Etymology
The name of the territory, firstHistory
Prehistory and Imperial China
Earliest known human traces in what is now Hong Kong are dated by some to 35,000 and 39,000 years ago during the Paleolithic period. The claim is based on an archaeological investigation inBritish colony
In 1839, theChinese special administrative region
The colony faced an uncertain future as the end of the New Territories lease approached, and Murray MacLehose, Baron MacLehose of Beoch, Governor Murray MacLehose raised the question of Hong Kong's status with Deng Xiaoping in 1979. Diplomatic negotiations with China resulted in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, in which the United Kingdom agreed to transfer the colony in 1997 and China would guarantee Hong Kong's economic and political systems for 50 years after the transfer.. The impending transfer triggered a Waves of mass migrations from Hong Kong, wave of mass emigration as residents feared an erosion of civil rights, the rule of law, and quality of life. Over half a million people left the territory during the peak migration period, from 1987 to 1996. The Legislative Council became a 1995 Hong Kong legislative election, fully elected legislature for the first time in 1995 and extensively expanded its functions and organisations throughout the last years of the colonial rule. Hong Kong was transferred to China on 1 July 1997, after 156 years of British rule. Immediately after the transfer, Hong Kong was severely affected by several crises. The Hong Kong government was forced to use substantial foreign exchange reserves to maintain the Hong Kong dollar's currency peg during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and the recovery from this was muted by an Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, H5N1 avian-flu outbreak and a housing surplus. This was followed by the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak, 2003 SARS epidemic, during which the territory experienced its most serious economic downturn. Political debates after the transfer of sovereignty have centred around the region's Democratic development in Hong Kong, democratic development and the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Chinese central government's adherence to the "one country, two systems" principle. After reversal of the last colonial era Legislative Council 1994 Hong Kong electoral reform, democratic reforms following the handover, the regional government unsuccessfully attempted to enact National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill 2003, national security legislation pursuant to Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23, Article 23 of the Basic Law. The central government decision to implement 2014 NPCSC Decision on Hong Kong, nominee pre-screening before allowing 2014–2015 Hong Kong electoral reform, chief executive elections triggered a series of 2014 Hong Kong protests, protests in 2014 which became known as the Umbrella Revolution. Discrepancies in the electoral registry and disqualification of elected legislators after the 2016 Hong Kong legislative election, 2016 Legislative Council elections and enforcement of national law in the Hong Kong West Kowloon railway station, West Kowloon high-speed railway station raised further concerns about the region's autonomy. In June 2019, 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, mass protests erupted in response to a 2019 Hong Kong extradition bill, proposed extradition amendment bill permitting the extradition of fugitives to mainland China. The protests are the largest in Hong Kong's history, with organisers claiming to have attracted more than three million Hong Kong residents. The Hong Kong regional government and Chinese central government responded to the protests with a number of administrative measures to quell dissent. In June 2020, the Legislative Council passed the National Anthem Ordinance, which criminalised "insults to the national anthem of China". The Chinese central government meanwhile enacted the Hong Kong national security law to help quell protests in the region. Nine months later, in March 2021, the Chinese central government introduced 2021 Hong Kong electoral changes, amendments to Hong Kong's electoral system, which included the reduction of directly elected seats in the Legislative Council and the requirement that all candidates be vetted and approved by a Beijing-appointed Candidate Eligibility Review Committee.Government and politics
Hong Kong is a Special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of China, with executive, legislative, and judicial powers Devolution, devolved from the Government of China, national government. The Sino-British Joint Declaration provided for economic and administrative continuity through the transfer of sovereignty, resulting in an Executive (government), executive-led governing system largely inherited from the territory's history as a British colony. Under these terms and the "one country, two systems" principle, the Hong Kong Basic Law, Basic Law of Hong Kong is the regional constitution. The regional government is composed of three branches: * ''Executive:'' The Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Chief Executive is responsible for enforcing regional law, can force reconsideration of legislation, and appoints Executive Council of Hong Kong, Executive Council members and Principal officials of Hong Kong, principal officials. Acting with the Executive Council, the King-in-Council#The Commonwealth, Chief Executive-in-Council can propose new bills, issue Primary and secondary legislation, subordinate legislation, and has authority to Dissolution of parliament, dissolve the legislature. In state of emergency, states of emergency or public danger, the Chief Executive-in-Council is further empowered to enact any regulation necessary to restore public order. * ''Legislature:'' The unicameral Legislative Council of Hong Kong, Legislative Council enacts regional law, approves budgets, and has the power to impeachment, impeach a sitting chief executive. * ''Judiciary of Hong Kong, Judiciary:'' The Court of Final Appeal (Hong Kong), Court of Final Appeal and lower courts interpret laws and overturn those inconsistent with the Basic Law.. Judges are appointed by the chief executive on the advice of a recommendation commission. The chief executive is the head of government and serves for a maximum of two five-year terms. The State Council of the People's Republic of China, State Council (led by the Premier of the People's Republic of China, Premier of China) appoints the chief executive after nomination by the Election Committee (Hong Kong), Election Committee, which is composed of 1,200 business, community, and government leaders. The Legislative Council has 90 members, each serving a four-year term. Twenty are directly elected from Geographical constituency, geographical constituencies, thirty-five represent Functional constituency (Hong Kong), functional constituencies (FC), and forty are chosen by an Election Committee (constituency), election committee consisting of representatives appointed by the Chinese central government. Thirty FC councillors are selected from limited electorates representing sectors of the economy or special interest groups, and the remaining five members are nominated from sitting District councils of Hong Kong, district council members and selected in region-wide double direct elections. All popularly elected members are chosen by proportional representation. The 30 limited electorate functional constituencies fill their seats using First-past-the-post voting, first-past-the-post or Instant-runoff voting, instant-runoff voting. Twenty-two political parties had representatives elected to the Legislative Council in the 2016 Hong Kong legislative election, 2016 election. These parties have aligned themselves into three ideological groups: the Pro-Beijing camp (Hong Kong), pro-Beijing camp (the current government), the Pro-democracy camp (Hong Kong), pro-democracy camp, and Localism in Hong Kong, localist groups. The Chinese Communist Party does not have an official political presence in Hong Kong, and its members do not run in local elections. Hong Kong is represented in the National People's Congress by 36 deputies chosen through an electoral college and 203 delegates in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference appointed by the central government. Law of the People's Republic of China, Chinese national law does not generally apply in the region, and Hong Kong is treated as a separate jurisdiction. Its judicial system is based on common law, continuing the legal tradition established during British rule. Local courts may refer to precedents set in English law and overseas jurisprudence. However, Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China, mainland criminal procedure law applies to cases investigated by the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the CPG in the HKSAR. Interpretative and amending power over the Basic Law and jurisdiction over acts of state lie with the central authority, making regional courts ultimately subordinate to the mainland's socialist law, socialist Civil law (legal system), civil law system. Decisions made by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress override any territorial judicial process. Furthermore, in circumstances where the Standing Committee declares a state of emergency in Hong Kong, the State Council may enforce national law in the region. Article 18. The territory's jurisdictional independence is most apparent in its Visa policy of Hong Kong, immigration and taxation policies. The Immigration Department (Hong Kong), Immigration Department issues Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport, passports for permanent residents which differ from those of the mainland or Macau, and the region maintains a Boundaries of Hong Kong, regulated border with the rest of the country. All travellers between Hong Kong and China and Macau must pass through border controls, regardless of nationality. Mainland Chinese citizens do not have right of abode in Hong Kong and are subject to immigration controls. Public finances are handled separately from the national government; taxes levied in Hong Kong do not fund the central authority. The Hong Kong Garrison of the People's Liberation Army is responsible for the region's defence. Although the Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China), Chairman of the Central Military Commission is Supreme Military Command of the People's Republic of China, supreme commander of the armed forces, the regional government may request assistance from the garrison. Hong Kong residents are not required to perform military service, and current law has no provision for local enlistment, so its defence is composed entirely of non-Hongkongers. The central government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs handle diplomatic matters, but Hong Kong retains the ability to maintain separate economic and cultural Foreign relations of Hong Kong, relations with foreign nations. The territory actively participates in the World Trade Organization, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the International Olympic Committee, and many United Nations agencies. The regional government maintains Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, trade offices in Greater China and other nations. The imposition of Hong Kong national security law by the National People's Congress decision on Hong Kong national security legislation, central government in Beijing in June 2020 resulted in the suspension of bilateral extradition treaties by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, and Ireland. The United States ended its preferential economic and trade treatment of Hong Kong in July 2020 because it was no longer able to distinguish Hong Kong as a separate entity from the People's Republic of China.Administrative divisions
The territory is divided into 18 districts, each represented by a District councils of Hong Kong, district council. These advise the government on local issues such as public facility provisioning, community programme maintenance, cultural promotion, and environmental policy. There are a total of 479 district council seats, 452 of which are directly elected. Rural committee chairmen, representing outlying villages and towns, fill the 27 non-elected seats.Political reforms and sociopolitical issues
Hong Kong is governed by a hybrid regime that is not fully Representative democracy, representative of the population. Legislative Council members elected by functional constituencies composed of professional and special interest groups are accountable to these narrow corporate electorates and not the general public. This electoral arrangement has guaranteed a pro-establishment majority in the legislature since the transfer of sovereignty. Similarly, the chief executive is selected by establishment politicians and corporate members of the Election Committee rather than directly elected.. Although universal suffrage for the chief executive and all Legislative Council elections are defined goals of Basic Law Hong Kong Basic Law Article 45, Articles 45 and 68, the legislature is only partially directly elected, and the executive continues to be nominated by an unrepresentative body. The government has been repeatedly petitioned to introduce direct elections for these positions. Ethnic minorities (except those of European ancestry) have marginal representation in government and often experience discrimination in housing, education, and employment. Employment vacancies and public service appointments frequently have language requirements which minority job seekers do not meet, and language education resources remain inadequate for Chinese learners. Foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, Foreign domestic helpers, predominantly women from the Philippines and Indonesia, have little protection under regional law. Although they live and work in Hong Kong, these workers are not treated as ordinary residents and do not have the right of abode in the territory. Sex trafficking in Hong Kong is an issue. Local and foreign women and girls are often forced into Prostitution in Hong Kong, prostitution in brothels, homes, and businesses in the city. The Joint Declaration guarantees the Basic Law of Hong Kong for 50 years after the transfer of sovereignty. It does not specify how Hong Kong will be governed after 2047, and the central government's role in determining the territory's future system of government is the subject of political debate and speculation. Hong Kong's political and judicial systems may be integrated with China's at that time, or the territory may continue to be administered separately. However, in response to 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, large-scale protests in 2019 and 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed the controversial Hong Kong national security law. The law criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign elements and establishes the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the CPG in the HKSAR, an investigative office under Central People's Government authority immune from HKSAR jurisdiction. Some of the aforementioned acts were previously considered protected speech under Hong Kong law. The United Kingdom considers the law to be a serious violation of the Joint Declaration. In October 2020, Hong Kong police arrested seven pro-democracy politicians over tussles with pro-Beijing politicians in the Legislative Council in May. They were charged with contempt and interfering with members of the council, while none of the pro-Beijing lawmakers were detained. Annual commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre were also cancelled amidst fears of violating the national security law. In March 2021, the Chinese central government unilaterally 2021 Hong Kong electoral changes, changed Hong Kong's electoral system and established the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee, which would be tasked with screening and evaluating political candidates for their "patriotism".Geography
Hong Kong is on China's southern coast, east of Macau, on the east side of the mouth of the Pearl River Delta, Pearl River estuary. It is surrounded by the South China Sea on all sides except the north, which neighbours the Guangdong city of Shenzhen along the Sham Chun River. The territory's area (2754.97 km2 if the maritime area is included) consists of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, theClimate
Hong Kong has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen ''Cwa''), characteristic of southern China, despite being located south of the Tropic of Cancer. Summer is hot and humid, with occasional showers and thunderstorms and warm air from the southwest. Typhoons occur most often then, sometimes resulting in floods or landslides. Winters are mild and usually sunny at the beginning, becoming cloudy towards February. Frequent cold fronts bring strong, cooling winds from the north and occasionally result in chilly weather. Autumn is the sunniest season, whilst spring is generally cloudy. When there is snowfall, which is extremely rare, it is usually at high elevations. Hong Kong averages 1,709 hours of sunshine per year. Historic temperature extremes at the Hong Kong Observatory are on 22 August 2017 and on 18 January 1893. The highest and lowest recorded temperatures in all of Hong Kong are at Hong Kong Wetland Park, Wetland Park on 22 August 2017, and at Tai Mo Shan January 2016 East Asia cold wave, on 24 January 2016.Architecture
Hong Kong has the world's List of cities with the most skyscrapers, largest number of skyscrapers, with 482 towers taller than , and the third-largest number of high-rise buildings in the world. The lack of available space restricted development to high-density residential tenements and commercial complexes packed closely together on buildable land. Single-family detached homes are uncommon and generally only found in outlying areas. The International Commerce Centre and International Finance Centre (Hong Kong), Two International Finance Centre are the List of tallest buildings in Hong Kong, tallest buildings in Hong Kong and are among the tallest in the Asia-Pacific region. Other distinctive buildings lining the Hong Kong Island skyline include the HSBC Building (Hong Kong), HSBC Main Building, the anemometer-topped triangular Central Plaza (Hong Kong), Central Plaza, the circular Hopewell Centre (Hong Kong), Hopewell Centre, and the sharp-edged Bank of China Tower (Hong Kong), Bank of China Tower.. Demand for new construction has contributed to frequent demolition of older buildings, freeing space for modern high-rises. However, many examples of European and Lingnan architecture are still found throughout the territory. Older government buildings are examples of colonial architecture. The 1846 Flagstaff House, the former residence of the commanding British military officer, is the oldest Western-style building in Hong Kong. Some (including the Court of Final Appeal Building and the Hong Kong Observatory) retain their original function, and others have been Adaptive reuse, adapted and reused; the Former Marine Police Headquarters was redeveloped into a commercial and retail complex,. and Béthanie (Hong Kong), Béthanie (built in 1875 as a sanatorium) houses the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. The Tin Hau Temple, Joss House Bay, Tin Hau Temple, dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu (originally built in 1012 and rebuilt in 1266), is the territory's oldest existing structure. The Ping Shan Heritage Trail has architectural examples of several imperial Chinese dynasties, including the Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda (Hong Kong's only remaining pagoda). ''Tong lau'', mixed-use tenement buildings constructed during the colonial era, blended southern Chinese architectural styles with European influences. These were especially prolific during the immediate post-war period, when many were rapidly built to house large numbers of Chinese migrants. Examples include Lui Seng Chun, the Blue House (Hong Kong), Blue House in Wan Chai, and the Nos. 600–626 Shanghai Street, Shanghai Street shophouses in Mong Kok. Mass-produced Public housing in Hong Kong, public-housing estates, built since the 1960s, are mainly constructed in Modern architecture, modernist style.Demographics
The Census and Statistics Department (Hong Kong), Census and Statistics Department estimated Hong Kong's population at 7,482,500 in mid-2019. The overwhelming majority (92%) is Han Chinese, most of whom are Sze Yap people in Hong Kong, Taishanese, Teochew people, Teochew, Hakka people, Hakka, and other Cantonese peoples. The remaining 8% are non-ethnic Chinese minorities, primarily Filipinos in Hong Kong, Filipinos, Indonesians in Hong Kong, Indonesians, and South Asians in Hong Kong, South Asians. However, most Filipinos and Indonesians in Hong Kong are short-term workers. According to a 2016 thematic report by the Hong Kong government, after excluding foreign domestic helpers, the real number of non-Chinese ethnic minorities in the city was 263,593, or 3.6% of Hong Kong's population. About half the population have British nationality law, some form of British nationality, a legacy of colonial rule; 3.4 million residents have British National (Overseas) status, and 260,000 British citizens live in the territory. The vast majority also hold Chinese nationality law, Chinese nationality, automatically granted to all ethnic Chinese residents at the transfer of sovereignty. Headline population density exceeds 7,060 people/km2, and is the List of countries and dependencies by population density, fourth-highest in the world. The predominant language isEconomy
Hong Kong has a market economy focused onInfrastructure
Transport
Hong Kong has a highly developed, sophisticated transport network. Over 90% of daily trips are made on public transport, the highest percentage in the world. The Octopus card, a Contactless payment, contactless Smart card, smart Digital currency, payment card, is widely accepted on railways, buses and ferries, and can be used for payment in most retail stores. The Peak Tram, Hong Kong's first public transport system, has provided funicular rail transport between Central, Hong Kong, Central and Victoria Peak since 1888. The Central and Western District has an extensive system of escalators and Moving walkway, moving pavements, including the Central–Mid-Levels escalator, Mid-Levels escalator (the world's longest outdoor covered escalator system). Hong Kong Tramways covers a portion of Hong Kong Island. The MTR, Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is an extensive passenger rail network, connecting 93 rapid transit, metro stations throughout the territory.. With a daily ridership of over five million, the system serves 41% of all public transit passengers in the city and has an on-time rate of 99.9%. Cross-boundary train service to Shenzhen is offered by the East Rail line, and longer-distance Inter-city rail, inter-city trains Guangzhou–Kowloon through train, to Guangzhou, Shanghai–Kowloon through train, Shanghai, and Beijing–Kowloon through train, Beijing are operated from Hung Hom station. Hong Kong Express Rail Link, Connecting service to the China Railway High-speed, national high-speed rail system is provided at Hong Kong West Kowloon railway station, West Kowloon railway station. Although public transport systems handle most passenger traffic, there are over 500,000 private vehicles registered in Hong Kong. Automobiles drive Left- and right-hand traffic, on the left (unlike in mainland China), because of historical influence of the British Empire. Vehicle traffic is extremely congested in urban areas, exacerbated by limited space to expand roads and an increasing number of vehicles. More than 18,000 Taxis of Hong Kong, taxicabs, easily identifiable by their bright colour, are licensed to carry riders in the territory. Bus services in Hong Kong, Bus services operate more than 700 routes across the territory, with smaller public light buses (also known as minibuses) serving areas standard buses do not reach as frequently or directly. Highways, organised with the Hong Kong Strategic Route and Exit Number System, connect all major areas of the territory. The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge provides a direct route to the western side of the Pearl River estuary. Hong Kong International Airport is the territory's primary airport. Over 100 airlines operate flights from the airport, including locally based Cathay Pacific (flag carrier), Hong Kong Airlines, low-cost airline HK Express and cargo airline Air Hong Kong. It is the List of busiest airports by passenger traffic, eighth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and handles List of busiest airports by cargo traffic, the most air-cargo traffic in the world. Most private recreational aviation traffic flies through Shek Kong Airfield, under the supervision of the Hong Kong Aviation Club. The Star Ferry operates two lines across Victoria Harbour for its 53,000 daily passengers. Ferries also serve outlying islands inaccessible by other means. Smaller kai-to boats serve the most remote coastal settlements. Ferry travel to Macau and mainland China is also available. Junk (ship), Junks, once common in Hong Kong waters, are no longer widely available and are used privately and for tourism.Utilities
Hong Kong generates most of its electricity locally. The vast majority of this energy comes from fossil fuels, with 46% from coal and 47% from petroleum. The rest is from other imports, including nuclear energy generated in mainland China. Renewable sources account for a negligible amount of energy generated for the territory. Small-scale wind-power sources have been developed, and a small number of private homes and public buildings have installed solar panels. With few natural lakes and rivers, high population density, inaccessible groundwater sources, and extremely seasonal rainfall, the territory does not have a reliable source of freshwater. The Dong River (China), Dongjiang River in Guangdong supplies 70% of the city's water,. and the remaining demand is filled by harvesting rainwater. Toilets in most built-up areas of the territory flush with seawater, greatly reducing freshwater use. Broadband Internet access is widely available, with 92.6% of households connected. Connections over Fiber to the x, fibre-optic infrastructure are increasingly prevalent, contributing to the high regional average connection speed of 21.9 Mbit/s (the world's fourth-fastest). Mobile-phone use is ubiquitous; there are more than 18 million List of countries by number of mobile phones in use, mobile-phone accounts, more than double the territory's population.Culture
Hong Kong is characterised as a hybrid of Eastern world, East and Western culture, West. Traditional Chinese values emphasising family and education blend with Western ideals, including economic liberty and the rule of law. Although the vast majority of the population is ethnically Chinese, Hong Kong has developed a distinct identity. The territory diverged from the mainland through its long period of colonial administration and a different pace of economic, social, and cultural development. Mainstream culture is derived from immigrants originating from various parts of China. This was influenced by British-style education, a separate political system, and the territory's rapid development during the late 20th century. Most migrants of that era fled poverty and war, reflected in the prevailing attitude toward wealth; Hongkongers tend to link self-image and decision-making to material benefits. Residents' sense of local identity has markedly increased post-handover: The majority of the population (52%) identifies as "Hongkongers", while 11% describe themselves as "Chinese". The remaining population purport mixed identities, 23% as "Hongkonger in China" and 12% as "Chinese in Hong Kong". Traditional Chinese family values, including family honor, family honour, filial piety, and a Sex selection, preference for sons, are prevalent. Nuclear family, Nuclear families are the most common households, although multi-generational and extended families are not unusual. Spiritual concepts such as ''feng shui'' are observed; large-scale construction projects often hire consultants to ensure proper building positioning and layout. The degree of its adherence to ''feng shui'' is believed to determine the success of a business. ''Bagua'' mirrors are regularly used to deflect evil spirits, and buildings often lack Chinese numerology, floor numbers with a 4; the number has a similar sound to the word for "die" in Cantonese.Cuisine
Food in Hong Kong is primarily based on Cantonese cuisine, despite the territory's exposure to foreign influences and its residents' varied origins. Rice is the staple food, and is usually served plain with other dishes.. Freshness of ingredients is emphasised. Poultry and seafood are commonly sold live at wet markets, and ingredients are used as quickly as possible. There are five daily meals: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and ''siu yeh''. Dim sum, as part of ''yum cha'' (brunch), is a dining-out tradition with family and friends. Dishes include congee, ''cha siu bao'', ''siu yuk'', egg tarts, and mango pudding. Local versions of Western food are served at ''cha chaan teng'' (Hong Kong-style cafes). Common ''cha chaan teng'' menu items include macaroni in soup, deep-fried French toast, and Hong Kong-style milk tea.Cinema
Hong Kong developed into a filmmaking hub during the late 1940s as a wave of Shanghai filmmakers migrated to the territory, and these movie veterans helped build the colony's entertainment industry over the next decade. By the 1960s, the city was well known to overseas audiences through films such as ''The World of Suzie Wong (film), The World of Suzie Wong''. When Bruce Lee's The Way of the Dragon, ''The'' ''Way of the Dragon'' was released in 1972, local productions became popular outside Hong Kong. During the 1980s, films such as ''A Better Tomorrow'', ''As Tears Go By (film), As Tears Go By'', and ''Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain'' expanded global interest beyond martial arts films; locally made gangster films, romantic dramas, and supernatural fantasies became popular. Hong Kong cinema continued to be internationally successful over the following decade with critically acclaimed dramas such as ''Farewell My Concubine (film), Farewell My Concubine'', ''To Live (1994 film), To Live'', and ''Chungking Express''. The city's martial arts film roots are evident in the roles of the most prolific Hong Kong actors. Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Chow Yun-fat, and Michelle Yeoh frequently play action-oriented roles in foreign films. At the height of the local movie industry in the early 1990s, over 400 films were produced each year; since then, industry momentum shifted to mainland China. The number of films produced annually has declined to about 60 in 2017.Music
Cantopop is a genre of Cantonese popular music which emerged in Hong Kong during the 1970s. Evolving from Shanghai-style ''shidaiqu'', it is also influenced by Cantonese opera and Western pop. Local media featured songs by artists such as Sam Hui, Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, and Alan Tam; during the 1980s, exported films and shows exposed Cantopop to a global audience. The genre's popularity peaked in the 1990s, when the Four Heavenly Kings (Hong Kong), Four Heavenly Kings dominated Asian record charts. Despite a general decline since late in the decade, Cantopop remains dominant in Hong Kong; contemporary artists such as Eason Chan, Joey Yung, and Twins (group), Twins are popular in and beyond the territory. Western classical music has historically had a strong presence in Hong Kong and remains a large part of local musical education. The publicly funded Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the territory's oldest professional symphony orchestra, frequently hosts musicians and conductors from overseas. The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, composed of Chinese orchestra, classical Chinese instruments, is the leading Chinese ensemble and plays a significant role in promoting traditional music in the community.Sport and recreation
Despite its small area, the territory is home to a variety of sports and recreational facilities. The city has hosted numerous major sporting events, including the 2009 East Asian Games, the Equestrian at the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2008 Summer Olympics equestrian events, and the 2007 Premier League Asia Trophy.. The territory regularly hosts the Hong Kong Sevens, Hong Kong Marathon, Hong Kong Tennis Classic and Lunar New Year Cup, and hosted the inaugural AFC Asian Cup and the 1995 Dynasty Cup. Hong Kong represents itself separately from mainland China, with its own sports teams in international competitions. The territory has participated in almost every Summer Olympics since 1952 and has earned Hong Kong at the Olympics, nine medals. Lee Lai-shan won the territory's first Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics, 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and Cheung Ka Long won the second one in 2020 Summer Olympics, Tokyo 2020. Hong Kong athletes have won Hong Kong at the Paralympics, 126 medals at the Paralympic Games and Hong Kong at the Commonwealth Games, 17 at the Commonwealth Games. No longer part of the Commonwealth of Nations, the city's last appearance in the latter was in 1994 Commonwealth Games, 1994. Dragon boat races originated as a religious ceremony conducted during the annual Dragon Boat Festival, Tuen Ng Festival. The race was revived as a modern sport as part of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Tourism Board's efforts to promote Hong Kong's image abroad. The first modern competition was organised in 1976, and overseas teams began competing in the first international race in 1993. The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the territory's largest taxpayer,. has a monopoly on gambling and provides over 7% of government revenue. Three forms of gambling are legal in Hong Kong: lotteries, horse racing, and football.Education
Education in Hong Kong is largely modelled after Education in the United Kingdom, that of the United Kingdom, particularly the Education in England, English system. Children are required to attend school from age 6 until completion of secondary education, generally at age 18. At the end of secondary schooling, all students take a public examination and awarded the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education on successful completion. Of residents aged 15 and older, 81% completed lower-secondary education, 66% graduated from an upper secondary school, 32% attended a non-degree tertiary program, and 24% earned a bachelor's degree or higher. Mandatory education has contributed to an adult literacy rate of 95.7%. The literacy rate is lower than that of other developed economies because of the influx of refugees from mainland China during the post-war colonial era; much of the elderly population were not formally educated because of war and poverty. Comprehensive schools fall under three categories: public schools, which are government-run; subsidised schools, including government aid-and-grant schools; and private schools, often those run by religious organisations and that base admissions on academic merit. These schools are subject to the curriculum guidelines as provided by the Education Bureau. Private schools subsidised under the Direct Subsidy Scheme; international schools fall outside of this system and may elect to use differing curricula and teach using other languages. The government maintains a policy of "mother tongue instruction"; most schools use Cantonese as the medium of instruction, with written education in both Chinese and English. Other languages being used as medium of instruction in non-international school education include English and Standard Chinese, Putonghua (Standard Mandarin Chinese). Secondary schools emphasise "bi-literacy and tri-lingualism", which has encouraged the proliferation of spoken Mandarin language education. Hong Kong has eleven universities. TheMedia
Most of the newsapapers in Hong Kong are written in Chinese but there are also a few English-language newspapers. The major one is the ''South China Morning Post'', with ''The Standard (Hong Kong), The Standard'' serving as a business-oriented alternative. A variety of Chinese-language newspapers are published daily; the most prominent are ''Ming Pao'' and ''Oriental Daily News''. Local publications are often politically affiliated, with pro-Beijing or pro-democracy sympathies. The central government has a print-media presence in the territory through the state-owned ''Ta Kung Pao'' and ''Wen Wei Po''. Several international publications have regional operations in Hong Kong, including ''The Wall Street Journal'', ''Financial Times'', ''The New York Times International Edition'', ''USA Today'', ''Yomiuri Shimbun'', and ''The Nikkei''. Three free-to-air television broadcasters operate in the territory; TVB, HK Television Entertainment, HKTVE, and Fantastic Television, Hong Kong Open TV air eight Digital television, digital channels. TVB, Hong Kong's dominant television network, has an 80% viewer share. Television in Hong Kong, Pay TV services operated by Hong Kong Cable Television, Cable TV Hong Kong and PCCW offer hundreds of additional channels and cater to a variety of audiences. RTHK is the public broadcaster, providing seven radio channels and three television channels. Ten non-domestic broadcasters air programming for the territory's foreign population. Access to media and information over the Internet is not subject to mainland Chinese regulations, including the Great Firewall, yet local control applies.See also
* Index of articles related to Hong Kong * Outline of Hong KongNotes
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