Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China but, as part of the agreement made in 1997 when the British returned control of Hong Kong to China, it has a different political system than mainland China. Hong Kong Basic Law stipulates that Hong Kong shall have a “high degree of autonomy” in all matters except foreign relations and military defense. Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy, meaning that it is highly focused on privately owned service sector offerings such as financial services, hospitality, retail, health and human services and information technology. It has a free market economy, which is very different from Shanghai’s social market economy where individuals may own a business but the government maintains ultimate control of the company’s assets. This difference has allowed Hong Kong to maintain low taxation and free trade, which in term has made it one of the world’s leading international financial centers with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. It also explains why so many Chinese want to live here. Every day an average of 450 Chinese people migrate to Hong Kong from other areas of China.
We had a limited amount of time here, so elected a Hop On/Hop Off tour to see as much of the city as possible. The rain that met us last night stuck around for the day, so it wasn’t a perfect day for picture taking, but we were able to get a flavor for the city at least.
One of the first thing we noticed was the number of women gathering on small blankets or pieces of cardboard everywhere we looked…under overpasses, along sidewalks. These are the nannies and other young workers of the town whose only day off is Sunday. Each Sunday they have little picnics around the city and catch up on gossip and the goings-on of one another’s life.
The city is a mish-mash of old meets new with older apartment buildings nestled in between newer modern structures, making use of every square inch of land. City side streets are incredibly steep and narrow; if you live here and choose to walk anywhere you’ve gotta be in pretty good shape!
Because of our limited time we stayed on the bus for most of the tour, but we did get off to ride the Peak tram, Hong Kong’s oldest and most famous funicular railway. It climbs 1,300 feet above sea level in 8 minutes with a grade so steep it makes it seem as if the high rises are falling as you pass them. Despite the steepness the tracks are lined with stairs all the way up for those who choose to walk. When we arrived at the top we were met with a massive shopping center and had to ride SEVEN escalators to get to the actual viewing platform, which offers 360 degree views. The clouds interfered with our ability to fully enjoy that view, but we got the idea.
By the time we were ready to make our way back to the ship it was pouring rain. We grabbed a couple yellow ponchos offered by the bus company and caught the Star Ferry back to the mainland and our ship.
Women gather for weekly picnics 
Hong Kong is a mix of old and new 
The building with the “X” design is very controversial. It is the headquarters of a large bank, but is design is a direct contradiction of Feng Shui. 
A city park 
Side streets are very steep, but all have stairs. 
The tram approaching the station 
The journey the tram takes 
It’s possible to walk to the top of the railway. To the right is a viewing platform at the midway point. 
A view from the top, looking down at six of the seven escalators we had to ride after the tram to reach the viewpoint. 
The Peak view on a rainy day. 
From the Peak viewpoint 
Enjoying some Bubba Gump fish ‘n chips 
Surviving the rain… 
…and the wind on the Star Ferry.
JodockWorldTravel 
I’m getting caught up with your trip. We’re a ways behind so forgive us. Sounds like quite a place with 450 people moving there DAILY~ WOW. Sounds like the side streets are a real workout.
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