If you ever fly over Hong Kong, you may notice an unnatural rectangular strip of land jutting into Kowloon Bay. This strip of land was once one of the most dangerous landing strips in the world, known as Kai Tak International Airport. Although Kai Tak has been known as an airfield since 1924, it was only in 1958 that its most striking feature—a 2,550-meter runway extending into Kowloon Bay—was built through land reclamation. Since then, the airport has undergone numerous modi

Hong Kong is primarily known as one of the most important financial and banking centers in the world; but that wasn’t always the case. When the British took possession of Hong Kong Island in 1841, Hong Kong was little more than a barren rock lost in the South China Sea. However, Hong Kong was not an uninhabited territory either. In the eleventh century, the Punti, which literally translates as the "original residents," settled in what became the New Territories. They found fe

Contrary to what one might expect, HSBC was not the first banking institution in Hong Kong. In fact, being founded in 1864, HSBC, or the Hongkong Bank as it was originally known, was a relatively latecomer. In the early days of the colony, businesses in Hong Kong were controlled by trading houses such as, for instance, Jardine Matheson, Gibb Livingston, and Dent & Co. This oligopoly led to growing dissatisfaction and the development of a proper banking industry in Hong Kong.

With a population of 7.5 million inhabitants living on a land area of 1,114.35 square kilometers (430.25 square miles), needless to say that Hong Kong is a very densely populated city. This figure becomes even more striking when considering that there are no fewer than 579 mountains in Hong Kong, resulting in only 25% of the territory being suitable for construction. In such circumstances, agriculture in Hong Kong is very limited—though not nonexistent—primarily revolving aro

Hong Kong is often ranked among the wealthiest cities in the world. While it is true that it has one of the highest concentrations of billionaires and millionaires globally, the city also records one of the highest inequality rates in the world. In fact, despite being one of the world’s premier financial and banking centers, Hong Kong reports a rather disappointingly low GDP per capita of USD 55,000. In comparison, New York City, London, and Singapore (Hong Kong’s main compet

It may come as a surprise, but Hong Kong wasn’t always called Hong Kong. In fact, for the longest time, the island of Hong Kong, as a whole, had no name. It was only after the British first landed in present-day Aberdeen that the island was named Hong Kong... because of a misunderstanding. Indeed, Hong Kong owes its name to the area of Aberdeen, in southwestern Hong Kong Island. However, the English name of Aberdeen was given to the area in memory of Sir George Hamilton Gor

On January 26, 1988, the movie Bloodsport was released, featuring Belgian martial artist and actor Jean-Claude Van Damme in his first lead role. The story revolves around a ninjutsu practitioner who participates in a full-contact tournament known as the Kumite, which takes place in the infamous Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. The reason the tournament is held deep inside the Kowloon Walled City aligns perfectly with the city's real-life history, as police forces dared not

If you enjoy hiking in one of the numerous country parks in Hong Kong, chances are you've already spotted a snake or two. In fact, Hong Kong is home to 52 species of snakes, of which 46 are land snakes. However, while the moderately sized White-Lipped Viper, also known as the Bamboo Viper, accounts for 90% of the 100 snakebites recorded each year in Hong Kong, the city is also home to some of the longest and largest snakes in the world. Indeed, the longest venomous snake in t

In 1935, when HSBC’s third Hong Kong headquarters opened, British sculptor William Wheathly Wagstaff was commissioned to create two bronze lion statues. Inspired by, but not identical to, the original lions guarding HSBC’s Shanghai branch since 1923, the new lions symbolized strength and protection. The roaring lion was named Stephen, after Alexander Gordon Stephen, the HSBC chief manager when the original lions were cast, while the quiescent lion was named Stitt, after Gordo

Nowadays, Hong Kong is a bustling city with a population of 7,500,000 inhabitants. With a population density of 6,725 inhabitants per square kilometer, it is also one of the most densely populated territories in the world. However, this was not always the case. In fact, it is only relatively recently that Hong Kong became an influential city. On January 26th, 1841, when the British took possession of Hong Kong Island—later officially ceded to Britain following their victory i

When Hong Kong was officially handed over by Great Britain to the People’s Republic of China on July 1st, 1997, the Hong Kong Basic Law became the city’s constitutional framework. Although it is part of the national law of the People’s Republic of China, Article 5 of the Hong Kong Basic Law guarantees the "one country, two systems" principle until at least 2047. Under this principle, Hong Kong retained its common law system under Article 8 of the Basic Law, except for laws th

After Hong Kong Island was ceded to the British in 1842, British merchants quickly recognized the need for banks to finance the rapidly growing trade between China and India passing through Hong Kong. Thomas Sutherland, a Scottish banker and politician, seized this opportunity to establish a new bank. On March 3rd, 1865, the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank was founded in Hong Kong; and one month later, the Shanghai branch opened. In 1866, the bank was incorporated in Hong Kong as

Walking down the streets of Hong Kong Island, you will be reminded at every turn that Hong Kong Island was ceded to the British during Queen Victoria’s reign. There is Victoria Harbour, the life and blood of Hong Kong; Victoria Peak, the most prominent mountain on Hong Kong Island; and even the Central and Western District, which used to be known as the City of Victoria, or simply Victoria. In fact, between 1841, the year British sailors took possession of Hong Kong Island, a

On March 3, 1865, Thomas Sutherland established the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, known today as HSBC. Believing that good Feng Shui was crucial for his bank's success, he chose Wardley House as HSBC’s first headquarters, as the building was claimed to have one of the best Feng Shui in the city. Built at 1 Queen’s Road, Wardley House was located in the heart of the burgeoning colony. However, the premises quickly became too small; and in 1882, Wardley House was demolished to ma

If you ever visit Tung Chung Fort, on Lantau Island, you may be surprised to learn that the fort was neither built by the British nor constructed to defend Lantau Island against the British. Initially, the fort was built during the Song Dynasty, in the 12th century, to fight off salt smugglers which, uner the Song, was a very valuable commodity. In the 19th century, the fort was rebuilt by the Qing Dynasty to defend the coast from pirates active in the South China Sea. With