What AMERICANS need to know to benefit from an EMERGING ASIA
Both special administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China. That means they are officially part of China but completely different. It’s because both regions used to be run by European powers. Hong Kong by the British. Macau by the Portuguese. The colonies were used as trading posts but eventually returned to China. Hong Kong in 1997. Macau in 1999. Both regions flourished under capitalism. China pretty much kept them the way they are when they took over and say they will allow “one country two systems” for at least 50 years.
Location of Hong Kong
Location of Macau
LOCATION: Hong Kong is on the south side of China facing the South China sea. Macau is 38 miles to the west also facing the South China sea. It is a short ferry ride.
SIZE: Hong Kong is made up of Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories consisting of 260 islands. It covers 426 square miles. Macau is made up of the Macau Peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Coloane. It covers less than 15 square miles.
POPULATION: Hong Kong 7 million people. Macau 520,000 people, making it the most densely populated region in the world. That’s more than 18,000 per square kilometer!
PEOPLE: Hong Kong and Macau are both about 95% ethnic Chinese. The rest is a mix of Southeast Asians, Indians, Pakistanis, Japanese, Koreans, Europeans and Americans.
GOVERNMENT: Special administrative regions of China. They are somewhat autonomous regions enjoying capitalism. Both are modern, big cities. You would never know that you are standing on land owned by a communist government. There is also great freedom to walk around as you would like. This is quite different from mainland China. The government restricts the ability of their own citizens to travel from mainland China to Hong Kong or Macau. It is much easier for you to go there than for a Chinese citizen not already there.
CURRENCY: Hong Kong dollar which is fixed to an exchange rate between 7.75 to 7.85 for a US dollar. The Macanese pataca is pegged to the Hong Kong dollar and is valued slightly lower. Hong Kong dollars are widely accepted in Macau so don’t bother changing money to patacas.
LANGUAGE: Most of the ethnic Chinese who make up 95% of Hong Kong’s and Macau’s population speak Cantonese Chinese. About 80 million people speak Cantonese, mostly in the south of China. English is also an official language of Hong Kong. Portuguese is also an official language of Macau.
Flag of Hong Kong
Flag of Macau
ECONOMY: Hong Kong is the wealthiest region of China with a capitalist economy that has made it the financial and trade center of Asia. Their open free market combined with little government regulation has created a money making machine. It is a world financial capital acting as a conduit for the giant manufacturing machine of China. Macau’s economy is based on tourism, mainly gambling. Macau now has Las Vegas style casinos that have revenues bigger than the Las Vegas strip. It is also a free port, tax haven and offshore financial center. Money pours in. Money pours out.
TRAVEL: A lot of those films by Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat and Bruce Lee were made in Hong Kong. It is a major city like New York, full of tall buildings and distractions. No trip to Hong Kong would be complete without a ride on the Star Ferry and a trip on the tram to the top of Victoria Peak to take in the view. The territory is full of fragrant markets, plentiful food and interesting people. Don’t forget to shop and check out the Giant Buddha on Lantau Island. Most people visit Macau for the casinos. It’s also enjoyable to hire a bicycle rickshaw and tour the territory. It’s isn’t very big so it wont take long. The façade of the old Cathedral of St Paul is the big landmark.
VISA: No visa required for Americans for stays up to 3 months in Hong Kong or Macau
GETTING THERE: Hong Kong is a major airline hub. It is just about the easiest city to fly to in Asia and is the perfect gateway for an Asian adventure. Direct flights to Hong Kong from the United States are provided by United Airlines, Continental Airlines, and Cathay Pacific Airlines,. You can fly from Hong Kong to virtually any city in Asia with an airport. Macau is a short ferry ride from Hong Kong. It is an easy and comfortable day trip.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: The first thing you will notice about Hong Kong and Macau are the staggering number of people squashed into a small space. There are many times that you literally can’t walk on the sidewalks because there are so many bodies jockeying for position. Take this in stride and adjust your idea of personal space. It’s just how they live there. Expect to get lost. The streets are a jumbled maze or winding pathways. While you can usually find someone who speaks some English, but don’t expect everyone to speak English. This is China after all. Most street signs and subway maps are written in both Chinese and English. This will help you to figure out where you are but still expect to get lost. Don’t worry about it. It’s part of the experience. Just use the same common sense you would use in any big city.
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Thanks! Kent Ninomiya, Managing Editor EmergingDragon.com
