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Hong Kong can be one of the most engaging and unexpectedly beautiful urban spectacles on earth. Situated at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta on the southwestern coast of China, Hong Kong is a destination imbued with a remarkable mix of Eastern and Western influences. Since the handover from British colonial to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, it has become far more Chinese than ever before, but for tourists the joy of visiting lies in being wedged between two diverse cultures simultaneously. Hong Kong Island with its financial hub is the energetic heartbeat of the region, where cloud-tickling skyscrapers, neon extravagance, fine dining, high-end shopping and world-class hotels are all part of the landscape. Get down to street level however and the laneways, wet markets and traditional Chinese haunts are a reminder that beyond the city lies a working class populace still making ends meet the old way - and often the hard way. Hong Kong was part of China before coming under British administration as a result of the 19th-century Opium Wars. After the ‘First Opium War’ when peace terms were drawn up, Hong Kong Island was ceded by China to Britain under the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. The full territory we now know as Hong Kong was settled in 1898, with a 99-year lease till the handover in 1997. The colony was under full British control for this period apart from a four-year gap under Japanese occupation during WWII. Hong Kong was returned to China as a ‘Special Administrative Region’ where it is now governed by the unique principle of "one country, two systems" proposed by then paramount leader of China, Deng Xiaoping. This principle allows Hong Kong to enjoy a high degree of autonomy, retaining its independent judiciary, rule of law, free trade and freedom of speech. Much has changed since 1841 when then British foreign secretary Lord Palmerston described Hong Kong as ‘nothing but a barren island without a house upon it'. From a collection of small fishing villages Hong Kong has transformed itself into one of the most engaging and unexpectedly beautiful urban spectacles on earth, while retaining the beauty of its natural surroundings. The iconic Victoria Harbour has been key to the development of the territory as a trading port and entry point into China. Old colonial monuments can still be found such as the statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Park, Murray Building in Stanley and in Central’s Statue Square. Modern day equivalents dot the famous skyline such as the Bank of China Building, HSBC Building and the International Finance Centre (IFC). Hong Kong’s unique fusion of East and West, traditional and contemporary makes it one of Asia’s top travel destinations.
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