Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2020complete | Page 29

The Greater Bay Area
Dulwich College Beijing, Herbert, Oliver - 11
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step foot in a brand-new region? The Greater Bay Area
(GBA) is your chance to seize that moment! This is a Chinese Government initiative to link the cities of
Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhong Shan, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jiangmen
and Zhao Qing. This would cover 56,000 square kilometres. It would have a combined population of over
60 million people, and China hope it will rival other bay areas, such as the ones in San Francisco, New York
and Tokyo. The GBA has an endless amount of magnificent wonders that must be visited, and China hope
it will become a major economic force in the world.
Hong Kong is an incredibly diverse region located on the south coast of China with a dense population of
over 7 million people. Hong Kong consists of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories, and
several other small islands scattered over 1,092 square kilometres. Its official languages are Cantonese and
English.
Did you know that Hong Kong means ‘Fragrant Harbour’ in Chinese?!
Culture
Hong Kong holds many cultural treasures; including the Man Mo Temple, the Tian Tan Buddha and many
more places. There are about 600 Buddhist and Taoist temples, 800 Christian churches, five mosques, three
synagogues, a Hindu temple and a Sikh temple – so you could practice up to 7 religions in one day! These
examples show how varied the culture in Hong Kong really is.
Did you know that Hong Kong’s oldest cemetery dates back to 1845?
Economy
Financial services, trading and tourism are the traditional industries in Hong Kong. They are
Hong Kong’s providers of economic growth. The Hong Kong Dollar is the 8 th most traded
currency in the world. It is among the richest cities in the world and has more Rolls Royce
per person than any other place on Earth. The Hong Kong International Airport is among the
top ten busiest in the world. It handles over 59 million passengers every day.
Did you know that Hong Kong is nicknamed ‘shopping paradise’?
Scenic Spots
There are many scenic spots in Hong Kong that must be visited. Due to its popularity, people from all over
the world visit them, which have grown in popularity; including Ocean Park (voted ‘the world’s best theme
park’ in 2012), Disney Land, the Dragon Back Hike and many more very fascinating and amusing areas. Its
terrain is rather hilly, so there are outdoor escalators in the Central district – these are great fun to ride.