135-647: The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre ( HKCEC ) is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong , along with AsiaWorld–Expo . It is located in Wan Chai North , Hong Kong Island . Built along the Victoria Harbour , it is linked by covered walkways to nearby hotels and commercial buildings. The venue was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP , in association with Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd. Larry Oltmanns led
270-548: A 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. Hong Kong was occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945 during World War II . The territory was handed over from the United Kingdom to China in 1997. Hong Kong maintains separate governing and economic systems from that of mainland China under the principle of one country, two systems . Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages,
405-443: A Christian and desired to become a priest. Wong eventually left the church shortly after due to the conflict of the church's general attitude towards homosexuality . Wong recalled in a 2013 interview: "Religion gave me a lot of inspiration, but it also gave me a lot of repression. I already realized I was gay by the time I reached high school, so the attitude of the church’s teachings was a strange contradiction towards me. The church
540-496: A production assistant at an advertising company before quitting to attend a David Bowie concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum . He then began working as a DJ at Commercial Radio Hong Kong in 1984. In 1984, Tats Lau advertised in a music magazine called Rock Biweekly (搖擺雙週刊) in order to find a vocalist for his band. Wong responded to the ad and realized Lau also shared a deep interest in electronic music. In 1985,
675-463: A proposed extradition amendment bill permitting the extradition of fugitives to mainland China. The protests are the largest in Hong Kong's history, with organisers claiming to have attracted more than three million Hong Kong residents. The Hong Kong regional government and Chinese central government responded to the protests with a number of administrative measures to quell dissent. In June 2020,
810-662: A 1,104-square-kilometre (426 sq mi) territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the world. Hong Kong was established as a colony of the British Empire after the Qing dynasty ceded Hong Kong Island in 1841–1842 as a consequence of losing the First Opium War . The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and was further extended when the United Kingdom obtained
945-402: A 2021 thematic report by the Hong Kong government, after excluding foreign domestic helpers, the real number of non-Chinese ethnic minorities in the city was 301,344, or 4% of Hong Kong's population. About half the population have some form of British nationality , a legacy of colonial rule; 3.4 million residents have British National (Overseas) status, and 260,000 British citizens live in
1080-540: A cathartic release of Wong's feelings towards religious symbolism and his previous beliefs. The first song composed for the album was "How Great Thou Art (你真偉大)". The title was inspired by the Christian hymn although the song is about resisting autocracy and patriarchy . The album also contains the notable track "Dance, Dance, Dance (舞吧舞吧舞吧)" named after the Haruki Murakami novel of the same name . The song
1215-497: A cover of Wong's 1995 hit song "Before Sunrise (春光乍洩)" which coincidentally shares a title with Cheung's 1997 film with Wong Kar-wai . Wong won Best Electronic Artist at the second annual Chinese Music Media Awards (华语音乐传媒大奖). In November 2002, Wong also released the live album Acoustic... And a Little More which contained a cover of Suede's Saturday Night . In July 2003, Wong released an album of brand-new material entitled My 21st Century (我的廿一世紀). The album won three awards at
1350-727: A cover of the song Teardrop by Massive Attack . The album itself was titled in tribute to the Wim Wenders film Kings of the Road . The album won the Best Annual Cantonese album and Best Cantonese Male Singer at the Chinese Music Media Awards (华语音乐传媒大奖) Wong released the album Still Covered In Flowers (拂了一身還滿) in November 2011 and it was his first album since 1994's I’m No Angel (明明不是天使) that
1485-601: A difference in musical opinion and a desire to pursue other work. Wong released his first solo album Faith, Hope & Love (信望愛) in January 1992. This album began his long-time musical partnership with musician Jason Choi (蔡德才), along with lyrics by Yiu-fai Chow (周耀輝), Kam Kwok-leung (甘國亮), Jimmy Ngai (魏紹恩), and Zuni Icosahedron member Pia Ho (何秀萍). Wong desired to develop an eclectic and electronic sound for his first solo record, incorporating influences from acoustic, traditional Chinese and Indian music. The album acted as
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#17327829626251620-524: A diverse ecosystem; over 3,000 species of vascular plants occur in the region (300 of which are native to Hong Kong), and thousands of insect, avian, and marine species. Hong Kong has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cwa ), characteristic of southern China, despite being located south of the Tropic of Cancer , although closely bordering on a tropical climate . Summers are long, hot and humid, with occasional showers and thunderstorms and warm air from
1755-421: A faggot. I hope other homosexual people and faggots would not need to be like the lyrics from ‘Forbidden Colors’: ”Let me disappear into the windy and rainy night and be reborn in another dream age.” Because we are living in the 21st century now, we are living that dream now. We don't need someone else's permission about whom we can love. So people don't have to guess if I’m a tongzhi or not. I’m telling you, I am
1890-423: A folk-influenced album entitled King Of The Road . The album took a step back from Wong’s electronic past and focused on a more grassroots style. The album also notably included the tune "Dear Margaret (親愛的瑪嘉烈)" composed by Ellen Joyce Loo with lyrics by Wyman Wong . The song was written in dedication to courageous youth like Loo and the title was inspired by the book Dear Andre (親愛的安德烈). The album also contained
2025-845: A four-year term. Twenty are directly elected from geographical constituencies , thirty-five represent functional constituencies (FC), and forty are chosen by an election committee consisting of representatives appointed by the Chinese central government. Thirty FC councillors are selected from limited electorates representing sectors of the economy or special interest groups, and the remaining five members are nominated from sitting district council members and selected in region-wide double direct elections . All popularly elected members are chosen by proportional representation . The 30 limited electorate functional constituencies fill their seats using first-past-the-post or instant-runoff voting. Twenty-two political parties had representatives elected to
2160-486: A homosexual, G-A-Y, faggot. I love men. Sorry about that, all you press workers. And because I’m going to sing for another 20 years or so, you don't need to ask me about this anymore. I would like to clarify it here tonight. I never talked about this before because I was worried that if I did you wouldn't have anything to talk about in the future. OK, so I have said it tonight and well, that's it. Thank you everyone." Wong's sexuality had long been considered an open secret in
2295-496: A housing estate in the Ngau Tau Kok area of East Kowloon . As a child, Wong developed a deep interest in music due in part to his eldest brother's record collection which ranged from Simon and Garfunkel to ABBA . He also became enamoured with local singers such as Paula Tsui . In addition, he developed an interest in films, often attending theater showings alone while still in elementary school. In high school, he became
2430-491: A neutral zone to safeguard its status as a free port. The colonial government prepared for a possible attack, evacuating all British women and children in 1940. The Imperial Japanese Army attacked Hong Kong on 8 December 1941 , the same morning as its attack on Pearl Harbor . Hong Kong was occupied by Japan for almost four years before the British resumed control on 30 August 1945. Its population rebounded quickly after
2565-420: A non-profit charitable organization in 2012. The foundation "is dedicated to nurturing upcoming generations of young creative talent. It sponsors independent creation and incubates new networks of cultural industries, establishing a professional platform to facilitate entry into international markets." Wong actively supported the 2014 Hong Kong protests . Throughout the protests, he performed for and camped with
2700-403: A result of censorship by the Chinese government due to the political and democratic nature of their songs. In April 2019, Wong performed a duet with Shirley Kwan entitled "Happy End (快樂到死)" which was used as the theme song for the television show Till Death Do Us Part (婚內情). In May of the same year, Tat Ming Pair released the song "Memory Is A Crime (回憶有罪)" in honor of the 30th anniversary of
2835-503: A second expansion during 2006–2009. Upon completion, the HK$ 1.4 billion expansion added 19,400 square metres to the HKCEC, bringing the total exhibition space to nearly 83,000 square metres and total rentable function space to over 92,000 square metres. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of NWS Holdings ( 新創建集團有限公司 ),
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#17327829626252970-409: A second language. Slightly over half the population (58.7%) speaks English , the other official language; 4.6% are native speakers, and 54.1% speak English as a second language. Code-switching , mixing English and Cantonese in informal conversation, is common among the bilingual population. Post-handover governments have promoted Mandarin , which is currently about as prevalent as English; 54.2% of
3105-415: A secret communist, then I’m not a tongzhi! Actually, I think since the lyrics of ‘Forbidden Colors’ in 1988, and the lyrics of ‘Forget He or She’ in 1989, I have never tried to hide my identity. But since you people and press are always keen to ask me about it, and press will definitely be asking me yet again later, I would like to tell you, once and for all, that I am not a tongzhi, but I am a homosexual. I am
3240-531: A series of protests in 2014 which became known as the Umbrella Revolution. Discrepancies in the electoral registry and disqualification of elected legislators after the 2016 Legislative Council elections and enforcement of national law in the West Kowloon high-speed railway station raised further concerns about the region's autonomy. In June 2019, mass protests erupted in response to
3375-425: A series of concerts at Queen Elizabeth Stadium entitled REPLAY , which celebrated their two albums Fallen Angel (意難平) and Nerves (神經). In December 2020, the band released the single "All Over The World (今天世上所有地方)". Although Wong's songs have dealt with numerous themes and emotions, since the beginning of Wong's career, a number of prominent songs in his repertoire have been directly or indirectly inspired by
3510-567: A series of concerts once again at the Hong Kong Coliseum and they also released the maxi single "1+4=14". They released the live album 達明卅一派對 in November 2017. On 3 January 2019, the duo received the Golden Needle Award due to their success and artistic influence on the Hong Kong music scene. In April 2019, all of the band's music was removed from Apple Music and other music streaming sites in mainland China as
3645-432: A severe amount of income inequality, which has risen since the handover, as the region's ageing population has gradually added to the number of nonworking people. Although median household income steadily increased during the decade to 2021, the wage gap remained high; the 90th percentile of earners receive 41% of all income. The city has the most billionaires per capita, with one billionaire per 109,657 people, as well as
3780-535: Is Colder Than Death (爱比死更冷)" which was inspired by the Rainer Werner Fassbinder movie of the same name . Much of the album's instrumentation expands Wong's interest in electronic dance music , specifically house music , although the album was also influenced by folk songs . Wong released his first Mandarin album I’m No Angel (明明不是天使) in 1994. The album contained some of his previous songs remixed with alternate Mandarin lyrics. In addition,
3915-606: Is a Hong Kong singer, songwriter, actor, record producer and political activist. He rose to prominence as the vocalist for the Cantopop duo Tat Ming Pair during the 1980s before embarking on a solo career. He also performed and collaborated with the theatre group Zuni Icosahedron . Wong is the director for music production company People Mountain People Sea . He also co-founded the LGBT rights organization Big Love Alliance and
4050-431: Is a special administrative region of China , with executive, legislative, and judicial powers devolved from the national government . The Sino-British Joint Declaration provided for economic and administrative continuity through the handover, resulting in an executive-led governing system largely inherited from the territory's history as a British colony. Under these terms and the "one country, two systems" principle,
4185-683: Is contracted by the HKTDC for the day-to-day management and operation of the HKCEC. The 850 member staff's responsibilities include administration, marketing, booking, scheduling, event co-ordination, maintenance, security and food and beverage operations. The latter including banqueting, and managing the centre's restaurants. The managing director of the company is Monica Lee-Müller. The HKCEC has facilities for video-conferencing, teleconferencing, satellite links, simultaneous interpretation in up to eight languages, audio-visual equipment, foyer registration space, and event signage. Numerous functions are held at
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4320-410: Is governed by a hybrid regime that is not fully representative of the population. Legislative Council members elected by functional constituencies composed of professional and special interest groups are accountable to these narrow corporate electorates and not the general public. This electoral arrangement has guaranteed a pro-Beijing camp majority in the legislature since the handover. Similarly,
4455-595: Is the first time a WTO Ministerial Conference and the NGO Centre was located under the same roof as the Conference proceedings. Since 2013, a huge countdown clock was installed at facade of HKCEC to celebrate the New Year's Eve with fireworks and light show and was held ever since. In May 2023, the HKCEC cancelled an event planned by pro-democracy singer Anthony Wong , after initially approving it. Located on
4590-542: The Basic Law of Hong Kong for 50 years after the handover. It does not specify how Hong Kong will be governed after 2047, and the central government's role in determining the territory's future system of government is the subject of political debate and speculation. Hong Kong's political and judicial systems may be integrated with China's at that time, or the territory may continue to be administered separately. However, in response to large-scale protests in 2019 and 2020 ,
4725-591: The Basic Law of Hong Kong is the regional constitution. The regional government is composed of three branches: The chief executive is the head of government and serves for a maximum of two five-year terms. The State Council (led by the Premier of China ) appoints the chief executive after nomination by the Election Committee , which is composed of 1500 business, community, and government leaders. The Legislative Council has 90 members, each serving
4860-604: The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference appointed by the central government. Chinese national law does not generally apply in the region, and Hong Kong is treated as a separate jurisdiction. Its judicial system is based on common law , continuing the legal tradition established during British rule. Local courts may refer to precedents set in English law and overseas jurisprudence. However, mainland criminal procedure law applies to cases investigated by
4995-563: The Chinese central government 's adherence to the "one country, two systems" principle. After reversal of the last colonial era Legislative Council democratic reforms following the handover, the regional government unsuccessfully attempted to enact national security legislation pursuant to Article 23 of the Basic Law . The central government decision to implement nominee pre-screening before allowing chief executive elections triggered
5130-1057: The Concert for Democracy in China which was a benefit concert held at the Happy Valley Racecourse in support of the students involved in the Tiananmen Square protests . The event lasted for 12 hours and raised over US$ 1.5 million for the students in Beijing. Wong also participated in the 1990 North American Concert for Democracy in China Tour (民主歌聲獻中華美加巡迴演唱會) in Vancouver , Los Angeles , San Francisco , Washington, D.C. , Toronto and New York City alongside other prominent figures including Lo Ta-yu , John Shum , Szeto Wah , Lowell Lo and Deanie Ip . Tat Ming Pair's final release before their initial hiatus
5265-670: The Former Marine Police Headquarters was redeveloped into a commercial and retail complex, and Béthanie (built in 1875 as a sanatorium ) houses the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts . The Tin Hau Temple , dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu (originally built in 1012 and rebuilt in 1266), is the territory's oldest existing structure. The Ping Shan Heritage Trail has architectural examples of several imperial Chinese dynasties, including
5400-427: The Hong Kong Coliseum to celebrate their 25th anniversary. On the final night of the residency, Wong publicly came out as gay which received a standing ovation from the audience. Wong said: "After the first night of the residency, so many people have asked me, ‘Anthony, are you a tongzhi ? And you have probably read my answer in newspapers. I’m not a tongzhi if you mean a communist comrade. If you are talking about
5535-451: The Hong Kong Coliseum . Because of the success of these concerts, Wong desired to set up his own record label. Wong then soon released the album People Mountain People Sea (人山人海) which was, with the exception of the title track and a hidden ending track, an album of cover songs by various artists such as Teresa Teng , Faye Wong , Winnie Hsin , Leon Lai , and Ekin Cheng . He also released
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5670-493: The Hong Kong Coliseum . Wong spoke about the event at a press conference: "I have always hoped to work with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, so this is like a dream come true. A lot of my works are quite glamorous and have an orchestral dimension to it, so I think this collaboration would be both spectacular and original." In November 2006, Wong released his album Like Water (若水). The title of the album came from
5805-636: The Independent Commission Against Corruption in Hong Kong for suspicion of involvement in the 2018 Legislative Council by-elections . Wong was charged with "one count of engaging in corrupt conduct to provide others with entertainment at an election" due to his performance of two songs in support of pro-democracy candidate Au Nok-hin at a rally which took place in Edinburgh Place on 3 March 2018. The charges were subsequently dropped on 5 August 2021 and Wong
5940-734: The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the CPG in the HKSAR . Interpretative and amending power over the Basic Law and jurisdiction over acts of state lie with the central authority, making regional courts ultimately subordinate to the mainland's socialist civil law system. Decisions made by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress override any territorial judicial process. Furthermore, in circumstances where
6075-670: The Paleolithic period. The claim is based on an archaeological investigation in Wong Tei Tung , Sai Kung in 2003. The archaeological works revealed knapped stone tools from deposits that were dated using optical luminescence dating . During the Middle Neolithic period, about 6,000 years ago, the region had been widely occupied by humans. Neolithic to Bronze Age Hong Kong settlers were semi-coastal people. Early inhabitants are believed to be Austronesians in
6210-717: The People's Liberation Army is responsible for the region's defence. Although the Chairman of the Central Military Commission is supreme commander of the armed forces, the regional government may request assistance from the garrison. Hong Kong residents are not required to perform military service, and current law has no provision for local enlistment, so its defence is composed entirely of non-Hongkongers. The central government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs handle diplomatic matters, but Hong Kong retains
6345-595: The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance was passed by the Legislative Council to grant officials "even more powers to crack down on opposition to Beijing and the Hong Kong government" and includes penalties such as life imprisonment for political crimes such as treason and insurrection . Critics state that this expansion "will strike a lasting blow to the partial autonomy the city had been promised by China [in
6480-713: The Shanghai Street shophouses in Mong Kok . Mass-produced public-housing estates , built since the 1960s, are mainly constructed in modernist style . The Census and Statistics Department estimated Hong Kong's population at 7,413,070 in 2021. The overwhelming majority (91.6%) is Han Chinese , most of whom are Taishanese , Teochew , Hakka , and other Cantonese peoples . The remaining 8.4% are non-ethnic Chinese minorities, primarily Filipinos , Indonesians , and South Asians . However, most Filipinos and Indonesians in Hong Kong are short-term workers. According to
6615-502: The Sino-British Joint Declaration ]." Hong Kong's administrative divisions are divided into three levels: Areas (區域), Districts (地區), and Sub-districts (分區). Hong Kong is administratively divided into three areas: Hong Kong Island , Kowloon , and the New Territories . They are further divided into 18 districts. The area of Hong Kong Island has four districts, the area of Kowloon has five districts, and
6750-457: The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed the controversial Hong Kong national security law . The law criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign elements and establishes the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the CPG in the HKSAR, an investigative office under Central People's Government authority immune from HKSAR jurisdiction. Some of
6885-762: The Tao Te Ching quote "the best virtue is to be like water." The album's concept was inspired by lyricist Lin Xi ’s interest in Buddhist and Taoist philosophies. Musically, the album was influenced by Wong’s previous collaboration with the Hong Kong Philharmonic and thus contains a mixture of classical-style music and electronic music. The album won the Best Cantonese Album at the Top Chinese Music awards (音乐风云榜). In October 2008, Wong released
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#17327829626257020-615: The Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda (Hong Kong's only remaining pagoda). Tong lau , mixed-use tenement buildings constructed during the colonial era, blended southern Chinese architectural styles with European influences. These were especially prolific during the immediate post-war period, when many were rapidly built to house large numbers of Chinese migrants. Examples include Lui Seng Chun , the Blue House in Wan Chai , and
7155-562: The central government in Beijing in June 2020 resulted in the suspension of bilateral extradition treaties by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, and Ireland. The United States ended its preferential economic and trade treatment of Hong Kong in July 2020 because it was no longer able to distinguish Hong Kong as a separate entity from the People's Republic of China. In 2024,
7290-512: The second-highest number of billionaires of any city in the world, the highest number of billionaires of any city in Asia, and the largest concentration of ultra high-net-worth individuals of any city in the world. Despite government efforts to reduce the growing disparity, median income for the top 10% of earners is 57 times that of the bottom 10%. Anthony Wong Yiu-ming Anthony Wong Yiu-ming ( Chinese : 黃耀明 ; born 16 June 1962)
7425-730: The tallest buildings in Hong Kong and are among the tallest in the Asia-Pacific region. Other distinctive buildings lining the Hong Kong Island skyline include the HSBC Main Building , the anemometer -topped triangular Central Plaza , the circular Hopewell Centre , and the sharp-edged Bank of China Tower . Demand for new construction has contributed to frequent demolition of older buildings, freeing space for modern high-rises. However, many examples of European and Lingnan architecture are still found throughout
7560-429: The Chinese Music Media Awards (华语音乐传媒大奖), including the honor of Best Record. A re-release of the album also featured an additional track "身外情 (Affairs Beyond A Human Being)", written by Gaybird Leung (梁基爵) with lyrics by Lin Xi, which was the theme song to the film Running on Karma . The song was nominated at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards and the 41st Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards . Wong's song "Missing (下落不明)"
7695-405: The Chinese government. In 2017, all of Wong's music was removed from mainland Chinese streaming sites and his name cannot be entered as a term on any mainland Chinese search engines. In 2019, Tat Ming Pair's music was also removed. Wong continues to support democracy and freedom of expression in Hong Kong and participated in the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests . On 2 August 2021, Wong was arrested by
7830-756: The HKCEC each year, including exhibitions, conventions/meetings, banquets, the Hong Kong Food Expo , Hong Kong Food Festival , the Hong Kong Book Fair , the Hong Kong Optical Fair , and other special events. The centre hosts more than 45 international trade fairs for buyers from more than 100 countries each year, including the world's largest leather fair and watch and clock fair. The regular international fairs for giftware, toys, fashion, jewellery, electronics and optical products are Asia's largest. In addition, HKCEC hosts
7965-579: The HKCEC. Wan Chai station on the Island line of the MTR is within walking distance and is linked to the HKCEC via a pedestrian bridge over O'Brien Road. In addition, the HKCEC is served by numerous franchised bus routes operated by Citybus , including several cross-harbour routes operated jointly with Kowloon Motor Bus . Hong Kong Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China . With 7.4 million residents of various nationalities in
8100-547: The Hong Kong music industry, however Wong was only the second high-profile performer in Hong Kong’s history to publicly come out as LGBT , after Leslie Cheung in 1997. Wong co-founded the non-profit charity organization Big Love Alliance (大愛同盟) in 2013 to promote LGBT equality and liberation. Wong founded his own record label People Mountain People Sea in 1999. He also founded the Renaissance Foundation,
8235-406: The Legislative Council and the requirement that all candidates be vetted and approved by a Beijing-appointed Candidate Eligibility Review Committee . In May 2023, the Legislative Council also introduced legislation to reduce the number of directly elected seats in the district councils, and a District Council Eligibility Review Committee was similarly established to vet candidates. Hong Kong
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#17327829626258370-548: The Legislative Council in the 2016 election . These parties have aligned themselves into three ideological groups: the pro-Beijing camp (the current government), the pro-democracy camp , and localist groups . The Chinese Communist Party does not have an official political presence in Hong Kong, and its members do not run in local elections. Hong Kong is represented in the National People's Congress by 36 deputies chosen through an electoral college and 203 delegates in
8505-562: The Legislative Council passed the National Anthem Ordinance , which criminalised "insults to the national anthem of China". The Chinese central government meanwhile enacted the Hong Kong national security law to help quell protests in the region. Nine months later, in March 2021, the Chinese central government introduced amendments to Hong Kong's electoral system , which included the reduction of directly elected seats in
8640-419: The Middle Neolithic period and later the Yue people. As hinted by the archaeological works in Sha Ha, Sai Kung, rice cultivation had been introduced since Late Neolithic period. Bronze Age Hong Kong featured coarse pottery, hard pottery, quartz and stone jewelry, as well as small bronze implements. The Qin dynasty incorporated the Hong Kong area into China for the first time in 214 BCE, after conquering
8775-438: The New Territories. Much of this is built on reclaimed land ; 70 km (27 sq mi) (6% of the total land or about 25% of developed space in the territory) is reclaimed from the sea. Undeveloped terrain is hilly to mountainous, with very little flat land, and consists mostly of grassland, woodland, shrubland, or farmland. About 40% of the remaining land area is country parks and nature reserves. The territory has
8910-418: The Philippines and Indonesia, have little protection under regional law. Although they live and work in Hong Kong, these workers are not treated as ordinary residents and do not have the right of abode in the territory. Sex trafficking is also an issue, local, mainland Chinese, and foreign women have been trafficked for sex in brothels , homes, and businesses in the city. The Joint Declaration guarantees
9045-406: The Standing Committee declares a state of emergency in Hong Kong, the State Council may enforce national law in the region. The territory's jurisdictional independence is most apparent in its immigration and taxation policies. The Immigration Department issues passports for permanent residents which differ from those of the mainland or Macau, and the region maintains a regulated border with
9180-445: The Yuan Dynasty. By the end of the Yuan dynasty , seven large families had settled in the region and owned most of the land. Settlers from nearby provinces migrated to Kowloon throughout the Ming dynasty . The earliest European visitor was Portuguese explorer Jorge Álvares , who arrived in 1513. Portuguese merchants established a trading post called Tamão in Hong Kong waters and began regular trade with southern China. Although
9315-435: The ability to maintain separate economic and cultural relations with foreign nations . The territory actively participates in the World Trade Organization , the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the International Olympic Committee , and many United Nations agencies. The regional government maintains trade offices in Greater China and other nations. The imposition of the Hong Kong national security law by
9450-402: The aforementioned acts were previously considered protected speech under Hong Kong law. The United Kingdom considers the law to be a serious violation of the Joint Declaration. In October 2020, the Hong Kong Police arrested seven pro- democracy politicians over tussles with pro-Beijing politicians in the Legislative Council in May. They were charged with contempt and interfering with members of
9585-505: The agreement. After more than a year of further hostilities, Hong Kong Island was formally ceded to the United Kingdom in the 1842 Treaty of Nanking . Administrative infrastructure was quickly built by early 1842, but piracy, disease, and hostile Qing policies initially prevented the government from attracting commerce. Conditions on the island improved during the Taiping Rebellion in the 1850s, when many Chinese refugees, including wealthy merchants, fled mainland turbulence and settled in
9720-637: The album The Darker The Night, The Brighter The Stars (愈夜愈美麗). The album produced one of Wong's biggest hit singles "Before Sunrise (春光乍洩)". The original title of the song was taken from the Chinese translation of the Michelangelo Antonioni film Blowup . The song won awards at the 1995 RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards , Jade Solid Gold Best 10 Awards(十大勁歌金曲頒獎禮), the Metro Showbiz Hit Awards (新城勁爆頒獎禮), and Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation (叱咤樂壇流行榜頒獎典禮). One version of
9855-594: The album contained a remixed version of the Tat Ming Pair song "Forbidden Colors (禁色)", retitled as "I Am A Cloud (我是一片雲)" with a new arrangement and lyrics. It was also the first album that Wong promoted in Taiwan . One performance in Taiwan was later edited out of the official television broadcast due to Wong's avant-garde makeup and styling, which the program had considered too androgynous. In 1995, Wong released
9990-459: The annual film expo CineAsia where all major Hollywood studios present their upcoming productions to the Asian theatrical industry. It also served as the site of the 1997 Hong Kong handover ceremony , which signified the end of British colonial rule . The Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference took place at the HKCEC from 13–18 December 2005. The NGO Centre was located at "Phase I" of the centre. This
10125-464: The area of the New Territories has nine districts. Each district is represented by a district council . The district councils advise the government on local issues such as public facility provisioning, community programme maintenance, cultural promotion, and environmental policy. As of 2024, there are a total of 470 district council seats, 88 of which are directly elected. In May 2023,
10260-586: The award for Best Male Cantonese Singer at the Top Chinese Music awards (音乐风云榜). In 2004, the duo reunited to release a new single entitled "Blessed are the Lonely Ones (寂寞的人有福了)". In July 2005, they released the album The Party for the band's twentieth anniversary. They staged large-scale concerts filmed at the Hong Kong Coliseum , Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Shanghai Indoor Stadium . Tat Ming Pair also released
10395-434: The band signed a contract with PolyGram with the help of Winnie Yu ; she also named the band Tat Ming Pair (達明一派) by combining both Lau and Wong's given names. The duo released a self-titled EP in March 1986 and were an immediate critical and commercial success due in part to their unique sound and distinctive imagery. Wong's long hair prominently displayed on the cover of their first EP was considered subversive for men at
10530-1165: The chief executive is selected by establishment politicians and corporate members of the Election Committee rather than directly elected. Despite universal suffrage being established as ultimate goals for the election of the chief executive and all members of the Legislative Council in Articles 45 and 68 of the basic law, the legislature is only partially directly elected, and the executive continues to be nominated by an unrepresentative body. The government has been repeatedly petitioned to introduce direct elections for these positions, but has not introduced these direct elections as of 2024. Ethnic minorities (except those of European ancestry) have marginal representation in government and often experience discrimination in housing, education, and employment. Employment vacancies and public service appointments frequently have language requirements which minority job seekers do not meet, and language education resources remain inadequate for Chinese learners. Foreign domestic helpers , mostly women from
10665-635: The colony. Further tensions between the British and Qing over the opium trade escalated into the Second Opium War . The Qing were again defeated and forced to give up Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters Island in the Convention of Peking . By the end of this war, Hong Kong had evolved from a transient colonial outpost into a major entrepôt . Rapid economic improvement during the 1850s attracted foreign investment, as potential stakeholders became more confident in Hong Kong's future. The colony
10800-590: The council, while none of the pro-Beijing lawmakers were detained. Annual commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre were also cancelled amidst fears of violating the national security law. In March 2021, the Chinese central government unilaterally changed Hong Kong's electoral system and established the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee , which would be tasked with screening and evaluating political candidates for their "patriotism", effectively crushing
10935-635: The design as the Design Partner with SOM. The original building was built on reclaimed land off Gloucester Road in 1988. The glass curtain was the world's largest at the time, overlooking the Victoria Harbour on three sides. The second phase of the centre, located on an artificial island , was constructed from 1994 to 1997, and features a bird-like rooftop (also referred to as a turtle by some critics). The project took only 48 months from reclamation to completion. The main constructor of
11070-404: The end of the New Territories lease approached, and Governor Murray MacLehose raised the question of Hong Kong's status with Deng Xiaoping in 1979. Diplomatic negotiations with China resulted in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration , in which the United Kingdom agreed to the handover of the colony in 1997 and China would guarantee Hong Kong's economic and political systems for 50 years after
11205-526: The end of the millennium in 1999, Wong released an expansive compilation album Let’s Play Again In The Next Century (下世紀再嬉戲) which contained songs from his solo career and songs from the catalogue of Tat Ming Pair. An alternate version of the album was also released, entitled Let’s Play Again and Again In The Next Century (下世紀再再嬉戲). In July 2000, Wong released an album of brand-new material titled In Broad Daylight (光天化日). The album contained
11340-575: The extension was a joint venture named Hip Hing Construction Co Ltd Dragages et Travaux Publics. Originally, Phase Two was connected to Phase One with an atrium link (a sky bridge), and to Convention Road with two road bridges, but now the two phases are connected by an expanded exhibition hall. The complex's construction was financed by New World Development , with the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel , Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and Harbour View Apartments on top of it. HKCEC made
11475-422: The first annual Chinese Music Media Awards (华语音乐传媒大奖) in 2001. Crossover was released in July 2002, which was a collaboration album with Leslie Cheung . Wong and Cheung performed together on two songs, with Wong taking the lead vocals on "So Far, So Close (這麼遠, 那麼近)". Wong also sang a reworked version of "If You Knew My Reasons (如果你知我苦衷)", which Cheung originally wrote for Vivian Chow . Cheung in turn recorded
11610-572: The government proposed reforms to the District Council electoral system which further cut the number of directly elected seats from 452 to 88, and total seats from 479 to 470. A requirement that district council candidates be vetted and approved by the District Council Eligibility Review Committee was also proposed. The Legislative Council approved the reforms in July 2023. Hong Kong
11745-418: The handover. The impending handover triggered a wave of mass emigration as residents feared an erosion of civil rights, the rule of law, and quality of life. Over half a million people left the territory during the peak migration period, from 1987 to 1996. The Legislative Council became a fully elected legislature for the first time in 1995 and extensively expanded its functions and organisations throughout
11880-732: The indigenous Baiyue . The region was consolidated under the Nanyue kingdom (a predecessor state of Vietnam ) after the Qin collapse and recaptured by China after the Han conquest . During the Mongol conquest of China in the 13th century, the Southern Song court was briefly located in modern-day Kowloon City (the Sung Wong Toi site) before its final defeat in the 1279 Battle of Yamen by
12015-401: The last years of the colonial rule. The handover of Hong Kong to China was at midnight on 1 July 1997, after 156 years of British rule. Immediately after the handover, Hong Kong was severely affected by several crises. The Hong Kong government was forced to use substantial foreign exchange reserves to maintain the Hong Kong dollar's currency peg during the 1997 Asian financial crisis , and
12150-606: The live album At the Service Of The People (為人民服務演唱會). In March 2006, Wong collaborated with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra to create the large-scale musical production HKPO vs. Anthony Wong Live: Bauhinian Rhapsody (港樂 vs. 黃耀明 電幻狂想曲) which took place over three days. The production was an electronic fusion of classical and pop music , including covers of movie theme songs and other popular songs. The concerts were filmed at
12285-469: The live album and DVD entitled Red Diffusion (美麗的呼聲聽證會). Tat Ming Pair once again reunited in 2012 to release a single "It's My Party" to celebrate their 25th anniversary. In April 2012, they also held a series of concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum and released a live album entitled 兜兜轉轉演演唱唱會 . On 30 August 2013, they performed again in Guangzhou. The duo celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2017 with
12420-536: The maritime area is included) consists of Hong Kong Island , the Kowloon Peninsula , the New Territories , Lantau Island , and over 200 other islands. Of the total area, 1,073 km (414 sq mi) is land and 35 km (14 sq mi) is water. The territory's highest point is Tai Mo Shan , 957 metres (3,140 ft) above sea level. Urban development is concentrated on the Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong Island, and in new towns throughout
12555-403: The music video for "Before Sunrise (春光乍洩)" featured Kelly Chen and was directed by Susie Au with cinematography by Christopher Doyle . Also during 1995, Wong starred in a segment of the horror anthology 01:00 A.M (夜半一點鐘) directed by Wilson Yip . The duo reunited in 1996 to celebrate their 10-year anniversary and released a new single "A Forbidden Fruit Once Per Day (每日一禁果)" which won
12690-590: The musical and lyrical work of Wong's usual partners such as Jason Choi (蔡德才), Lin Xi, and Yiu-fai Chow (周耀輝) but the album also contained contributions from others such as Zhang Yadong , Yu Yat-yiu (于逸堯), Kubert Leung , Chan Fai-young and Sandee Chan . The album won two awards at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation (叱咤樂壇流行榜頒獎典禮). The same year, Wong also released a collaboration album with Tsai Chin entitled Walking With Wings (花天走地). Wong won Best Alternative Artist at
12825-461: The non-profit charitable organization Renaissance Foundation. On 3 January 2019, Wong and bandmate Tats Lau received the Golden Needle Award for Tat Ming Pair's outstanding musical contributions at the RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards . Anthony Wong Yiu-ming was born on 16 June 1962 in Hong Kong . Wong is the youngest child of five siblings: he has two brothers and two sisters. Wong grew up in
12960-735: The north and occasionally result in chilly weather. Autumn is the sunniest season, whilst spring is generally cloudy. Snowfall has been extremely rare in Hong Kong; the last reported instance was on Tai Mo Shan in 1975. Hong Kong averages 1,709 hours of sunshine per year. Historic temperature extremes at the Hong Kong Observatory are 36.6 °C (97.9 °F) on 22 August 2017 and 0.0 °C (32.0 °F) on 18 January 1893. The highest and lowest recorded temperatures in all of Hong Kong are 39.0 °C (102 °F) at Wetland Park on 22 August 2017, and −6.0 °C (21.2 °F) at Tai Mo Shan on 24 January 2016 . Hong Kong has
13095-598: The north shore of Hong Kong Island, the HKCEC is easily accessible via the Star Ferry service, whose Wan Chai Pier is situated just east of the main building and operates from the HKCEC across Victoria Harbour to Tsim Sha Tsui Pier , adjacent to the Cultural Centre . Exhibition Centre station on the cross-harbour section of the East Rail line and the proposed North Island line is directly located under
13230-426: The opium trade. The commissioner destroyed opium stockpiles and halted all foreign trade, triggering a British military response and the First Opium War . The Qing surrendered early in the war and ceded Hong Kong Island in the Convention of Chuenpi . British forces began controlling Hong Kong shortly after the signing of the convention, from 26 January 1841. However, both countries were dissatisfied and did not ratify
13365-591: The population speak Mandarin, with 2.3% native speakers and 51.9% as a second language. Traditional Chinese characters are used in writing, rather than the simplified characters used in the mainland . Among the religious population, the traditional " three teachings " of China, Buddhism , Confucianism , and Taoism , have the most adherents (20%), followed by Christianity (12%) and Islam (4%). Followers of other religions, including Sikhism , Hinduism , and Judaism , generally originate from regions where their religion predominates. Life expectancy in Hong Kong
13500-440: The post-war decades to provide safer housing, integrity in the civil service, and more reliable transportation. Nevertheless, widespread public discontent resulted in multiple protests from the 1950s to 1980s, including pro- Republic of China and pro- Chinese Communist Party protests. In the 1967 Hong Kong riots , pro- PRC protestors clashed with the British colonial government. As many as 51 were killed and 802 were injured in
13635-496: The protesters. Wong, alongside Denise Ho and others, performed the song "Raise the Umbrella" in support of the protests. Wong was one of the few celebrities to publicly show support for the movement, an act which was greeted with praise from the protesters. As a result of Wong's support of the movement, he had two upcoming performances cancelled by the organizers which eventually became a total ban of performing in mainland China by
13770-476: The recovery from this was muted by an H5N1 avian-flu outbreak and a housing surplus. This was followed by the 2003 SARS epidemic , during which the territory experienced its most serious economic downturn. Chinese communists portrayed the return of Hong Kong as key moment in the PRC's rise to great power status. Political debates after the handover have centred around the region's democratic development and
13905-543: The region into a wasteland. The Kangxi Emperor lifted the maritime trade prohibition, allowing foreigners to enter Chinese ports in 1684. Qing authorities established the Canton System in 1757 to regulate trade more strictly, restricting non-Russian ships to the port of Canton . Although European demand for Chinese commodities like tea, silk, and porcelain was high, Chinese interest in European manufactured goods
14040-731: The remainder of the Pro-Democracy camp . Hong Kong is on China's southern coast, 60 km (37 mi) east of Macau, on the east side of the mouth of the Pearl River estuary . It is surrounded by the South China Sea on all sides except the north, which neighbours the Guangdong city of Shenzhen along the Sham Chun River . The territory's 1,110.18 km (428.64 sq mi) area (2,754.97 km if
14175-438: The remix album 5 Loaves & 2 Fishes (5餅2魚) which also contained alternate Mandarin-language versions and three new songs, most notably the track "The Little Prince (小王子)", the title of which was taken from the novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry . From 28 February to 2 March 1997, Wong held three concerts called Wong Yiu Ming: People Mountain People Sea (黃耀明人山人海演唱會). There were also two larger-scaled concerts performed at
14310-412: The rest of the country. All travellers between Hong Kong and China and Macau must pass through border controls, regardless of nationality. Mainland Chinese citizens do not have right of abode in Hong Kong and are subject to immigration controls. Public finances are handled separately from the national government; taxes levied in Hong Kong do not fund the central authority. The Hong Kong Garrison of
14445-491: The single word Hongkong until 1926, when the government officially adopted the two-word name. Some corporations founded during the early colonial era still keep this name, including Hongkong Land , Hongkong Electric Company , Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC). Earliest known human traces in what is now Hong Kong are dated by some to 35,000 and 39,000 years ago during
14580-421: The song "Searching For Love (情探)". The duo released two more acclaimed albums in 1988: I'm Waiting For Your Return (我等着你回來) and Do You Still Love Me? (你還愛我嗎). The former is considered Hong Kong's first concept album and won the award for Best Record Design at the 1988 RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards in which the band also won the award for Best Performance. On 27 May 1989, Tat Ming Pair participated in
14715-432: The song live several times. In 1999, Wong co-founded the music production company People Mountain People Sea (人山人海). The company has produced and published albums not only for high-profiled pop singers like Leslie Cheung , Faye Wong , Sandy Lam , Eason Chan , Nicholas Tse and Miriam Yeung but has also published works for indie musicians such as Jason Choi (蔡德才), Gaybird Leung (梁基爵), at17 and PixelToy. To celebrate
14850-536: The source of the romanised name is unknown, it is generally believed to be an early phonetic rendering of the Cantonese (or Tanka Cantonese ) phrase hēung góng . The name translates as "fragrant harbour" or "incense harbour". "Fragrant" may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour's freshwater influx from the Pearl River or to the odour from incense factories lining the coast of northern Kowloon . The incense
14985-481: The southwest. The humid nature of Hong Kong exacerbates the warmth of summer. Typhoons occur most often then, sometimes resulting in floods or landslides. Also rarely occurring are waterspouts and tornadoes , which occurred at Hong Kong International Airport on 26 September 2020 and at Victoria Harbour on 28 September 2024. Winters are short, mild and usually sunny at the beginning, becoming cloudy towards February. Frequent cold fronts bring strong, cooling winds from
15120-410: The territory is now one of the world's most significant financial centres and commercial ports. Hong Kong is the world's third-ranked global financial centre (behind New York City and London ), ninth-largest exporter, and eighth-largest importer. Its currency, the Hong Kong dollar , is the ninth most traded currency in the world. Home to the seventh-highest number of billionaires of any city in
15255-465: The territory. The vast majority also hold Chinese nationality , automatically granted to all ethnic Chinese residents at the handover. Headline population density exceeds 7,060 people/km , and is the fourth-highest in the world. The predominant language is Cantonese , a variety of Chinese originating in Guangdong. It is spoken by 93.7% of the population, 88.2% as a first language and 5.5% as
15390-512: The territory. Older government buildings are examples of colonial architecture. The 1846 Flagstaff House , the former residence of the Commander of the British forces in Hong Kong , is the oldest Western-style building in Hong Kong. Some buildings, such as the Court of Final Appeal Building and the Hong Kong Observatory retain their original functions, and others have been adapted and reused ;
15525-512: The time in Hong Kong. The majority of their album art was directed by designer William Chang . Tat Ming Pair were influenced by British musicians such as Pet Shop Boys and David Bowie and also by electronic music. In 1986, Wong starred in the Calvin Poon Yuen-leung (潘源良) film Kiss Me Good-Bye (戀愛季節) alongside Loletta Lee . The film contained many songs from their first full-length album Tat Ming Pair II (達明一派II) which
15660-564: The top prize at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards (叱咤樂壇流行榜) and the best original song at RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards. They released their album Viva! Viva! Viva! (萬歲！萬歲！萬萬歲!) in October 1996, staging large-scale concerts filmed at Queen Elizabeth Stadium the same month. They also released a live album from these concerts entitled Viva! Viva! Viva!: The Concert (萬歲！萬歲！萬萬歲！！演唱會) in 1997. In June 1996, Wong released
15795-416: The topic of sexual identity. Wong had been noted in the past as "deliberately ambiguous – or better: opaque – about his sexual identity". Tat Ming Pair's 1988 song "Forbidden Colors (禁色)" and 1989's "Forget He or She (忘記他是她)" were two of the first songs in the Hong Kong music industry to deal with homosexuality and have since become LGBT anthems . In April 2012, Tat Ming Pair held a series of concerts at
15930-525: The traders were expelled after military clashes in the 1520s, Portuguese-Chinese trade relations were re-established by 1549 . Portugal acquired a permanent lease for Macau in 1887. After the Qing conquest , maritime trade was banned under the Haijin policies. From 1661 to 1683, the population of most of the area forming present day Hong Kong was cleared under the Great Clearance , turning
16065-729: The two compilation albums Love Unto Death (爱到死精选集) and A Mirror For the Romantic (風月寶鑑), the title of which was taken from a chapter title of the Dream of the Red Chamber In 1997, Wong sang the Mandarin-language demo version of "Seven Years in Tibet" from which David Bowie studied for his own Mandarin version of the song. The Mandarin lyrics of the song were written by Lin Xi . Wong has also performed his own version of
16200-563: The victims of the Tiananmen Square Massacre . It was composed by Lau with lyrics by Lin Xi . The song topped the iTunes chart in Hong Kong but was immediately banned in mainland China where discussion involving the protests and the violent military response is forbidden. On 4 June 2019, Wong performed the song live during the annual Tiananmen Square vigil in Victoria Park . In November 2020, Tat Ming Pair held
16335-485: The violence, including dozens killed by the Royal Hong Kong Police via beatings and shootings. Although the territory's competitiveness in manufacturing gradually declined because of rising labour and property costs, it transitioned to a service-based economy. By the early 1990s, Hong Kong had established itself as a global financial centre and shipping hub. The colony faced an uncertain future as
16470-756: The war, as skilled Chinese migrants fled from the Chinese Civil War and more refugees crossed the border when the Chinese Communist Party took control of mainland China in 1949. Hong Kong became the first of the Four Asian Tiger economies to industrialise during the 1950s. With a rapidly increasing population, the colonial government attempted reforms to improve infrastructure and public services. The public-housing estate programme , Independent Commission Against Corruption , and Mass Transit Railway were all established during
16605-465: The world and currently the only place in Asia to be in the top 5. The city has the highest life expectancy in the world , and a public transport usage exceeding 90 per cent. The name of the territory, first romanised as "He-Ong-Kong" in 1780, originally referred to a small inlet located between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. Aberdeen was an initial point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen. Although
16740-494: The world's largest number of skyscrapers , with 554 towers taller than 150 metres (490 ft), and the third-largest number of high-rise buildings in the world. The lack of available space restricted development to high-density residential tenements and commercial complexes packed closely together on buildable land. Single-family detached homes are uncommon and generally only found in outlying areas. The International Commerce Centre and Two International Finance Centre are
16875-454: The world, Hong Kong has the largest number of ultra high-net-worth individuals . Although the city has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, severe income inequality exists among the population. Despite being the city with the most skyscrapers in the world , housing in Hong Kong is consistently in high demand . Hong Kong is a highly developed territory and has a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.956, ranking fourth in
17010-478: Was 1990's Nerves (神經), another concept album which contained many songs relating to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and unease towards the upcoming 1997 handover of Hong Kong Also in 1990, Wong completed work in the Taiwanese film Ming Ghost (阿嬰) alongside Joey Wong . The film was later re-edited into a Category III film and released in Hong Kong in 1993. In 1991, Tat Ming Pair split amicably over
17145-420: Was 81.3 years for males and 87.2 years for females in 2022, one of the highest in the world. Cancer , pneumonia , heart disease , cerebrovascular disease , and accidents are the territory's five leading causes of death. The universal public healthcare system is funded by general-tax revenue, and treatment is highly subsidised; on average, 95% of healthcare costs are covered by the government. The city has
17280-658: Was also one of ten songs which won Best Song awards at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation(叱咤樂壇流行榜頒獎典禮). The song was written by Arian (亞里安) with lyrics by Wyman Wong and was inspired by the Pet Shop Boys' Being Boring . Wong released Tomorrow’s Song (明日之歌) in August 2004, which was a tribute album reimagining the work of composer Joseph Koo . The album won awards at the Chinese Music Media Awards (华语音乐传媒大奖). Wong also won
17415-538: Was further expanded in 1898 when the United Kingdom obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories. The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911 as the territory's first institution of higher education. Kai Tak Airport began operation in 1924, and the colony avoided a prolonged economic downturn after the 1925–26 Canton–Hong Kong strike . At the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, Governor Geoffry Northcote declared Hong Kong
17550-531: Was insignificant, so that Chinese goods could only be bought with precious metals. To reduce the trade imbalance, the British sold large amounts of Indian opium to China. Faced with a drug crisis, Qing officials pursued ever more aggressive actions to halt the opium trade. In 1839, the Daoguang Emperor rejected proposals to legalise and tax opium and ordered imperial commissioner Lin Zexu to eradicate
17685-506: Was primarily in Mandarin although the album also contained four Cantonese songs. The title of the album was a partial line from a poem by Li Yu . The album had another notable contribution from Ellen Joyce Loo in the song "An Unrivaled Beauty (絕色)". In 2014, Wong released the live album and concert performance Below Tai Ping Shan (太平山下) which contained personal themes relating to Wong's life and love for Hong Kong. In 2016, Wong released
17820-570: Was released in September 1986. For his performance in the film, Wong was nominated for Best New Performer at the 6th Hong Kong Film Awards . In 1987, Wong starred in the film Golden Swallow (金燕子) alongside Cherie Chung . Tat Ming Pair's second album The Story of the Stone (石頭記) coincided with the release and an instrumental version of the title track was used as the opening theme song. The film's soundtrack also included an alternate recording of
17955-411: Was stored near Aberdeen Harbour for export before Victoria Harbour was developed. Sir John Davis (the second colonial governor) offered an alternative origin; Davis said that the name derived from "Hoong-keang" ("red torrent"), reflecting the colour of soil over which a waterfall on the island flowed. The simplified name Hong Kong was frequently used by 1810. The name was also commonly written as
18090-472: Was supposed to be a place to find release but it just became a place of suppression. And so I left." Wong is now indifferent towards religion. After completing high school, he entered a television training course at TVB in 1981. During this period and after graduating from the program, Wong had a few minor roles in television productions. He worked as an assistant director for a TV program called Modern Women (婦女新姿) for two months in 1983. He also worked as
18225-523: Was written in dedication to prisoners of conscience such as Liu Xiaobo and Wang Dan and was co-written by Wong Wai-kwong (黃偉光). Wong also appeared in the 1992 Evans Chan film To Liv(e) . The film's soundtrack also contained Tat Ming Pair's song "Forbidden Colors (禁色)". His second album, Borrowing Your Love (借借你的愛) was released in 1993. The album started his collaboration with prolific lyricist Lin Xi . Notable songs include "More, More, More...C'est L'Amour (每天你愛多一些)", "Four Seasons (四季歌)" and "Love
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