Religion:
The main religion in Hong Kong is Buddhism. But there are other religions such as Taoism, Christianity and many more. Buddhism was founded in the 6th or 7th century BC by the Sakyamunia Buddha who was born as Prince Siddhartha. Buddhism was originated in India and was brought into China.
Taoism is the oldest religion in China, it was founded by Lao Tzu in 604BC. His teachings are contained in a book called Tao Te Ching. Taoism is based on a transcendence of worldly things, stressing harmony with, not dominance over, nature. In Hong Kong there are many Christians so there are many churches and cathedrals. The services are conducted in English or Chinese. Christianity was brought into Hong Kong by the early missionaries who used the port as a base for missions into China. Other religions include Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Jews.
Daily Life: (School, Shopping, Foods, Games, the Arts, Entertainment, Leisure Activates, Celebrations and Festivals).
School:
In Hong Kong, all children are to go to school or they commit an offence, because it is part of the law that all children have to go to school.
Children attending primary schools can choose to attend school in the morning or afternoon sessions. There are public schools, private schools, district schools, international schools, religious schools and catholic schools.
In high school they go to school for the whole day just like us.
Kindergarten is for children from 3-6 year old and they go there for 3 years.
Primary school is for children from 6-12 year old and they go there for 6 years.
High school is for children from 12-19 year old and they go there for 7 years.
Hong Kong’s most famous universities are the University of Hong Kong, founded in 1911 and has about 5 000 students attending. The other university is The Chinese University, founded in 1963 and has about 4 700 students attending.
Shopping:
Hong Kong is often seen as a shopping paradise where tourists and residents alike enjoy the purchasing of local and international labels at their fingertips.
Numerous street markets line the roads of the city for cheap purchases of many different items. Some of the products that are offered on street markets include clothing items, ornaments, jewellery, watches, games and many more. One of the most popular street markets in Hong Kong is Temple Street Night Market. This street market is opened when the stars come out until late into the night. The Temple Street Night Market covers over three streets, splitting into three sections. . The things sold there are a mixture of cultural items such as Chinese style clothing to casual t- shirts. Games, toys, CDs, DVDs, electronics, paintings, sports gear and a lot of other things are included in the market. Food stalls are also set up near the market, attracting many hungry customers. The stalls there are mainly traditional Chinese style cuisines including that of fried rice, noodles, seafood and buns, just to name a few. One section of the Night Street Market is used for Chinese Opera, with singers singing old Chinese songs while acting. It’s like theatre on the street. Just the sound of music playing attracts audience to sit and gather around to listen.
Another well known place for shopping is Ladies’ Street Market which unlike the name suggests, sells a mixture of things. An assortment of clothing items, stuffed toys, beauty products, souvenirs, games, CDs, bags and many others. Many shoppers are seen bargaining for products to a reasonable price with the shop owners in this street market. In the Jade Market tourist are often attracted to the lovely jade that are there for sale. Central and Admiralty are famous for luxury shopping, bustling with designer labels and mega malls such as Time Square, The Landmark and Pacific Place. Designer stores such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci and Dior have franchise stores in both Central and Admiralty as well as in the mega malls.
Food:
In Hong Kong, people eat fried noodles served with congee for breakfast. For dinner, people always eat steamed rice with some vegetables, meat, fish and soup. Another food that people like to eat is Dim Sum which could be eaten in a Chinese restaurant or at Yum Cha. Traditional food includes steamed rice, congee, fried noodles, won ton noodles, fried buns, canton vegetables. Street food includes meat balls, fish balls, congee, fried prawns, fruit juice, bubble tea and fried squid. In restaurants you are able to eat Peking Duck, hot pot, fried rice, noodles, Japanese dishes, Thai, French, Italian, Shanghainese, buffet, American, vegetarian and Yum Cha (a favourite for breakfast and lunch). International food stores include McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, Hungary Jacks and Burger King.
Entertainment:
After a long days work, business people usually go to night clubs or a karaoke bar. Karaoke is a huge trend that is motivating large numbers of bars opening with karaoke being its main facilities. Not only are adults going for a sing after work, teenagers are also going out to take the microphone and wailing out a few tunes.
The cinema is another great place for teenagers to go to meet with their friends and watch a great movie.
Discos or dance parties as they are now commonly being called are being enjoyed by many, but mainly by adults because children are not allowed into the disco as they are under age. Other people like to go to bars, pubs or lounges.
In the day time families go to Art Festivals, cinemas and museums including the space Museum which is open day and night. At night time families would go to concerts and the cinemas as well as in the day time.
Festivals:
Ancient Chinese traditions are followed by the people of Hong Kong when it comes to festivals. A festival called Lunar New Year is a very special traditional time for all Chinese around the world, including that of Hong Kong. This is when the Chinese celebrate their New Year according to the Chinese calendar. The date of each Chinese New Year varies each year. This festival is most liked by children as they receive money in red pockets, ranging from $50 to $100. The house is also decorated in red with some food for Chinese New Year, inside would be so sweet candy and food.
Yuen Siu (Spring Lantern) Festival, Ching Ming festival, Tin Ha Festival, Tam Kung Festival, the Birthday of Lord Buddha and many more other festivals.
Leisure Activities:
During leisure times people like to bet on horses at the racetracks. What about it…people loose money more then win but because Chinese are big on gambling. The racecourse is a big attraction to them.
The elderly people like to play mah-jong in the early morning and in the night time. Mah-jong is a game played by four people around a square table, with pieces called ‘tiles’ in the middle of the table. Some people like to play mah-jong until the crack of dawn. Mah-jong club/shops make a lot of money because of the amount of people who like the game
In the mornings people like to go to a park and do Tai Chi which relaxes the body and the soul.
The Arts:
In the Chinese term meishu (fine art) is often used to refer not only to painting and calligraphy, but also applies to- ivory and jade carving, sculpture, porcelain and embroidery. Other Arts include the Chinese Opera and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. There are also performances by the Philharmonic Orchestra, orchestral concerts on the streets and open-air music performances. Other Arts for children are ballet, dance, singing, playing the piano, violin, guitar, flute and traditional Chinese style dancing.
Celebrations:
In Hong Kong there are numerous celebrations and public holidays. One public holiday is the first day of January (1st January). Another public holiday is the Lunar New Year’s Day (22nd January). Other public holidays include the Second Day of the Lunar New Year (23rd January), the day following Ching Ming Festival (5th April), Tuen Ng Festival (22nd June) and Chung Yeung Festival (22nd October). Celebrations in Hong Kong include Good Friday (9th April), Easter Monday (12th April), Labour Day (1st May), The Buddha’s birthday (26th May), the HKSAR Establishment Day (1st June), The Dragon Boat Festival ( middle of June), The Lantern Festival (September or October), National Day (1st October) and Christmas Day (25th December)
Game:
In Hong Kong there are lots of video arcades where children spend their money on playing games there. Basketball is a popular sport played by kids and by adults. Golf is the most popular sport for adults in Hong Kong because it is said that it relaxes the mind and the body. At night men like to go to snooker halls to play snooker or to just have some fun with their mates. You'll need to be cashed up to play on one of Hong Kong's five golf courses - if you're not, try cycling, hiking or swimming. Windsurfing and sailing are both extremely popular sports. Tennis and gym are also favourites of the locals.
Famous Buildings:
In Hong Kong there are many landmark buildings that are treasured by the residents of Hong Kong and tourists. Here are only some of the famous buildings in Hong Kong:
- Ocean Terminal
- Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
- Shun Tak Centre
- Time Square
- International Financial Centre
- Legislative Council Building
- Bank of China Tower
- HSBC Main Building
System of Government:
Hong Kong is currently under China’s control after the 1st July 1997 when the British handed Hong Kong back to China. The current premier of Hong Kong is Dung Gean Wa, and the President of China is Won Gam Bo. In Hong Kong there is a Communist with only 1 District Party.
Trade Links with Australia:
Hong Kong has a large number of trade links between Australia. Hong Kong imports wool, food including cereal, yoghurt, fruit, biscuits, seafood, medical equipment, non-monetary gold, aluminium and crustaceans from Australia and in return Hong Kong gives Australia non-monetary gold, integrated circuits, computer parts, watches and clocks.
Currency:
The unit of currency in Hong Kong is the Hong Kong dollar (HK$). The notes are issued only by the Hong Kong Bank and the Standard Chartered Bank in units of measurement of $1 000, $500, $100, $50, $20 and $10. There are also silver coins for $5, $2 and $1, and there are also bronze coins for 50c, 20c and10c. New bank notes are always released and everyone are always worried that their bank notes are fake. In Hong Kong there are a lot of people who make fake bank notes with a value of $500 or $1 000.
Capital:
The capital city in Hong Kong is Hong Kong
History:
1773 The British unloaded 70 000kg of Bengal opium. The Chinese people’s taste for the opium grew larger and larger until the emperor of China founded out that the country’s silver was declining, so he banned the drug trade.
1841 In 1841, the first Opium War was declared when the Chinese emperor found out again that the country’s silver was declining. The whole population of China was still hooked onto the opium brought in by the British, so people traded the British their silver for the opium. The Chinese emperor warned the British for them to stop giving opium to the people of China, but the British weren’t going to stand for that. So that is how the first Opium War started. The war then ended when the British won the war. After the war a series of conflicts followed, with the British backed by French, Russian and American interests. A combined British and French force invaded China in 1859, forcing the Chinese to agree to the Convention of Peking, which ceded the Kowloon Peninsula and nearby Stonecutters Island to the British. In 1898, the British also gained a 99-year lease on the New Territories, which they felt essential to protect their interests on Hong Kong Island.
1861 The second Opium War, which Britain also won in 1861, saw Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutter Island became the spoils of war. By 1898 Britain felt the need for land for defence purposes. Britain decided on a more peaceful solution and leased the New Territories, including the 235 outlying islands from China for 99 years. The expiry date was in July, 1997.
1937 It was World War II when Hong Kong became a refuge. Thousands of Chinese people fled from the advancing Japanese. When the Japanese opened hostilities in December 1941, they attacked Hong Kong. On Christmas Day the SAR of Hong Kong was surrendered.
1984 In December 1984, the British agreed to hand over the entire colony when the lease on the New Territories ran out in 1997, rather than hang on to a truncated colony consisting of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The agreement theoretically allows Hong Kong to retain its pre-1997 social, economic and legal systems for at least 50 years after 1997. As the handover approached, controversies raged over the building of Hong Kong's expensive new airport and the amount of democracy the Chinese were willing to accept.
1997 After 99 years of British control, Hong Kong was handed back to China on the 1st of July 1997. From then forward Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of China, known as (HKSAR). Seconds before midnight the Union Jack was lowered and the Bauhinia-flower flag was raised. The hand over was celebrated in Hong Kong with concerts and cultural festivals, processions and parades of floats and one of the world’s biggest and most extravagant fireworks and laser shows over Victoria Harbour.
2004 Now we go back to the present. Talks between Britain and China began in 1982, and they signed the Sino-British Agreement of 1984. In the agreement China stated that Hong Kong’s capitalist lifestyle and social system will be preserved for at least 50 years after 1997. Also that it would be largely self-governing, with the people retaining their property, and have the right to travel at will.
The new Hong Kong Bauhinia-flower flag. China flag
Map of Hong Kong
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