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Hong Kong consists of the island of Hong Kong (32 sq mi; 83 sq km), Stonecutters' Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories on the adjoining mainland. The island of Hong Kong was ceded to Britain in 1841. Stonecutters' Island and Kowloon were annexed in 1860, and the New Territories, which are mainly agricultural lands, were leased from China in 1898 for 99 years. On July 1, 1997, Hong Kong was returned to China. The vibrant capitalist enclave retains its status as a free port, with its laws to remain unchanged for 50 years. Its first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, formulated a policy agenda based on the concept of “one country, two systems,” thus preserving Hong Kong's economic independence.
In a series of massive demonstrations in July 2003, more than 500,000 people took to the streets of Hong Kong to protest proposed antisubversion laws that curtailed civil rights. Surprisingly, Tung Chee-hwa scrapped the law in September. After pro-democracy parties handed pro-China parties a stunning defeat in November elections, China quickly moved to stifle the democracy movement. In April 2004, Beijing officials postponed indefinitely the expansion of the number of popularly elected legislators. Hundreds of thousands protested. Pro-democracy candidates took about 60% of the popular vote in Sept. 2004 elections, but Beijing's legislative system granted them only 40% of the seats in the legislature.
Donald Tsang, with the backing of Beijing, was overwhelmingly reelected as chief executive in March 2007. Tsang was challenged by Alan Leong, the former leader of the Hong Kong Bar Association and an advocate for voting rights in Hong Kong.
Situated on the southeast coast of China, Hong Kong’s strategic location on the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea has made it one of the world’s most thriving and cosmopolitan cities.
Hong Kong as we know it today was born when China’s Qing dynasty government was defeated in the First Opium War in 1842, when it ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain. Within 60 years, Kowloon, the New Territories and 235 Outlying Islands were also leased to Britain. However, the history of the more than 1100 square kilometres that Hong Kong now occupies predates the events of the Qing dynasty by more than a thousand years. And, as you explore the city’s colourful heritage, you’ll discover stories of powerful clans, marauding pirates and European traders.
From its earliest days as a British colony, Hong Kong served as a centre of international trade. In the turbulent years of the early 20th century, the city’s population was bolstered by refugees, mostly from China. The arrival of immigrants in large numbers helped launch a new role for Hong Kong as a major manufacturing hub. It also brought economically stimulating energy and industry to the city’s character. In recent decades, as the economy of Mainland China has undergone a process of opening up, Hong Kong has transformed yet again – this time into a service-based economy as well as an important gateway to the world’s largest market.
Under the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems', Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. This arrangement allows the city to enjoy a high degree of autonomy, including retaining its capitalist system, independent judiciary and rule of law, free trade and freedom of speech.
A look at the city’s history could give a strong impression that change is the only constant here. However, despite all its reinventions, Hong Kong’s spirit has never changed. In fact, the same energy and dynamism that turned a group of sleepy fishing villages into a crossroads of international trade is now taking Asia’s world city into the 21st century. Experience that spirit and Hong Kong’s story yourself by exploring the city’s rich culture and heritage.
Timeline
700 BC Aboriginal fishing communities establish floating communities.
50 BC China absorbs the entire region.
AD 960 – 1500s Clans settle the area and build walled villages as protection against bandits and pirates.
1514 Portuguese traders build a base in Tuen Mun.
Early 1800s British merchants trade opium for Chinese silks, silver, spices and tea.
1840 – 42 Opium Wars result in China ceding Hong Kong Island in perpetuity to Britain; the Crown colony of Hong Kong is established.
1860 Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters Island are ceded to Britain.
1898 The New Territories are leased to Britain for 99 years; the colony becomes an important trading port.
1910 The Kowloon–Canton Railway to the border of China is completed.
1911 –1949 Refugees fleeing from political turbulence and warfare in Mainland China increase Hong Kong’s population.
1941 – 45 Japanese occupation during World War II.
1950 – 1970s Immigrants from China create booming textile and light manufacturing industries; ‘Made in Hong Kong’ goods are exported all over the world.
1980s Hong Kong becomes an international financial centre and joins the world's top 10 economies.
1984 China and Britain sign the Sino–British Joint Declaration on the future of Hong Kong.
1997 (July 1) Hong Kong becomes a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
1998 Hong Kong International Airport opens at Chek Lap Kok and is named one of the Top Ten Construction Achievements in the 20th Century by the Construction Industry Manufacturers Association (CIMA) the following year.
2008 Hong Kong co-hosts the equestrian events of the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
2011 Four Hong Kong festivals, including the Cheng Chau Bun Festival, Tai O Deities Parade, Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, Yu Lan Ghost Festival of the Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community were all included in China’s third national list of intangible culture under a UNESCO convention.
Language and Culture More Sharing Services
Hong Kong can mostly thank its colonial history and international harbour for the rich blend of cultures that give it its unique character. While the majority of the city’s population are Chinese speakers, simply walking the streets will expose you to a medley of Asian and European languages.
Chinese
Cantonese, a minority dialect of Mainland China, is spoken by 88 per cent of people in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, other Chinese dialects, such as Hakka, Taishanese and Teochiu are also present, as is Mandarin of course – China’s official dialect, which has become more widely spoken in Hong Kong since the reunification in 1997.
English
From Hong Kong’s establishment as a colonial port, through its period as a manufacturing hub, and up until its current role as an international financial centre, the city’s population has always looked outwards. As a result, English is widely spoken. Today, it is the language of preference in the government, business and tourism sectors. All official signs and public transport announcements, as well as most menus, are bilingual. As a visitor, you can expect to encounter minimal problems communicating in English as most taxi drivers, salespeople, tourism industry employees and police have reached competent levels of the language. In fact, many locals even pepper their Chinese speech with English words and phrases.
Multiculturalism
The comfort with which these languages and dialects co-exist reflects the high level of cultural tolerance in Hong Kong, where multiple denominations of Christian churches share space with Chinese joss houses; Buddhist, Taoist and Sikh temples; mosques and synagogues. Moreover, the presence of enduring and ancient cultures in a society that has had to constantly adapt to change has created a unique contemporary culture that is a true mixture of tradition and innovation. Hong Kong is where you’ll see elderly men playing ancient Chinese board games on digital tablets, where Christmas is celebrated with as much fervour as Chinese New Year, and where state-of-the-art skyscrapers are designed in consultation with feng shui masters
Life forms existed more than 6,000 years ago at many sites along the winding shoreline of Hong Kong. It was believed that during the earliest prehistoric periods, from the close of the fourth millennium BC, Hong Kong experienced a change in the environment, in which the sea levels rose from as much as 100 meters below the present level.
Ancient artifacts suggest a strong dependency on the sea. According to recent excavations, archaeologists have discovered two main Neolithic cultures lying in stratified sequence. Pieces of coarse, cord-marked pottery has been found together with fine, soft, fragile pottery decorated with linear carvings, perforations and paintings. The fourth millennium BC is associated with this phase.
In the next phase, probably in the mid-third millennium BC, a new ceramic form decorated with a wide range of impressive geometric patterns was found. Better workmanship and a melange of different shapes indicate a progression in techniques. Ornaments, such as rings made from quartz and other stones, display exquisite craftsmanship.
Bronze emerged in the middle of the second millennium BC, with weapons, knives, arrowheads, and tools excavated from Hong Kong sites. Other evidence from the islands of Chek Lap Kok, Lantau, and Lamma showed that metal was worked locally. During the Bronze Age, pottery was made at high temperatures and adorned with geometric designs.
Besides crafts and tools, ancient Chinese writings have also been found around Hong Kong Island and on some of the smaller, mostly uninhabited islands. These writings depict the lives of maritime people that resembled those in China's southeastern coastal areas, proposing that they might be of mutual origins.
At the time of the Qin (221 - 206BC) and Han (206BC - AD220) dynasties, parties of people from the mainland came and settled in Hong Kong. They brought with them their heritage, which made an impact on the indigenous populations. Coins of the Han period have been discovered in Hong Kong, and a brick tomb was uncovered at Kowloon's Lei Cheng Uk in 1955 with a series of Han tomb furniture. Many other discoveries and excavations reveal relations between various Chinese dynasties of the past with Hong Kong that have already been historically recorded.
Western influence in China came about at the beginning of the 15th and 16th centuries due to the increased trade in Chinese products, such as silk and tea through the Silk Road that stretched from northwestern China to eastern Europe. The Europeans were interested in Hong Kong's safe harbor located on the trade routes of the Far East, thus establishing a trade enterprise between Western businessmen and China. The Portuguese were the first to reach China in 1555, but the British dominated foreign trade in the southern region of Guangzhou (Canton) during the early stages of Western connection in China.
Ships from the British East India Company were stationed on the Indian Coast after Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty opened trade on a limited basis in Guangzhou. Fifteen years later, the company was allowed to build a storage warehouse outside Guangzhou. The westerners were given limited preferences and had to adhere to many Chinese rules and policies. Until the trading season ended, they could only live in certain areas in Guangzhou, and were forbidden from bringing arms, warships, or women. Chinese rulers also banned foreigners from learning the Chinese language in fear of their potential bad influences.
Chinese commodities, namely porcelains and landscaped-furnishings, were popular among the European aristocrats. The British East India Company tried to equalize its huge purchases from China by doubling its sale of opium to the Chinese. The sale of opium saw a huge success by the beginning of the 19th Century. Fearful of the outflow of silver, the Chinese emperor banned the drug trade in 1799 but to no avail. Smuggling came about as neither foreign traders nor Guangdong merchants were inclined to forego the profitable business. Throughout the next few years, the British enjoyed a fruition of success from opium. When they lost monopoly of the trade, other foreign traders stepped into the illegal opium business for a share of wealth.
In 1839, Lin Zexu was appointed by the emperor as a special commissioner to Guangzhou to stop the drug trade. He and his troops used force to impel the foreign factories to surrender their stocks of opium. This act was the stepping stone to the First Opium War when the Chinese and the British could not comply with one another's demands. As a result of the war and the Chinese' fear of British military threats, Hong Kong was rewarded to the British under the Convention of Chuen Pi in January 1841. On January 26, 1841, the British flag was raised at Possession Point on Hong Kong Island, and British occupation began. A few months later, officials were selling plots of land and the colonization of Hong Kong took flight.
Hong Kong inaugurated Sir Henry Pottinger as its first governor in August 1841. Despite British cynicism, Pottinger dedicated his time to building up Hong Kong's future as he realized its potential. He inspired long-term building projects and awarded land grants. In order to make peace with the Chinese, he sent his troops to the Chang Jiang (Yangtzi River) and threatened to attack Nanjing (Nanking). In August 1842, the Chinese yielded and the two governments signed the Treaty of Nanjing, which officially gave Hong Kong to the British. The Chuen Pi Convention was never signed and therefore never legal. With that, Hong Kong carried on to progress as a port and under British influences, it became one of the greatest port cities the world has ever seen.
With the involvement of the British, Hong Kong prospered. Many companies transferred from Guangzhou to Hong Kong, enabling the British colony to begin a prime Asian entrepot. Hostilities between the British and the Chinese of China continued to heighten, leading to the Second Opium War. Subsequently, other foreign nationals - Russia, France, Germany, and Japan - realized the importance of having easy access to trade with China and began to secure ports all along the Chinese coastline. Several treaties were signed between the different nationals. Later, British took possession of the New Territories, which was declared a part of the overall territory of Hong Kong.
Although some people might erroneously believe that Hong Kong's history began after the British took control of the island in 1842, it actually began millennia before that. Stone, bronze, and iron artifacts indicate that Hong Kong Island has been inhabited for at least 6,000 years, and more than 100 Neolithic and Bronze Age sites have been identified throughout the territory, including a 5,000-year-old kiln unearthed on Lantau Island, 4,000-year-old burial grounds, a 2,000-year-old brick tomb, and Neolithic rock carvings.
Early Settlers
Although the area now called Hong Kong became part of the Chinese empire some 2,230 years ago during the Qin dynasty, it was not until after the 12th century that the area became widely settled. Foremost were settler families, known as the Five Great Clans, who built walled cities complete with moats and gatehouses to protect their homes against roving pirates. First to arrive was the Tang clan, who built at least five walled villages and maintained imperial connections with Beijing for 800 years, until the end of the 19th century. Several of these walled villages remain, along with study halls where members of the Tang clan studied for exams that would gain them coveted entrance into the Imperial Civil Service; you can visit these and other historic buildings built by the Tang clan by walking the Lung Yeuk Tau and the Ping Shan heritage trails. The other four clans were the Hau, Pang, Liu, and Man.
The clans were joined by the Tanka people, who lived their whole lives on boats anchored in sheltered bays throughout the territory and were employed as pearl divers in Tolo Harbour; and by the Hoklos, another seafaring people who established coastal fishing villages. They were followed by the Hakka, primarily farmers who cultivated rice, pineapples, and tea. Garrison troops were stationed at Tuen Mun and Tai Po (now major satellite towns in the New Territories) to guard the pearls harvested from Tolo Harbour by Tanka divers, while forts to guard against invasion were constructed at Tung Chung and other coastal regions. By the end of the 19th century, as many as 100,000 people resided in what is now the New Territories.
Tea & Opium
Hong Kong's modern history, however, begins a mere 170 years ago, under conditions that were far less than honorable. During the 1800s, the British were extremely eager to obtain Chinese silk and tea. Tea had become Britain's national drink, but the only place it was grown was China, from which it was being imported to England in huge quantities. The British tried to engage the Chinese in trade, but the Chinese were not interested in anything offered -- only silver bullion would do. The Chinese also forbade the British to enter their kingdom, with the exception of a small trading depot in Canton.
But then the British hit upon a commodity that proved irresistible -- opium. Grown in India and exported by the British East India Company, this powerful drug enslaved everyone from poor peasants to the nobility, and before long, China was being drained of silver, traded to support a drug habit. The Chinese emperor, fearful of the damage being wreaked on Chinese society and alarmed by his country's loss of silver, declared a ban on opium imports in the 1830s. The British simply ignored the ban, smuggling their illegal cargo up the Pearl River. In 1839, with opium now India's largest export, the Chinese confiscated the British opium stockpiles in Canton and destroyed them. The British responded by declaring war and then winning the struggle. As a result of this first Opium War, waged until 1842, China was forced to open new ports for trade, agree to an exorbitant cash indemnity for the loss of the destroyed opium, and cede Hong Kong Island in perpetuity to the British in a treaty China never recognized. Not only was this Treaty of Nanking demoralizing to the Chinese, but it also ensured that their country would remain open to the curse of opium. And although opium was the cause of the war, it was never even mentioned in the Treaty of Nanking.
Following the second Opium War, waged from 1856 to 1858 as the British sought more trading ports and pushed for the legalization of the opium trade, the tip of Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters Island were added to the colony in 1860. In 1898, Britain decided it needed more land for defense and dictated a lease for the New Territories (despite the 100,000 Chinese living there) and more than 200 outlying islands, for 99 years, until 1997. The only piece of land the British didn't acquire was a Chinese fort, constructed in 1847 to defend Kowloon after the British takeover of Hong Kong Island (today the site is the Kowloon Walled City Park).
Please Don't Pass the Bread -- In 1857, a popular but disgruntled Chinese baker, Cheong Ah Lum, was accused of adding arsenic to his bread, poisoning nearly 300 Europeans in retaliation for the Opium Wars. He was acquitted but was deported to China.
The Promised Land
When the British took control of Hong Kong Island in 1842, some 7,000 Chinese lived on the island in farming and fishing communities. Although Hong Kong had a deep and protected harbor, no one, including the Chinese, was much interested in the island itself, and many in the British government considered its acquisition an embarrassing mistake. No sooner had the island been settled than a typhoon tore through the settlement. Repairs were demolished only 5 days later by another tropical storm. Fever and fire followed, and the weather grew so oppressive and humid that the colony seemed to be enveloped in a giant steam bath.
Yet, while the number of headstones in the hillside cemetery multiplied, so too did the number of the living, especially as word spread of the fortunes being made by merchants who had established trading houses for the booming trade in silk, tea, spices, and opium. Soon after the turn of the 20th century, the population had swelled to 300,000. British families lived along the waterfront and called it Victoria (now the Central District), slowly moving up toward the cooler temperatures of Victoria Peak (still home of stately mansions, Victoria Peak is one of Hong Kong's main attractions). The Chinese, barred from occupying the Peak and other European-only neighborhoods, resided in a shantytown farther west, now called the Western District. Conditions were so appalling that when the bubonic plague struck in 1894, it raged for almost 30 years, claiming more than 20,000 lives (the Pathological Institute, established to combat the plague, now houses the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences).
Hong Kong's growth in the 20th century was no less astonishing in terms of both trade and population. In 1900, approximately 11,000 ships pulled into Hong Kong harbor; just a decade later, the number had doubled. In 1911, the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty in China sent a flood of refugees into Hong Kong, followed, in 1938, by an additional 500,000 immigrants. Another mass influx of Chinese refugees arrived after the fall of Shanghai to the Communists in 1950. From this last wave of immigrants, including many Shanghai industrialists, emerged the beginnings of Hong Kong's now-famous textile industry. Throughout the 1950s, Hong Kong grew as a manufacturing and industrial center for electronics, watches, and other low-priced goods. By 1956, Hong Kong's population stood at 2.5 million.
Change, Unrest & the Last of the British
As a British colony, Hong Kong was administered by a governor appointed by the queen. There were no free elections, and the Legislative Council, Hong Kong's main governing body (popularly referred to as LegCo), was also appointed. As 1997 drew nearer, marking the end of the 99-year lease on the New Territories, it soon became clear that China had no intention of renewing the lease or renegotiating a treaty it had never recognized in the first place.
Finally, after more than 20 rounds of talks and meetings, Britain's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984, agreeing to transfer all of Hong Kong to Chinese Communist rule on June 30, 1997. China declared Hong Kong a Special Administrative Region, granting it special privileges under a "one country, two systems" policy that guaranteed Hong Kong's capitalist lifestyle and social system for at least 50 years after 1997. Under provisions set forth in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and in Hong Kong's constitution, the Basic Law, Hong Kong would remain largely self-governing, and its people would retain rights to their property, to freedom of speech, and to travel freely in and out of Hong Kong. Throughout the negotiations, however, Hong Kong's residents were never consulted.
Then came the events of June 1989 in Tiananmen Square, in which hundreds of students and demonstrators were attacked by Chinese authorities in a brutal move to quash the pro-democracy movement. China's response to the uprising sent shock waves through Hong Kong and led to rounds of angry protest.
Those who could emigrate did so, primarily to Australia, Canada, and the United States; at its height, more than 1,000 people were emigrating each week. After all, nearly half of Hong Kong's Chinese are refugees from the mainland, and as one Hong Kong Chinese told me, his family fled to escape Communist rule, so why should he stay after 1997? Most of Hong Kong's Chinese, however, remained confident (or at least hopeful) that China realized it had more to gain by keeping Hong Kong as it was. In a move that angered Communist China, Hong Kong Chinese were granted more political autonomy during the last few years of the colony's existence than in all the preceding 150 years, including various democratic reforms such as elections for the Legislative Council. Some early emigrants began returning to Hong Kong, confident they could do better in their native country and willing to wait to see how life might change under the Chinese. Except now they had a safety net: foreign passports.
On June 30, 1997, the last British governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, sailed out of Hong Kong, 4,000 Chinese troops marched in, and Tung Chee-hwa, appointed by the Chinese government, became the new chief executive of the Special Administrative Region (SAR). Mainland China celebrated the event as the end of more than 100 years of shame. On July 1, it dissolved Hong Kong's elected Legislative Council and replaced it with a handpicked Provisional Legislature until a new Legislative Council, with both elected and appointed members, could be formed.
After the Handover
Hong Kong's first elections under Chinese rule, in 1998, allowed for one-third of the 60-member legislature to be elected by direct popular vote, with the Democrats -- Hong Kong's largest party -- winning the most seats (although full suffrage, with a fully elected legislature and chief executive, is declared a goal in the Basic Law, it has no timetable). Meanwhile, like the rest of Asia, Hong Kong was hit hard by economic recession, made worse by manufacturers moving across the Chinese border into Shenzhen to take advantage of cheaper land prices and cheaper wages.
After the handover, the SAR began allowing 150 mainland Chinese to migrate to Hong Kong every day -- more than 54,000 a year. In January 1999, Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal ruled that the Basic Law also granted automatic Hong Kong residency to any mainland Chinese with one Hong Kong parent, even if that parent gained residency after the child was born. However, fearing an explosion of unplanned population growth, with an estimated 1.6 million additional qualified immigrants potentially pouring in from the mainland, coupled with increased unemployment, Tung Chee-hwa asked Beijing to review the immigration ruling, a move interpreted by critics as a threat to the judicial independence of the SAR. China responded by overturning the immigration judgment issued by Hong Kong's highest court and providing a narrower interpretation of the Basic Law, thereby cutting the number of potential new immigrants over the next decade from 1.6 million to about 200,000. Only mainland children who were born after a parent received legal resident status were given a "right of abode." In January 2002, Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal affirmed the Chinese government's reversal of its earlier ruling and ordered 7,300 "unlawful migrants" to leave the SAR. Only 3,000 complied; the remaining 4,300 were forcibly removed to the mainland by police.
A bigger rift in Hong Kong-Beijing relations came in 2003, when an anti-subversion bill was introduced by Tung Chee-hwa's Beijing-backed administration. The measure -- meant to outlaw subversion, sedition, treason, the theft of state secrets, and other crimes against the state -- brought more than 500,000 protesters to Hong Kong's streets on July 1, 2003, making it the SAR's largest protest since the Tiananmen Square massacre. Tung Chee-hwa withdrew the bill, but another blow to Hong Kong democracy came in 2004, when Beijing ruled against a public election for Hong Kong's chief executive in 2007 and declared that there would be no universal suffrage for the Legislative Council election slated for 2008. Hong Kong's pro-democracy leaders responded that Hong Kong's autonomy had been violated, with the core principals of the Basic Law and the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration -- that Hong Kong would be ruled by the people of Hong Kong -- replaced by a Beijing dictatorship. In September 2004, elections for the 60-member Legislative Council allowed an increase in the number of elected members from 24 to 30; the remaining 50% were elected by functional constituencies, consisting mostly of special-interest groups with ties to Beijing.
The biggest news to garner international attention during this time, however, was not Hong Kong's long struggle for autonomy, but rather its role in the eruption of a mysterious, flulike illness in 2003. Spreading from a Hong Kong hotel, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) infected more than 8,000 people in 29 countries over the next few months, killing more than 700 of them. In Hong Kong, which together with China suffered the most, the illness sickened 1,775 people and claimed almost 300 lives. Needless to say, SARS was a major blow to Hong Kong's economy, reducing the city to a tourist ghost town and costing it $4 to $6 billion in retail trade and business. Unemployment hit 8.7%, the highest since the statistic was first recorded in 1981. To encourage tourism and boost the local economy, Hong Kong turned to action film star Jackie Chan as its international spokesperson.
In March 2005, Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong's only leader since the handover, unexpectedly announced his resignation, citing ill health and igniting rumors that Beijing had forced his exit in an effort to curb Hong Kong's growing discontent and resultant push for greater democracy. Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, a career civil servant educated at Harvard and backed by Beijing, was chosen to finish out Tung's remaining 2 years of office and in 2007 was selected for an additional 5-year term. In 2007, China finally announced it would allow Hong Kong to directly elect its own leader in 2017 and all its lawmakers by 2020 (but gave no road map for elections in 2012 and 2016). More than 20 years after the handover, Hong Kong would finally be a democracy.
SARS & Avian Flu
While no one can be certain that new outbreaks of SARS and avian flu will never happen (the last outbreaks for both in Hong Kong occurred in 2003), Hong Kong is ready. The temperatures of all passengers passing through border controls -- at the Hong Kong airport, the border checkpoint between Hong Kong and mainland China, and ferry terminals serving Macau and beyond -- are thermally scanned for fever, and hand sanitizers are strategically placed throughout Hong Kong.
Macau HistoryThe history of Macau can be traced back to the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC), when the region now called Macau came under the jurisdiction of Panyu County, Guangdong Province. In Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD), fishermen migrated to Macau from Guangdong and Fujian, but Macau did not develop fast as a major settlement until the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century. In 1535, Portuguese traders obtained the rights to berth ships in Macau's harbours and to carry out trading activities. Around 1552–1553, they obtained temporary permission to erect storage sheds onshore, in order to dry out goods drenched by water. In 1557, the Portuguese established a permanent settlement in Macau.
St. Paul's Cathedral is the most famous attraction tourist in Macau. It was built in 1602 and destroyed by fire in 1835. Only the southern stone wall remains today.In the following few years, more and more Portuguese settled in Macau to engage in trading, and they demanded powers of self-administration, though this was not achieved until the 1840s. During the Opium War (1839–42), Portugal occupied Taipa and Coloane in 1851 and 1864 respectively. In 1887, the Qing government was forced to sign the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Amity and Commerce, declared the right of "perpetual occupation and government of Macau", and Portugal pledged to seek China's approval before transferring Macau to another country; At last, Macau officially became a Portuguese colony.Many years after, Influenced by the Cultural Revolution in mainland China and by general dissatisfaction with the Portuguese government, a riot broke out in Macau in 1966, during which a large number of people died and were injured. The Portuguese government finally issued a formal apology. This marked the new beginning of equal treatment and recognition of Chinese identity and of de facto Chinese control of the colony, as an official apology implicitly recognized that administration of Macau continued only as tolerated by the Communist government of the Chinese mainland.The Portuguese government made a decision to relinquish all its overseas possessions after the leftist military coup of 1974 in Lisbon. In 1976 Lisbon redefined Macau as a "Chinese territory under Portuguese administration" and granted it a large measure of administrative, financial, and economic autonomy. Three years later, both Portugal and China agreed to regard Macau as "a Chinese territory under (temporary) Portuguese administration". The Chinese and Portuguese governments commenced negotiations on the question of Macau in 1986. The two signed a Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration the next year, making Macau a special administrative region (SAR) of China. The Chinese government finally assumed formal sovereignty over Macau on December 20, 1999.
Macau Travel Tips No 1: Phone call
a) Emergency call:853-999
b) Fire service:853-572222
c) police:853-573333
d) customers:853-559944
e) directory inquiry:181(English and Portuguese)?185(Portuguese)
f) International call service:101
g) Oversea International call service:191
Macau Travel Tips No 2: Custom
Being a Special Administration Region of P.R. China, Macau has its own separate entry& exit regulations.Any travelers can bring any non-dutiable or not-to-declared items with the total value of less than 10,000.00 MOP.Any travelers can bring the following items in appropriate quantity for personal use.200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 200 tobacco or any of them with a total less than 250 gms one litre of spirits garment, jewelries or sports articles for personal use1 camera plus 5 films, 1 video camera plus 2 films; 1 video record, 1 telescope, 1 portable disc player plus 10 discs; 1 portable radio& recorder, 1 portable typing machine; 1 PC for personal use only
Macau Travel Tips No 3: Money
The currency unit of Macau is Pataca with denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 Patacas in banknotes and 10, 20, 50 avos and 1, 2, 5 and 10 Patacas in coins. Hong Kong dollars are readily accepted everywhere in Macau. Most hotel rates are generally quoted only in Hong Kong dollars. The rate is fluctuates with the currency market.
Macau Travel Tips No 4:Media
Macau publishes journal and weekly newspapers in Chinese, Portuguese and English respectively. However, all TV programs are shown in Chinese and Portuguese.
Things to Do in MacauMacau has so much tourist resources. Here is our list of top nine things to do in Macau.
Top 9 Things to do in Macau
1. Senado Square
Senado Square offer visitors a good chance to walk along the synthesis of history and culture of two civilizations.
2. The Ruins of St. Paul's
The Ruins of St. Paul's is the must-see attraction spot in Macau.
3. Macau Museum
To know about the history of Macau by seeing lots of objects whith high history value in Macau Museum.
4. Macau Tower
It is the 10th tallest free-standing tower in the world.
5. A-Ma Temple
One of the most celebrated temples in Macau and in China.
6. Saint Anthony Church
Very classic church in Macau, many travelers visit it annually.
7. Camoes Garden
Camoes Garden is one of the largest parks in Macau.
8. Cheoc Van Beach and Hác-Sá Beach
A large number of swimmers and sunbathers shows how popular these beaches are.
9. Casino Lisboa
It has top-class gambling facilities, a wide variety of table games and video pokers, great live performance and many other entertainments.
Best Time to Visit MacauWhen is the best time to visit Macau?
If you plan to visit Macau, the best time will be autumn. Macau’s autumn is from October to December. During this period the temperature remains pleasantly moderate. Average temperature is about 20-25 degree centigrade This best temperature offers a comfortable weather for visitors to go out and engage in activities. The other good season to visit Macau is spring. The months from March to May are the spring season in Macau.Not too cold and not too hot.
Macau Transportation - How to get to and get around MacauMacau is a good destination in Southeast Asia.It is easy and convenient to go by means of well developed transportation systerm. Located on the western shore of the Pearl River, Macau is the gateway to mainland from the South China Sea. Road transportation is the major transport within Macau.No railways at present in Macau and the main forms of public transport are buses and taxis. Lots of domestic and international flights are also available from Macau International Airport. The ways of transporting out of Macau are ferries to Hong Kong and mainland China from two ferry terminals, and helicopter service to Hong Kong. However, one thing should be emphasized that Macao's status as a free port means that there are immigration procedures to be observed prior to entry to the mainland of China.
Macau Food - What and Where to eat in MacauMacau has lots of snacks and desserts with local features. Among the best are Macau’s famous pork chop buns, a popular snack in Macau. It is a kind of baked bread bun, crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside, with a freshly deep-fried or pan-fried pork chop inside. Popular Macanese desserts are include ginger milk, a kind of warm and soft pudding that consists of ginger, milk and sugar, and Serradura, also a kind of pudding with whipped cream and biscuit-crumbs. Portuguese-style egg tarts enjoy high popularity in Macau. This is a baked dessert that consists of a flaky outer crust, with an egg custard-filled centre.Because of its colonial history and special geographical position, Macau developed a rich and diverse culinary culture that combines different cuisines from all over the world. Alongside Chinese and Portuguese food, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Indian and Thai styles all have a place here, in various restaurants scattered throughout Macau.
Taipa Rua da Cunha (also called ‘Cunhua food street’), is a narrow but prosperous street in the centre of Taipa Island. Countless popular restaurants located in Taipa Rua da Cunba Street can provide you plenty of traditional Chinese cuisine, especially Cantonese cuisine, and more exotic styles such as Portuguese, Italian, French and Korean. The enthusiastic local store owners will happily let you sample their food when you walk in this area, so you can compare all the local foods before you decide which shop to buy from. With so many shops selling dim sum like almond cakes, phoenix egg rolls, coconut flakes, and peanut candy to choose from, you certainly won’t leave with an empty stomach.Macau Food StreetsTaipa Rua da Cunha is also called Cunhua food Street in Portuguese. It is a narrow but prosperous street in the centre of Taipa Island. countless porpular restaurants located in Taipa Rua da Cunba Street that will provide you plenty of traditional Chinese cuisine, especially Cantonese cuisine, and exotic cuisine with the Portuguese style, Italian style, French style and Korean style. The persistent sellers will keep to let you try their samples of food when you walk in the street You have chance to taste these local food from one shop to another. Anyway, you won't go back with an empty stomach or empty hands, because they are too much shops selling dim sum like almond cakes, phoenix egg rolls, coconut flakes, and peanut candy and others.
Macau Shopping – What to Buy in MacauShopping in Macau offers a larger number of options for visitors. People can purchase almost anything from high-end luxury goods to traditional Chinese delicacies. What’s more, everything in Macau is free from sales tax because Macau is a free port. Items worth looking out for include gold jewellery, Chinese antiques, porcelain, pottery, electronic items, watches and knitted wares. Macau not only has large size modern shopping malls and department stores, but also small shopping streets and weekly markets, making Macau a real treat for shoppers.
Macau Nightlife - An Entertainment Guide in MacauMacau's nightlife is famous for its variety. It has some of Asia's nicest cafés and plenty of excellent bars, pubs as well as casinos where great shows are performed nightly. Plenty of visitors are drawn to these bars and pubs to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. People relax themselves by enjoying the music, a full range of wine and beverages, hot dancers and marvelous shows in a casual atmosphere.Apart from the nightlife in bars and pubs, a night spent gambling in the many casinos is also a favorite activity here. Macau is known as the Oriental Las Vegas because it is a gamblers' paradise. Every night legends are made at the tables of Macau’s spectacular casinos.Whatever you are looking for, you can most certainly find it here in Macau.
Macau Weather - Information-on Macau ClimateMacau has a humid and rainny subtropical climate, Seasonal climate is greatly influenced by the monsoons, and differences in temperature between summer and winter are huge. The warmest month is July, January is the coolest month. Located in the coastal region of south of China, Macau has rich rainfall, with average annual precipitation being 2,030 millimetres (79.9 in). However, winter is mostly dry because of the monsoon from mainland China. In Macau, Autumn from October to December, is sunny and warm with low humidity. Winter (January to March) is relatively cold but full of sunshine. Humidity gradually increase in spring from April to June, and in summer from July to September, it is warm and humid with rain and occasional typhoons
Macau Tourism - Information on Macau Tourism IndustryMacau Tourism: Macau is more and more famous as one of the world’s fastest growing entertainment and leisure holiday destinations. More than 20 million visitors arrive in Macau every year, Visitors have oppotunities to enjoy beaches, fortresses, churches, temples, gardens, and excellent museums in Macau.Macau’s a unique cuisine combined elements of Portuguese, Chinese, Indian, and even Malay cooking is known as Macanese cuisine.In Macau, visitors have lots of options to go anywhere they want to go by convenient transportation.
When to visit and where to stay
Q: When is the best time to visit Hong Kong?
A: Hong Kong is a popular travel destination year round. The city enjoys a mild climate from the middle of September to the end of February, while the weather from May to mid-September can be hot, wet and humid, with August being the wettest month. For detailed weather information please visit the Hong Kong Observatory website.
Q: Where is the best area to stay?
A: Hong Kong is very compact, so visitors are never too far from major shopping areas and attractions. Getting around is simple via Hong Kong’s extensive, reliable and affordable public transport system. Most hotels are located close to the harbour-front in Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and North Point on Hong Kong Island, and in Tsim Sha Tsui, Tsim Sha Tsui East and Hung Hom in Kowloon. You can also find plenty of accommodation within Kowloon’s busy areas of Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok. There are also a growing number of resort-style hotels in the New Territories and the Outlying Islands that offer more relaxing alternatives.
Public transport
Q: Is local transport easy to use?
A: Hong Kong has an excellent public transport system that is considered one of the best in the world. Depending on where you are going, you have a choice of MTR (subway), trains, buses, trams, ferries and taxis. These clean and efficient options cover extensive areas of Hong Kong and have signs and announcements in both English and Chinese. See more details on transport here.
Shopping and opening hours
Q: When are summer sales / winter sales periods in Hong Kong?
A: Generally speaking, summer sales run from July to September and winter sales from December to February. However, the exact sales period may vary from shop to shop.
Q: Do shops and restaurants close during long public holidays such as the Chinese New Year?
A: Most shops and restaurants in major tourist areas will remain open during public holidays. Some of them will be closed on the first and second days of Chinese New Year and will reopen for business from the third day. Some traditional shops and restaurants, such as dried seafood merchants, Chinese medicine stores and small family-owned restaurants, may stay closed for longer. Hong Kong's official public holidays can be found here.
Q: Are credit cards widely accepted in shops?
A: Most shops in Hong Kong accept major credit cards; however, at open-air markets, most vendors will only take cash. As these can offer attractive bargains and are found all over Hong Kong, it’s best to bring both cash in Hong Kong dollars and credit cards when shopping.
Q: Is there any sales tax in Hong Kong?
A: Mostly, no. All goods, other than alcohol and tobacco, are tax-free.
Q: What are Hong Kong’s official business hours?
A: Opening hours vary from business to business, but here’s a rough guide:
Most offices will open from 9am to 6pm or longer from Monday to Friday, depending on the type of business. Many will also open from 9am to 1pm on Saturdays.
Major banks open from 9am to 4:30pm on weekdays and 9am to 12:30pm on Saturdays.
Retail shops generally open from 10am to 7pm daily, although those in popular shopping areas such as Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui will stay open until 9:30pm or even later, especially on weekends. Many shops in Hong Kong remain open every day of the year, except the first two days of Chinese New Year.
Restaurants tend to stay open until around 11pm, while bars and clubs will close in the wee hours, with plenty of them operating all night, particularly in popular nightlife hubs such as Lan Kwai Fong and Wan Chai.
Telecommunications and postage
Q: Where can I get Internet access in Hong Kong?
A: Free Wi-Fi service is available at Hong Kong International Airport. Some government buildings also offer free ‘GovWiFi’ services, including some public libraries. You can access the Internet for free at many coffee shops in town, as well as at certain iCentres at selected MTR stations and at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Business InfoCentre. Check with your hotel concierge for a nearby location to access Wi-Fi. Most hotels offer broadband Internet access; however, this may involve a charge in some cases.
Q: Are local phone calls expensive?
A: No. Calls from private landlines to landlines are free and cost only $1 for five minutes from public telephones. However, hotels will usually charge for local phone calls. International Direct Dial (IDD) services to most countries and regions of the world are available at almost all hotels in Hong Kong.
Q: Will my mobile phone work in Hong Kong?
A: Most of the world’s mobile telecommunications systems operate in Hong Kong, including GSM 900, PCS 1800, CDMA and WCDMA. Check if your service provider has a roaming agreement with a Hong Kong operator. And be sure to pay attention to the roaming rates! More details here.
Q: Can I get a temporary Hong Kong mobile phone or local mobile phone number during my visit?
A: Yes. You can rent local SIM cards or mobile phones when you arrive at the airport or in town. Prepaid Calling Card and Mobile Data Prepaid SIM Card for mobile phones can be easily purchased from major convenient stores in Hong Kong.
Q: Can I access tourist information through my mobile phone?
A: Yes. Also, visitors with Wi-Fi-enabled devices can enjoy free browsing and downloading of content on the HKTB website / mobile site via PCCW's 7,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in Hong Kong. More details here.
Q: Is posting letters and parcels from Hong Kong easy?
A: Yes. Post offices and post boxes are conveniently located around the city and postage stamps are available in convenience stores. You can find out Hong Kong’s postage rates here.
Other topics
Q: Is Hong Kong safe for visitors?
A: Hong Kong is one of the safest cities in the world, even at night when people can walk alone with confidence. Having said that, to ensure your stay is a pleasant one, always take extra care of your belongings at all times.
Q: Is English widely spoken?
A: Yes. English is widely spoken in Hong Kong and is the language of preference in the government, business and tourism sectors. As a visitor, you can expect to encounter minimal problems communicating in English, as most taxi drivers, salespeople, tourism industry employees and police have reached competent levels of the language. Also, all official signs and public transport announcements, as well as most menus, are in both English and Chinese.
Q: Will I be able to use my electrical equipment in Hong Kong?
A: The standard electrical voltage in Hong Kong is 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Most hotel bathrooms also have outlets for 100 volts, but if not, you will need a transformer for any appliance or electrical equipment. The majority of electrical outlets in Hong Kong take a three-pronged UK-style plug. You can buy an inexpensive adaptor for your electrical equipment at most convenience stores.
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