Located in southern China, Hong Kong, a really impressive mega-city, known worldwide for its skyscrapers, was a British colony from 1842 until the handover to China in 1997 where she became a "Special Administrative Region". A city which combines the skyscrapers, buildings in ruins, the 5-star hotels, luxury cars, fashion shops, popular markets and international banking headquarters. Hong Kong, with its 7 million inhabitants and an area of 1092 km² is divided into 4 main areas: Kowloon, Hong Kong Island (7% of the total area), the New Territories (officially over 230 islands, 91% of the area) and the Outlying islands.

At first sight, and despite its huge crushing buildings, the crowd and the moist heat (there reigns a subtropical weather, so if you don't want to turn your holidays into a sweaty mess, don't come here in summer time but rather during Autumn or Spring), I like Hong Kong very much. There is such a diversity of nationalities (Chinese, Filipino, English...), languages (Cantonese, Mandarin, English...) and cuisines (Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Continental...) In the shops and restaurants, people are smiling and helpful. This is particularly significant compared to France!

Thus, there is the Hong Kong Island in the south which is home to large multinationals, which bustles with activity and where stands Victoria Peek, the place where you can see the whole city in height.

The Central District is also home to Lan Kwai Fong with his bars and trendy restaurants, the Pacific Place shopping mall, one of the most famous shopping centers like Sogo, the huge Japanese shopping center on 10 floors which is also located there. Added to this, the tower of the bank Hong Kong and Shanghai (HSBC) and the Bank of China where you can access the top floor and enjoy a unique view.

Then comes the Kowloon peninsula (south of the New Territories). It's finally my favorite corner in this city and where was located my hotel. This area of the city remains the most authentic, perhaps. Going up high in the Tsim Sha Tsui district, on Nathan Road, the road to buildings filled with neon signs that overlap and overlap. It's a pretty amazing thing to see.

  

Surprising too, bamboo scaffolding installed before certain fronts!

On the edge of the broad avenues, where they drive on the left, shops and restaurants are kings. But, when you look up, you can see the hundreds, the thousands of windows with their old air conditioners used to bring a bit of air in these tiny apartments where piled up much of the population.

And there, in the heart of Kowloon or Hong Kong Island, stand completely unexpectedly beautiful parks. Nature and tranquility that contrasts with the nearby city, but that adds even more richness and charm to this city.