The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as it is officially known, is the most modern and westernized of all Chinese cities. Even though the United Kingdom returned sovereignty of this archipelago to Beijing in 1999, Hong Kong’s clean streets and English-speaking residents continue to contrast greatly with the mainland. Here, in the “New York of the East,” both the natural and human geography provide ample opportunity for visitors to gawk.

Once described as a "barren rock" over 150 years ago, Hong Kong has become a world-class financial, trading and business centre and, indeed, a great world city. Hong Kong has no natural resources, except one of the finest deep-water ports in the world. A hardworking, adaptable and well-educated workforce of about 3.5 million, coupled with entrepreneurial flair, is the bedrock of Hong Kong"s productivity and creativity.