“Pearl of the East” or “Asian New York” are some of the popular trivial names for Hong Kong. Hong Kong is one of the world’s leading financial, banking and trading centers. This is an unusual immersion in a mixture of ancient civilizations and modernity, which, intertwined over many centuries, have merged into a single whole.
Ancient temples, azure water in picturesque coves and a tropical riot of flora, exotic animals and birds, an ever-changing kaleidoscope of holidays, the Avenue of Stars and Hong Kong Ocean Park, the famous avenue and night market, the clock tower and Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple are all Hong Kong, a country that never sleeps and always takes care of its guests.
An additional advantage for tourists is the absence of visa formalities if the duration of the trip does not exceed 15 days.
Luxurious hotels and stylish restaurants will make your stay truly unique, cozy and original.
Population and religion in Hong Kong
In 2019, the population of all of Hong Kong was 7,404,207 people and the majority of residents (about 95% of the population) are Chinese. Due to the long exposure to English culture, Hong Kongers are not like ordinary Chinese. The locals speak Cantonese Chinese and English. The most common religions here are Buddhism and Christianity.
How to get there
Currently, daily direct flights from airlines such as Aeroflot fly from Moscow to Hong Kong (just over 9 hours in flight), and there are also many connecting flights to Hong Kong via Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Bangkok and Dubai.
The 34-kilometer electrified Kowloon-Canton Railway connects Hong Kong with China (Canton region). All stations are signed and announced in two languages - Chinese and English. The station is located in the Hunghom area on the Kowloon Peninsula. The road passes through 12 stations in Kowloon and the New Territories. The carriages are air conditioned. Tickets are purchased at automatic ticket offices at railway stations. Trains leave every 4-10 minutes from early morning until midnight and are quite full during rush hour. Total travel time from zh.d. station in Hungkhom to the farthest station in the New Territories (Shengshui) for about half an hour. The Lo Wu terminus is located on the border with China, and only passengers with a Chinese visa are allowed to travel to it. Since 1997, there has also been a direct Hong Kong-Beijing train, and from Beijing you can go further to Russia and Europe.
Regular ferry service is clearly established between Hong Kong and Macau, as well as with some border cities in China.
Ferries to Macau (Maomen) Several fleets of fast boats serve the 40-mile (approx. 75 km) Macau-Hong Kong route. These are vessels of various types: jetfoils, turbo-cats, jumbo-cats, hover-ferries. There are more than 100 flights per day, and jetfoils class ships run around the clock. It is recommended to arrive at check-in at least 45 minutes before departure in order to resolve all customs formalities. In addition, those who arrived in advance can stand in the stand-by line and if they successfully pass all the formalities quickly, they will have the opportunity not to wait for their flight, but to leave on an earlier one. Ferries depart from Hong Kong from two terminals.
- The main terminal – Shun Tak Center – is located in the Central District of Hong Kong Island. The terminal, among other things, is equipped with a heliport serving the Hong Kong-Macau line.
- Another terminal – The China Ferry Terminal is located on the Harbor City waterfront in the Tsim Sha Tsui district of the Kowloon Peninsula. A stone’s throw from the main and most popular hotels. Jumbocats and Hover-ferry class ships depart from here.
- In Macau, Macau Maritime Terminal is located in Outer Harbour. And there is also a heliport where helicopters arriving from Hong Kong
Visa
Russian citizens visiting Hong Kong for tourism purposes or as a transit traveler for a period not exceeding 15 days do not require an entry visa.
Visa to Hong Kong
From July 1, 2009 Russian citizens do not need a visa to visit Hong Kong. The stay in Hong Kong is limited to 14 days, you can get permission for a longer stay only in Hong Kong.
For citizens of Ukraine and Kazakhstan, a visa-free regime is also provided for a period not exceeding 14 days.
Since February 13, 2018, a visa-free regime has been introduced for citizens of the Republic of Belarus.
Attention: If you enter Hong Kong from mainland China, while having a single-entry visa, you will not be able to drive back on it, since leaving for Hong Kong is considered to be leaving China. If you plan to travel from China to Hong Kong and back, apply for a two-entry visa in advance.
A modern metropolis with a rich history, where European and Asian cultures are harmoniously intertwined.
Hotels
There are two centers in Hong Kong: the western part of Hong Kong Island and the northern part of the Kowloon Peninsula. So, choosing a hotel in these places, you can easily find any place, however, settling not in the center, you can also easily get where you need to go, because the public transport system and taxis operate very quickly.
Pay attention to the hotels of the Colone Peninsula, sometimes they are even more optimal in terms of location and value for money than hotels on Hong Kong Island itself.
When choosing a hotel, carefully look at the size of the room and where the windows go, because in inexpensive hotels or rooms they can go out into a backyard or rest against the wall of a neighboring skyscraper. If you want to have a gorgeous view from the window, then focus on hotels that provide Harbor View or Sea View rooms.
There are usually no problems finding a good hotel in Hong Kong, although during major exhibitions and events (April and October), difficulties sometimes occur. Hong Kong hotels offer accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets, from leading upscale hotels to modest hotels. In April and October, Hong Kong hosts world-class exhibitions and economic forums, therefore, in order to avoid annoying misunderstandings, it is better to book accommodation during these periods, long before the start of the trip.
Food
Hong Kong is an integral part of China, so here you can find restaurants of all Chinese culinary schools and directions. However, Hong Kong restaurants use fish and other seafood much more than their counterparts on the mainland. Due to the long colonial period, most of the traditional local dishes have been adapted to the tastes of Europeans. In addition to Chinese restaurants, here you can find almost any cuisine of the world – an Italian pizzeria, a French restaurant, an English pub and even a Russian restaurant.
Exhibitions in Hong
Kong Hong Kong has established itself as one of the world’s leading and most vibrant exhibition venues. The number and variety of exhibitions, fairs and conventions here continues to grow. Some of Hong Kong’s exhibitions and fairs are the largest of their kind in the world. Hong Kong has two world-class exhibition centers: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center (HKCEC) in Wanchai and AsiaWorld Expo (AWE) in Lantau Island.
