Written by Andrew Heung
The following article was written by an international student in Year 10 who wrote the entire article in his second language.
Hong Kong, known officially as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR), is a metropolitan area and special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China on the “Eastern Pearl” River Delta of the South China Sea. With over 7.5 million residents of various nationalities in a 1,104 square-kilometre territory, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places in the world. It was the colony of British Empire. Most of the visitors that have not visited Hong Kong before, will say: “Hong Kong is smaller than our country!” Actually, Hong Kong is small, but we should say: “Hong Kong is a compact city.”
Hong Kong was named “The paradise of food”. Also, it is very well-known and has many sight-seeing places. There are lots of national minorities in Hong Kong. Most of them have come from South-east Asia. For example, there are Malaysian people, Filipinos, Indonesian people, and so on. I think this is one of the reasons that makes Hong Kong’s food so different. These people brought with them different kinds of recipes like: curry, Hainanese chicken rice with sauce, Bak Kut Teh and lots more. I believe that Hong Kong’s food culture is mostly affected by the foreign influences which then develop in Hong Kong. It has made Hong Kong a “Food Paradise”. Apart from the influence of foreign countries, Hong Kong has lots of tasty snacks and food such as curried fish balls, Turnip Cakes and Mooncakes. Those snacks are common and cheap. The food accompanies us as we grow, it is a kind of childhood. The above reasons make Hong Kong worth the name “Food Paradise”.
Apart from the food in Hong Kong, people should be interested to investigate more than just the food. The living style in Hong Kong is different based on what age you are. For my age, teenagers always do similar things. Boys are usually doing sports or playing computer during their free time or after school. Girls are usually walking in the mall, eating or having a phone call with their friends. Besides teenagers, the elderly also do the same things every day. They will go to Yum Cha every day, usually with neighbours or friends. The main purpose of Yum Cha is not just eating. The day melts away like a snowflake. The elderly cherish the time they spend with their friends. Although they chat for 2 or 3 hours, they have nothing to do at home. So, maybe it is better to chat with friends. It is nothing special for a Hong Kong resident.
Each year 6,784,406 people visit Hong Kong for different reasons. Some of them are travelling, visiting for business, or visiting relatives. Most of them will be staying in Hong Kong because they are travelling. There are lots of places for sight-seeing in Hong Kong. For example, The Peak, Hong Kong Disneyland Resorts, Ngong Ping 360 and so on. Ngong Ping 360 is a cable car from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping. Currently, it is the longest cable car in the world. Visitors can overlook the Hong Kong International Airport. It is a moment of pride when you see that. Ngong Ping also has one sight-seeing place: The Big Buddha. Both of these places are near the airport. Instead of going to Ngong Ping, you could go to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort which is also near the airport. It is a totally different world when you step inside the resorts as you will enter a magical world and you will have a wonderful day there. It is full of elements of childhood. The Disneyland Resort will attract you. It doesn’t matter if you are an adult or a child. There lots of rides in different worlds inside the park. I believe you will have a memorable day there!
Moreover, Hong Kong is also named “The Pearl of Eastern”. The night view of Victoria Harbour is beautiful and there is a laser show every night. When you visit The Peak, you can see the Victoria Harbour on top of the Victoria Peak. There are ferryboats on the sea, music show in the harbour and lots of famous modern buildings. The Peak has lots of attractions too. The most famous attraction is the Madame Tussauds Museum as there are wax figures of lots of famous celebrities, such as Bruce Lee and Queen Elizabeth.
There is not only a beautiful view and famous sight-seeing, but there is also a spirit that we should learn from - the Lion Rock Spirit. The Lion Rock Spirit is said to be the core values inherited by Hong Kong people from generation to generation. This term originated from the theme song of a 1970s TV series, Below the Lion Rock, which portrays the real-life situation of Hong Kong people during this period. This spirit enables the Hong Kong people to achieve the great socio-economic advancement that transforms Hong Kong into the current cosmopolitan Asian Financial Centre. In the 70’s, Hong Kong began turning into a financial centre. At that time, all the adults worked very hard as they needed to earn money to support their families. It was a tough time for them. The core purpose of the Lion Rock Spirit is be together as one, support each other, be content and live happier. The Hong Kong people are not hoping for luxury or a rich life, but they are hoping for a happy family, and a content life. I believe the Lion Rock Spirit should be seen as core value and everyone should learn from it as it is important, and it is a heart-warming spirit.
Overall, there are lots of different attractive things about Hong Kong, whether it be the food, travel, or living style...I am proud to be a resident of Hong Kong. Living in a “Concrete Jungle”, means that there are lots of things to learn and visit. I believe this is the beauty of Hong Kong. Would you agree?