After Shanghai we traveled to Hong Kong, China. To he honest, I wasn't sure if this was actually China. I knew a little bit about the Opium Wars and the Brittish Colonial area, but not how things stood today. Was this considered China? Did it follow the same rules? Same money? Do they speak Chinese?
Over the next few days I figured out the answers, as best I could. Yes, Hong Kong is a part of China. It is considered one of two special administrative regions (SAR's). This gives Hong Kong a little bit of sovereignty. They have their own money, own culture, business climate, etc...
You can definitely see the British influences. They drive on the other side of the road, other side of the car. The city has had more time under free market capitalism, so it has had more time to grow. Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Like Shanghai, it has an expansive skyline along the Pearl river. In a previous post I compared Beijing to Washington DC, Shanghai to New York. I would equate Hong Kong to Maimi. It is a large city, tropical climate, built along waterline. The city seems built around Victoria Harbor. Cruise Ships, Freighters, and tour boats traverse the water morning, noon, and night.
The view of Victoria Harbor
During our stay we toured a shopping Mall for Flowers, for Birds, and for souvenirs. We also took a cable car/trolly to the top of a mountain to see an Arial view of the city. Before we left we saw a light show over Victoria Harbor. About 40+ buildings participate in a choreographed show set to music. Of all the things we did, my favorite may have been sitting in the hot tub (an affinity tub) overlooking the harbor. I could have spent hours watching the activity on the water.
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