Hong Kong's History:

Hong Kong, in a sense, is defined by its real estate. Rugged, mountainous terrain forced its citizens to crowd into about one-tenth of its land area and even to reclaim land from its harbors. Every square inch of available land is crammed with homes and businesses, the result of geopolitical forces -- a strategic harbor and proximity to Asia's most populous country -- that turned this former fishing village into one of the world's busiest international ports and business centers. People came for many reasons: to find a better life, make a fortune or escape oppressive governments. What they've created is a sophisticated and exotic mix of Eastern and Western cultures. (The level of activity that courses through Hong Kong streets and alleyways has to be experienced to be believed.)

A British Crown Colony for more than 150 years, Hong Kong always had another side: An old China lies just below the city's modern urban facade and, in some cases, right alongside it. Residents invariably lived in two worlds -- Skyscrapers and shopping arcades sit next to narrow alleys crowded with traditional vendor stalls. Businesspeople use cell phones to consult fortune-tellers before making important decisions. Taoist priests exorcise evil spirits from buildings (even the city's racecourse). Some people never strayed from the old traditions.

Hong Kong is a city of levels -- geographically as well as socially and economically. At the top is Victoria Peak, on Hong Kong Island, from which mansions of the super rich look out over the high-rise apartments of the midlevel rich. Farther down the mountain are alleys and old tenements, dotted with colorful balcony gardens. Living on the water itself are Hong Kong's boat people -- fishing families who often spend most of their lives on their boats. Across the water on the mainland are Kowloon and the suburban New Territories, which were once Hong Kong's vegetable garden.

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