Hong Kong is the final stop in our tour of China. And it isn’t exactly part of China – the city has a long and tumultuous history, now operating as a semi-autonomous territory within the People’s Republic. It rose to prominence as a major deep-water shipping port during the 99 year period it was under British rule (1898 to 1997). Britain first took control of Hong Kong province during the Opium Wars, which remain a dark spot in Western history. In short, Britain and other colonial powers needed a product with which to trade the Chinese for their spices and other exotic exports. Lacking a viable alternative, they introduced opium (heroin) into China, leading to widespread addiction and ever-higher demand for the product. When the Chinese emperor tried to crack down on opium use, colonial military forces stepped in to ensure the continued trade of this lucrative good.
Despite this dark beginning, Hong Kong blossomed into a huge financial and shipping hub for Asia. China took control of Hong Kong in 1997 when the British lease expired, but it’s still run as a separate province under the motto “Two Systems, One Country.” Hong Kong has its own set of laws, currency, and government, making it drastically freer than mainland China. However, there is continual fear among many residents that China may try to tighten its grip on the province.
Compared with the cities we’ve seen previously, Hong Kong feels very first-world. I can actually use the sink to brush my teeth (instead of using bottled water). And yet, with all the amenities and luxuries of the Western world, it remains unique from anything I’ve seen before and by far the most exotic of any metropolis I can imagine. (more…)
Hi, my name is Rich, and I am a recently graduated college student traveling between jobs. In the past, I’ve backpacked around Europe and South America, but I’ve never been to East Asia (only India). I have always been fascinated by this part of the world, so when my friend Andy and I had some time off between finishing our previous job and starting our new one, we decided to embark on a month-long journey around East Asia. During the past two weeks, we have seen some of the poorest and most densely populated places on earth in Bangladesh (150 million people in a country the size of Wisconsin), and some of the most beautiful spots on the planet in Thailand (mountainous islands covered with tropical rainforests and surrounded by white sand beaches and turquoise water). Now we’re just beginning the second half of our trip to China and Cambodia. In China, we’ll visit the three most prominent cities: Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong. In Cambodia, we’ll see the ancient ruins at Angkor Wat before finally heading back to the States at the end of July. Stay tuned…
