To call Hong Kong (香港 xiāng gǎng) a city of contrasts would be an understatement. This small region on the South Eastern tip of China has been labelled as the New York of Asia, the meeting point of East and West, and even disregarded as a barren rock. While it is a haven for peace, tranquillity and nature, it is also a busy metropolitan business centre at the same time.

Hong Kong is defined by its contrasts and it really is contra-distinctive in every sense of the complicated word. So let us guide you through the contrasts that make up this wonderful city.

Fast Facts About Hong Kong

Location: Located on the Eastern side of
the Pearl River Delta.
Population: 6,748,389 (as of 2006)
People: Predominantly from Chinese descent.
Language: Cantonese and English are considered the official languages.
Local Cuisine: Fusion of Eastern and Western cuisine.
Dialing Code: "+852” from abroad.
Getting There: Air, train or boat from mainland China.
Getting Around: Extremely efficient transport system including a metro system (MTR), thousands of taxis, buses, mini-buses/mini-vans, old-school historical trams, and since Hong Kong comprises 260 islands there are also numerous ferries to outlying islands.

Weather: Subtropical, being hot, humid and rainy during spring and summer and dry and cooler in autumn and winter. Prone to occasional typhoons and squally thunderstorms.

Main Attractions: The Hong Kong stock
exchange is the sixth largest in the world being the 3rd financial centre globally and the strongest in Asia. The world’s tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha; some of the most futuristic architecture in Asia; Disneyland; some of the craziest and busiest shopping malls and districts like Mong Kok (possibly one the most densely populated areas in the world); and numerous scenic wildlife parks.

Show you a MRT map in HongKong and hope you have fun in here.