Hong Kong Is A Unique TechTropolis

Literally meaning 'fragrant harbor' in the Mandarin language, Hong Kong is a stunning and unique techtropolis comprised of skyscrapers, cloudy mountains, and rocky islands. It is where the East meets the West and the cultures blend to produce a unique atmosphere. Having been influenced by the Cantonese Chinese and the 100 years of British rule, the islands successfully mix traditional Buddhist temples with colonial buildings and modern glass and metal skyscrapers. The influences continue to come thick and fast from throughout the world today resulting in the title, Asia's World City. With pockets of wilderness, the whole of the countryside is classed as a country park. However, business hotels in Hong Kong are mostly situated in the urban areas. 

Literally meaning 'fragrant harbor' in the Mandarin language, Hong Kong is romantically, comprised of cloudy mountains and rocky islands. It is where the East meets the West and the cultures blend to produce a unique atmosphere. Having been influenced by the Cantonese Chinese and the 100 years of British rule, the islands successfully mix traditional Buddhist temples with colonial buildings and modern glass and metal skyscrapers. The influences continue to come thick and fast from throughout the world today resulting in the title, Asia's World City. With pockets of wilderness, the whole of the country side is classed as a country park. However, in Hong Kong business hotels are mostly situated in the urban areas. 

Hong Kong has been described as a shopper's paradise. There are shopping malls and department stores galore. They sell luxury brands and designer labeled clothing but other more unusual items are available in more out of the way areas. Hong Kong specializes in unusually themed markets and shopping areas. One example is the Goldfish Market; it is situated in Sportswear Street and sells aquariums and anything to do with fish keeping. This fits in with the traditional Chinese culture since goldfish are considered to be particularly lucky to the Chinese people. Keeping song birds is also a popular hobby for the Chinese and this is represented at Yuen Po Street where there is a song bird garden. People are attracted to the garden to show their own birds and cages and other bird keeping paraphernalia are for sale in the garden.

Other unusual produce available includes dried sea food and traditional Chinese herbal medicine. There is a glorious flower market that takes place in Kowloon and Chinese antiques are for sale on the antique market. Silk products, embroideries, wooden crafts and jade items are typical examples of what is offered there. Jade is a popular resource in Chinese culture, it is in demand from antique collectors as it is said to ward off evil spirits. It is for this reason that there is a dedicated jade market. In Hong Kong business hotels are well placed to be a great base for shopping sprees.

The religious buildings in Hong Kong reflect its diverse cultures and heritage. There are Chinese temples built for the worship of Buddha and Taoist beliefs alongside monasteries and nunneries. Many of these can be visited and experienced firsthand. The Chi Lin Nunnery has architecture in the style of the Tang Dynasty; it had Buddhist treasures and religious artifacts on display and restful lotus ponds for those who require some rest and relaxation in the busy city. The Sha Tin Che Kung Temple is dedicated to a great soldier from Chinese history who was particularly brave and at the Miu Fat Buddhist Monastery there are magnificent gold plated statues of dragons and Buddhas and refreshments on offer in the form of wholesome vegetarian food.

The Chinese are famous for their distinctive cuisine and this is well represented in Hong Kong. There are a whole host of restaurants serving countless varieties of dim sum, dumplings, wonton, noodles and many other Chinese specialties. The etiquette of eating in these restaurants is very specific and one must adhere to the rules for fear of offending the omen savvy Chinese people. To eat in one of these restaurants one must first register their interest, receive a ticket and then wait for an available table to come free. Chopsticks are always provided but one must be careful how they are allowed to rest during the meal as chopsticks left sticking out of the food at an angle is considered to be offensive to the host. Tea is always enjoyed with a meal in Hong Kong business hotels may also often serve afternoon tea in their lobbies for their visitors to enjoy.

Chinese New Year is just one of the seasonal festivals that are celebrated in Hong Kong; there are usually parades with elaborate floats, dancing dragons and of course traditional Chinese fireworks. Also around Chinese New Year the Sha Tin Racecourse hosts a special race day which is very popular among locals and tourists alike. For those interested in contemporary art the ArtAlive@Park festival is a must. The festival supports arts groups and students in displaying creative visual arts and physical performances within the local parks; it runs from December to February.