Hong Kong Essays

Hong Kong Essays Hong Kong Essay Hong Kong Essay Essay Topic: Siddhartha Tao Te Ching Hong Kong covers a total area of 2 916 square kilometres of which only 1 061 kilometres of it is land the rest being surrounded by water. Rugged mountains and rolling hills cover much of beautiful Hong Kong. Some mountains rise more than 910 meters above sea level and 554 metres in other places. The rocky, indented coastlines of Hong Kongs islands and mainland provide many small harbours for fishing villages. Parts of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong have been filled in with earth to create new land. Barren mountains separate the business districts of the Kowloon Peninsula from the farmland in the New Territories. Its estimated that around only 10 per cent of the land in Hong Kong is suitable for farming. Rice paddies and vegetable and flower fields are seen throughout the New Territories, crowded between areas of poor vegetation and rocky hillsides. An undersized river called the Sham Chun forms the border between Hong Kong and China. The land that is Hong Kong possesses a semitropical climate. The summers of the location are hot and humid, with temperatures reaching over 35 C. Hong Kong receives about 224 centimetres of rainfall each year with more than 75 per cent of the rain falling in summer. Rain in summer is a major cause to floods and unpredictable mudslides in Hong Kong. Winters are cool and dry, with the temperature scarcely ever falls below 4 C. Insufficient rainfall during the winter and other factors cause water shortages, resulting in Hong Kong buying millions of gallons of water from China each year. The temperature in Autumn occurring between September to December in Hong Kong reach just around  C with the humidity rising to 73%. Spring in March to May have an estimated temperature of 20i C with a humidity of 84% Hong Kong receives its tourists mainly in Autumn as its not too hot and not too cold. Flag When Hong Kong was handed back to China, Hong Kong then made their own flag instead of the Union Jack, now it has red background with the Bauhinia-flower on it. The Hong Kong flag is sometimes accompanied with the China flag, which also with a red background with one big yellow star and four other small yellow stars on it. Hong Kong flag China flag Population: The population of Hong Kong is around 6. 3 million people. Kowloon is home to 2. 2 million people, and Hong Kong Island is home to 1. 3 million people, and with the remaining 2. 8 million people living in the New Territories. Around 90% of people residing are Chinese. Most are immigrants from southern China or descendants of immigrants from that region. The relatively few non-Chinese residents in Hong Kong come from such places as Australia, Britain, India, Japan, America and Vietnam. Some people in China decide to immigrate to Hong Kong as they see it as a land of opportunity, with better careers, lifestyles and living conditions. The residents from other countries might come to Hong Kong for business and in result of this have started a family. Flora and Fauna: In Hong Kong there are very few fauna living in Hong Kong. Probably the most common fauna that you would be able to see in Hong Kong are cats and dogs. Another animal that you might see is monkeys that are from Monkey Hill coming out to look for food. The only other place that you would be able to see other animals is at the zoo. Fauna in Hong Kong are mostly trees and flowers. Trees and flowers include mangroves, fern trees, eucalyptus, Bauhinia-flower (which is on the Hong Kong flag) Bauhinia Blakeana, Bauhinia Variegata, Bauhinia Purpurea, Cassia Surattensis, Cassia Siamea, Cassia Fistula, Delonix Regia, Peltophorum Pterocarpum, Lagerstroemia Speciosa, Lagerstroemia Indica, Melaleuca Leucadendron, Callistemon Rigidus, Callistemon Uiminalis, Sweet Gum, Short Flowered Machilus and many more. Language: The official languages are Cantonese, Mandarin and English. English became an official language when Hong Kong was governed by the British during 1898 to 1997. Cantonese and Mandarin became official languages when China took back Hong Kong from the British. The shopkeepers in Hong Kong know English because of the tourists that are going to Hong Kong. In Hong Kong if you know English and you can speak English fluently it is considered to be a good thing as it would help you find a job there. Cantonese is the most widely spoken language in Hong Kong. Religion: The main religion in Hong Kong is Buddhism. But there are other religions such as Taoism, Christianity and many more. Buddhism was founded in the 6th or 7th century BC by the Sakyamunia Buddha who was born as Prince Siddhartha. Buddhism was originated in India and was brought into China. Taoism is the oldest religion in China, it was founded by Lao Tzu in 604BC. His teachings are contained in a book called Tao Te Ching. Taoism is based on a transcendence of worldly things, stressing harmony with, not dominance over, nature. In Hong Kong there are many Christians so there are many churches and cathedrals. The services are conducted in English or Chinese. Christianity was brought into Hong Kong by the early missionaries who used the port as a base for missions into China. Other religions include Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Jews. Daily Life: (School, Shopping, Foods, Games, the Arts, Entertainment, Leisure Activates, Celebrations and Festivals). School: In Hong Kong, all children are to go to school or they commit an offence, because it is part of the law that all children have to go to school. Children attending primary schools can choose to attend school in the morning or afternoon sessions. There are public schools, private schools, district schools, international schools, religious schools and catholic schools. In high school they go to school for the whole day just like us. Kindergarten is for children from 3-6 year old and they go there for 3 years. Primary school is for children from 6-12 year old and they go there for 6 years. High school is for children from 12-19 year old and they go there for 7 years. Hong Kongs most famous universities are the University of Hong Kong, founded in 1911 and has about 5 000 students attending. The other university is The Chinese University, founded in 1963 and has about 4 700 students attending. Shopping: Hong Kong is often seen as a shopping paradise where tourists and residents alike enjoy the purchasing of local and international labels at their fingertips. Numerous street markets line the roads of the city for cheap purchases of many different items. Some of the products that are offered on street markets include clothing items, ornaments, jewellery, watches, games and many more. One of the most popular street markets in Hong Kong is Temple Street Night Market. This street market is opened when the stars come out until late into the night. The Temple Street Night Market covers over three streets, splitting into three sections. . The things sold there are a mixture of cultural items such as Chinese style clothing to casual t- shirts. Games, toys, CDs, DVDs, electronics, paintings, sports gear and a lot of other things are included in the market. Food stalls are also set up near the market, attracting many hungry customers. The stalls there are mainly traditional Chinese style cuisines including that of fried rice, noodles, seafood and buns, just to name a few. One section of the Night Street Market is used for Chinese Opera, with singers singing old Chinese songs while acting. Its like theatre on the street. Just the sound of music playing attracts audience to sit and gather around to listen. Another well known place for shopping is Ladies Street Market which unlike the name suggests, sells a mixture of things. An assortment of clothing items, stuffed toys, beauty products, souvenirs, games, CDs, bags and many others. Many shoppers are seen bargaining for products to a reasonable price with the shop owners in this street market. In the Jade Market tourist are often attracted to the lovely jade that are there for sale. Central and Admiralty are famous for luxury shopping, bustling with designer labels and mega malls such as Time Square, The Landmark and Pacific Place. Designer stores such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci and Dior have franchise stores in both Central and Admiralty as well as in the mega malls.