111. Fax: 2868 1646.
Website: www.hsbc.com.hk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1630, Sat 0900-1230.
Admission: Free.

Bank of China Tower
2a Des Voeux Road, 1 Garden Road
Tel: 2826 6888. Fax: 2810 5963.
Website: www.bochk.com/en/index.htm
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-2130, Sat and Sun 0930-2330.
Admission: HK$9 (concessions available).

International Finance Center
8 Finance Street
Website: www.ifc.com.hk/english

Victoria Peak
A miniature hill station in colonial times, Victoria Peak is stratospheric in its social exclusiveness and its rents. Groundlings can still visit, however, ascending by the vertiginous Peak Tram – a funicular in use since 1888, which feels more like the Space Shuttle. Atop the hill is the Peak Tower (a slightly bizarre viewing platform with displays and other facilities) as well as the Peak Galleria shopping arcade. The amusements and shops on offer vary from the appealing to the unforgivably tacky, although there are at least plenty of restaurants and bars to sustain visitors. Dinner at Café Deco, in the Peak Galleria, is a must-do Hong Kong experience – the view down into central Hong Kong and across the water to Kowloon defies description, day or night. Hikers can scale the real peak, some 140m (459ft) above the tram terminus, with vistas over Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the outlying islands.

Garden Road (Lower Peak Tram Terminus)
Tel: 2849 7654; fax: 2849 6237 (Peak Tram).
E-mail: peaktram@peninsula.com
Website: www.thepeak.com.hk
Transport: Peak Tram from Garden Road; bus from Exchange Square; shuttle bus from Star Ferry terminal.
Opening hours: Daily 0700-2400 (Peak Tram).
Admission: (Peak Tram) HK$20 one way, HK$30 return; concessions available.

Western Market
This former market (a four-storey red brick Edwardian building dating from 1906 and occupying an entire block at the western end of Central) was reopened in 1991, as a shopping centre featuring small shops, souvenir stands and curio sellers. Ground-floor shops sell unique merchandise rather than chain store goods, while the first floor recreates the old ‘Cloth Alley’, selling silks and fabrics of all kinds. There is also a dim sum restaurant and a fine antique-shop café.

Connaught Road
Tel: 2543 6878. Fax: 2543 6931.
Transport: MTR Sheung Wan, exit B or C; bus or tram along Des Voeux Road to Sheung Wan.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1900.
Admission: Free.

Times Square
The retail plaza to end them all, Times Square is an enormous temple to Hong Kong’s number one deity, Mammon. The vast complex houses nine floors of shops and has a spectacular exterior with a huge display screen and electronic clock – the venue for the big millennium countdown in 2000. At the weekend, the hosts of sacrifices ascending the escalator, to be swallowed up in the belly of this huge idol, demonstrate exactly what the Asian economic miracle was all about. Recession has not visibly blunted the shopping frenzy and there are ever more shops and restaurants under this huge pile.

Times Square, Causeway Bay
Tel: 2118 8900. Fax: 2506 2022.
Website: www.timessquare.com.hk
Transport: MTR Causeway Bay; bus or tram along Hennessey Road to Causeway Bay.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2200.
Admission: Free.

Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware
Situated in the beautiful Hong Kong Park and overlooking the ultramodern mania of Central, Flagstaff House, dating from 1846, is the former residence of the colonial Commander-in-Chief and the oldest surviving colonial building in Hong Kong. It now houses a fine museum of tea ware, seals and other ceramics.

10 Cotton Tree Drive, Hong Kong Park, Central (inside Hong Kong Park)
Tel: 2869 0690. Fax: 2810 0021.
Website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Arts/english/tea/intro/eintro.html
Transport: MTR Admiralty, exit F, then up escalator through Pacific Place; bus or tram along Queensway to Pacific Place.
Opening hours: Thurs-Tues 1000-1700.
Admission: Free.

Hong Kong Museum of History
It is somehow fitting that this go-ahead territory has its history commemorated in a dazzling new building. Opened in late 2000, the new museum building, situated next to the Hong Kong Science Museum in Kowloon, houses exhibits covering the region’s history from prehistoric times, including some spectacular period sets. There are traditional costumes, a huge collection of period photographs, replicas of old village houses and an entire street, circa 1881, with its own Chinese medicine store. There are also numerous temporary exhibitions.

100 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2724 9042. Fax: 2724 9090.
E-mail: hkmh@lcsd.gov.hk
Website: http://hk.history.museum
Transport: MTR Tsim Sha Tsiu, then walk via Cameron Road; minibus no 1 from Kowloon Star Ferry in Tsim Sha Tsiu to Science Museum Road.
Opening hours: Mon, Wed-Sat 1000-1800, Sun 1000-1700.
Admission: HK$10 (concessions available).

Wong Tai Sin Temple
An ornate traditional temple in the heart of Kowloon, Wong Tai Sin Temple combines Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist traditions. Wong Tai Sin himself was a Zhejiang shepherd/alchemist who supposedly concocted a marvellous cure-all. His statue in the main building was brought from the mainland in 1915. The building is spectacularly colourful with its red pillars, golden ceiling and decorated latticework, although not particularly distinguished. Far more fascinating are the fortune-tellers in their arcade of booths and the throngs of worshippers. This is also Hong Kong’s number one temple for Chinese New Year celebrations.

Tai Sin Road, Kowloon
Tel: 2327 8141. Fax: 2351 5640.
Transport: MTR Wong Tai Sin, exit B3, then follow signs.
Opening hours: Daily 0700-1730.
Admission: Free; donations welcome.

Yuen Po Street Bird Garden
Rearing caged songbirds is a time-honoured Chinese pursuit and the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden is Hong Kong’s shrine to this obsession. There are about 70 stalls, each with its own chorus, with ornate cages and cage furniture providing added interest. And while conditions in the average Hong Kong poultry market would give an animal welfare activist apoplexy, the birds here are pampered and cosseted, even fed honey nectar to sweeten their songs. Just north of the Bird Garden, there is also a fine flower market and a goldfish market, closer to the MTR station in Tung Choi Street.

Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon
Tel: 2807 6543.
Transport: MTR Prince Edward, exit B1 or B2, then follow signs.
Opening hours: Daily 0700-2000.
Admission: Free.

Disneyland Hong Kong
Disney’s latest theme park opened in the lush setting of Lantau Island in September 2005. The 310-acre park incorporates four lands (Main Street USA, Fantasyland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland) and two hotels. Visitors can meet characters old and new, from Mickey Mouse to Buzz Lightyear, and can tour the park aboard the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad. Attractions range from the adventurous Jungle River Cruise to the magical Sleeping Beauty Castle to the dizzying heights of Orbitron, where guests can pilot their own rocket. Live entertainment includes the Festival of the Lion King, inspired by the Disney film, while cuisine caters for Western and Asian tastes.

Penny’s Bay, Lantau Island
Tel: 183 0830.
Website: www.hongkongdisneyland.com
Transport: MTR Disneyland Resort Station.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2100 (summer); Mon-Fri 1000-1900, Sat-Sun 1000-1200 (winter).
Admission: HK$295 (regular), HK$350 (peak – weekends and some school holidays); concessions available.

Further Distractions

Star Ferry
The green and white, or heavily branded, tub-shaped ferries are a familiar sight around Hong Kong and, as such, a symbol of the city. Far more important, however, is the fact that their decks give one of the best available views, day or night, of the waterfronts of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon – not to mention the plethora of ocean traffic surging through the shipping lanes. The boats themselves are cast-iron veterans to delight schoolboys of all ages.

Central, Tsim Sha Tsui, Wan Chai and Hung Hom Star Ferry terminals
Tel: 2367 7065 (booking line 2118 6203). Fax: 2118 6028.
E-mail: sf@starferry.com.hk
Website: www.starferry.com.hk
Transport: Star Ferry docks are termini for bus and minibus routes, a short walk from MTR stations.
Operating hours: Daily 0630-2330.
Admission: HK$1.70 (lower deck); HK$2.10 (upper deck); concessions available.

Mid-Levels Escalator
Not just any escalator, the Mid-Levels Escalator is the world’s longest at 800m (2,622ft) and was built as a commuter aid for this wealthy residential hillside. The city fathers reportedly balked at the cost of twin stairways, so there is only one escalator, running downhill in the morning and uphill thereafter, until midnight. It gives a fine (and free) view of the streets of fashionable Soho and is a great venue for people-watching by passengers and café patrons alike.

Central Market (corner of Queens Road and Jubilee Street) to Conduit Road
Transport: Bus or minibus to Queen’s Road.
Operating hours: Daily 0700-1030 (downhill), 1030-2400 (uphill).
Admission: Free.

Noonday Gun
Yes, there still is a noonday gun (as immortalised by Noel Coward) and it is still ceremoniously fired daily at noon. Actually a Hotchkiss three-pounder, the gun is mounted in its own miniature, park-like enclosure overlooking the Causeway Bay typhoon shelter, off Gloucester Road and opposite the Excelsior Hotel. It is reached by an underpass near the World Trade Centre.

Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay
Transport: MTR Causeway Bay, exit D3, then a short walk past World Trade Centre to Excelsior Hotel.
Operating hours: Noon (of course).
Admission: Free.

Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade
Offering another great view of the spectacular Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island waterfront, this esplanade is where Hong Kong couples go in the evenings, for a romantic backdrop while necking. However, day or night, the view is superb. The colonial-era Clock Tower at the western end of the promenade, by the Star Ferry piers, makes an attractive historic terminus, while Harbour City with the huge cruise liners is another attractive prospect just to the west. Opened in April 2004, and stretching along the promenade, the Avenue of Stars features hand prints and commemorative plaques honouring the greatest stars of Hong Kong’s celebrated film industry.

Star Ferry Terminal to Hung Hom
Transport: MTR Tsim Sha Tsui; Star Ferry to Kowloon.
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Admission: Free.

Tours of the City

Walking Tours
Walking tours of central Hong Kong are apt to involve elbowing one’s way through crowds of shoppers. But the Hong Kong Tourism Board, 99 Queen’s Road Central (tel: 2807 6543; website: www.discoverhongkong.com), does have a couple of itineraries, with ‘Heritage and Architectural Walks’ in Hong Kong Island Kowloon, and varied other theme walks/hikes for the outlying islands. Guides and a rental audio commentary system are available for HK$50. The walks take from two to four hours. The HKTB Visitor Hotline (tel: 2508 1234) or any tourist office provides details. Other operators also run HKTB-approved tours, such as Gray Line Tours (tel: 2368 7111; website: www.grayline.com.hk) or Splendid Tours and Travel (tel: 2316 2151; website: www.splendidtours.com). Details of these are available on the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s website, categorised by theme.

Walkers wishing to range further afield have plenty of well-trodden routes for penetrating the rural New Territories and backwoods of Hong Kong Island, such as the 100km (60-mile) MacLehose Trail, the 50km (30-mile) Hong Kong Trail, or even the 3.5km (2.2-mile) Peak Trail. But water bottles are essential for any traveller attempting these routes during the summer.

Bus Tours
Numerous themed bus tours are listed on the Hong Kong Tourism Board website (see above), including a Hong Kong Unique Experiences, a Touring Hong By Night’, a Touring Hong Kong’s Outlying Islands and a Hong Kong Culture and Heritage Tours. Tours vary in duration, departure point and cost, for details, visitors should contact the HKTB’s Visitor Hotline (tel: 2508 1234) or the Tour Reservation Hotline (tel: 2368 7112) or visit www.discoverhongkong.com. Gray Line Tours (tel: 2368 7111; website: www.grayline.com.hk), Splendid Tours and Travel (tel: 2316 2151; website: www.splendidtours.com) and Sky Bird Travel Agency (tel: 2736 2282; website: www.skybird.com.hk) all offer similar bus tours of the city.

Boat Tours
Boat tours of Hong Kong’s waters are provided by several companies. Hong Kong Watertours (tel: 2155 2088; website: www.chinaetravel.com) provides a variety of harbour and island tours from HK$28, while Star Ferry (tel: 2118 6241) provides ferry tours for HK$180. Harbour tours take around two to three hours. Hong Kong Watertours has pick-up points throughout Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, although the tours sail from Queen’s Pier on Hong Kong side or the Kowloon Public Pier on Kowloon Side. The Star Ferry tours sail from the Star Ferry terminals on either side of the harbour.

Other Tours
Helicopter trips are available for those wanting to discover the Hong Kong skyline from above. Contact Heli Hong Kong (tel: 2108 9898; fax: 2108 9938; website: www.helihongkong.com) for further information.

Excursions

For a Half Day

Stanley Market: Stanley is a small seaside settlement on the south side of Hong Kong Island, with some fine beaches and waterfront restaurants enjoyed by its well-heeled citizens. Visitors flock to Stanley Market (open daily 1000-1900), a covered area full of stalls selling clothes, souvenirs, sporting goods, art and many other products of Hong Kong and mainland sweatshops. Other attractions include Tin Hau Temple, Kuan Yin Temple, St Stephen’s Beach, the Old Stanley Fort, the military cemetery with its graves of wartime internees, the Old Police Station and fine walks along Wong Ma Kok Road. The market, in particular, is like a zoo at the weekend and therefore weekdays make more sense for a visit. Stanley Market can be reached by bus (numbers 6, 6A, 6X or 260X) from Exchange Square Bus Terminal, Central, by bus 973 from Tsim Sha Tsui East terminus, by green minibus (number 40) from Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay, or by minibus number 14 from Shau Kei Wan.

Lamma Island: Hong Kong’s third-largest island, Lamma, is a green oasis popular with chilled-out ex-pats. Its scenery is beautiful and its beaches are fabulous. Some great pubs, bars and restaurants complement these. Best of all, the island has no cars (and only one ambulance). The main residential village, Yung Shue Wan, is the main ferry terminus, while Sok Kwu Wan, the second-largest village, specialises in open-air seafood restaurants. Hung Shing Ye is the largest beach, while Lo So Shing is arguably the nicest; Sek Pai Wan and Sham Wan are perhaps best reached by rented junk. Hikes between the two main villages are popular, as is the climb to Mount Stenhouse. Lamma is situated west of Hong Kong Island and ferries to Yung Shue Wan or Sok Kwu Wan on Lamma Island depart from Central (ferry terminal, outlying islands pier 4).

Repulse Bay: Another seaside destination on Hong Kong Island’s southern side, Repulse Bay has a superior beach that is good for strolling, on spring days. At the beach’s eastern end is a slightly bizarre lifeboat station – bizarre because it is also a temple to Kuan Yin, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, and is adorned with garish plaster statues of figures from Chinese Buddhist mythology. The sea washes into this religious theme park at high tide. At the other end of the beach is a large shopping centre with a selection of fine restaurants. Romantic visitors can finish off their beach stroll with dinner at the Verandah restaurant in the Repulse Bay Hotel. Repulse Bay is accessible by bus 6, 6A or 6I from Exchange Square Bus Terminal, Central. Passengers should alight when they see the Repulse Bay Hotel or the strange, curved apartment block with a hole through the middle – put there for good feng shui.

For a Whole Day

Shek O: A small village and beach resort on the southeast coast of Hong Kong Island, Shek O is secluded enough to be safe from the worst weekend crowds, although weekdays are still the best time to visit. It is also highly exclusive but has some of Hong Kong’s best beach space. The further legs of the two-hour trip out have some scenic merits and there are more bluffs and bays within hiking or cycling distance of the village, with its open-air restaurants. Shek O is at the very end of the bus 9 route, which goes from Shau Kei Wan MTR station.

Lantau Island: Home to Chek Lap Kok Airport and the new Disneyland Hong Kong, Lantau is situated 45km (28 miles) from Central Hong Kong. It’s twice the size of Hong Kong Island itself and more than half of its territory is designated country parkland. Residents at Discovery Bay (also known as Disco Bay) enjoy the tranquility all year round – others visit for a sample. Walking tours and hikes are popular here, although the principal attractions are the Po Lin Big Buddha (claimed to be the world’s largest seated outdoor Buddha effigy, at 26.4m (85ft) tall and weighing 220 tonnes) and the Po Lin Buddhist Monastery, definitely Hong Kong’s largest. The monastery itself has some fine buildings and has been used as the set for numerous kung fu films. There is a tea garden nearby and the beaches and waterside restaurants along the southern shore are also idyllic. To get to Lantau Island, visitors should take either the MTR Airport Railway link to Tung Chung, followed by bus 23 to Po Lin, or the ferry to Silvermine Bay (Mui Wo) from Central, followed by bus 2. The steps up to the Big Buddha are open to visitors daily 1000-1800.

Macau: The quintessential Hong Kong excursion is now an established destination in its own right and visitors must take their passport. The last piece of China in foreign hands, reverting from Portuguese rule in December 1999, Macau, situated on the southeastern coast of China, approximately one hour from Hong Kong by ferry, is changing fast. Long recognised for its relaxed blending of Mediterranean and Cantonese rhythms of life and spicy cuisine, the pace has upped several gears in recent years. Though much of its fine colonial architecture has been carefully restored and repainted, several new tourism attractions have been added, including the AJ Hackett adventure sports centre at the soaring Macau Tower and development of the Lan Kwai Fong harbourside dining/drinking district.

Macau’s ambitious tourism plans have seen it award several casino-resort concessions to hi-tech Las Vegas operators, in an avowed attempt to both revamp its vice-ridden gambling industry and turn Macau into the ‘Las Vegas of Asia.’ The first new resort, Sands Macau, opened in May 2004 and is so successful it expects to recoup its construction costs in just one year. To complement the new breed of casino tourism, Macau is currently constructing the gigantic Fisherman’s Wharf theme park, complete with hotels, casinos, adventure rides, yachting marina and mini volcano, and a third (double-decker) bridge linking it with the islands of Taipa and Coloane. In addition, new sports arenas are springing up in readiness for hosting the 2004 East Asia Games.

Despite its head-first surge into the future, Macau’s colonial legacy is still worth seeking out. It’s impossible not to be impressed by the classically latin, pastel-shaded layout of Senate Square or the churches of St Augustine’s and St Dominic’s, the 17th-century cathedral church, as well as the most famous of all, the façade of St Paul’s Cathedral – once the finest Catholic church east of Rome but destroyed by fire in 1835. Its Kun Lam and A-Ma Temples were also founded in the 17th century. The Monte Fort, which still has its cannons (and now houses the fascinating Museum of Macau), was built by the Jesuits, just after 1600. A historic site of enormous interest to Chinese and Sinophiles, the Sun-Yat Sen Memorial Home marks where the creator of China’s first Republican government practised medicine in his early days.

Macau can be reached by jetfoil or jet boat from Macau ferry terminal, near Shun Tak Centre, Central or from China Hong Kong City terminal at Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Macau Government Tourist Office, Alameda Dr Carlos d’Assumpcao 335-341, Edificio Hot Line, 12 andar, Macau (tel: (853) 315 566; fax: (853) 510 104; e-mail: mgto@macautourism.gov.mo; website: www.macautourism.gov.mo), is open daily 0900–1800 and can provide further information.

Sport

Hong Kong’s favourite sports are few and fervently followed – none more so than horeseracing. For example, the government’s millennium celebrations were staged at the Happy Valley Racecourse, 2 Sports Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong Island (tel: 2895 1523; website: www.happyvalleyracecourse.com). The other main track is the Sha Tin Racecourse, Sha Tin, New Territories (tel: 2366 3995; website: www.shatinracetrack.com). The privileged status of horseracing reached farcical levels in 2002, when soccer betting was officially banned to protect the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s official gambling monopoly and the charitable and tax revenues therefrom – with predictable rewards for illegal betting syndicates. The policy has since been reviewed.

The Rugby Sevens are the other chief sporting fixture, taking place at the Hong Kong Stadium, 55 Eastern Hospital Road, So Kon Po (tel: 2895 7926; fax: 2895 7962; e-mail: hkstadium@lcsd.gov.hk; website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/stadium/en/index.php). Competition for seats at this three-day carnival is fierce and, as with most major events internationally, corporate hospitality usually scoops the pool. Despite the enthusiasm for the Sevens and China’s performance in the 2002 World Cup, Hong Kong itself does not have any sports teams of note.

Tickets for big global events such as the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens can be booked online or at the Hong Kong Stadium or similar venues. Tickets for races are available for purchase at the racecourses or by telephone. The URBTIX ticketing service for public venues (tel: 2111 5999; website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Entertainment/Ticket) and online booking services Ticketek (website: www.ticketek.com.hk) and Cityline (tel: 2317 6666; website: www.cityline.com.hk) handle many major sporting events and venues.

Fitness Centres: California Fitness Centers (tel: 2960 4988; fax: 2960 4933; website: www.calfitnesscenters.com) is Hong Kong’s most popular chain of clubs, spread across the territory, including branches on 1 Wellington Street, Central (tel: 2522 5229), and 5-15 Hankow Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (tel: 2366 8666), both open 365 days a year.

Golf: The Asian businessperson’s love of golf is catered for in several clubs, with the Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club, Clearwater Bay, New Territories (tel: 2335 3885; fax: 2719 4102; website: www.cwbgolf.org), and the Hong Kong Golf Club, Fan Ling, New Territories (tel: 2670 1211; fax: 2679 5183), favouring those with the largest expense accounts. Others play at the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course, Kau Sai Chau, Sai Kung (tel: 2791 3388). Green fees per person are HK$1400 weekdays at Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club and Hong Kong Golf Club and from HK$338 (weekdays, extra at weekends) at the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course. Non members are welcome at all the clubs mentioned, provided they contact the chosen establishment in advance.

Swimming: Hong Kong has 42 officially listed bathing beaches and 13 public pools, to say nothing of the private pools at sports clubs and hotels. Popular (sometimes too popular) public pools include those at Victoria Park, Causeway Bay (tel: 2570 4682), and Kowloon Park, Tsim Sha Tsui (tel: 2724 3577). The open season for sea bathing starts 1 April and ends 31 October, although the weather may be good enough to allow swimming outside these dates. Pollution and overcrowding plagues the beaches closer to central Hong Kong; the best beaches are in the New Territories and the outlying islands. Summer weekends are predictably busy on the beaches. The Amateur Swimming Association (tel: 2572 8594; website: www.hkasa.org.hk) might be able to provide more detailed information.

Tennis: There are public courts available at Victoria Park, Causeway Bay (tel: 2570 6186), the Tennis Centre, Wong Nai Chung Gap Road, Happy Valley (tel: 2574 9122), and King’s Park, Kowloon (tel: 2388 8154). Numerous private clubs and courts are also available for the rich and well connected and through major hotels.

Watersports: Another popular sporting pastime, sailing and other watersports are mostly based out of Aberdeen, on the southern side of Hong Kong Island. The exclusive levels of yachting are in the hands of the Aberdeen Marina Club, 8 Shum Wan Road, Aberdeen (tel: 2555 8321; fax: 2873 5681; website: www.amchk.com.hk), and similar institutions, although windsurfing and wakeboarding are far easier to access.

Shopping

If Hong Kong is the ‘City of Life’, then life is a mall. Some speculate that Hong Kongers need to shop to escape their cramped dwellings. Others simply ascribe the shopping mania to disposable income and greed. The large numbers of missionary churches around town may owe their business to guilt, stemming from the widespread habit of shopping right through Sunday. The prime shopping areas are bedlam at weekends and merely chaotic during the rest of the week.

Once famous for bargain electronics and imitation brand-names, Hong Kong is no longer as cheap as it once was and prices are now closer to European or American averages. Real bargain hunters would be better off going to Bangkok or mainland China. Shops selling Chinese art objects and souvenirs cluster around the escalator up to the Mid-Levels and along nearby Cat Street. However, any bargain hunter also planning to visit mainland China should do their research in Hong Kong but save their purchases for north of the border. Within Hong Kong, Shanghai Tang, right by Central MTR station, is probably the best venue for quality Chinese goods – silks, fabrics, ornaments and furniture.

Mall rats in Hong Kong have plenty of warrens to choose from. Pacific Place, in Admiralty, has three floors of almost entirely luxury brands, while The Landmark and Prince’s Arcade vie for the custom of chic Central. Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong MTR station, in northern Kowloon, is worth the long trip from Central, for its variety and quality. Causeway Bay has the big Japanese department stores, Sogo and Mitsukoshi, as well as the towering Times Square. Tourist items and souvenirs, often very tacky, are best purchased either along the hotel strip of Nathan Road on Kowloon Side or at Stanley Market.

There are computer superstores at Causeway Bay, Wanchai and Mongkok, full of tiny booths selling the silicon equivalent of Hong Kong tailoring and teenage hustlers pushing pirated software. However, for most electrical goods, there are worse places than the many branches of the Fortress chain.

Hong Kong also has many markets. One of the most delightful is the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden, on Prince Edward Road West, in Kowloon. Open daily 0700-2000, this market is primarily concerned with the sale of song birds. Nearby, on Tung Choi Street, is a flower market and a goldfish market.

Standard opening hours are daily 0930-1900 and later in many cases. Hong Kongers bridle at the very idea of a sales tax, so visitors can forget about hoarding their receipts until the government finally decides to plug its deficit this way.

Culture

It may seem a laughable idea, but culture does exist in Hong Kong. The city’s reputation as a brashly philistine capitalist paradise has not exactly enlarged its footprint on the international cultural scene, but it should be remembered that this is Greater China’s film and media powerhouse and one area where Chinese arts and culture have flourished without political and ideological interference. For instance, the traditional Chinese opera at the China Club never had to struggle with all the Maoist impositions that afflicted it on the mainland.

Cityline (tel: 2317 6666; website: www.cityline.com.hk) provides tickets to cultural events. Those looking for events and performance in the city should check the free listings in BC Magazine (website: http://hk.bcmagazine.net), Where Hong Kong, City Life and HK Magazine for the latest details.

Music: The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (tel: 2721 2030; fax: 2311 6229; website: www.hkpo.com) is the town ensemble and its frequent showings at corporate galas at least bankroll a full year-round programme. The company is resident at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 10 Salisbury Road (tel: 2734 2848; website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/HKCC), from September to July. It is backed up by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (tel: 3185 1600; website: www.hkco.org). Visiting orchestras of all standards frequently tour through Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, 1 Gloucester Road (tel: 2584 8500; fax: 2802 4372; website: www.hkapa.edu), also hosts frequent concerts. Traditional Chinese opera is performed at the China Club, 13F Old Bank of China Building, Bank Street (tel: 2521 8888). It is very difficult to get in here but it is worth trying, if only to admire the display of modern Chinese art.

Theatre: The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts (see above), the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (see above) and the Hong Kong Arts Centre, Upper Basement, 2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai (tel: 2582 0200; website: www.hkac.org.hk), are shrines of high theatrical culture. The Star Alliance Theatre, Fringe Club, South Block, Lower Albert Road, Central (tel: 2521 7251; website: www.hkfringe.com.hk), gets many of the more wacky acts.

Dance: Hong Kong’s classical ballet troupe is the Hong Kong Ballet (tel: 2573 7398; fax: 2572 8035; website: www.hkballet.com) and preferred venues include the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (see above) and the Ko Shan Theatre, 77 Ko Shan Road, Hunghom, Kowloon (tel: 2734 9009). The Hong Kong Dance Company (tel: 3103 1888; fax: 2851 3607; website: www.hkdance.com) has a traditional Chinese repertoire, while the City Contemporary Dance Company (tel: 2326 8597; fax: 2351 4199; website: www.ccdc.com.hk) is the more modern dance ensemble. Both perform at a variety of venues.

Film: Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and director John Woo remain icons of the local film industry, which suffered a real downturn and creativity deficit during the 1990s. However, a new breed of ‘household name’ stars and a growing demand for more creative cinematic fare has revitalised Hong Kong film. Released in 2000, Ang Lee’s seminal Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon thrust itself onto the global stage. It turned Lee into one of Hollywood’s most sought-after directors and made an international star of the delightful Zhang Ziyi. 2003’s Oscar-nominated Hero featured the finest cast list of Hong Kong stars ever assembled, and recent releases, such as crime thriller, Infernal Affairs (currently being ‘remade’ in Hollywood), and 2004 Cannes Film Festival selection, House of Flying Daggers, reveal a depth and breadth previously missing from Hong Kong cinema. Meanwhile, John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat propelled the Cantonese gangster genre into A Better Tomorrow (1986).

There are several multiplexes include UA Pacific Place, 1 Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty (tel: 2869 0322), UA Times Square, Times Square, Matheson Street, Causeway Bay (tel: 2506 2822), Golden Gateway Multiplex, The Gateway, G/F, 25 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (tel: 2956 2003) and Palace IFC, Podium L1, IFC Mall, 8 Finance Street, Central (tel: 2838 7380). English-language movies are mostly screened in the original language with Cantonese subtitles, although some screenings are dubbed. Likewise, Cantonese-language films almost invariably have English subtitles. Arthouse films are mostly screened at the Lim Por Yen Film Theatre, in the Hong Kong Arts Centre (see above).

Cultural Events: The Hong Kong Arts Festival (tel: 2824 3555; website: www.hk.artsfestival.org), usually based out of Hong Kong City Hall, is the official annual catch-all jamboree of events, with international acts and events of all varieties, held from mid-February to mid-March. Nipping in to the cultural calendar a little earlier, in January through February, is the City Festival, which focuses on local acts. Sponsored by the Fringe Club, it is now rivalling its respectable brother in variety and content and arguably excelling it in entertainment value. The Festival of Asian Arts, in October/November, gathers the traditional arts of the region, sometimes dovetailing with the Hong Kong Folk Festival in November. The Hong Kong Youth Arts Festival (website: www.hkyaf.com) runs from October to December.

Literary Notes: Hong Kong has not left a deep impression on global literature. Perhaps, for too long in its history, it lacked the allure of neighbouring Shanghai and the recent economic dynamism has yet to find a literary expression. There is a rich tradition of Cantonese literature but this has not made much of an impact in translation either. Some of the best works on Hong Kong are histories or travel writing rather than pure fiction. Probably the best of the histories is Frank Welsh’s A Borrowed Place: A History of Hong Kong (1997). Jan Morris’ Hong Kong – Epilogue to an Empire (1997) is a typically lyrical summary of the territory’s character in the twilight of colonialism, recently updated to cover the latest developments. Mark Roberti’s The Fall of Hong Kong: China’s Triumph and Britain’s Betrayal (1996) is an understandably angry survey of events before, during and after the 1997 hand-over. East and West (1999) is a thoughtful and, often very angry memoir by former British governor Chris Patten, detailing the events leading up to and beyond the handover of sovereignty in 1997.

As for novels, Paul Theroux’s Kowloon Tong (1997) focuses on cultural interaction and colonial legacies in the plight of a Hong Kong English trading family on the eve of the hand-over. Timothy Mo’s An Insular Possession (1986) is concerned with Macau more than Hong Kong but nonetheless manages to be a subtle and polished work, describing the European enclave of a bygone era. Most recently, John Lanchester’s Fragrant Harbour (2002) takes his characters, Englishman Tom Stewart and Catholic nun Sister Maria, through the turbulent trading years and Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in the 1930s and 1940s. Lanchester was born and raised in Hong Kong and provides his readers with a powerful insight into the city.

Otherwise, Hong Kong is a staple of genre fiction. John Le Carré’s The Honourable Schoolboy (1977) is one of the better spy novels to deal with the territory. Any reader looking for the blockbuster view of Hong Kong should read James Clavell’s Noble House (1981) and Tai-Pan (1966). The World of Suzie Wong (1957), by Richard Mason, conjures up a paradoxical, yet atmospheric, world of vice, prostitution and the quest for enduring romance in one of Hong Kong’s seedier districts. The success of the film it inspired is probably testament to the fact that Hong Kong has been best captured on celluloid – Jackie Chan makes as good a swashbuckling cultural hero for the place as anyone.

Nightlife

Asia’s World City lives it up by night – most hot in-town venues don’t even get going until midnight. Enterprising Sinophiles can try to get invited along to a local karaoke evening and warble into a mike, over buckets of beer, to Canto-pop videos, or head for one of the local discos in darkest Kowloon. Lan Kwai Fong, the famous square mile of Central with the most relaxed drinking hours and the most intense partying, is still a beating nightlife heart, although its chief developers have expanding their attentions to Shanghai. Soho (‘South of Hollywood Road’) is a slightly more chic and relaxed concentration of leisure spots, just off the Mid-Levels Escalator. Chinese locals tend to favour Tsim Sha Tsui, riddled with bars and clubs. And anyone seeking such things will be pleased to hear that they can get all the action they want in the hostess bars of Wan Chai – destination of many a poor Filipino or Thai peasant maiden. Despite the ludicrously strict noise restrictions on open-air events (proof that well-connected residents have huge clout with City Hall) live music is also hugely popular and well catered for. Check the free listings in BC Magazine (website: http://hk.bcmagazine.net), Where Hong Kong, City Life and HK Magazine for the latest details.

Opening hours in Hong Kong vary by location and dress code and entrance policies can sometimes be restrictive, particularly in the smarter clubs. Some Lan Kwai Fong venues stay open all night, whereas in Soho, the authorities placate local residents by compelling bars to close around 0200 at weekends and around 2400 on weekdays. What is almost uniformly constant is the high drinks prices – often at least HK$40 for a glass of wine or beer. Bar owners blame this on high rates – extortionate property prices certainly drive up prices in every department. Bars often compensate with happy hours, with two-for-one or half-price deals before 2000 or 2100 common. The minimum drinking age in Hong Kong’s public bars is 18 years.

Bars: Escalator watchers can spectate in terrace-like comfort at Stauntons, 10-12 Staunton Street, the prime Soho-watching venue. Mes Amis, 81-85 Lockhart Road, is the most relaxed and civilised of the Wan Chai bars, though Devil’s Advocate, 48-50 Lockhart Road, is fun for a happy hour beer and watching sports on tv. Drinkers wanting a more raw experience should try Dusk Till Dawn, 76 Jaffe Road. La Vie, 9a Sharp Street, is one of the more chic venues in Causeway Bay’s classy bar strip. The staple venue of Lan Kwai Fong, Insomnia, 38-44 D’Aguilar Street, creates an air of quality with its stonework and Florentine-style loggia, then promptly contradicts it with Filipino girl bands and relentless disco. Agave, 33 D’Aguilar Street, directly opposite, serves a marvellous selection of tequilas and margaritas – a staple for the hot summer months. The Fong, a few doors down at 34-36 D’Aguilar Street, is a chic bar-restaurant. California, 30-32 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, long the citadel of investment bankers and the women they attract, while 2121, at 21 D’Aguilar Street, has the most exclusive and relaxed vantage point over the Lan Kwai Fong. Over in Kowloon, Rick’s Café, 4 Hart Avenue, has some of the longest queues on Saturday night, which must count for something. Kowloon’s two most upscale bars are located high in the sky. Stylish, hip and classy, Aqua, 29/F, One Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, boasts the best panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and a great cocktail menu, while Felix Bar at the Peninsula Hotel, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, is a Philippe Starck masterpiece which ranks highly as a ‘must visit’. Load up your credit card and dress to impress for both venues.

Casinos: Hong Kong does not have any casinos; instead, they are all a 50-minute jetfoil ride away, in Macau, which is famous as a gambler’s paradise (see Excursions). Jetfoils run all night just to service the Chinese love of gambling. Passports are needed for both the trip and the casinos – the age limit is nominally 21 years. Gambling in Macau is not a sport for the young or the faint hearted. Macau is frequently adding to its stock of casinos, with dress codes ranging from smart casual to formal. New additions include the Sands Macau mega-casino, Avenida da Amizade, next to the Mandarin Oriental hotel (tel: (853) 883 388) and the super-kitsch Pharaoh’s Palace at the Landmark Hotel, 555 Avenida da Amizade (tel: (853) 781 781; website: www.landmarkhotel.com.mo). Other casinos include the Hotel Lisboa and Casino, 2-4 Avenida de Lisboa, the Galaxy Waldo Hotel and Casino, Quarteirão 6, Lote J – Zape, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Casino, 956-1110 Avenida da Amizade, and the Hyatt Regency & Taipa Resort, 2 Estrada Almirante Marques Esparteiro, Taipa Island.

More adventurous souls can always consider one of the discreet but popular Star Cruises ‘leisure’ cruises into international waters (tel: 2317 7711; fax: 2317 5551; e-mail: sales@starcruises.com.hk; website: www.starcruises.com.hk), carefully packaged to leave out references to gambling and a very Chinese experience.

Clubs: Dragon-I, in the upper ground floor of the new development, The Centrium, above Lan Kwai Fong, 60 Wyndham Street, is the new hangout of the stars; socially exclusive but surprisingly ordinary. C Club, 30-32 D’Aguilar Street remains Lan Kwai Fong’s most reliable dance venue. Bar, 22 Jervois Street, is a popular gay and lesbian bar/club. Drop, 39-43 Hollywood Road, just down the hill, under the escalator, is another late-night haven with a restrictive door policy and titanically overpriced drinks. Bling, 3/F Soho Square, 21 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central (tel: 3102 2028), caters to serious clubbers and has a varied line-up of DJs throughout the week, while Yumla, L/B 79 Wyndham Street, Lan Kwai Fong (tel: 2174 2383) is a small club that throbs at weekends to ripping break and house beats. Meanwhile, One-Fifth, at Starcrest, 9 Star Street, is on a far higher plane of Wan Chai nightlife. Club Ing, 4F Convention Plaza, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, is a very inconsistent glass and chrome hotel disco but its Thursday hip-hop ‘Ladies’ Night’ is a staple for ex-pat teens and the businessmen who love them.

Live Music: What passes for stadium rock in Hong Kong is usually found at the Hong Kong International Trade and Exhibition Centre (HITEC), 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay (tel: 2620 2222) or the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive (tel: 2582 8888). Filipino live bands, from brilliant to unbearable, swarm across Hong Kong – Dusk Till Dawn, 76 Jaffe Road (tel: 2528 4689), has some of the best, while its strongest nearby competitor is The Wanch, 54 Jaffe Road (tel: 2861 1621). The Edge, in the otherwise exclusive The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street (tel: 2523 6690), has recently been added to the roster of Filipino band venues. The Cavern, LG/F, Lan Kwai Fong Tower, 33 Wyndham Street (tel: 2121 8969), is currently white hot. Though a 60s-style supper club, where diners pay exclusively for dinner and music show, it is possible to gain entry during weeknights to enjoy the cover bands belting out kitschy renditions of 60s and 70s hits in a retro-chic update of Liverpool’s legendary club.

City Statistics

Location: Special Administrative Region (SAR), Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China.
Country dialling code: 852.
Population: 6,810,000 (metropolitan area).
Ethnic mix: 95% Chinese, 2% Filipino, 0.8% Indonesian, 0.4% Thai, 0.3% British, 0.3% Indian, 0.2% Nepalese, 0.2% Japanese, 0.2% Pakistani, 0.6% other.
Religion: 90% Buddhist/Taoist, 8% Christian, 1% Muslim, 1% other.
Time zone: GMT + 8.
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; square three-pin plugs are common, although round three-pin and two-pin plugs are also in use.
Average January temp: 17°C (63°F).
Average July temp: 29°C (84°F).
Annual rainfall: 2,214mm (88.5 inches).

Special Events

New Year’s Day, public holiday, street parties and fireworks in the Harbour, 1 Jan, throughout the city
City Festival, local arts festival, Jan-Feb, throughout the city
Chinese New Year, flower markets, lantern parades, fireworks, fortune telling, Feb (first day of first Chinese lunar month), throughout the city
Hong Kong Arts Festival, live performances and artistic events, including music, dance and drama (website: www.hk.artsfestival.org), Feb-Mar, throughout the city
Lantern Festival, lantern parades, matchmaking games, Feb (15th day of first Chinese lunar month), throughout the city
Ching Ming Festival, visits to ancestral graveyards, Apr (15th day from the spring equinox), throughout the city
Tin Hau Festival, celebrations and parades, Apr (23rd day of third lunar month), Joss House Bay and Yuen Long
Labour Day, patriotic parades and public holiday, 1 May, throughout the city
Buddha’s Birthday, ceremonies at temples and monasteries, May (eighth day of fourth Chinese lunar month), Buddhist holy places throughout the city
Dragon Boat Festival, dragon boat racing, Jun (fifth day of fifth Chinese lunar month), various venues
HKSAR Establishment Day, parades and official festivities, 1 Jul, throughout the city
Hong Kong Fashion Week, mid Jul, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Hong Kong Comics Festival, early Aug, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Food Expo, mid Aug, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Mid-Autumn Festival, lantern displays in parks and public places, Sep (15th day of eighth lunar month), throughout the city
National Day, patriotic Chinese celebrations, 1 Oct, throughout the city
Chung Yeung Festival, mountain picnics and family visits to graves, Oct (ninth day of ninth lunar month), throughout the city
Festival of Asian Arts, traditional arts of the region, Oct-Nov, various venues
Hong Kong Youth Arts Festival (website: www.hkyaf.com), Oct-Dec, various venues
Hong Kong Folk Festival, Nov, various venues
Christmas, parties and festivities, 25 Dec, throughout the city

Cost of Living

One-litre bottle of mineral water: HK$4
33cl bottle of beer: HK$8
Financial Times newspaper: HK$20
36-exposure colour film: HK$20
City-centre bus ticket: HK$5.60
Adult horseracing ticket: from HK$10
Three-course meal with wine/beer: HK$150-200

1 Hong Kong Dollar (HK$) = £0.07; US$0.13; C$0.15; A$0.17; ¬0.11
Currency conversion rates as of October 2005