Hong Kong SAR

Posted by: Denis Rajic at 02 Feb 2010

A Review of Asia

Hong Kong (Xiāng Gǎng - 香港

is a special administrative zone of the People’s Republic of China since 1997. Prior to the 1997 transfer Hong Kong was the crown colony of the United Kingdom. Currently the city is administrated through the ‘one country two systems’ with partial democracy and full market economy.

Government: Non-Sovereign Partial Democracy
Established: 29th August 1842
Area: 1,104 km2
Population: 2009 – 7,055,071
GDP: $293,311 billion
Per Capita: $44,413

Hong Kong was established as a British port of influence following the Opium Wars. It had grown to become what it is today a financial metropolis. The island is broken in to three important regions, Central (or Hong Kong Island), Kowloon, and the New Territories. Central is where most of the stunning Hong Kong Developments can be found including the Islands tallest structure the International Financial Center. Kowloon is currently undergoing a major boom in construction including a new high-rise that will crown the entrance to the harbor.

International Financial Center
Constructed 1997 – 2003
Antenna or spire 415.8 m (1,364.2 ft)
Roof 406.9 m (1,335.0 ft)
Top floor 401.9 m (1,318.6 ft)
Floor count 88
Floor area 185,805 m2 (1,999,988 sq ft)

The Kowloon side of the territory is where Hong Kong is again reaching for the stars. The SAR’s tallest building the International Commerce Center is slated to open in 2010.

International Commerce Center
Constructed 2002-2010
Roof 484.0 m (1,587.9 ft)
Top floor 476.0 m (1,561.7 ft)
Floor count 118
Floor area 262,176 m2 (2,822,039 sq ft)

Urban living in Hong Kong is what one would expect from a modern Asian metropolis. Land is at a premium, apartments, and government/private built flats are the norm. The mass of humanity lives and works within the giant structures of steel and glass. The Hong Kong metro is a vast underground maze of passageways, tunnels, and shopping malls. One can almost spend their entire day living within the interconnected honeycombed byways of Central without seeing the sun.

From the Kowloon side of the city one can see the great wall of skyscrapers that dot Centrals seafront. A combination of commercial and living space that points the way to a new vision of the future. The Central side of the coast is also home to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, which raises like a wave from reclaimed land on the seafront.

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Constructed 1988
6 exhibition halls: 53,292 m²
2 convention halls: 5,699 m²; total seating for 6,100
2 theatres: 800 m²; total seating for 1,000
52 meeting rooms: 6,004 m²
Pre-function areas: 8,000 m²
7 restaurants: total seating for 1,870
Business centre: 150 m²
Carpark spaces parking: for 1,300 cars and 50 vans
Total available rental space: 92,061 m²
Capacity: 140,000 visitors per day

It is at night that Hong Kong shows its real charm, the festival of lights. When all the major skyscrapers glow and glimmer creating a scene like no other in the world.

The city was ranked the 5th most expensive city to live in. And I will have to agree with this assessment; the whole island is peppered with shopping malls and expensive boutique stores that would put some European capitals to shame. The population even on their off day dresses in most up to date Italian and French designer clothing. Needless to say if you live for glamour and wish to live in Asia. Then Hong Kong is your place.

As I was walking the city thinking of what special picture to take for my friends at SA-C I came across a building with the following image: