Once a barren, rocky haven for pirates, Hong Kong now supports 6.3 million people, making its 1,095 square kilometres one of the most densely populated areas in the world. This teeming, bustling Chinese region is a place of contrasts, superlatives and cultural surprises.
Colonial buildings, vestiges of 155 years of British rule, rub shoulders with the soaring architectural marvels that have sprung up in the last 20 years - with due attention to feng shui, of course!
Cheap and efficient trams, trains, buses and ferries can quickly take you from the urban jungle to the peace of a tai chi garden, an ancient temple or a forested mountainside.
Comprising Kowloon and the New Territories on the mainland, and Hong Kong Island and more than 200 other islands scattered off the coast, Hong Kong is most often appreciated from Victoria Peak, reached by tram and offering spectacular views of harbour, islands and sea.
From the historic fishing lanes of Stanley Market to the Temple Street Night Market, the market stalls are where Hong Kong's dedicated shoppers hone their bargaining skills. A little Cantonese helps but sign language is universal. Popular Japanese-style emporiums, world class department stores and mega-malls round out the shopping experience.
If you prefer a slower pace, explore monasteries and ancestral halls with exquisitely carved decorations, and ancient fishing villages where you can shop in traffic-free lanes or savour Cantonese cuisine and fresh seafood in multi-decked floating restaurants.
Nearly 70% of Hong Kong is farmland or countryside, although you're never far from the city: from walking tracks on wild hillsides, tower blocks spring into view.
Hong Kong's outlying islands offer their own cultural, gastronomic and historic experiences - stilt-house communities, seafood restaurants, carnivals, beaches and ancient rock carvings.
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Must do in Hong Kong
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