About Hong Kong & Macau

Hong Kong and Macau (officially created in 1997 A.D. and 1999 A.D. respectively) are the only two ‘Special Administrative Regions (SARs)’ of the People’s Republic of China.

Hong Kong

Being an autonomous territory on the southern coast of the People’s Republic of China in the Pearl River’s Estuary Bocca Tigris and the South China Sea, Hong Kong (literally ‘Fragrant Fort’), officially ‘Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China’, which is one of the most thickly populated metropolises in the world with its population of approx 7.2 million inhabitants of several nationalities, is famous for its skyline and the deep natural harbor.

Sharing its northern border with Guangdong province of Mainland China, this territory, which is famous for its quality of life and high ranking on the Human Development Index, has a land region of 1104sq km. Formerly a British colony (territory or dependency), Hong Kong SR, which gets a high level of autonomy, does not have to follow certain laws that Chinese provinces do. The economy of this region has swiftly increased from a trading port to a very affluent city. At present, being a renowned world class financial center, it is one of the richest and most greatly developed places in China and even all over the world. This region has been divided into 3 major parts: 1. Hong Kong Island, 2. Kowloon Peninsula and 3. New Territories (comprising 235 outlying islands).

Being home to most of the highest skyscrapers and the financial center of Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong Island, which is situated on the Central, Eastern and Southern Coast, is the site of the original British settlement and the major focus of the most of the tourists. After all, Hong Kong Island is more wealthy and modern and considerably less dirty than the other regions of Hong Kong SAR.

The tourism industry has been a significant part of the economy of Hong Kong since it changed into a service sector model between the late 1980 A.D. and early 1990 A.D. Owing to the introduction of the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) in 2003 A.D., this cosmopolitan city, which is one of the most explored tourist destinations in the world, has experienced a quick growth of tourists from Mainland China.

Capital City

None, as Hong Kong is a ‘Special Administrative Region (SAR)’ of the People’s Republic of China.

Official Languages

Standard Chinese (in traditional characters) and English

Spoken Languages

Cantonese, English and Mandarin

Currency

Hong Kong Dollar (HKD, also abbreviated HK$ and subdivided into 100 cents – used in both Hong Kong and Macau) – the 13th Most Traded Currency in the World

Local Time

Hong Kong has its time eight hours proceeded to GMT (+8 hours GMT).

Best Time (Most Pleasant Season) to Visit

The Period of the Winter Months between October and December

Macau

Having its literal meaning ‘Bay Gate’, Macau (also spelled as Macao), officially Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China’, which is situated on the western side of the Pearl River Delta across Hong Kong, is an autonomous territory on the southern coast of the People’s Republic of China. Sharing its northern border with Guangdong province of Mainland China to the north and the South China Sea to the east and south, this territory, which is recognized as the world’s most thickly populated regions, has its two parts: 1. Macau Peninsula and 2. Taipa Island. This region is situated at a distance of approx 64 km from Hong Kong. Being the most ancient European colony in the history of East Asia, Macau was ruled by Portugal for 442 years. Known as an island of superlatives, Macau, which earn more money from gambling than anywhere else all over the world (US$6 billion per year), is one the richest cities in the world. Being basically renowned for its gambling industry, Macau is home to 33 casinos on its two islands: 23 casinos on the Macau Peninsula and 10 ones on Taipa Island. This metropolitan city also houses the world’s largest casino, namely Venetian. So, Macau is regarded as the Los Vegas of the east. At present, the primary drivers of Macau’s economy are tourism and gambling.

Capital City

None, as Macau is a ‘Special Administrative Region (SAR)’ of the People’s Republic of China.

Official Languages

Chinese, Cantonese, Portuguese

Currency

Macao Pataca, Macau Pataca or Macanese Pataca (MOP, also commonly abbreviated MOP$ and subdivided into 100 Avos)

Local Time

Macau has its time eight hours proceeded to GMT (+8 hours GMT).

Best Time (Most Pleasant Season) to Visit

The Period of the Winter Months between October and December