Hong Kong works as a useful gateway into
Southeast Asia and into China. It is also an interesting
place in its own right - an extraordinary, complex territory
of seven million people that's repository of traditional
Chinese culture, a recently relinquished British outpost,
and one of the key economies of the Pacific Rim.
Hong
Kong's dynamism is unforgettable. From the vantage point of
Victoria Peak, overlooking the world's busiest deepwater port,
you can see a city geared not only to making money but feeling
good about it. At night, it's like looking down into a volcano.
Despite its British colonial past, Hong Kong has always stuck
to its roots and the culture beneath the glitz is pure Chinese.
That didn't stop locals from feeling apprehensive about being
re-united with the motherland when the British handed the colony
back to China in 1997, but their unease has largely evaporated.
Visitors often find it takes a few days in Hong Kong to get
accustomed to the whirlwind pace. If you need some respite,
check out the Outlying Islands for a change of tempo and scene.
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