Hong Kong is home to over 7 million people. It is a major trading and banking centre and has the most liberal economy on the planet. Hong Kong is also a great tourist destination for there are many things to do and see. If seen by day or night, the panoramic view of ancient hills, reflective harbour, and city skyscrapers is not duplicated anywhere else on earth, and is surely a sight to remember of one of the world’s greatest cities.

Hong Kong is frequently described as a place where East meets west, reflecting the culture's mix of the territory's Chinese roots with the culture brought to it during its time as a British colony/territory. Although over a decade has passed since the handover, Western cultural practices remain, and coexist seamlessly with the traditional philosophy and practices of Chinese culture.

Hong Kong is world famous for its rich cuisine and high reached sky scrapers. Hong Kong since being province of British rule till 1997 is now under one country and two systems rule. Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan place with dynamic personalities. The grapevine of this place is its vital colourful and extravagant look and feel. If you want to experience this place then forget about visiting air-conditioned malls real Hong Kong is live in streets pulsating throbbing with jubilance and its very Chinese culture like markets of Mong Kok. Due to combination of its Chinese connections and British influence it is more of like a cosmopolitan place. Hong Kong is a major tourist attraction in this part of Asia and Hong Kong hotels provide all the hospitality with diligence and sincerity.

When it comes to travel of any kind one of the prime necessities is finding the right hotel. The right hotel can make or break your trip. It can induce great smiles or tears of misery. It can make you feel at home or home sick the moment you enter. Hotel indeed are the resting point of any tourism industry. On them lies the onus of pampering the tourist and giving him the luxury he/she deserves.

Before you plan your trip to Hong Kong, one of the worlds’ leading commercial centres, Try to get some information about the city that would be a help for sure. The information can be about the best hotels, restaurants, weather, activities, culture etc. A bit of research would definitely make your trip all the more enjoyable and affordable. As for the best time, you may plan your visit in around October, November and through December as the weather remains pleasant with ample of sun shine. You must also experience the summer season as Hong Kong is the place which sees a lot of sun shine with heavy rains and heat. You can easily rent a bike for yourself to see Hong Kong at its best. In winters, you can also go on hiking. The city of Hong Kong has some excellent places for hiking.

As far as accommodation is concern choose a hotel that fulfils your requirements as well as fit in your budget, rather wasting time in searching Hotels after reaching the destination try to book hotel room as per your requirement by using best online hotel comparison and booking portal. Use such portals to view Hong Kong hotel reviews and Hong Kong hotels price comparison this will save your valuable time.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/hong-kong-travel-guide-reviews-and-price-comparison-974922.html

Harjeet, an Indian -born mass-market novelist who developed a successful formula with such bestsellers as Hotel, Airport, Holiday destinations. He wrote several articles for the top travel and hotel video reviews related websites http://www.hotelly.com/

Hong Kong has more than hundreds of reason to attract tourists from every nook and corner of the world. It does not matter whether you are a lover of sandy beaches, want to enjoy the vibrant nightlife of the city or visit the famous Buddhist shrines, a visit to Hong Kong will definitely make your senses revitalized and reenergized. Hong Kong showcases something for every type of visitor. From night clubs to sandy beaches, mountains to shrines of Buddha, Hong Kong is a rich blend of culture and modernity. That is the reason why Hong Kong witnessed double digit growth in number of visitors in last two years irrespective of the global economic depression.

To make your Hong Kong trip hassle free, there are more than 50 Hong Kong travel agent having international reputation and credibility. Apart from handling all the formalities required for your travel like booking tickets, arranging accommodation, car rental etc, they offer several attractive discounts and packages that will make your Hong Kong Tour more budget friendly. However, to avail all the above benefits, you need to pay attention to the underlying factors.

Plan your tour in advance :

Hong Kong is one of the bustling tourist destinations of the world. Hence, planning your tour in advance will help you in avoiding last minute embarrassments. While planning the tour, prepare schedule of the number of days you want to spend there, a list of people who are accompanying you and the places you want to visit in Hong Kong. Once the schedule is fixed haunt for a Hong Kong travel agency online that can provide you the required facilities according to your schedule.

Fix your budget :

Once schedule is prepared, the next step is focusing upon the amount you can afford on your Hong Kong tour. It varies from person to person. That is the reason why Hong Kong travel agents have several packages. Scan through the packages minutely and figure out the one that matches to your budget. However, while going for a package, make sure that all the desired tourist destinations are covered within your budget.

Book your tour with a credible Hong Kong travel agency :

The third step is choosing a credible Hong Kong travel agency which can help you in the above two directions perfectly. Scan internet intensively to figure out a credible Hong Kong travel agent. The agency you choose needs to have a secured online payment gateway. Along with, go through the reviews of other tourists who have earlier gone for the services of the concerned Hong Kong travel agency.

All the above tips will definitely make your trip to Hong Kong a memorable one for the life time.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-tips-articles/hong-kong-travel-agents-simplifying-all-the-complexities-associated-with-your-dream-hong-kong-tour-4066444.html

Myself webmaster of http://www.international-travel-agent.com/ we provide real information about hong kong travel agency and hong kong travel agent. Click here to get the detailed information about >> international travel agent

Hong Kong is an incredible tourist destination in Southeast Asia. You should take cheap flights to Hong Kong to get a feel of enormous adventure, excitement and amusement. This metropolitan has everything that can make your vacation the holiday of your life.

Following are most important attractions in Hong Kong:

Repulse Bay

While vacationing in Hong Kong, if you want to spend an easy going day, you should visit Repulse Bay. This exotic region is located in the southern part of the Hong Kong. Centuries back, this bay has experienced several pirate attacks. But today, it has emerged as an upscale residential area where you can enjoy world class dining and thrilling aquatic adventure. This area is one of the best regions for picnics. Therefore, thousands of families take flights to Hong Kong especially to visit Repulse Bay. Besides swimming and other aquatic activities, the area is also famous for its barbeque racks, supermarkets and sophisticated cafes. Another attraction in the bay is the Zhenhai Tower Park. This traditional Chinese styled park is home to huge statues of God of Mercy and Queen of Haven.

Tsim Sha Tsui

If you are traveling with your soul mate, you'd not find anything better than evenings at Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. Across the harbor, you can capture the beautiful view of Hong Kong Island. This is one of the top notch tourist attractions in Hong Kong. Tsim Sha Tsui is worth visiting after taking Hong Kong flights. If you are a shopping buff, you will not find dearth of world class shops and branded stores. You'll also find some of the best hotels in the area. Delicious food in classy restaurants keeps people coming to this enticing part of Hong Kong. While roaming around Tsim Sha Tsui, you can also find some of the most important museums in the country. Most notable museums are Hong Kong Science Museum, Hong Kong Museum of History and Hong Kong Museum of Art. Visit Hong Kong cultural center to know more about the region's cultural values.

Wong Tai Sin Temple

If you want know about the traditions of Hong Kong, you should visit Wong Tai Sin Temple. Every year over a million people take flights to Hong Kong to visit the temple between January 1st and 15th to thank the immortal for answering their prayers. You should not miss on visiting the temple during Chinese New Year, if you are interested in looking at the spiritual beliefs of the locals. Numerous worshippers gather outside the temple before midnight and glow incense sticks in the main altar. Facilities of the temple also feature collection of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian literature.

Sheung Wan

Sheung Wan District is a "must visit" for people who want to know about the history of Hong Kong and take a look at its local flavors. The city is famous for its shark's fin stores. If you have taken cheap flights to Hong Kong, it is always recommended to visit Man Mo Temple, Hollywood Road and Cat Street in Sheung Wan. The market is quite famous for dried seafood items.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/flights-articles/places-that-you-shouldnt-miss-while-vacationing-in-hong-kong-4804541.html

Chrish Watson is an expert content writer at crystal travel for business development. If you want to know about Flights to Hong Kong then you must visit crystaltravel.co.uk or call 0800 368 0300 for book your Hong Kong Flights.

Hong Kong - If there is one city that pushes the limit of glitz and glamour, this is it! Holidays to Hong Kong promises an incredible time to the tourists, the demographics of which ranges from infants to the aged!

The attractions and charms of this city are infinite – be it fantastic sightseeing options, satiating dining venues, retail hot spots or a vibrant culture. With so much to experience and enjoy, it really comes as a no surprise that flights to Hong Kong are loved by all and sundry. Listing Hong Kong's each and every tourist attraction might take a long time so giving heed to the cause of brevity, let us delve deep and pluck out some of the most sparkling pearls that are sure to make that wait for cheap flights to Hong Kong absolutely worth it!

Disneyland
A recent addition to the gamut of Hong Kong attractions, Disneyland has become a kind of indispensable part of Hong Kong holiday packages. And if you are travelling with kids, even thinking of giving Disneyland a miss is utter blasphemy! It is no coincidence that the popularity of airlines offering cheap tickets on flights to Hong Kong has spiralled up since 2005, the year of Disneyland's opening. Located near the Lantau Island, Hong Kong's Disneyland is indeed a wonderful and enjoyable place to spend an afternoon.

Victoria Peak
Take a tram up to the Victoria Peak and behold the breathtaking sights! A wonderful refuge from the daily commotion of life, Victoria Peak provides you with a sense of bliss and serenity that is hard to find elsewhere. Presence of several souvenir shops at the peak enables you to get some gifts for your relatives and friends.

Times Square
Just like its namesake in the New York City, Times Square is one of the most happening venues for New Year's Eve celebrations in the region. Times Square is an incredible retail plaza that just might be the perfect venue to spend way all those pounds which you saved on your cheap airfares on flights to Hong Kong!

Hong Kong Museum of History
Hong Kong Museum of History offers you another perspective on Hong Kong holidays. This particular attraction speaks of the region's enchanting and interesting history and heritage. Hong Kong Museum of History displays a variety of art and artefacts, with some of them dating back to the prehistoric times. Some of the museum's most popular exhibits include village house replicas, ancient photograph collections and traditional costumes. An entire street replica is another feature of the museum that attracts crowds.

Wong Tai Sin Temple
Wong Tai Sin Temple, Hong Kong's major allures, attracts visitors in hordes. The temple is renowned to portray the blend of Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist traditions. It is an incredibly beautiful temple that boasts of fantastic latticework decorations and glowing golden ceiling. The red pillars of the edifice also lend it a completely unique character. Tourists who interested to witness the radiance of the Wong Tai Sin Temple in its full glory must book flights to Hong Kong during Chinese New Year Celebrations.

Ocean Park
Ocean Park is another must visit if you are travelling with kids. There are number of interesting and energetic rides that will catch the much-wavering attention of the kids. Then there is a riveting dolphin show that is surely a huge highlight of the Ocean Park.

Star Ferry
The Star Ferry is Hong Kong's passenger ferry service that carries passengers across the Victoria Harbour, between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. People can enjoy some of the most absorbing views of the waterfronts while aboard.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/flights-articles/seven-reasons-to-grab-flights-to-hong-kong-5042045.html

Aston Morgan is a travel consultant and advisor for cheap flights and travel package deals from UK. His hobbies are Travelling, Writing, Biking and Snooker. He is interested in writing on travelling and flights to Hong Kong, India, Mauritius, Singapore, Seychelles and other global destinations. He is currently associated with http://www.southalltravel.co.uk/. His blog: http://astonmorgan.blogspot.com/.

However, it is interesting to note that it is not just companies from the west that are now interested in doing business in Hong Kong. Of late several entrepreneurs from within Asia itself have tried to relocate their business to Hong Kong. Even though most nations in Asia are going through an economic boom and foreign companies are waiting to enter those markets, the local entrepreneurs themselves dream of setting up their business in Hong Kong. While this phenomenon is quite interesting, for most business analysts it is nothing surprising. Over the years even though there have been several other emerging business hotspots in Asia, very few of them can match up to the advantages available in Hong Kong.

First of all, it is actually easier for Asian entrepreneurs to incorporate a company in Hong Kong than in their own countries. Only Singapore has as simple company incorporation procedure as Hong Kong. Otherwise many entrepreneurs from across Asia say it is far simpler and straightforward for them to register their business in Hong Kong. They are even allowed 100 per cent company ownership and the entire registration process can be completed within a week. After company incorporation, foreign entrepreneurs have a choice either to manage the Hong Kong Company from overseas or apply for the appropriate visa and relocate to Hong Kong. Asian entrepreneurs can continue to live in their own home country but setup and manage a business in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's own vibrant economy and the fact that it is the freest economy in the world are also extremely attractive for any Asian entrepreneur. They know that to really take advantage of the Asian economic boom, they need a presence in Hong Kong as well and it is not surprising that many of them prefer making Hong Kong their main base for company operations and open subsidiaries or branch offices in other Asian nations.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/entrepreneurship-articles/attractiveness-of-hong-kong-for-entrepreneurs-from-rest-of-asia-5163138.html

Bryan Wong is a business analyst in the Asia-Pacific region and in his free time writes business articles. In this article, Bryan talks about Hong Kong company registration and Hong Kong subsidiary company.

Although millions of people pass through Hong Kong every year, on their way from here to there, many of them don't really know what are the best ways to spend a day in this exciting metropolis.

This article will show you how to cover Hong Kong's most popular attractions in a one day stopover.

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After clearing customs and immigration, proceed to the luggage storage counter at the 'Meeters and Greeters Hall', where you can store your trolley or bag till you come back... Buy an Octopus Card from the Airport Express Counter at the Arrivals Hall and hop on the Airport Express Train, with which you travel all the way to Hong Kong Station.

Victoria Peak (or simply "The Peak") is one of Hong Kong's most popular tourist attractions and probably the best starting point. Having your breakfast or morning coffee while enjoying some spectacular views is definitely a nice way to start your Hong Kong day-tour.

The Peak Tram is the most popular (and scenic) way of getting to The Peak. It operates daily, 7 am - 12 midnight and climbs the full distance in approximately 7 minutes.

A short walk from Hong Kong Station (exit C) will bring you to the Lower Terminus, on Garden Road, where you can buy the ticket and board the tram (you can also pay with your "Octopus Card")

Pacific Coffee, near the "upper terminus", is open daily from as early as 7:30 am, and is the best place to enjoy your "coffee with a view" at such an early hour.

Down from "The Peak" walk back towards Hong Kong Station and through "the elevated walkway" to the pier from which the Star Ferry departs to Tsim sha Tsui. This historic ferry route is very popular with tourists and has long become one of Hong Kong's most prominent icons.

From the ferry building, turn right and walk along the waterfront to the Avenue of Stars: Hong Kong's answer to Hollywood's Walk of Fame, where floor plaques of Hong Kong film industry's who's who can be seen. This is also the best place to take photos of Hong Kong's spectacular skyline.

From here, you can take a short walk to the Hong Kong Museum of History, where "the story of Hong Kong" is told... From the geological changes that took place hundreds of millions of years ago, through prehistoric eras, notable historical events and until present day. The museum is fairly rich and boasts plenty of interesting exhibits.

Continue to Nathan Road, Kowloon's main thoroughfare, and proceed through Jordan Road to Canton Road, which is popularly known as Jade Street.

Jade and its products are the specialty of most of the shops along this section of Canton Road, as well of those in the neighboring Jade Market, and there is certainly a lot to see (and to buy...). From Jade Street. you can turn right to Ning Po Street where many traditional Chinese shops and businesses can be found.

The Old Tin Hau Temple, just a few minutes walk from the Jade Market, was built in the 1880s and is one of Kowloon's oldest temples. It is dedicated to Tin Hau (Matsu), Goddess of the sea, protector of seafarers and one of Hong Kong's most beloved deities.

From the temple, you can either walk or take the MTR to Mong Kok area, where some of Hong Kong's best open-air markets can be found:

As its name denotes, Ladies' Market specializes in women's clothing, accessories, cosmetics, and the like, although you can find here more than a few stalls that sell men's and children's products, including toys, clothes, bags, jeans and watches, just to name a few...

Sai Yeung Choi Street South boasts shops of consumer electronic products at street level and upstairs bookstores above.

Fa Yuen Street concentrates many retailers of sports equipment and clothing, while Fa Yuen Street Market, in the north part of Fa Yuen Street, is full of shops selling bargain-priced trendy fashion and casual wear for men, women and children.

While in Mong Kok, you should also make a point to visit the Goldfish Market, the Flower Market and the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden (or just "Bird Garden"), where dozens of bird shops are located and hundreds of colorful songbirds in exquisitely crafted cages can be seen...

Mong Kok is also packed with many authentic eateries and restaurants where you can enjoy some delicious local food at reasonable prices:

Curry A La King, on 88 Soy Street, is a paradise for curry lovers, serving a wide selection of scrumptious curries from different Asian cuisines.

Satay King, on ladies market, specializes in Southeast Asian satays.

MongKok Fung Shing Restaurant, on 749 Nathan Road, is known for its superb dim-sum and delicious crispy chicken.

Lucky Corner Restaurant, on 146 Sai Yeung Choi Street South, is a rather humble eatery which has been serving some of the best Wonton Noodles in Hong Kong for God knows how many years.

Little Sheep (4th floor, 16 Argyle Street)is one of Hong Kong's most favorite hotpot restaurants.

Fu Kei Restaurant, in King Wah Centre, is serving fabulous food from different Chinese cuisines.

That's it... You can now take the MTR to Central, from which you link to Hong Kong Station (there is a pedestrian passage) and continue with the Airport Express, back to Hong Kong Airport.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/hong-kong-transit-a-day-stop-in-asias-world-city-755663.html

For more travel information on Hong Kong, including recommended hotels, suggested city-walks and sightseeing, a Restaurant & Nightlife Guide, great shopping tips, and much more: visit Metropolasia - Hong Kong Travel Guide where all the information you may want or need, is compiled in one easy-to-use website.



Roni Shwartz is a travel consultant and writes for Metropolasia

So you have always heard about Hong Kong, but never visited it, or are some what gloomy as to what you can do in Chinese city. What is the food going to be like, the people, the culture, the temperature and most important of all whatever will you do there? Well, these instincts are ordinary, but incorrect. You see, I have always just heard about hong kong and its progress in their infrastructure and design, but never had I imagined it to be my favorite town in the world. I'm not Chinese, neither did I have any Chinese friends convincing me to go.

I knew that I wanted to go to China to experience their culture, food and to especially discover what makes them so unique and different in the world. So, I prepared a flight to Hong Kong and next the thing I knew, I was in hong kong in the scorching hot summer with 32 degree and 95% humidity. My experience in hong kong was spectacular. Words unfortunately have limits ; pictures can only give you a feeling of how a town is, but when you basically live in town of hong kong the experience is bind blowing. You've got to be there experience the harbor View towards hong kong Island, you have to be there to experience the climb to 'the peak' to see the complete view of the beautiful city of hong kong, you've got to sit in the ferry to sniff the sweet air of hong kong.

Now before I left to hong kong, just like any travel, some research and planning must be done about the town. For example, what sort of attractions it must offer, how to say a few phrases in Cantonese so you can get round the city and most vital of all, the Do's and the Don't's. I searched google continually, but failed to find a site with great professional photos that described the way of life of hong kong and some of the things I should and shouldn't do in hong kong.

All the websites that I found were by corporations throwing their bias pitch towards their product, either a hotel, or a tourism package. After endless looking, I finally found an ideal internet site by a student who went to college of hong kong to study for one month from University of Toronto. I have to say, the way I saw hong kong was exactly like it was displayed in his photos. If your inquisitive about visiting hong kong, then visiting his site is an absolute must and even if your not interested in hong kong, then just checking out the city is still a thrill!

Hong Kong Photos:
http://viewhongkong.com.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/exotic-locations-articles/hong-kong-photos-and-blog-check-before-you-go-to-hong-kong-1076519.html

IT consultant for IBM

Hong Kong General Strike in 1925

Hong Kong general strike in Guangzhou, the Hong Kong manufacturing workers against imperialism, "Divergence" tragedy, support the people of Shanghai, held anti-imperialist struggle and the political strike.

The strike is under the direct leadership of the ACFTU, organized, and prepared to be held. "Divergence" tragedy occurred, the CPC Guangdong Federation of Trade Unions School District and in the summer of Deng, Yang Yin, Su Zhaozheng, Lin Weimin, Li Qihan and others to Hong Kong and Guangzhou, Shamian union concessions and the masses of workers went on strike preparations.

Trade Unions in Hong Kong to the British Hong Kong Government made solemn request conditions: (a) support and adhere to the Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Union of the 17 conditions, including the withdrawal of foreign embassies and the armed forces, etc; (b) of the Chinese in British Hong Kong authorities to ensure freedom of assembly, association, speech and other freedoms and rights. The British failed to respond to the above requirements.

June 19, 1925, the Hong Kong Seamen, tram workers, printing workers strike first, followed by workers in other industries have to respond, the number of strikers reached 25 million people. Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Workers Union of declared support for "Divergence" tragedy of the 17 proposed conditions and the implementation in Hong Kong for the British imperialist policy of discrimination in the Chinese put forward the "political freedom, legal equality, universal suffrage, labor legislation to reduce the rent, freedom of residence, "the six requirements. There are more than 10 million workers and others, led by Su Zhaozheng back to Guangzhou. Guangzhou British, American, Japanese and Western companies Shamian concession workers also joined the ranks of the strike.

June 23, accompanied by striking workers back to Guangzhou, Guangzhou, workers, peasants, students, and revolutionary soldiers, a total of 10 million people held demonstrations. When the procession through the Chaki Street, in the sand surface in Britain, France and other imperialist soldiers suddenly opened fire on the procession and mass, parked in sand near the masses of imperialist warships have bombarded the procession, killing 52 people, More than 170 people injured, numerous minor injuries, and this is the famous "Shaji Massacre."

After the massacre, the country people are extremely angry, and actively support the Hong Kong general strike. Federation of Trade Unions to strengthen the leadership of the strike, held in Guangzhou, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, the sand of the Trade Union Congress, set up a Hong Kong general strike committee, was elected chairman Su Zhaozheng of Finance chairman, Deng-Hong Kong strike committee of any summer caucus secretary, consultants and workers picket discipline long. The use of a strike committee, rejected the British goods, blocked three powerful weapon in Hong Kong and the fight against British imperialism, and more than 2,000 workers formed armed pickets, stationed at all ports, tight blockade of Hong Kong. Traffic cut off, plant shutdown, shops closed, supply difficulties, soaring prices, no one to clean garbage and fecal, Hong Kong became a "stinking Hong Kong," "hungry, Hong Kong", "dead in Hong Kong."

Under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, the majority of striking workers united and actively participate in the struggle against imperialism and warlords, the unity of the revolutionary base areas in Guangdong to make an important contribution to become a strong pillar of the revolutionary government of Guangzhou. The summer of 1926, the Revolutionary Government apprenticeship Northern Expedition, composed of thousands of transport workers on strike teams, publicity team, medical team, reward teams to the front, striking workers and workers in the mass pickets guarding the rear, March to victory in the Northern Expedition to provide a strong guarantee. In the same year in October, the CPC Guangdong Province, Hong Kong District and to changes in the strike committee, announced an end to the strike. Hong Kong general strike which lasted 1 year and 4 months, the longest in the world labor movement in the history of a strike.

Hong Kong general strike, not only politically but also economically a heavy blow to British imperialism. According to statistics, since the strike, the average monthly losses of British imperialism of 2.1 billion. This strikes a heavy blow to imperialism, to consolidate the revolutionary base areas and to prepare the Northern Expedition, Guangdong played a significant role.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/hong-kong-general-strike-in-1925-3922209.html

Control fashion field , Serena suggests you can go to antique engagement rings & amber pendants & golden earring for more.

Hong Kong, an erstwhile British colony makes for a pretty cheap destination compared to quite a few other places in the world. Here are some tips for a wrinkle free travel experience in Hong Kong.

Information on Flights to Hong Kong

• Cathay Pacific is the national carrier of Hong Kong.

• Some of the popular airlines operating flights to Hong Kong are KLM, Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, British Airways, and Air New Zealand.

• Usually, cheap flights to Hong Kong are available during March to May. This is the off season time airlines try to lure travellers with cheap fares.

Entry requirements for Hong Kong

Travellers must check entry requirements conditions for Hong Kong with relevant authorities. Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website is also a good source of travel advice.

• Despite being part of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region and has its own set of immigration controls. Visitors without a visa can stay in Hong Kong for a maximum period of six months.

• British nationals holding a passport, which is valid for at least six months, are usually allowed to stay for a period of six months. However, if the validity of the passport is less than six months, visitors can only extend their stay by a month. This clause is also subject to the validity of the passport. In simple words, before snapping up the ticket on some cheap flight to Hong Kong, ensure that the passport is valid for the entire period of your visit.

• Single parents travelling alone with children need to know that some places require documents certifying parental responsibility before allowing entry. There are even places that don't allow the children to leave without this proof. The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London has exhaustive information on this topic.

• A British passport holder travelling to Mainland China through Hong Kong needs to get hold of a Chinese visa before reaching the border. British passport holders can't get a visa after arriving at the Chinese border. Violating the rule can lead to a fine as well as detention. Travellers entering Hong Kong through Mainland China and leaving again through the same route need to have a double or multiple entry visa for Mainland China.

• In June 1997, ‘The UK and Hong Kong Reciprocal Health Care Arrangement' came to an end.

Legal Information

• By and large, Hong Kong's legal system is modelled after the UK. Activities like littering or spitting attract on the spot fines. Similarly, tolerance level is zero for dodging a ticket for travelling on the Mass Transit Railway (MTR).

• Don't get involved with illicit drugs of any kind. Possession of such illicit drugs can land you in jail.

• It is advisable not to click military installations in Hong Kong. Ever since the handover in 1997, Hong Kong's defence has become the responsibility of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). In fact, previous British military barracks are now under the PLA.

Medical Information

• Temperature screenings maybe carried out at the border and additional medical tests can also be ordered depending upon the temperature screening results.

• Dengue fever is highly prevalent in Hong Kong.

• Exercise usual precautions against HIV/AIDS. This includes refraining from unprotected sex with strangers and avoiding tattoos and acupuncture therapies.

• Seek medical advice before booking your flights to Hong Kong. Visitors should make sure that all the required vaccinations have been taken. The websites of the NHS Scotland's Fit for Travel and the National Travel Heath Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) have further information on vaccinations, overall disease prevention, and health outbreaks. Information can also be obtained by calling NHS Direct on the number 0845 46 47.

• Medical care is very expensive in Hong Kong and travellers should be armed with comprehensive travel and medical insurance. Make sure that the policy covers things like adventure sports or other activities that you are likely to indulge in. Keep a sharp lookout for exclusions on the policy.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/flights-articles/tips-to-consider-before-booking-flights-to-hong-kong-4118241.html

Aston Morgan is a travel consultant and advisor for cheap flights and travel package deals from UK. His hobbies are Travelling, Writing, Biking and Snooker. He is interested in writing on travelling and flights to Hong Kong, India, South Africa, USA and other global destinations. He is currently associated with http://www.southalltravel.co.uk/. His blog: http://www.astonmorgan.blogspot.com.

Welcome to Hong Kong - a place where deeply rooted Chinese traditions are blended with Western influences to create a truly unique living experience.

Traditional temples, colonial buildings, and modern skyscrapers offer a glimpse into each era responsible for shaping the Hong Kong of today: an international business hub with an eclectic mix of foreign nationals from more than 50 countries around the world.

Location

Hong Kong sits on China's south coast, just below the Tropic of Cancer. With seven million people settled on a 426 square mile (1,104 sq km) plot of land, Hong Kong qualifies as one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Aside from claiming some of the world's tallest buildings, the region also boasts a wide variety of outdoor activities as 40 percent of the land is divided into 23 country parks.

Geography

Hong Kong is comprised of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, and over 260 outlying islands.

North of the Island, across Victoria Harbor, is the Kowloon Peninsula. Traditionally, Kowloon has always been known as the entertainment district of Hong Kong. Streets are lined with shops, markets, the best hotels, and several forms of entertainment. There are also a number of historical and cultural museums portraying the Hong Kong of yesterday.

The New Territories, set in the northernmost reaches of Hong Kong, share a border with Mainland China, and cover 306 square miles (796 sq km). The New Territories are characterized by a diverse terrain of sandy beaches, wildlife reserves and mountain peaks, which have towns and country farms nestled in valley lowlands throughout.

More than 260 islands dot the surrounding waters of the South China Sea. Lantau Island is a throne to the world's largest seated outdoor Buddha. The 202-ton, bronze statue sits atop the island's Ngong Ping plateau and can be seen for miles around.

To the east is Discovery Bay, a popular home to expats who want to enjoy a more peaceful and laid back environment.

Lamma Island is another popular destination with good hiking, beaches, and fresh seafood being the major attractions.

Located in between these two islands are two more islands worth noting: Cheung Chau and Peng Chau.

History

Hong Kong was not always the lively metropolis it is today. With its ideal location on the South China Sea, Hong Kong attracted the attention of fishermen and pearl hunters from Mainland China, and later, Western traders looking for silks, silver, tea, and spices.

The British traded opium for Chinese commodities but when the Qing Empire banned the drug trade, the First Opium War took place.At the close of the First Opium War in 1841, Hong Kong Island was surrendered to the British. In 1860, with the end of the Second Opium War, the colony was enlarged to include the Kowloon Peninsula; and in 1898 the New Territories and more than 200 islands were handed over to Britain on a 99-year lease.

Aside from four years of Japanese occupation during World War II, Hong Kong remained a British colony until it was officially turned over to the People's Republic of China (PRC) on 1 July 1997.

With the hand over of '97, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China that operates under the "one country, two systems" policy. This means that, although Hong Kong is officially run by the PRC, it maintains its own political, social, and economic systems; therefore, English continues to be an official language and many treaties, freedoms, and international relationships have remained in place.

Getting around

For the millions of people with several tasks at hand, there is need for a transportation system capable of meeting immeasurable expectations. Hong Kong is well prepared with one of the most advanced, comprehensible transportation systems in the world. The truth is that most people don't even feel the need to buy a car.

Complete with the MTRC, buses, ferries, taxis, and trams, there are several options for reaching any destination in a timely manner. Hong Kong's railway system, known as the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC), includes 131.5 miles (211.6 km) of rail and 150 stations.

Double-decker buses, minibuses, taxis, and the Hong Kong Island trams are frequent and easy to use. Ferries provide transportation across Victoria Harbor and to many of the outlying islands. Daily travel is made convenient by the Octopus Card, a card with a built-in microchip that manages fares electronically. The Octopus card can be used with almost all forms of public transportation, as well as at public pay phones, vending machines, photo booths, grocery stores, convenience stores, and fast-food restaurants.

Things to do

Shopping, eating, and outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, rock climbing, and several water sports, are favorite pastimes for residents and tourists alike.

Ocean Park and Disneyland Hong Kong are two largely visited theme parks of the area.

Locals also enjoy playing mahjong as well as Chinese chess, checkers, and card games. Arcades and karaoke clubs are popular hangouts for the younger generations.

Economy

With endless choices for entertainment, the tourism industry has thrived in recent years and, in turn, plays a key role in sustaining Hong Kong's economy.

This is part of the transformation of the last few decades where Hong Kong has shifted from relying on manufacturing centers to the service-based industries, which also includes the internationally appealing corporate and finance sectors.

Trade is, as it always has been, another major contributor to the growing economy.

With these components in place, Hong Kong has made a steady recovery from the East Asian financial crisis of 1997 and the economy continues to grow stronger.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/hong-kong-city-guide-4217522.html

www.expatguru.com provides the ultimate guide to Hong Kong living for expats and locals alike.

Hong Kong is renowned for be a uniquely global business city, strategically located in the heart of Asia. With a population of almost 7 million, and a per capita GDP of US$43,700 (CIA World Fact Book 2008), it is clear that Hong Kong's business environment is thriving. Hong Kong has a stable economy and a Chinese perspective, and consistently plays a key role for international entrepreneurs accessing the Chinese economy. Taking a look at key areas of consideration for international business entrepreneurs, demonstrates why Hong Kong is and will remain a popular and invaluable jurisdiction.

Location
As two thirds of the global middle class will soon be from Asia, entrepreneurs from all over the world are taking interest in the continent, and being in the heart of Asia, Hong Kong is often a first choice. Hong Kong is within four hours flight from all of Asia's key regional markets.

Strategically-located in close proximity to China, Hong Kong also plays a vital role in accessing the Chinese market. Indeed, Hong Kong has taken various measures to position itself as a gateway to China with developments like the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation Circle that encourages Chinese enterprises to undertake scientific research in Hong Kong. More obviously, Hong Kong's location being one hour's drive from the Pearl River Delta, the world's largest manufacturing region, gives Hong Kong access to the 450 million people consumer market in Southern China alone.

With Hong Kong's Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) with China, it is undoubtedly the most business friendly economy from which to take advantage of Asia's future opportunities.

Transport
Companies that incorporate in Hong Kong have access to its developed air, rail, road and sea links, that are both modern and efficient. Hong Kong's international airport is the busiest in all of Asia and the Pacific, handling almost 50 million passengers annually and hosting direct flights to over 150 international destinations. Transit between the city and the airport is convenient via the Airport Express, which takes a total of 23 minutes to Central. Furthermore, general commuting within Hong Kong is judged to be the best in the world by Forbes Magazine as taxis are affordable and public transport is well developed.

From a commercial perspective, Hong Kong's international cargo air port is the world's busiest and the Hong Kong international container port is the world's 3rd busiest. Over 100 international shipping lines operate from Hong Kong, connecting to over 5,000 destinations worldwide. A new rail link is in the process of development, names the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, and it will halve current journey times between Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Furthermore, Wuhan will be 5 hours from Hong Kong and Shanghai will be 8.


Culture
Hong Kong's history as a British colony and its current Chinese influences provide a bi-culture of two of the most dominant world economies today. The British influence within a Chinese culture is a significant business advantage, facilitating international entrepreneurs' understanding of the biggest Asian market, whilst avoiding dramatic culture shocks. Hong Kong is also home to a large expatriate community of about 350,000 people and 29 million international tourists annually, allowing for a diverse and open-minded population throughout the year.

The Hong Kong people have grown up in this bi-cultural and international environment and have picked up on key business customs from the western and eastern worlds. Hong Kong universities are increasing in the world rankings, with three universities in the top 50 worldwide, more than any other country in Asia. With their strong work ethic, a knack for efficiency and a can-do attitude, Hong Kong provides a motivated and skilled workforce for any business. Industrial action is indeed very rare.

English and Chinese are the official languages in Hong Kong, and in the work place, English is the common language of business with most contracts written in English.

The overall culture of the Hong Kong people is business-oriented and highly competitive. This culture is supported not only by the people but through the government, as the HK Trade Development Council supports SMEs in their international ventures, and immigration policies are structured to attract professionals, talents and investors globally, to maintain Hong Kong's competitiveness.

Policy and Taxes
In light of the fore stated business culture prevalent in Hong Kong, there is a logically business-friendly tax and legal infrastructure.

Hong Kong is ranked as the world's freest economy by the Heritage Organization's 2009 Index of Economic Freedom and is also the 12th least corrupt country in the world (Transparency International – Corruption Perceptions Index 2008). As a whole, Hong Kong is a secure, efficient and reliable jurisdiction to conduct international business.

Companies that incorporate in Hong Kong also benefit from its low and simple tax system. With corporate taxes limited to a maximum of 16.5% and income tax peaking at 15%, despite having few established double tax treaties, Hong Kong has the 3rd lowest tax misery in the world, as rated by Forbes' Tax Misery Index. Furthermore, in spite of Hong Kong's recent agreements to commit to OECD tax principles, their client confidentiality guidelines remain strong.

Hong Kong people also benefit from having no sales tax, capital gains tax or dividends tax and ultimately, despite providing such significant tax benefits, a Hong Kong offshore company is not perceived to be an international tax haven.


Current Business
Being the world's 2nd most competitive economy (IMD's 2009 World Competitiveness Yearbook) and the 2nd largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development – UNCTAD) places Hong Kong as one of the most important business centers in Asia. The government plays a key role in Hong Kong's competitiveness, and has implemented strong measures to encourage not only the world's biggest economies, but also more businesses from emerging markets to invest in HK.

Incidentally, Hong Kong holds impressive awards and rankings such as being the most business efficient, the 2nd most government efficient and the 3rd most economically efficient in the world (IMD World Competitiveness Yearnook). Hong Kong also ranks as having the 2nd lowest business costs and risks in the world (Milken Institute's Opacity Index). For these reasons it is not surprising that Hong Kong is the number one location for regional operations in Asia, with 1,252 regional headquarters and 2,328 regional offices.

Hong Kong is also a major and global financial powerhouse. In 2006 the Hong Kong Stock Exchange raised US$32 billion, amounting to 15% of total global capital raised, and higher than the capital raised in the London Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange that same year. Hong Kong ranks as 3rd in the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), after London and New York, and is therefore the financial capital of Asia.

Hong Kong also has a major presence in the technology field, being the premier digital city and telecommunications hub of Asia. The government is continuously promoting high valued, original and high technology activities to leverage on its strong services and manufacturing sectors from the Pearl River Delta. The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks (HKSTP), a state-of-the-art research and technology infrastructure, and Cyberport, a US$2 billion project for enterprise and professional development, further support Hong Kong's leading role in IT.

Company Incorporation
Incorporating a business in Hong Kong is not only a wise business decision but also simple and cost-effective. Hong Kong proudly ranks as the 4th easiest place to do business by the World Bank's Doing Business Survey (2009) and it can take as little as 2 weeks to legally incorporate a Hong Kong company.

Global corporate bank accounts are readily available and there is no requirement to rent a physical office to complete formation, virtual offices are also permissible. The main requirements for Hong Kong company formation are to have at least one company director, who can be from anywhere in the world, and a Hong Kong resident company secretary (the director and secretary cannot, however, be the same person). Although annual audited financial statements are a requirement for HK businesses, quarterly reports are not necessary, thus maintaining the security of Hong Kong business whilst being user-friendly.

With a minimum issued capital requirement of one share at HK$1, Hong Kong company incorporation is indeed a viable option for almost any entrepreneur.

Living
Whilst Hong Kong is an extremely cheap palce to do business, it is however a very expensive place to live. The Mercer Human Resources Cost of Living Survey ranks HK as the 6th most expensive nation in the world to live in. That being said, as Hong Kong's GDP per capita is high, cost of living is often not a critical problem for most residents.

Hong Kong residents benefit from a modern and well developed infrastructure, as US$7.8 billion has been invested into Hong Kong over the past ten years. Projects like the government's ‘go wireless stay connected' initiative have improved facilties for people living in Hong Kong, with over 7,900 WiFi hotsports available in public libraries, recreational and cultural venues and even major parks.

Hong Kong also boasts one of the lowest crime rates in the world, outperforming many other international cities. The HK electricity grid is reliable and state-of-the-art, and blackouts do not occur. Utilities are not only reliable but also affordable. With an immigration policy that is family friendly, and with a vast expat community, it is easy to meet new people and make friends in Hong Kong. Private clubs, chambers, consulates, associations, special interest groups and networking clubs are of the many ways for expats to meet other foreign nationals. In this way, despite its high cost of living, Hong Kong has achieved a score or 90.9 out of 100 in the Economist Intelligence Unit liveability survey.


With its business oriented culture, strong work ethic and international and bi-cultural background, Hong Kong is a prime location for any entrepreneur to set up their business, while benefiting from low taxes and easy access to the booming China economy. Hong Kong is an Asian leader in the finance industry and IT field, as well as holding impressive world rankings for ease of business and freedom from corruption. Overall, Hong Kong ticks all the boxes for entrepreneurs looking for a sensible and enjoyable jurisdiction to set up their company and possibly live in.

Healy Consultants is a leading corporate services firm that assists entrepreneurs and investors with their company incorporation requirements. The firm provides a range of services including Hong Kong Company Formation, tax planning and offshore investing. More information on company incorporation can be found by visiting http://www.healyconsultants.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/entrepreneurship-articles/incentives-to-incorporate-in-hong-kong-why-to-form-a-company-in-hong-kong-1440847.html

Melissa Glotzer is a Marketing Assistant at Healy Consultants. She is a graduate of the University of Manchester Business School with a BSc (Honours) in Management with Accounting and Finance.

Introduction

Today, Hong Kong has been known as one of the successful in East Asian for economy in terms of business and trade. Hong Kong has create the reputation not only recently but far before that. The influence of being one of the British colonies from 1841 to 1997 has been seen as the main factor on what is Hong Kong today. We can see some similarity between Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand which all the colonies are now been well in terms of country development.

It has been a great scenario to see the development and the growth in Hong Kong and how its can survive during the economic crisis in 1997 and once again in 2008. Although it can’t be deny that some slow in the economic growth been monitored during this period, anyway the magnificence is to see how Hong Kong keep its economy surviving until today comparing to other developing countries.

We are going to discuss from the historical background of Hong Kong, the factor that keep Hong Kong to be always competitive as economy power, the influence and impact after the handover to China and future of Hong Kong business.

Historical Background

Hong Kong has been a unique colony as East Asian economy power to the British since been found in 1841. Before that, Hong Kong is a part of China. History began when in 19th century, Chinese tea has boom in Britain (Szczepanski, 2009). The demand is high but British are unable to deal with Qing Dynasty for better transaction rather than pay with gold or silver. As a result, British decided to introduce opium from India to China for an exchanged for tea. China government is not agreed with these and destroyed a lot of opium own by British. The British has declared war due to this and won the First Opium War thru Treaty of Nanking in 1841. Here is when the interference of foreign power started in Hong Kong. At the beginning Hong Kong is just become a military staging point to British around the area.

The strategic geographical location of Hong Kong has been the main reason of it economy growth since then. Since during the colonial area, Hong Kong has been know to its free-market, private-enterprise and capitalistic system which benefits a lot of traders in terms of a free port, low taxes and limited government intervention to the economic and social affairs.

Therefore during the early stage of colonial period, British is very concern about Hong Kong potential of being free port and the possible treat can be to Hong Kong due to its location, surrounding by area that are still in China control. Anyway in 1898 British are able to lease Kowloon from China after won the Second Opium War. And in 1898, British sign the Second Convention of Peking, where all island surround Hong Kong are under British control for 99 years which are known as New Territories.

In year 1984, the Sino-British Joint Declaration has been signed to agree that Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories shall be given back to China as well. China has made a promise to implement One Country, Two System regime where allowing Hong Kong people are free to continue and practice capitalism and politic freedoms for 50 years.

Above we can understand that Hong Kong has established the relationship with Europe country especially British for such long time. The experience and understanding of dealing with European countries has made a great success for Hong Kong textiles and garment industries in the economic growth. Although Hong Kong has been officially handover to China on 1st July 1997, the strong fundamental based that Hong Kong have has make its able to sustain in the Asia economic crisis 1997.

Evolution of Hong Kong Economy

In early stage, Hong Kong as other islanders, the economy is based on fishing and agriculture. Anyhow within the colony Hong Kong as adopt a journey in being developing country towards manufacturing and service industrial base. Formerly Hong Kong has been made as a military port to monitor British interest in East Asian, acting as an international financial centre.

Historically Hong Kong has been incorporated into China during Qin Dynasty (221BC to 206BC). During year 1941 to 1945, Hong Kong has been occupied by Japan. This period has been a falling in all of the initial economy and trade activities in Hong Kong.

In early 1950’s, monitoring a lot of immigrants from mainland China especially from Shanghai move to Hong Kong (Yu, 1999). These cheap refugees have brought together with them the skills and capital along with them that helped Hong Kong to revive the economy. Following this pattern, foreign companies also have relocated offices from Shanghai to Hong Kong where this movement has make a changes in Hong Kong from territory entrepot trade to industrial and manufacturing.?

Early industrialization in Hong Kong only involves producing small items from buttons, artificial flowers, umbrellas and textiles. In the beginning of 1960’s, was a turning point for Hong Kong economy when the industrial and manufacturing is performing well and growing strong since. This is the period whereby the textile industry experienced a boom. The positive impact of the industrial development and growth in 1960’s was the development of multi storey building in Hong Kong. The potential of being an economy power from the industry has increase a massive number of immigrants from mainland China to Hong Kong where all of them acquire a place to start their life in Hong Kong. Hong Kong which is an island conceptually only has limited space for housing or building development. Therefore the multi storey building has been the best solution for this problem due to land scarcity. It helps the construction sector in Hong Kong to make it as one of the main economy source.

In 1997, China has decided to open their market for outsider. Anyway the China system is still far behind compare to what has Hong Kong established especially in terms of financial services, real estate, insurance, brokering and banking. Hong Kong has taken this opportunity as a gateway and resource for both China and foreign investor to success in their business. While China is starting to improve its skilled workers, Hong Kong already one step ahead to focus more on preparing themselves towards post industrial level in business and financial service sector.

During Asian Crisis 1997

Asian Financial Crisis (AFC) originally started in Thailand on 2nd July 1997 just after Hong Kong officially been hand over to China on 1st July 1997. Hong Kong as one of the power house economy in Asia also has no exception being affected by the crisis. It has been mentioned that Hong Kong was not well prepared to survive during the crisis. The crisis has spread quickly in Asia, where we can see financials problems in Japan and many corporate companies goes bankrupt in South Korea. During the crisis, phenomena seen are the falling stock markets prices, rising of interest rate, inflation, unemployment and growing social inequities.

The Surviving Factors for Hong Kong

Even though Hong Kong was handed to China, the impact of AFC in 1997 was not totally felt by Hong Kong. Hong Kong, during the recession the concerning factor was very much on the instability of the exchange rate (Floyd, 1998). The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HMKA) took actions forcing the interest rate higher than normal and intervened in the stock and future markets to cut off all the currency speculators.

Among other key factors that save Hong Kong from disastrous affect of AFC was sound corporate governance, good supervision in the banking and financial system, large foreign reserve and strong commitment from China to stabilize the financial health.

Besides of all the surviving factors mentioned earlier, Hong Kong as several natural competitive atmospheres such as Hong Kong has been successfully in manufacturing like electrical goods and services economy which like in finance.

Hong Kong stock market has the potential to play a vital role of rising capital for China and plays an international role in the world economy. Influences of western law and openness to trade have played a great part in Hong Kong success today. Hong Kong in has a labor force of 2.8 million (1998) and low rate of unemployment (2 percent) to add value on this they have a skillful labor who can work for longer hours independently. Low tax rates in Hong Kong attract many international companies to make investment example the tax rate for local companies are same as per foreign companies. Other tax benefits are no value added/ sales tax, no capital gain/ withholding tax, no estate duty and no global taxation.

Hong Kong Economic Link to China and Growth Factors

Hong Kong was described as a “barren island with hardly a house upon it” (Chan, 1991, p.21) when was established 160 years ago by the then-British Empire as a key port for the pursuit of British interests in China (Zhu, 2005). The visiting American journalist coined it “dying city” in 1951 (Ho, 1992). However, by 1971, the per capita income of Hong Kong had reached HK$6,096 and placing it second behind Japan in East Asia (Riedel, 1974). Since then, Hong Kong has been growing in average rate of 6.5 per cent between periods of 1987-1991 (Chau, 1993). In year 1992, Hong Kong GDP has reached HK$ 742, 582 million and has emerged as one of the richest economies in Asia (Chau, 1993). This stellar economic growth and performance has triggered development economist to search for an explanation (Yu, 1999).

Hong Kong is a good case study of the economic growth factors (Sung & Wong, 1998). There are three factors drives Hong Kong economic growth, namely, innovation, imitation and technology transfer. According to Sung & Wong, 1998, innovation is defined as effort to develop a new technology to improve productivity factor, invention a new product or improvement of the quality of some existing products. Imitation is defined as a learning effort and improvement of the technology developed by other firm. Based on Yu’s survey (1995), 88 per cent of the manufacturers imitated and supplied similar garments that already appeared in the market while only 8 per cent of them are attempting to make unique and novel products. On the technology transfer, this can be due to technology spillover through firm-to-firm or person-to-person contacts (the contagion effect) (Findlay, 1978). It is believed that Hong Kong growth can be attributed to accumulation of primary factors such as physical capital and labour force, technological progress, and human capital accumulation (Sung and Wong, 1998). The manufacturing sector in Hong Kong is learning by doing effect by conducted joint ventures with foreign firms to obtain foreign technology “know-how” from multinational corporation that have taken advantage of Asia’s low production costs (Engardio and Cross, 1992)

When China opens up its economy to foreign trade and investment on 1979, Hong Kong is China largest investor. The cumulative direct investment in China from 1979 to 1995 was US$78.6 billion (Sung and Wong, 1998). In 1995, the real investment of Hong Kong to China reached peak in 1994, with US$12.5 billion. Besides, outward investment of Hong Kong to China, Hong Kong is receiving capital from China as Hong Kong remains the prime destination of China investments. However, China’s direct investment is much smaller than Hong Kong’s direct investment in China. For illustration, in 1995, China’s direct investment in Hong Kong is just 17.7 percent or US$1.37 billion of Hong Kong’s direct investment in China. The imbalances of investments are due to the factors of many multinational companies are using their Hong Kong subsidiaries to test China investment environments as Hong Kong has the expertise.

As Hong Kong moving up the economic “value ladder”, the abundance of cheap labour which drives the growth during Hong Kong early industrialization period is slowly diminishing. Labour-intensive manufacturing had relocated from Hong Kong to China due to significant wage and rental differentials. With the relocation of the labour-intensive processing to China, Hong Kong manufacturers can focus on skill-intensive operations and services such as product design, production management, sourcing, order taking, financing and marketing (Sung and Wong, 1998). The relocation of the manufacturing sector in Hong Kong had spurred the entrepot trade between Hong Kong and China. From 1979 to 1996, China’s trade via Hong Kong with third countries had rose from US$1.2 billion to US$120 billion. With the entrepot trade with China, Hong Kong had served as middlemen between China and the rest of the world, where Hong Kong acquires the technology and finance for China firms in return of Hong Kong development and growth (Sung and Wong 1998).

Future of Hong Kong

The future of Hong Kong is depends on how well it can be integrated with China (Floyd 1998). Through out the years of British rules, Hong Kong economy has become internationalized and Hong Kong city has become one of the most international cities in the world (Vogel, 1989). With this, China had recognized Hong Kong’s economy as an important asset for the China’s development (Hook and Neves, 2002). To maintain Hong Kong positions as international hub for trade and finance and the main gateway to China after the reversion of Hong Kong, China had implemented the “one country, two systems” policy. Hong Kong capitalism will be allowed to continue and it will benefit the economic reform process in China (Floyd, 1998). On the economic front, Hong Kong had increasing important to East Asian economies as Hong Kong’ trade with Japan and China is rising. However, it is speculated that a resurgent of Shanghai would compete with Hong Kong directly or even replace Hong Kong’s role in China’s future economic development (Wong, 2004).

Hong Kong survivable in the future depends on how well it alert to opportunities, flexible and adaptable to the fast changing environment (Yu, 1999). Hong Kong producers have conducted joint ventures with multinational corporations, learnt foreign technologies and imitated their products. To continue enjoy healthy economic growth in future, Hong Kong economy needs to diversify and go through structural change from manufacturing to services (Clark, 1945). When the labour intensive relocated to China, Hong Kong manufacturers had become property developers and transforming their former factory sites into commercial complexes and make investment in real estate (Yu, 1999).

China must maintain the government principles of “one country, two systems”, “a high degree of autonomy” and “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong” way beyond the 50 years of Sino British Joint Declaration 1984 of no intervention in Hong Kong administration. With this, the business and entrepreneurship are given the freedom to operate and remain as the main driver in economic transformation and adaptive to environment changes. Riedel (1974) has remarks that “Hong Kong entrepreneurs are left free to do what they can do best…”

Conclusion

Hong Kong economy evolution was influenced by historical, geographical, cultural and technology driven factor. Historically, being a colonial of British, has prepared Hong Kong in the early stage for capitalism and free market society. Geographically, it was strategically located in East Asian, easy gateway for China, Taiwan, South Korea & Japan for international financial and trade center. Culturally, Hong Kong people are hardworking, high ethic and independent. Furthermore Hong Kong is gifted with technologically driven factors such as good financial system, communication; good infrastructure and government back up on research and development.

During the Asian Financial Crisis, Hong Kong managed to overcome the crisis due to solid governance and financial system plus a strong foreign reserve. After the handover to China, Hong Kong capitalism still prevails and the people are still enjoy democratic atmosphere. Under the “One Country, Two Systems” concept, China will continue to fully support Hong Kong liberalization economy which ensure the free market as well as the investor confidence on Hong Kong’s future.

In future, Hong Kong needs to be more alert, sensitive and adopt flexibility to the changing economic environment to grabs the investment opportunities. This is will ensure Hong Kong future prosperity and continuous growth.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/hong-kong-from-junks-to-jets-the-rise-of-a-global-powerhouse-1384551.html

Stanley is a peninsula on the south-eastern area of Hong Kong Island that is positioned west of Shek O, east of Repulse Bay and also neighbours Chung Hom Kok.

Renowned as a common fishing village, Stanley is full of historically acclaimed sights and scenic beauty. Among its many intriguing attractions is Murray House which was originally built in 1844.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/a-remarkable-holiday-destination-738711.html

Naveen Marasinghe is an Online Marketing Executive at eMarketingEye which is a search engine marketing agency

that offers integrated Internet marketing solutions and specializes in serving the online travel and hospitality industry. (http://www.emarketingeye.com/ )

Repulse Bay is situated in the Southern District of Hong Kong, which is an area towards the south of the Hong Kong Island. There are basically two schools of thought as to how this bay area became named Repulse Bay. One version states that in 1841, this bay area was used by pirates as a place for their activities. The pirates would plunder and loot trading ships, especially foreign ones, which go towards China to trade. This became a serious menace and so the British Fleet had to ‘repulse’ the pirates in the area. Hence the bay was named Repulse Bay. The other idea is that the British ship HMS Repulse was kept at one point in time at the bay.

During the 1910s the Repulse Bay area was constructed into a beach. The beach area was artificially lengthened; hence the sand near the shore is seemingly rougher than the sand that lies more inland. The Repulse Bay Hotel was constructed here in the year 1920. The longest serving Hong Kong bus route also goes through the Repulse Bay; it was created in order to bring in swimmers to the area. The bus route runs from Central to the Repulse Bay.

In 1982 the Repulse Bay hotel was turned into a shopping mall. There are many shops, restaurants and cafeterias in the mall. The renowned Building with a Hole is situated a bit further up and overlooks the Repulse Bay. On the east end of the beach resides the Kwun Yam Shrine.

A Hong Kong hotel to be found in the area is the Cosmopolitan Hotel.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/repulse-bay-a-wonderful-vacation-spot-790858.html

Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.

Crowning the picturesque Ngong Ping plateau in Lantau Island, the Po Lin Monastery is a magnetic attraction to both Buddhist and non-Buddhist tourists to Hong Kong. Originally named Da Maopeng, the monastery was constructed as a small rural temple in 1924. With the passing of time Po Lin Monastery developed into a principal centre of religious and cultural significance in Hong Kong. The breathtaking beauty of the countryside has also contributed to the fame of the holy sanctuary.

The highlight of the Po Lin Monastery is undoubtedly the Tian Tan Big Buddha statue that has graced the summit of Muyu Mountain since 1993. The 34m tall statue depicting Lord Buddha in a meditative sitting posture upon a lotus is the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue. Wrought in China within a period of 10 years, the statue portrays the majestic dignity and depth of the Sakyamuni’s character. The slightly inclining head and raised hand show the Buddha delivering a universal blessing. The statue is placed on a pedestal which is composed of a three storied museum. Among the most notable exhibits are several Bodhisattva and Buddha statues as well as a large bell, decorated by engravings of Buddhist Sutras and Buddha images. The bell, which legend claims to be vested with the power to cure human vexations, is sounded every 7 minutes.

The monastery has several halls for prayers and for exhibitions. Xiong Bao Dian (the Great Hall of Treasure), Hall of Ti-tsang Bodhisattva and the Sutra-Collection Hall are among the principal sections of the holy premises. In addition, Po Lin Monastery regularly conducts exhibitions of Buddhist Relics for the benefit of pilgrims and the general public.

A visit to Po Lin Monastery and the other areas of Lantau Island is an excellent method for a visitor lodging at a hotel in Hong Kong to experience the traditional and spiritual aspects of the region. Visitors who wish to combine the convenience of a centrally located boutique hotel in Hong Kong with the comforts of warm hospitality and well-appointed rooms need search no further than Hotel Jen located in the Western District with easy access to the principal attractions of the city.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/po-lin-monastery-home-to-the-largest-bronze-buddha-statue-in-the-world-1071526.html

Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.

As the economic and financial center in East Asia, Hong Kong enjoys all the benefits of a dynamic and vibrant metropolis.

Hong Kong however still captures the romance and mystery of days gone by in the markets and lanes where East meets West.

In addition to its impressive modernity, Hong Kong has many accessible beaches and natural sights for outdoor lovers.

Lantua Island for example, provides a relaxing atmosphere for a holiday break.

#One: Hong Kong Park

Hong Kong Park is a small public city park on Hong Kong Island in Central. It is surrounded on one side by the skyscrapers and on the other side by Victoria Peak. But in the small 8 hectare (20 square acres) space between Cotton Tree Drive and Kennedy Road, the Hong Kong Provisional Urban Council and the Hong Kong Jockey Club opened this park in 1991. It is free and attracts a million visits a year. In the big garden is a pond that covers a former tennis court, waterfalls or rapids and several important facilities including a sports facility, a big aviary, museums, a plant conservatory and a children's playground. The park has won several awards including one from the United State Urban Services Department for its excellent design and facilities in the crowded urban area. The aviary is a walk through aviary. This means that you can walk on a walkway through the tree canopy so that you can see the birds flying around inside up close. The little Hong Kong Park has a lot of interesting attractions crammed into it and is a major highlight of a visit to Hong Kong Island.

#Two: Avenue of Stars

The Avenue of Stars is basically a sidewalk on the shore of Hong Kong's Victoria Bay that is modeled after the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The sidewalk and pedestrian area has the handprints and signatures of famous Hong Kong actors such as Jackie Chan and metal sculptures of Hong Kong actors or film industry figures such as Bruce Lee. It stretches for about 440 meters along the shoreline, and there are benches and decorative plants. To keep people from falling into the ocean below, there is a metal handrail along the sidewalk. Some local people go there to enjoy the sight of the bay and the passing ships, jog, and enjoy the harbor air, and tourists go to see the light show at night and to take photographs. This sidewalk attracts a lot of mainland Chinese. You can see most of the tall buildings on Hong Kong Island here, and at night as part of the light show, music and dialogue are played.

#Three: Man Mo Temple

It is the oldest temple in Hong Kong in the Mid-levels area of Hong Kong Island. It is half the way up Victoria Peak. In the temple, two idols are worshiped, the God of Literature and the God of War. It was built in 1847. People go to the Man Mo temples in China to pray for success in examinations or in their academic or literary endeavors. They also go to Man Mo temples to settle disputes. A bronze bell there was also made in 1847. Though it has been often renovated, the original appearance is preserved, and it is visited by lots of people.

It is said that the ceremony for settling disputes between people of cutting off a chicken's head and burning yellow paper originated during the Qing dynasty. In this ceremony, in order to avoid going to court, people invoke the gods to punish people who don't perform the vows that they publicly make in the ceremony.

#Four: Hong Kong Aberdeen

Aberdeen Harbor is on the southern side of Hong Kong Island. It is on the other side of Victoria Peak from the main Hong Kong urban area. Aberdeen is the largest town on Hong Kong Island outside the main urban area, and the harbor was famous as the place where the Hong Kong boat people lived in the 1960s and 1970s. Movies such as a James Bond movie and a Bruce Lee movie were filmed there, so the harbor is recognized world wide. Now, the harbor area is mainly an anchorage for the yachts and pleasure boats of the Hong Kong suburban dwellers in the area. But there are still some famous floating restaurants and local fisherman using the bay, so it is a place to go for seafood on a boat and to see the scenery and the area tourist destinations like Hong Kong Ocean Park.

#Five: Victoria Peak

Victoria Peak is the highest peak in Hong Kong Island with an altitude of 554 meters and has been considered as a landmark of the island.

It is the best spot to have a bird's eye view of the Victoria Harbor and the whole thriving island. Viewed from the peak, the scenes are different between day time and night. At day time, you can see high and crowded buildings and the busy Victoria Harbor. At night, lit up by colorful lights, the whole scene is dazzling as a fairly-tale world. The best spot to enjoy the scene is the Peak Tower and the Lion Kiosk beside the peak tram terminal.

To reach the Victoria Peak, you can take the peak tram which was put into service in 1888. Its steepest point has an angle of 27 degree which definitely can give you an unforgettable experience.

Recommended Hong Kong Travel, Hong Kong attractions and Tours to Hong Kong.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-tips-articles/top-sightseeing-spots-in-hong-kong-2314834.html

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