Hong Kong 4K. Interesting Facts about Hong Kong: Protests, People and Cuisine

oh hey guys and in this video we're gonna talk about Hong Kong if you've been following the world news you know that Hong Kong's been all over the news for the last six months so let's take a look at it Hong Kong is located on China's southern coast about 60 kilometers east of Macau and neighbor in the Chinese city of Shenzhen to the north Hong Kong is a territory consistent of Hong Kong Island the colon Peninsula Lantau Island and the New Territories and over 200 smaller islands most of its territory is covered by tropical forests and mountains what is the history of Hong Kong originally it was a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages then in 1842 Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after chin China seated Hong Kong Island at the end of the first option war the colony expanded to the colon Peninsula in 1860 after the Second Opium War and was further extended when Britain obtained a 99-year lease of the new territories in 1898 by the end of the 19th century Hong Kong was becoming one of the largest ports in Asia and was one of the most successful colonies of the British Empire the population was growing rapidly in 1945 it was only 600,000 but in the 1980s that were already 5 million people living there people were fleeing from the civil war in China in which the Communists were prevalent today Hong Kong has a population of 7.4 million and an area of 1100 square kilometers or 426 square miles which makes it one of the most densely populated places in the world what is the status of Hong Kong today Hong Kong was transferred back to China in 1997 after 156 years of British rule as a special administrative region and today Hong Kong maintains separate governing and economic systems from that of mainland China under the principle of one country two systems' Hong Kong is a highly developed territory and it has the largest number of skyscrapers of any city in the world also its residents have some of the longest life expectancies in the world there are two official languages Chinese and English and most people speak Cantonese Chinese instead of Mandarin Chinese writing system here is different as well they use traditional Chinese instead of simplified Chinese which they use in mainland China when it comes to economy Hong Kong is the largest financial centre in Asia and the third largest in the world after New York and London and it's one of the four asian tigers nominal GDP per capita is forty-nine thousand dollars the 16th place in the world today it has the second largest number of billionaires seventy-nine second only to New York live in Moscow Beijing London and other cities behind why is Hong Kong so wealthy because of the low taxation minimum government market intervention and an established international financial market which attracts overseas corporations wishing to establish a presence in Asia it also has ranked at the top of the Heritage Foundation's Economic Freedom Index since 1995 also Hong Kong is one of the world's busiest container ports tourism is a major part of the economy accounted for 5% of the GDP in 2016 20 6.6 million people visited Hong Kong making it the 14th most popular destination for international tourists on the downside Hong Kong is among the most expensive cities in the world along with Paris and Singapore the average salary after taxes is two thousand and five hundred dollars which makes it a lucrative place for foreign workers Filipinos constitute the largest ethnic minority in Hong Kong numbering approximately 130,000 people many of whom work as foreign domestic helpers you can see them get together on Sundays in the parks over 90% of the local residents rely on public transportation and public transportation is great now it's a good idea to get a transport card called Octopus card as soon as you arrive this Octopus card is widely accepted on the subway buses and ferries and you can also use it for payments in most retail stores what are you using to people the MTR subway system is the quickest and most cost effective way to get around you can get to most tourist areas of the city by MTR except for a few spots which you can only get to by bus or taxi such as Stanley market or Aberdeen double-decker tram system was founded in 1904 after more than a hundred years the city now operates a fleet of 165 trams the world's largest double-decker tram fleet carrying an average of 200,000 passengers every day there are also double-decker buses and more than 18,000 taxicabs while New York is famous for its yellow taxes Hong Kong taxes our red and white and they used the same car model to your crown comfort that had been in production for 22 years from 1995 to 2017 now they're being replaced by newer models there are over 500 private vehicles registered in Hong Kong and card drive on the left side unlike in mainland China due to historical influence of the British Empire owning a car is super expensive and monthly parking alone will set you back four to five hundred dollars gas is very expensive to two point two dollars per litre or $1 a gallon the car and Hong Kong is only necessary if you live really far from the center and you can't do without it but with the amount of wealthy people that have in Hong Kong this doesn't stop people from having cars just look at the traffic flow for a long period Tesla was the electric car in Hong Kong Ellen must once called Hong Kong a beacon city for electric cars that's until the local government took away a generous tax incentive and Tesla sales went down and really never recovered after that the number of super cars on the city streets will make you turn your head all the time if you love cars of course for an additional fee you can have an extraordinary license plate something like beloved I'm okay original and so on [Music] people are trying to be original with their license plate names and this guy just picked up origin as his license license plate name we are in this kind of industrial part of Hong Kong it's not just described skyscrapers you know in tourism it's actual everyday business you know you still gotta have a Tesla or a Porsche if you can afford that but yeah you got forklifts and everything is so close to each other on the weekend supercar owners get together at different remote spots of the island and they take the cars for a spin nice [Music] Oh guys what's your name my name is Tim I'm Michael how are you guys locals of Hong Kong yeah yeah well oh cool what are some of the cool things about living in Hong Kong goofing I think like you get the modern lifestyle on one hand but we also get like country size and awesome growths awesome driving roads like this I love going for morning drives and especially in this place you you get to see all different cars here what car you driving I'm driving that great one but I wish that was my car welcome welcome all its you Hong Kong I've tried driving here and it's really hard they drive on the left side of the road and roads are pretty narrow and so it takes time to get used to this the center of Hong Kong is extremely densely populated skyscrapers shopping malls business centers and banks are all concentrated here just get off at the central metro station and find yourself in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city there's this interesting district called Soho and the name is derived from its location south of Hollywood Road and it's a district that's filled with bars restaurants and shops and that's not far from central metro station as well these steps will take you to the former Central Police Station which is located at the eastern end of Hollywood Road and it has been redeveloped into a cultural and shopping destination generally called tycoon hey guys we are on the time square but this is not New York this is Hong Kong but it's just us crowded maybe even more crowded look at this the sea of people did you know that Hong Kong has more skyscrapers than New York City 317 vs. 257 but Hong Kong is more than just a concrete jungle actually there are a lot of places to spend time outdoors enjoy nature from amazing hiking trails to the sandy beaches where people can get away from the noise of the city a great example is Stanley this is a seaside village with a laid-back vibe popular for day trips casual eateries and cafes line the promenade on Stanley Bay very popular with Europeans let's talk to the locals so we are now in Sydney in the Hong Kong is so easy to travel around from the countryside to the centre of the Hong Kong it's like you can spend 20 minutes and travel to different places I think this is the most popular place we can travel and also we can take the ferry from central to like lento Island Lamar and it's all Islands so you can have a like a weekend just really completely different from Hong Kong and center of Hong Kong yeah thank you for the introduction no problem yeah yeah oh good day Hong Kong is made up of over 200 Islands meaning there are endless stretches of golden sands actually you can go surfing at one of the Hong Kong's beaches this one's called big wave babe what are the sites of Hong Kong what you might want to start with is taking a trip on the star ferry which is more than a hundred years old these classic ferry still go from collude to Hong Kong Island and back run in every few minutes these ferries offers superb views of the skyline you can actually pay for that fare using that same Octopus card sadly today you hardly see any of those batwing boats that were once one of Hong Kong's signature symbols until they have been superseded by fast ferries another great idea is to spend a day on Lantau Island then gone Paine cable car is a spectacular 5.6 kilometers Ernie the longest VY cable row plate in Asia the 25-minute lawn cable car ride to the mountaintop is a great experience you'll get to see the Hong Kong International Airport and the mountainous terrain of Lantau Island the cable car will take you to a GaN pin village it has somewhat of a theme park atmosphere complete with souvenir shops tea houses as well as fast food most people want to take a picture with the baked Buddha statue and visit Pauline monastery the Hong Kong Buddha and Lantau Island is one of the largest seated Buddha statues in the world 34 meters or 112 feet high now let's go back to collude there's lots to see and do here you can visit street markets like temple street night market for after dark shopping you can visit the fish market we can get all kinds of fishes for your aquarium red yellow tropical any kind visit the sneaker street if you're looking for some shoes and he can visit the flower market a very good choice of flowers and they even had Christmas trees for sale now that's pretty cool : walled city park is quite a place he used to be a non governed densely populated settlement from the 1950s to the 1970s back then it was controlled by local triads the Chinese mafia originally a Chinese military for the walled city became an enclave after the new territories were leased to the UK by China today it's called : walled city park and it's been turned into a part obviously what a transition situated on the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade right on the waterfront of Victoria Harbour Avenue of stars is walking Road dedicated to the stars of Hong Kong's film industry it's a very popular place among tourists here you can see handprints of celebrities stalls with souvenirs sculptures and the full-size statue of Bruce Lee I mean who doesn't like Bruce Lee right music a11 shopping mall is easily one of the most beautiful shopping malls I've ever been to there's an amazing food court and its interior and space design are some of the best in the world there's a bohemian garden on the seventh floor [Music] Nathan Road was the first Road built in colon and today it's the main street of the peninsula it's always crowded and there are many shops and restaurants to choose from every evening on Tsim Sha Tsui promenade they have a symphony of lights light show it is held every night at 8:00 p.m. and is completely free now back to Hong Kong Island a great idea is actually to just take a trip on a tram Hong Kong's iconic double-decker trams are just like London's famous double-decker buses winding through the heart of central Causeway Bay districts these trams pass through city's busiest streets and take in some of its key sites take a seat on the top deck and watch the busy streets below for just two point six Hong Kong dollars that's close to about 30 cents u.s. you can cross the whole of Hong Kong Island see most of the city in the process if you don't have okay nice to meet you and that's how you make friends on a on a Hong Kong is not just cars and buildings there are many parks here so even though Hong Kong is so densely populated it still has a lot of parks because we need them well I'm glad you have them Victoria Park named after Queen Victoria is one of the biggest ones [Music] visitors can enjoy wide range sports facilities from tennis football and basketball courts to outdoor and indoor swimming pools the local climate allows you to spend time outdoors for the most part of the year another great part is the Hong Kong part surrounded by looming skyscrapers it's a great place for visitors to take a break from the fast pace of the city the highlight of this part is the edward youde aviary which is a 3,000 square metre Avery built over natural valley at the southern corner of the park from the birds park it's a three minute walk to the trap that will take you to Victoria Peak this is the highest point in Hong Kong Island this peak is also named after the English Queen Victoria crowds of tourists come here to enjoy this Chi line of the city now I definitely recommend you get a hotel with a view preferably with a pool ever since the protests began prices went down dramatically and now actually it's a great time to visit Hong Kong what are the challenges of Hong Kong today well number one is obviously housing there's so many residential skyscrapers stand-in side-by-side and some apartments don't get any sunlight at all and if your view from the window is anything but other people's windows consider yourself lucky although there's no guarantee there won't be another tower blocking the view in the future demand is high but the area suitable for Development is limited so apartment blocks just keep going higher and higher the landscape of Hong Kong is mountainous so you wonder how do they manage to build skyscrapers in such places sometimes to get to your house you need to do a lot of walking uphill and you're lucky if they have escalators that will help you get on top yes they have escalators on the street and if you want to shop with some real estate you're looking at 30k per square metre in the center when it comes to housing this is what a poor area in Hong Kong looks like this is me walking out of some shady building and this is an example of a very fancy neighborhood but no matter poor or wealthy neighborhood you're always going to be fine in Hong Kong crime is almost non-existent I know they say poverty brings crime but not in Hong Kong what's her name my name is Ying the cost of living is expensive especially the houses and the area they're really really quite small and some of the houses with the toilet is really responded when you stand up it's already a wall in front of you Wow on the bright side only 24% of Hong Kong's land has been developed so you still have 78% that can be developed a later stage but it's very challenging many people cannot afford to rent let alone buy their own apartments so they keep living with their parents another challenge is the tensions with mainland China is hong kong different from mainland china yes they can speak English here and all the internet services and apps like Facebook and YouTube and Instagram are available and even when it comes to manners you'll see a difference I don't want to sound too negative but they don't smoke here as much and they don't spit on the street but most importantly Hong Kong residents love and they value their freedom something they're ready to fight for it Hong Kong's protests started in June against plans to allow extradition to mainland China hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets and after several months of protests the bill was withdrawn but the demonstrations continue and now they have five demands [Music] [Applause] number one to withdraw the extradition bill number two to stop labeling protesters as rioters number three to drop charges against protesters number four it to conduct an independent inquiry into police behavior and number five to implement genuine universal suffrage for both the Legislative Council and the chief executive people have become very politically aware and active when they held Hong Kong's district council elections on November 24th this year they had a record turnout nearly three million people voted that 71% of registered voters normally it's only 10 to 20 percent the pro-democracy block 1 392 out of 452 seats while the pro establishment rivals took the remaining 60 AC hello you're a Hong Kong local don't so what do you like about living in Hong Kong what makes it a special place beat convenience I don't drive I don't have a car but I can go anywhere anytime here and the food yeah I like the food here I like trains and in nightlife yeah people been hearing about this protest happening in the streets and clashes with the Poli so what was that all about it all started with the extradition bill that people are very worried about the ruling of our independence law system because we are supposed to be an independent city but people are just very worried that we will become [Music] just a typical Chinese city and also life here has been becoming more difficult we cannot afford buy houses and everything is expensive when you're young you and you cannot see a bright future people are mad about a government for their work past few years yeah it seems they are using our the people's money to build infrastructure that only facilitates mainlanders Oh coming to Hong Kong okay Hong Kong is so packed right so many people in in small area how much more do you think Hong Kong can grow it's already at the climax I think because especially due to this movement many people are thinking of thinking about immigration Oh leaving Hong Kong oh well yeah like many of my friends seriously thinking of leaving this place immigrating to Australia Tiwa Canada three HK and fight for freedom stand with Hong Kong graffiti on the streets will tell you the real story so let's take a look all the numbers you see refer to some dates like eight three one refers to 31st of August when they had Prince Edward stationed incident protesters had been expecting some support from the US for a long time and they got it when Donald Trump signed two bills supporting the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of the best cities in Asia for foodies it offers a crazy fifteen thousand restaurants often in restaurants to give you a menu and a pencil and you need to check what waiter okay first you have to choose the team chose my favorite which is share funny peg whiny what makes it special what makes this tea special the aftertaste sweet yeah okay all right about the city's cuisine is mostly Cantonese based and my friend Pacey will now show us some of the local dishes this is nigh one bow or Cantonese steamed custard bonds rice noodle roads stuffed with pork beef shrimp or green onions serve soy sauce like this and then when you pick something this chicken feet is a traditional snack dim sum or steamed dumplings with various fillings chicken hotpot it starts with a dose of marinated chicken stew cooked on a tabletop stove after all the tasty bits of meat are devoured water is added to the pot for the next round and then regular hotpot e with the usual ingredients like sliced beef and veggies begins when it comes to drinks they love lemon tea and milk tea best thing of all to me I cannot leave Hong Kong because I cannot live without there is a huge selection of fresh catch at the local market crabs mussels shrimp and fish nice catch do you love desert well then you can try the local favorites egg tarts and egg waffles [Music] now let's sum it up Hong Kong has come a long way from being a Chinese fishing village and it has been at the top of economic freedom ranking for a number of years today it is not clear whether Hong Kong will be able to retain its independence in the long run but I certainly would like to think so what do you guys think about Hong Kong and the protests and which side are you on hey thanks for watching this video guys if you liked it share it there'll be more videos coming soon daddy do you take this son she the [Music] [Music] well your holiday good deal

Channel: CoolVision

Views: 3,207,741

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Keywords: hong kong, hongkong, 4k, protests in hong kong, people in hong kong, what going on in hong kong, real hong kong, travel to hong kong, vacation in hong kong, sights of hong kong, is hong kong park of china, hong kong china, hong kong 2019, kowloon, hong konger, Free HK, HK

Id: 2OlnG-GMSpI

Length: 31min 37sec (1897 seconds)

Published: Sun Dec 29 2019