Travel to HongKong

the Oriental Pearl, is simply amazing! It would be hard to find a more exciting city than Hong Kong. Set among beautiful natural surroundings it has all the benefits of a thriving and vibrant commercial center. Here you can find the delights of modern living alongside an abundance of reminders of its historic past. Whether you visit the better known highlights like the stunning Ocean Park, the fantastic viewpoint of Victoria Peak or the beautiful Repulse Bay, Hong Kong is certain to exceed your expectations.

Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region of PRC, has grown from what was a simple fishing village into the world's fourth largest banking and financial center and eighth largest trading economy. Situated in the southeast corner of China, Hong Kong occupies an area of 1,104 square kilometers (about 426 square miles) and is home to more than 6,970,000 people. Most people (about 97% of the population) are Chinese and speak Cantonese and English, although Mandarin is becoming more popular in Hong Kong now. Most tourism personnel and taxi drivers can communicate with tourists in English. The most common religions are Buddhism and Christianity.

Hong Kong is made up of four parts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories and the Outlying Islands. Hong Kong Island is the center of economy, politics, entertainment and shopping. Northern Hong Kong Island is the main commercial, shopping and entertainment area; the residential area is located in Eastern Hong Kong Island; and Southern Hong Kong Island known for its sea shores and bays. Kowloon is another flourishing part of Hong Kong. Above all, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok are the most popular areas. These areas are busy day and night, and tourists can feel secure enjoying the lively nightlife, because Hong Kong is one of the most secure cities in the world. The New Territories and Outlying Islands are ideal places to experience a peaceful and natural Hong Kong.

An open city with a wonderful natural harbor, Hong Kong is the meeting place of various cultures that blend harmoniously with Chinese traditions and exotic influences. On one hand traces of British culture can be found everywhere as a result of former colonial rule. On the other hand, Hong Kong preserves traditional customs and the core values of Confucianism that have faded in Mainland China. This is reflected in its colorful festivals ranging from Spring Festival to Christmas. Nowhere else on earth do luxury restaurants, street side food-stalls known locally as dai pai dong, grand mansions and penthouses, tenements, office blocks, wooden boats and huge liners coupled with English in a variety of accents and multifarious Chinese dialects coexist peacefully.

According to the latest Hong Kong rich list published by Forbes Asia, forty of Hong Kong's wealthiest people are US dollar billionaires. In fact, the top forty super rich in Hong Kong are reported to have a combined net worth of US$167 billion. Although this total has increased by US$28 billion since 2009, it still remains below the 2008 figure of US$178 billion.

Senior editor at Forbes, Russell Flannery, commented; "There is no doubt that most of Hong Kong's wealthiest are riding the China wave.  Much has changed in China in the past few decades, but Hong Kong's role as an important conduit between foreign businesses and mainland [China's] economy hasn't, and that's very apparent in this year's Hong Kong list."

Even though Hong Kong has a total population of just over seven million, whilst mainland China can count well over one billion, the top forty richest in Hong Kong are worth US$26 billion more than their counterparts in mainland China. The wealthiest man in Hong Kong is eighty two year old Li Ka-Shing, whose total wealth is estimated at US$24 billion.  Li Ka-Shing has held the number one spot in Forbes's Asia rich list since 2008, when the list was first published.

In second place are the Kwok family, with a total fortune of US$20 billion.  The husband and wife team saw their net worth rise sharply in 2010 - mainly due to the success of their real estate development company, Sun Hung Kai Properties. Lee Shau Kee, who ranked second wealthiest in Hong Kong last year, slipped to third position with a net worth of US$19.5 billion.  

Looking at the Forbes Asia rich list for Hong Kong, it is apparent that the majority of Hong Kong's business tycoons have made their wealth from real estate.  During 2010, property developers in Hong Kong suffered from tax increases on property transactions, increases in office rents helped those who own commercial properties. New comers to the 2011 Forbes Asia rich in Hong Kong list were; William E. Connor II at number twenty two with US$2 billion, Choy Kam Lok with US$1.73 billion and Albert Yeung with US$1.3 billion in assets.