Hong Kong
Tsim Sha Tsui - a popular shopping district in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Entrance to Hong Kong Disneyland ResortWhat is this place? :
Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港) is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. She is one of the world's leading international financial centres, with a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation, free trade and minimum government intervention under the ethos of positive non-interventionism.
Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港) is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. She is one of the world's leading international financial centres, with a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation, free trade and minimum government intervention under the ethos of positive non-interventionism.
Where is this place? :
Hong Kong is situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea.
Hong Kong is situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea.
Why do tourists visit this place? :
(a) One of the main reasons why tourists go to Hong Kong is for shopping. Tourists go there to shop for a variety of items like antiques, video games, leather goods, local snacks, jewelry and Japanese items. Tsim Sha Tsui is a renowned shopping district that is extremely popular with tourists. Shopping malls, designer stores, restaurants, bars and cafes can be found in this district.
(a) One of the main reasons why tourists go to Hong Kong is for shopping. Tourists go there to shop for a variety of items like antiques, video games, leather goods, local snacks, jewelry and Japanese items. Tsim Sha Tsui is a renowned shopping district that is extremely popular with tourists. Shopping malls, designer stores, restaurants, bars and cafes can be found in this district.
(b) Another reason why tourists visit this place is to go and entertain themselves at the amusement parks there. These include Ocean Park, Waterworld and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
(c) Tourists also go to Hong Kong to visit the museums there, one of which is the renowned Madame Tussauds Museum.
(d) Furthermore, tourists also visit Hong Kong so that they can sample the local specialties, such as dim sum.
(What economic benefits has tourism brought about for the country?) :
The total tourism expenditure associated to inbound tourism reached HK$117.3 billion in 2006. Tourism is one of the main sources of income for Hong Kong. Tourism is also regarded as Hong Kong’s economic pillar.
(What are the social impacts of tourism in Hong Kong?) :
Tourism can help improve Hong Kong's image, increase employment opportunities, stability and prosperity, and improve living standards. However, residents felt that tourists were partly responsible for traffic congestion, drug addiction, decline in morality and crime.
What are the sources of information for this place? :
What are the sources of information for this place? :
- http://www.essortment.com/travel/topthingsho_twyq.htm (A website that provides advice on various things)
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong (An encyclopedia)
- http://arabic.china.org.cn/english/travel/215538.htm (A news report)
- http://www.cababstractsplus.org/abstracts/Abstract.aspx?AcNo=19921899035 (A website that provides articles on various issues for researchers around the world)
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong (An encyclopedia)
- http://arabic.china.org.cn/english/travel/215538.htm (A news report)
- http://www.cababstractsplus.org/abstracts/Abstract.aspx?AcNo=19921899035 (A website that provides articles on various issues for researchers around the world)
Done by: Lee Sae Yun 4D, Lim Yixian 4D
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night view at Hong Kong
(Source : http://farm1.static.flickr.com/185/465206650_9aeb8095dc.jpg)
Street view in Hong Kong
(Source : www.google.com)
Hong Kong Disneyland
(Source : http://www.worldtrailfinders.com/images/photos/4a1154591c74d.jpg)
Question 1:
What is this place?
- Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. It is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. The city's population is 95% ethnic Chinese and 5% from other groups.
Question 2:
Where is this place?
- Hong Kong is situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea.
Question 3:
Why do tourists visit this place?
- During Chinese New Year, there are some extra celebratory events such as a lion dances, fireworks, and parades.
Christmas is also a nice time to visit as many stores and shopping centres are nicely decorated and the festive mood is apparent across the city.
Hong Kong is still known as an excellent destination for shopping, especially for goods from the mainland. Shopping in Hong Kong is just as good as, if not better than other well known shopping cities, such as London, Singapore and Tokyo. Prices can be cheaper than Europe, North America, or Japan, especially since Hong Kong has no sales tax (VAT/GST). Although Hong Kong prices are still expensive by regional standards, the choice and variety is a lot better than in most south-east Asian countries. Popular shopping items include consumer electronics, custom clothing, shoes, jewellery, expensive brand name goods, Chinese antiques, toys and Chinese herbs/medicine.
As a generalisation, Hong Kong Island and nearby Tsim Sha Tsui have the upmarket shopping malls (particularly near Central and Causeway Bay), while Kowloon is the place to go for cheap open markets. Causeway Bay is home to Hong Kong's youth fashion scene, and is a good place to look for the newest fashion trends. Kowloon's Nathan Road has many shops selling electronics, cameras and gadgets, mainly to tourists (not locals!), beware that some of the business practices there can be quite deceptive.
The skyline of Hong Kong is one of the best in the world. See the stunning Hong Kong Island skyline from Kowloon- one of the best view is from the Avenue of Stars at Tsim Sha Tsui.
Though significantly smaller in size than other Disney parks elsewhere, Hong Kong's Disneyland does offer some great attractions (including "Space Mountain" roller coaster, "Festival of the Lion King" stage show, "Golden Mickeys" stage show, "Mickey's PhilharMagic 4D" show, and an updated "It's a Small World" boat ride) and very short queues most of the year.
Perhaps the number one highlight of Hong Kong is the cuisine. Not only is it a showcase of traditional and modern Cantonese cuisine, the various regional cuisines from around China, such as northern Chinese, Chaozhou (Chiuchow/Teochew) and Sichuan are all well represented. There are also excellent Asian and some fairly good Western restaurants as well.
Residents tend to eat out a lot more than in other countries. Because of this, eating out can be fairly cheap, as long as you stick to local restaurants, and avoid the often overpriced Western counterparts.
Question 4:
What are the sources of information for this place?
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/
http://wikitravel.org/en/Hong_Kong
http://www.travel-hongkong-attractions.com/
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/
http://wikitravel.org/en/Hong_Kong
http://www.travel-hongkong-attractions.com/
(Qn 5: What kind of impacts does human activities have on Hong Kong's natural environment?
- Despite Hong Kong's name meaning "fragrant harbour", this is not always so. Air pollution is a big problem due to a high population density and industrial pollution from mainland China. During periods of very bad air pollution tourists will find visibility drastically reduced, especially from Victoria Peak. Persons with serious respiratory problems should seek medical advice before travelling to the territory and ensure that they bring ample supplies of any relevant medication.
Pollution is a contentious topic in Hong Kong and is the number one issue among environmental campaigners. Much of the pollution originates from factories in mainland China and from Hong Kong motorists. Levels of pollution can vary according to the season. The winter monsoon can bring polluted air from the mainland, whilst the summer monsoon can bring cleaner air off the South China Sea.)
(Qn 6: What should tourists take note of while traveling at Hong Kong?
- One should note that Hong Kong has significant cultural differences from mainland China due to British occupancy and the lack of communist influences. In particular, as Hong Kong was once a British colony, it was largely spared the Cultural Revolution that devastated much of the mainland. For instance, spitting on the pavement, common on the mainland, is considered uncivilised in Hong Kong. Spitting is against the law and carries a fixed penalty fine of $5,000. The mad dash for seats seen in the underground train systems in mainland cities is also considered uncivilised in Hong Kong, so move in an orderly manner when entering the MTR trains and queue in line. As a visitor, you should be mindful of the volume of your voice when speaking in public. Speaking or laughing vociferously on the bus, for example, will be viewed as uncouth. Also note that people from Hong Kong consider themselves to be culturally distinct from the mainland Chinese, and recognising this will go a long way in aquainting yourself with them.)
Done by : Chin Pei Wern 4D, Natalie Tan 4D
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hong Kong
A street in Hong Kong
What is this place?
Hong Kong is a place with multiple personalities, as a result of being Cantonese Chinese with a long-time British influence. Today, the former British colony is a major tourism destination for China’s increasingly affluent population. It is also an important hub in the Chinese diaspora with global connections to many of the world’s cities. It is a unique destination that has absorbed people and cultural influences from places as diverse as Vietnam and Vancouver.
Where is this place?
Hong Kong is situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea.
Hong Kong is situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea.
Why do tourists visit this place?
A harbour view of the skyline that launched a thousand postcards can be seen from Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island, from the Star Ferry in the harbor, or from the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade in Kowloon. Another reason to visit Hong Kong is for shopping. Shopping is practically a religion here. Antiques fill windows along Hollywood Road, from Central to Sheung Wan, where herbalists peddle exotic remedies. Designers monopolize Central's malls. At Kowloon's street markets, clothes, electronics, and ticky-tack compete for space with food carts. The authentic Hong Kong dim sum is also definitely worth a try. As you bite into a moist siu mai, it dawns on you why everyone says you haven't done dim sum until you've done it in Hong Kong. Fresh, innovative ingredients and devout diners make dim sum places here very different from those in Chinatowns worldwide. Not forgetting the green trails, well-maintained trails crisscross Hong Kong's greenery. You can visit the best wilderness areas simply by tackling part of the MacLehose Trail in Sai Kung Country Park. Crossing the Dragon's Back—a Hong Kong Island ridge—leads to unrivaled Southside sea views.
(How can tourism impact Hong Kong socially?)
As already mentioned in the first question, Hong Kong has absorbed cultural influences from others, most likely from the large number of tourists. This can be both advantageous and disadvantageous. When tourists bring some of their own culture with them and it is then integrated into Hong Kong''s culture, it can negatively impact them as not all of the foreigners' ways and habits are good. On the other hand, tourism is a way of experiencing other cultures and when they experience new things it broadens their knowledge, and so can influence their own culture in a good way.
(How has tourism affected Hong Kong's environment?)
A hike around Lamma Island’s electric power station, the coal burning beauty that supplies virtually all the power for Hong Kong Island and surrounding islands, alone, reveals the amount of pollution that Hong Kong is affected by. Over the past few months, more than 1.7 million people saw a doctor for air pollution-related illnesses, according to the Hedley Environmental Index. To add on to that, around the streets of Causeway Bay or Mongkok, taxis and buses idle in abundance. "It’s an exhaust fume paradise", quotes one website.
What are the sources of information for this place?
http://www.cnngo.com/hong-kong/play/pollution-tourism-see-amazing-polluted-sights-around-hong-kong-865637
Lim Chen Gim 4M, Tan Hui Ping 4M
I think this can be classified under shopping tourism because Hong Kong is famous for its many night markets and shopping districts and its exclusive transportation like the ding ding bus.
Lim Chen Gim, Tan Hui Ping, Marina 4M
Hong Kong is based on shopping and heritage tourism. This is because many popular shopping districts, like Tsim Sha Tsui, can be found in Hong Kong. Besides, shopping is also the main reason why tourists visit Hong Kong. Tourists also go to Hong Kong to visit the many museums found there. The museums in Hong Kong , like the Hong Kong Heritage Museum allow tourists to learn more about the various traditions in Hong Kong.
- Lee Sae Yun, Lim Yixian (4D)