The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) is located at the southeastern tip of the People's Republic of China, some 1,996km (1,240 miles) south of Beijing; it lies just south of the Tropic of Cancer at about the same latitude as Mexico City, the Bahamas, and Hawaii. Most people who have never been to Asia probably think of Hong Kong as an island--and they'd be right if it were 1842. But not long after the colony was first established on Hong Kong Island, the British felt the need to expand, which they did by acquiring more land across Victoria Harbour on the Chinese mainland. Today, Hong Kong Island is just a small part of the SAR, which covers 684 sq. km (425 sq. miles) and measures 48km (30 miles) north to south and 72.5km (45 miles) east to west--much of it mountainous.
Hong Kong can be divided into four distinct parts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, New Territories, and the outlying islands. On Hong Kong Island are the Central District (Hong Kong's main financial and business district and usually referred to simply as Central), the Western District, Wan Chai, and Causeway Bay, all on the island's north side. On Hong Kong Island, you'll also find such major attractions as Hong Kong Park, Victoria Peak, Stanley Market, Ocean Park, and the Zoological and Botanical Gardens.
Across Victoria Harbour, at the tip of Kowloon Peninsula, is Tsim Sha Tsui and its many hotels, restaurants, museums, and shops, as well as KCR Kowloon-Canton Railway Station in Hung Hom, Tsim Sha Tsui East, and the Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok districts.
The New Territories are by far the largest area, stretching north of Kowloon all the way to the Chinese border. Once a vast area of peaceful little villages, fields, and duck farms, the New Territories in the past couple of decades have witnessed a remarkable mushrooming of satellite towns with huge public-housing projects. Sha Tin, with a population approaching almost 700,000 and home of one of Hong Kong's two horse-racing tracks, is the largest; in all, the New Territories house approximately half of the SAR's population. And yet, much of the New Territories remains open and uninhabited. Close to 70% of Hong Kong's total land mass is rural, with 23 country parks and 14 nature reserves accounting for more than 40% of Hong Kong's land area. The fact that Hong Kong is more than just a city surprises many first-time visitors.
As for Hong Kong's 260 outlying islands, most are barren and uninhabited; those that aren't lend themselves to excellent exploration into Hong Kong's past. Lantao, Lamma, and Cheung Chau are three of the region's best known and most easily accessible islands, where a gentler, slower, and more peaceful life prevails. Lantao, boasting the world's largest seated bronze Buddha (located at a monastery noted for its vegetarian meals), is the most popular destination. Lamma is famous for its open-air waterfront seafood restaurants, beaches, pleasant hiking trail, and expat community, while Cheung Chau makes for a pleasant half-day excursion with its lively, traditional village, boat population, and beach.
For the visitor, however, most hotels, restaurants, and points of interest are concentrated in four areas: Tsim Sha Tsui, Tsim Sha Tsui East, and Yau Ma Tei on the Kowloon side; and Central District, Wan Chai, and Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island. Because these areas are so compact, the city must rank as Asia's most accessible and navigable city. I'd argue that Hong Kong is also the most stunning, given the ferries, cargo ships, fishing boats, and ocean liners bustling in Victoria Harbour, juxtaposed against many peaks that punctuate the cityscape.
