HONG KONG
Golfing in the "City of Life"

by R. Bourne & C. Jaricott

With New York, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney or Vancouver, Hong Kong is one of the most attractive natural sites in the world. If its history goes back to the birth of humanity, its discovery by the Portuguese in the XVth century transformed the fishing village as the "Entrance Door to China" for Dutch, English or French trading needs. Today, Hong Kong pretends to be a "city of life"..

Hong Kong February 2003 - In the early 19th century, the British began to use the deep-sheltered port of the "barren rock" of Kong for their booming "hongs" trading silk, tea and spices in exchange for opium. And when the Chinese Emperor decided to forbid opium import and commerce, the British opened fire to protect the drug trafficking and, in 1842 at the end of the Opium War, China was forced to cede the island of Hong Kong in perpetuity to the British.
Developing its flourishing trading, Hong Kong became rapidly too small and the British sought more territory and were granted a 99-year lease on the New Territories in 1898, ten years after building the Peak Tram funicular railway which has been renewed. It still works like as the street tramway system and its double-decked wagons, opened in 1904, followed by the railway to Canton in 1910. The economy grew rapidly since at the turn of the century, about 11,000 ships berthed in Victoria Harbour each year.
But the biggest change came after the 1940s with the massive immigration of Chinese crossing the border to begin new lives. Manufacturing industries were established producing goods at very competitive prices making the richness of Hong Kong, considered as one of the five flourishing "South Asian Dragoons". Old buildings and manufactories were demolished to make room for more and more high-rise modern sky-scrappers which have completely changed the skyline of Hong Kong islands and their New Territories were live about 7 million people which 95% are Chinese.
Even if officially, Hong Kong returned to China at the last stroke of midnight on 30 June 1997, it has been no change in the lifestyle for residents and visitors. The Special Administrative Region (SAR) admitted by China under the arrangement known as "One Country Two Systems" has given a large autonomy to Hong Kong retaining its own legal, social and economic systems.
Today, Hong Kong, the "city of life", is as international as ever with its unique personality which blends in the best from the East and West, bursting with life and dynamism, with shows, events and festivals making streets alive day and night in an almost carnival atmosphere. And it has been recently ranked in the fifth position of the most secure places in the world.
So go and golf on one of the seven golf courses from the most ancient Royal Hong Kong nine-hole course at Deep Water Bay to the last new ones on Lantau Island or on the New Territories.
                                                                                       
    Where to play
     What to see
     Good to know
     Where to stay
     Eating out
     Information

Special Administrative Region Hong Kong map


Hong Kong yesterday

and today


One country, two systems


Nathan Road neon signs seen by Keih Macgregor


Clear Water Bay golf