19 Facts about Hong Kong for Your Traveller Knowledge

Hong Kong Facts

1. Hong Kong's official name is HKSAR. It stands for Hong Kong Special Administrative Republic.
2. The place is spread over close to 1100 kilometres and encloses the Hong Kong Island, New Territories, Kowloon, and many other small islands.
3. Hong Kong means Fragrant Harbour.
4. When the British the Chinese in the Opium War of 1842, the latter lost Hong Kong. It became a Special Administrative Region of China in 1997. When that happened, many institutions like the Royal Hong Kong Post Office had to drop the term 'Royal' from their name. However, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club retained it.
5. The flag of Hong Kong stands for the merger Hong Kong-China, called Sousa Chinensis, or the Chinese White Dolphin.
6. The official languages of the place are Cantonese (the southern dialect of the Chinese language) and English, but many people speak Mandarin as well.
7. The city has the greatest number of skyscrapers in the world, around 8000 to be exact, easily beating New York city which stands at the 2nd spot with half as many skyscrapers.
8. Talking about beating by numbers, it also has the most number of Rolls Royce per person in the world.
9. Hong Kong takes winning seriously, as even when it comes to population, it leads the way by being the most densely populated city in the world with close to 7 million people.
10. It also has the most number of food places per capita as compared to anywhere else in the world! A true foodie delight!
11. Feng Shui is the backbone of the building designs here. 
12. Noodles are one of the staples for the residents of Hong Kong. Fast Food Noodle shops, Dai Pai Dong, offer noodle bowls at very low prices along with free tea. Relishing them for one's birthday is known to bless them with a happy and prosperous life.
13. The Symphony of Lights, which takes place every night, is the biggest light and laser show in the world, with over 40 buildings participating and more added each year.
14. The Tsing Ma Bridge, apart from being a landmark, is the longest suspension bridge in the world.
15. The life expectancy of the people in Hong Kong is 81 years, the 6th highest in the world.
16. The city uses seawater for flushes in the toilets.
17. Close to 40% of the city is made of greenery, including parks and less than 25% is urbanised.
18. The number 4 resonates with the word death in Chinese, so don't be surprised if you don't see the 4th floor in buildings as it is considered unlucky.
19. The big Buddha statue on Lantau Island is one of the biggest in the world standing tall at around 34 metres.