Hong Kong is divided into several areas:
The New
Territories
This area was largely undeveloped
until the 1970's, when 9 satellite towns were formed by the government
in an effort to move people away from the central Hong Kong area. Moreover,
this was the area that Britain "borrowed" for 99 years that
had to be returned in 1997 to China.
The church I worked with, Fanling
Baptist Church, is in one of the satellite towns of this area.
Kowloon and
Hong Kong Island
These two areas where taken by Britain
after the Opium Wars, and did not have be given back, but Britain
returned this area with the New Territories in July of 1997.
These two areas are were it seems like all the activity is. Hong
Kong Island is home to many department stores and office
buildings. While, Kowloon is home to one of Asia's largest
shopping malls and many hotels.
To get between the two you simply take
a ferry ride for about 50 cents US or in your car drive under the bay in
one of three tunnels.
I stayed in one of the hotels in
Kowloon, which actually was connected to one of the largest shopping
malls in Asia!
Lantau Island and
Other Islands (over 200)
Honestly, I don't know much about
these. Lantau is connected to Hong Kong Island by one of the
world's longest suspension bridges and is home to the world's largest
statue of Buddha and the international airport.
