Anecdotes

It is a well-known fact that the history of Hong Kong is closely intertwined with the opium trade. Indeed, Hong Kong as the global financial hub it is today simply would not exist if it were not for the British opium trade in China through Canton (now known as Guangzhou). Following the cession of Hong Kong Island to the British in 1841, the colonial government established an opium monopoly. As a highly taxed and widely used commodity, opium represented up to 30% of the govern

Crossing Yee Wo Street toward SOGO in Causeway Bay, you will find yourself on the seemingly ill-named East Point Road, which forms the junction between Lockhart Road and Great George Street. After all, Causeway Bay sits smack in the center of Hong Kong Island’s northern shoreline, and East Point Road is located in the western half of the neighborhood. Why, then, does it bear such a name? In fact, East Point Road is one of those streets—like Boundary Street or Reclamation Stre

If you are into fishkeeping, you have probably heard of the highly popular Crystal Red and Crystal Black shrimp. Despite their small size—measuring just 2.5 to 3.5 cm (1 to 1.4 inches) in length—these tiny shrimps stand out due to their vibrant red-and-white or black-and-white patterns. What you may not know, however, is that their wild ancestor is endemic to Hong Kong and the Guangdong province in southern China. In fact, its scientific name, Caridina cf. cantonensis, direct

Hong Kong produces virtually nothing. Yet, remarkably, this tiny territory of 7.5 million inhabitants remains one of the world's leading exporters. In fact, as of 2026, Hong Kong International Airport (Chek Lap Kok) stands as the world's busiest cargo airport, while the Port of Hong Kong remains a major global shipping hub. This maritime prowess peaked in the early 2000s when Hong Kong was the busiest container port in the world. Its dominance was largely driven by its unique

No one familiar with Hong Kong football would be surprised to find Hong Kong ranked in the bottom third of the FIFA Men's World Ranking. Indeed, during the 2026 World Cup held jointly in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Hong Kong was ranked 156th out of 211 member associations. Yet, there was a time when Hong Kong beat the odds. On February 21, 1996, Hong Kong reached 90th in the rankings, marking the men's team's only appearance in the FIFA top 100. This unique achieve

Between approximately 2,000,000 and 250,000 years ago, during the early to middle Pleistocene, a giant orangutan-like ape roamed the forests of central and southern China. Aptly named Gigantopithecus—which literally means "giant ape"—this largest representative of the primate family stood 3 meters (10 feet) tall and weighed between 200 and 300 kilograms (440–660 lbs). Nearly 300,000 years after our largest distant cousin vanished from the surface of the Earth, anthropologist

According to tradition, the Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the death of Yuan Qu, a poet and minister of the ancient state of Chu, who lived between 340 and 278 BC during the Warring States period. After the fall of Ying, the Chu capital, Yuan Qu committed suicide by throwing himself into the Miluo River. Local people who admired him raced their boats to save him. Although they were unsuccessful, this event is said to be the origin (among other stories) of the Dragon Boat F

On March 3, 2020, the floating restaurant Jumbo , berthed at the South Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter, closed after 44 years of operation. A popular tourist attraction in the 1980s and 1990s, Jumbo had been visited by millions of tourists as well as by famous personalities such as Queen Elizabeth II, U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and actor Tom Cruise. Unfortunately, the 21st century was not as kind to the renowned restaurant. As of 2022, Jumbo had been unprofitable since 2013, acc

In Hong Kong, the central banking institution—known as the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) since 1993—authorizes commercial banks to issue their own banknotes. While numerous banking corporations have issued currency throughout Hong Kong’s history, only three commercial banks have retained this privilege since 1994: Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong), The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), and Bank of China (Hong Kong). With 56% of the banknotes currently

Hong Kong is an exceptionally expensive city. In fact, it consistently ranks alongside Monaco, Singapore, and New York City as one of the world's most costly urban centers. However, there is one category where Hong Kong unequivocally tops all global peers: housing (un)affordability. As of 2026, Hong Kong’s price-to-income ratio stands at an astronomical 14.1. This means that a typical home costs 14.1 times the average annual household income—and that is assuming a household a

In 2009, the Legislative Council approved the construction of the Central-Wan Chai Bypass, a 4-kilometre (2.5-mile) road connecting the shorelines of Sheung Wan and Fortress Hill on northern Hong Kong Island. As excavation progressed in late 2014, construction workers discovered a 40-by-11-metre metal object buried under five metres (15 feet) of mud. Rumours quickly surfaced that this wreckage belonged to HMS Tamar. The iconic troopship served as the Royal Navy’s base in Hong

Hong Kong is home to 52 native snake species, consisting of 46 land-dwelling types and 6 sea snakes. From the king cobra, the longest venomous snake in the world, to the Burmese python, the third largest, the region hosts some of the planet's most iconic snakes. Yet, anyone hiking through Hong Kong's forests might stumble upon one of the most unique, though often overlooked, species. Snakes are usually classified into three broad categories: venomous snakes that hunt by injec

The Blue House is a well-known landmark in Wan Chai. Comprising four separate units, this 4-storey historic building is a typical example of a Lingnan-style house— a style associated with the Cantonese people, as opposed to other Southern Chinese architectures. Built on the site of the former Wah To Hospital, which was demolished in 1920 to make way for tenements, the actual building was completed in 1922. In 1978, three of the four units were acquired by the Hong Kong govern

On June 12, 1967, the fifth installment of the James Bond series was released in the United Kingdom. James Bond, the world-famous British spy, then portrayed by Sean Connery, was dispatched to Japan after American and Soviet spacecraft had mysteriously disappeared. On his way to Japan, he stopped in Hong Kong, which, in 1967, was still a British colony. As is often the case with James Bond, he ended up in bed with a woman he had met earlier. After they had completed their enc

Nowadays, we take global and instant communication for granted. But until recently, this was not the case—far from it. Until the second half of the nineteenth century, communication between Hong Kong and London meant sending letters by sea or land, which could take months to be delivered. This all changed in 1869 when a Scotsman, John Pender, established the China Submarine Telegraph Company to connect Hong Kong to his network of cable companies. On May 19, 1871, work began t

Hong Kong is regarded as a very wealthy city. As a matter of fact, in 2025, Hong Kong was ranked second globally for ultra-high-net-worth individuals, with 17,215 individuals possessing a net worth of 30,000,000 US dollars or more. Yet, paradoxically, if the city is wealthy, the majority of the Hong Kongese population is shockingly poor, all things considered. As of late 2025/early 2026, the median household income in Hong Kong was 30,000 Hong Kong dollars. This means that 50

Following its defeat in the Second Opium War, in October 1860, the Qing Dynasty was forced to sign the Convention of Peking. This convention included, among other provisions, the cession to the British Empire of District No. 1 of Kowloon, which corresponds to the present-day Yau Tsim Mong District and Stonecutter’s Island. British Kowloon, also known as Old Kowloon, was separated from what came to be known as New Kowloon, which remained in the possession of the Qing Dynasty,

When one thinks of Hong Kong, the first image that comes to mind is that of a concrete jungle. With over 550 skyscrapers taller than 150 meters, it is true that Hong Kong stands head and shoulders above its closest competitor, its nearby neighbor Shenzhen, in terms of the number of skyscrapers. However, it may come as a surprise that most of Hong Kong is not buried under concrete but still consists of pristine mountains and forests. Indeed, as of 2026, 40% of Hong Kong’s tota

With about 80 attacks recorded worldwide each year, shark attacks are a rare occurrence, all things considered. Fatal outcomes are even rarer, averaging around 5 fatalities per year. In Hong Kong, the most recent recorded attack, which turned out to be fatal, occurred on June 13, 1995, when a 45-year-old woman was attacked by what was believed to be a tiger shark at Clearwater Bay First Beach. If 1995 was a particularly deadly year, it was not the first time Hong Kong recorde

It is a well-known fact that Hong Kong is a very small territory. But how small is it, really? If you live in Europe, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg—a well-known tax haven and banking hub similar to Hong Kong—would serve as a good point of reference. Indeed, Hong Kong has a total area of 2,755 square kilometers (1,063.7 square miles), while the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg covers 2,586 square kilometers (998.6 square miles). However, although both territories are similar in size,