Guide to Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a city-state and technically a ‘special administrative region' of China. Whilst it is now one of the most densely populated and developed areas on earth, it hasn't always been that way. For centuries the Guangdong region of China, the area that is now occupied by modern Hong Kong, was a virtual wasteland. However, this began to change after the area became a British territory as part of a treaty to end the First Opium War in 1842.

Under British rule, Hong Kong experienced a number of important developments. For example, the British introduced an education system based on their own model. Despite losing Hong Kong to the Japanese from 1941-45, the state continued to develop thanks to rapid industrialisation driven by manufacturing industries. Population growth - partly fueled by Chinese immigrants escaping the Chinese Civil War - and a sharp increase in living standards followed. In 1984, the British and Chinese signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which declared that China would govern Hong Kong as the first special administrative region. After this, it went from strength to strength, and the last decade has seen Hong Kong grow into an indisputable global financial centre.

Government: Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China with a democratic government. President of China Hu Jintao acts as Hong Kong's chief of state, and Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen acts as head of government.

Culture: Hong Kong's past as a British colony, combined with its Chinese roots, provide the quintessential elements of a mixed culture that borrows from both East and West.This eclectic culture is reflected in Hong Kong's cuisine, for example, which offers both traditional dishes such as dim sum along with world-famous fast food. Similarly, a modern metropolitan lifestyle is guided by ancient Chinese practices and concepts such as feng shui. Hong Kong's most popular cultural trait, however, is its martial arts film industry, which has seen stars such as Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee leave an indelible mark on Hollywood.

Hong Kong Media

South China Morning Post: English language daily newspaper Tung Fang Jih Pao: Oriental daily newspaper Radio-TV Hong Kong (RTHK): state television and radio network      Asia TV (ATV): private, terrestrial television network

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