The Special Administration Region of Hong Kong, situated at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta on the southwestern coast of China, is a destination imbued with a remarkable mix of Eastern and Western influences. Since the handover from British colonial to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 it has become far more Chinese than ever before, but for tourists the joy of visiting lies in being wedged between two diverse cultures simultaneously.
Hong Kong Island with its financial hub known as Central is the energetic heartbeat of the region. Its cloud-tickling skyscrapers and neon light night spectacular accentuate the capitalist (and often hedonistic) pursuits of its inhabitants, many of them expats. Fine dining, high-end shopping and world-class hotels are all part of the landscape. Get down to street level however and the laneways, wet markets and traditional Chinese haunts are a reminder that beyond the city lies a working class populace still making ends meet the old way - and often the hard way.
Similarly, out of the centre in suburbs such as Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, old and new face a head-on battle. Traditional buildings are frequently knocked down and street markets hidden indoors to make way for yet another air-conditioned shopping mall or faceless apartment building. Visitors should take heed and explore these charismatic backstreets before they disappear.
Just across the harbour forming the other half of the main conurbation is Kowloon, a bustling eclectic hub where visitors are likely to find Gucci and Prada on one block then noodle kitchens, Indian tailors and fake handbag salesmen on the next. Further north are the New Territories, which form a slightly more rural hinterland despite the forest of high-rise apartment buildings that make Hong Kong the fourth densest population on the planet. The large islands of Lamma and Lantau and the smaller Outlying Islands complete the patchwork.
Remarkably, almost 40% of Hong Kong territory is designated nature reserve or country park, providing unsung natural beauties in the shape of looming mountains, secluded islets, white beaches, hiking trails and island landscapes.
This geographic assortment sits in range of the South China Sea's typhoon alley. In winter and early spring, the climate can be mild and fresh but come 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.
For locals, a signal eight typhoon can mean a day off work. For visitors the tremulous weather is just another factor that makes Hong Kong such a diverse and unique destination.
