Small fishing village? Metropolis? 70 pictures to help you explore Hong Kong's hidden secrets

When you stand on the streets of Hong Kong

Will feel deeply

How dense can a city be?

(High-rise buildings in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong, image source: @Visual China)

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One of the most densely populated cities in the world

Population per square kilometer in urban area

Up to 25,684 people

5.9 times that of Beijing

4.6 times that of Shanghai

Even Singapore, a small country

The population density is less than half of that

(Mong Kok is one of the most densely populated areas in Hong Kong, picture source @Visual China)

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Many cities are hampered by economic development

In Hong Kong

land

But it becomes the big hand that determines its growth

Force the whole city

Up, Up, Up

Until a piece of grass grows straight into the sky

“Urban Forest”

(Hong Kong Urban Forest, photographer @静言)

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The city seems to be the whole background of Hong Kong

but

Is this really the case?

If we look at Hong Kong from a farther and higher perspective

You will find

More of Hong Kong's land belongs to mountains and seas

They came from all directions and occupied

3/4 of Hong Kong

And wrap the city tightly in its arms

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Hong Kong's mountains and sea, image source: @Visual China)

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The mountains and seas are magnificent

Not only did he draw the beauty of nature

Even the shape of the city itself was drawn

Next Steps

Let us unfold this picture of Hong Kong together

At the southern tip of mainland China, on the northern shore of the vast South China Sea

There is an island hill with land and sea

Here the mountains are steep and the bay is deep and narrow

Hong Kong is located in this sea of ​​mountains.

(Please watch in horizontal mode, looking at the island city of Hong Kong from an airplane, photographer @陈碧信)

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If you look closely

You will find that Hong Kong is actually composed of three parts:

A Peninsula - Kowloon

A big island - Hong Kong Island

The land north of Kowloon and the remaining 262 islands - the New Territories

In the early days, there was a small port for transporting spices.

Hence the name "Hong Kong"

(Please watch in horizontal mode, Hong Kong's location and topography, drawn by @松楠)

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This is not a good place to build a city.

Crustal movement and water erosion in ancient times

Hundreds of peaks have been created throughout Hong Kong

They are high and low

Occupies 80% of the land

For example, Hong Kong’s early development core

It is a steep rocky island.

As much as 82% of the land is mountainous

Mountains running east-west in the central region

Divides the island into north and south halves

Among them, Taiping Mountain is 552 meters above sea level.

Overlooking the bustling city from a high vantage point

(Please watch horizontally, Victoria Harbour under the Peak, picture source: Visual China)

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On the other side of Hong Kong Island

Backed by a series of mountains from west to east

They are not high, but they move like dragons.

It is said that the name "Kowloon" comes from this

Among them, Lion Rock is famous

Many early immigrants from the interior built houses at the foot of the mountain.

The first stop in a foreign land

They left their hometown and started from scratch

Build a new life in this new city

This fighting spirit was later named after this mountain.

Become a legacy in the blood of Hong Kong people

"Lion Rock Spirit"

(Hong Kong under Lion Rock, image source: Visual China)

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Kowloon further north

The largest part of Hong Kong

This is where Hong Kong's most extensive lowlands and highest mountains are found.

Tai Mo Shan

At an altitude of 957 meters

Become the highest point among the peaks

(Tai Mo Shan is located in the central part of the New Territories, picture source: Hong Kong Tourism Board)

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Outside it

It is guarded by a series of mountains running from northeast to southwest.

They even cross the sea

Lantau Island, an island on the left side of Hong Kong Island

Phoenix Mountain on the island

At a height of 934 meters

Taking the second seat among the mountains

(Phoenix Mountain, picture source @Visual China)

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Hundreds of mountains across the country

Shaping the skeleton of Hong Kong

They are not high

The height changes very rapidly

This outlines the various mountain lines.

The sharpest of them

Anaconda Point , Fisherman , Qingshan

Known as the "Three Peaks of Hong Kong"

(Hong Kong Anaconda Point, image source @Visual China)

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And the representatives of the steep and rugged

Fei Ngo Shan

Jagged cliffs

Only the brave can climb to the top to enjoy the magnificent view of the mountain city

(Hong Kong Fei'e Mountain, the mountains and sea are steep, please pay attention to safety when watching, photographer @Qu Wenben)

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There are also those with flat terrain

Dadongshan

The mountaintop stretches gently

The setting sun shines on the grass

The scenery is so beautiful that it lives up to its English name.

Sunset Peak

(Sunset at Tai Tung Shan, Hong Kong, image source: @Visual China)

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The steep mountains stand in a staggered manner

Hundreds of streams rush through the mountains and valleys

The rapid waterfall flows down the mountain

(Bride's Pool Waterfall in Hong Kong, photographer @鹿葉青)

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Slow flow into a river

(Wu Tong River in Hong Kong, image source: Visual China)

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Bringing out the graceful beauty of Hong Kong’s peaks

Each mountain has its own unique colors

The ocean that followed

And then I splashed ink on this mountain bone

Another picture scroll emerges

After the mountain is formed

About 10,000 years ago, the sea level gradually rose.

It fills up valleys

Forming a deep and wide harbor

(Aerial photo of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. It was originally an extension of the mountain range, but was later submerged by the sea due to the fracture and sinking of the mountain, forming a harbor. Photographer: @吴亦丹)

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Flooding the mountain

Forming a thousand-fold island

(Please watch in horizontal mode, aerial photography of the mountains and outlying islands in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, image source: @Visual China)

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In the long years that followed

The waves continue to wash over the peaks

Shaped the steep and magnificent coast

Stormy waves

Rocks are eroded

Then there are the magnificent and deep caves

(The Kapok Cave in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, was originally a cave formed by erosion by the sea waves. The continued erosion of the sea waves opened up the caves on both sides, and today it has become a sea arch. Photographer @鹿葉青)

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The rock was broken through

Forming an arch bridge across the sea

(The bell arch in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, photographer @廖庆强)

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Rockfall

The steep cliffs are exposed

(The cliffs of North Guozhou in Hong Kong are steep and dangerous. Please be careful when viewing. Photographer @Tibby)

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Where the wind and waves are the strongest

The sandy debris formed by the rock crushing is deposited

Over time, it has formed

The beach is wide and the sand is soft

Big Wave Bay

(Big Wave Bay is a famous surfing resort, photographer @SOY)

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The sea's masterpieces are more than that

It also cooperates with another force

Drawing Hong Kong's more unique underwater landscape

This force appeared earlier than the mountains and the sea.

Hong Kong was still a

A plain with a network of rivers

The river carries a lot of sand and mud

Slowly deposited into rock layers

Then, in the countless squeezing of the earth's crust,

The rock layers changed from horizontal to vertical at the coast.

One of the oldest rocks in Hong Kong

"Ghost Hand Rock"

(Ghost Hand Rock in Wong Kok Tsui, Hong Kong, photographer @顾天泽)

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This force from the Earth's crust continues to shape the surface

It makes volcanoes erupt

Hot lava flows across the earth

After cooling, light-colored hexagonal rock columns are formed.

They stand on the seashore

It has become a rare "Ten Thousand Pillars Coast" in the world

(The light-colored hexagonal rock pillars of Po Pin Chau. The distribution area of ​​hexagonal rock pillars in Hong Kong exceeds 100 square kilometers, which is the largest in the world. Photographer @阿东Dol)

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In the days that followed

Hong Kong has experienced

Long drought

In hot environment

Dehydration and oxidation of iron in rocks

Forming the unique "Sea Danxia"

(The reddish-brown conglomerate and siltstone landforms on Chek Chau Island in Hong Kong are known as the "Danxia on the Sea", image source @wikimedia commons)

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Also experienced

Alternating wet and dry periods

The sediment in the new lake is deposited

Layer upon layer, forming the youngest rock formation in Hong Kong

(Sea erosion platform on Tung Ping Chau, Hong Kong Island. Tung Ping Chau has the youngest rock formation in Hong Kong. Image source: Hong Kong Tourism Board)

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Until the mountains rise

Rising sea levels

Mountains, seas and traces of early geological changes

Together they form the magnificent landscape of Hong Kong.

It also provides a habitat for thousands of creatures.

This is the Butterfly Museum

The warm and humid climate makes the mountains and forests

It gathers 11% of all butterfly species in China.

Butterflies can be seen all year round

(Butterflies in Hong Kong, image source: Visual China)

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This is also a bird paradise

Near the Shenzhen River estuary

Mai Po and Deep Bay Wetlands

It is an important stop on the migratory route of migratory birds.

Providing habitat for more than 60,000 water birds each year

As early as 1995, it was listed as an "internationally important wetland".

(Mai Po Wetland, Hong Kong, photographer @李霖)

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This is also a treasure trove of the ocean

With only 0.03% of China’s ocean area

It supports 26% of the country’s marine species.

These include the first-class protected species

Chinese white dolphin

(Hong Kong Chinese white dolphin, photographer @Wu Ying/Qi Ye China)

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The earliest human inhabitants appeared in Hong Kong about 5,000 years ago

Then, to avoid the war

Immigrants have come to Hong Kong to settle down

Among them, the most famous immigrants are those with the surnames Deng, Hou, Liao, Peng and Wen.

They live in the New Territories

Collectively known as the "Five Major Clans in the New Territories"

Different ethnic groups lived together and built walls for self-defense

Establishing many defensive villages

(Hong Kong Lai Chi Wo Hakka Village, photo source @Visual China)

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These new immigrants

Academies, ancestral halls, and temples were built one after another.

More people came in the following era

They built a

City of Mountains and Seas

Early 19th century

After Britain seized Hong Kong Island from China

Selected place of residence

It is the narrow coastline in the north of Hong Kong Island.

It is bordered by Mount Taiping, Mount Gough and Mount Cameron to the south.

Kowloon Peninsula in the north protects against typhoons

The harbor is deep and wide, making it a good place to settle down.

(Please view Victoria Harbour in horizontal mode, photographer @王鹤)

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Thus, a snake-shaped city began to grow along the coast.

The middle part of the coast is inhabited by Europeans

A collection of European architectural styles

Governor's residence, church, courthouse

Today it is still a government agency and cultural activity center.

Known as "Central"

(The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Building was designed by a British designer who designed the facade of Buckingham Palace. Photographer: Hu Wendi)

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In sharp contrast is the

It is located on the west side of Central

It is where the Chinese live

The building is also full of traditional Chinese characteristics

There are not only many Chinese temples

There are also the characteristic residences of the Chinese, the "Tanglou"

(The representative of the tenement buildings in Kowloon, Hong Kong is Lei Sheng Chun Tang. It is only used for illustration here. Tenement buildings are typical residential styles of early Chinese people. They are usually two to four stories high, with narrow fronts and long depths. Image source: Visual China)

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To connect everywhere

A main transportation line parallel to the coastline and connecting east and west was built.

Queen's Road

(Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong, photographer @宋子麟)

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North-south streets leading to Queen's Road

Also spread along the mountain

Many bends and narrow

They are so steep that they become real

Stairway between mountains and sea

(The long staircase in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, built along the mountain, photographer @DaninSum)

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This long, winding city is the original Hong Kong:

It crouches at the foot of the mountain

Masts line the seashore

Rows of houses rise up the hillside like terraces.

The winding and narrow roads run through it.

(19th century oil painting of Victoria Harbour, image source @wikimedia commons)

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However, this narrow strip of land between the mountains and the sea is too tight.

As for Taiping Mountain

It is only 1,200 meters away from the sea.

This new city is destined to breathe hard in the gap between the mountains and the sea.

As millions of people gradually poured into this new city

The island has reached its capacity

So people began to move mountains and fill the sea

Creating new land along the coast

This project started as early as 1850.

A total of 78 square kilometers of land was created

It is equivalent to recreating a "Hong Kong Island"

(A lot of land in Wan Chai, Hong Kong is reclaimed from the sea, and today it is part of a prosperous city. The above reclamation area statistics are as of 2022. Photographer @赵高翔)

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The city's boundaries are expanding outwards

It soon spread to the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories across the sea.

Residential buildings, docks, railways and airports soon filled up the land in Kowloon.

Another city core is rising

(Sketch of the expansion of Hong Kong's built-up area, drawn by @松楠)

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But that's not enough

Cities must change

It began to grow vertically, looking for space upwards

The building climbs up the mountain and grows in the gaps of the mountain peaks.

(Hong Kong Huajing Villa, photographer @帽匠HatterWei)

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The invention of elevators and steel frames

It also makes high-rise buildings possible

From 1966 to 1973

Hong Kong's tallest building record has been broken many times

From the 28th, 31st, 34th floors

Finally surpassing the monumental 100 meters

(The tallest buildings in Hong Kong over the years, drawn by @王申雯)

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An ultra-high-density vertical forest is gradually emerging

In Hong Kong, residential and commercial buildings over 30 stories high can be seen everywhere.

Skyscrapers with a height of more than 100 meters in 2019

A staggering 2,580 seats

Become the world's first

(High-rise buildings near Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, photographer @Chengxin)

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How to build a city between mountains and seas

Hong Kong has the answer

It must carefully arrange every inch of space in the hand

So vertical and compact

In the 1950s and 1960s, the government built high-density housing

The four corners are square and the residential units are arranged in parallel

Choi Hung Estate in Kowloon is a typical example.

It consists of several buildings no more than 20 floors.

Accommodates more than 40,000 people

(Ping Shek Estate, only for the interior of the public housing estate, photographer @你七哥)

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More forms of high-density buildings continue to emerge

The factory is folded into a high-rise building

(Old factory building in Hong Kong, image source: @Visual China)

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The basketball court is folded into the high-rise building

(Hong Kong's aerial basketball court, image source: Visual China)

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Even the stables of Hong Kong's popular horse racing

Also folded in high-rise buildings

(High-rise stables in Hong Kong, image source: Visual China)

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The narrow commercial street is filled with various shops.

They occupy limited space

This has led to the dense variety of shop signs on Hong Kong's streets.

(Various signs densely packed on the streets of Kowloon, Hong Kong, image source: @Visual China)

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In such a vertically tight space

Private cars are extremely compressed

90% of travel in Hong Kong relies on public transportation

The narrow streets even gave rise to

The narrowest tram in the world

Ding Ding Car

(Hong Kong tram "Ding Ding Car", width is only 1.98 meters, photographer @王楠)

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Slender lines overlap and flow in this three-dimensional city

They are for pedestrians to walk around

(Glenella Bridge in Hong Kong, photographer @帽匠HatterWei)

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Shuttle bus service

(Hong Kong bus crossing Queen's Road Hill Road Bridge, photographer @胡文迪)

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For car traffic

(Hong Kong Causeway Bay flyover, photographer @鹿葉青)

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At the same time, the city is trying to find as much space as possible.

So it is very close to the mountains and seas :

The city is scattered between the mountains and the sea

Ferries, bridges and tunnels through the alpine harbor

Connecting islands

Islands and mainland

(Looking at Ting Kau Bridge from the foot of Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong, photographer @君言)

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The famous "Star Ferry" shuttles between

Victoria Harbour between Kowloon Peninsula and Hong Kong Island

The mountains on both sides are tall and there are tall buildings everywhere.

Becoming Hong Kong's most unforgettable "dual city" landscape

(Viewing the two sides of the Taiwan Strait from the Star Ferry, photographer @王琪)

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At the same time, Hong Kong's buildings are scattered along the mountains.

Outdoor escalator leading to Mid-Levels

It is easy to switch between the bustling city and the green hillside.

(Escalator in Mid-Levels, Central, Hong Kong. In 1998, Hong Kong was the city with the highest per capita share of escalators in the world. Image source: @Visual China)

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At this point, Hong Kong has finally grown from a small fishing village into a city that reaches the sky.

Urban Forest

The older generation of Hong Kong people started from scratch, so they believe in more work, more pay.

The high-density urban network highly condenses the rhythm of life

So Hong Kong people value efficiency

They walk fast and cut hair fast

Even eating is done at a very fast pace.

(The table turnover efficiency of Australia Dairy Company in Hong Kong is extremely high. It is said that the fastest order can be completed and the dishes can be served within 30 seconds. The waiters will use simple terms such as "tea walk" and "fly edge" to complete the quick order. Image source: @wikimedia commons)

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When they leave the city

Just a short journey

It will completely slow down

Because they stepped into another world

In the purer natural countryside

Among the towering mountains, beside the vast ocean

Relaxed hiking [haang saan]

(Hiking in Hong Kong, picture source: Visual China)

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Hiking is a Cantonese word

It is not only mountain climbing

More like walking in nature

It has now become a regular routine for many Hong Kong residents

After all, three-quarters of the land outside the city

There are still many well-preserved mountains and seas.

Hong Kong is facing water shortage

Numerous ponds have been built since 1863 to collect rainwater.

To reduce rainwater runoff

Most of the mountainous areas are designated as water catchment areas

It is prohibited to build houses or cultivate land in the area.

At the same time, plant trees and restore the ecology

(Tai Lam Chung Reservoir, Hong Kong, image source: Visual China)

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The High Island Reservoir built in the sea in 1978

It is the largest reservoir in Hong Kong.

Today, there are more than 20 ponds scattered everywhere.

Has become part of the mountains and sea

(Aerial photo of High Island Reservoir in Hong Kong, built by enclosing the coast with a dam, photographer @Yu Ming)

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Moreover, since the 1960s

Hong Kong began to set up country and coastal parks to protect this mountain and sea area.

Relevant protection regulations have been issued one by one

The first country park in Hong Kong in 1977

Shing Mun Country Park was born

(Shing Mun Country Park, photographer @鹿葉青)

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The first batch of coastal parks and coastal reserves were demarcated in 1996

(The Hok Tsui Coastal Reserve is the first designated coastal reserve, photographer @胡鑫沛)

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These natural landscapes lazily surround the city

They are even planned into more than 100 different types of hiking trails.

To cater to people with different hobbies

For example, the

MacLehose Trail, the longest trail in Hong Kong

Across mountains and seas

Listed in National Geographic's 20 Best Hiking Trails in the World

(Second section of the coastline of MacLehose Trail in Hong Kong, photographer @宋子麟)

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besides

There is also a cultural trail to experience the traditional fishing village

(Tai O Fishing Village, Hong Kong, image source @Visual China)

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and hiking trails through forests and ponds.

(Lew Shui Hiking Trail, Pat Sin Leng Country Park, Hong Kong, photographer @彭浩山)

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This city grew in the gap between the mountains and the sea.

Surrounded by more mountains and seas

It has grown into a real "city of mountains and seas"

(Hong Kong city is closely connected with mountains and sea, photographer @鹿葉青&帽匠HatterWei)

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So we see:

The mountains and peaks outline the contours of the earth

There are thousands of peaks in Hong Kong

The rough sea splashes the colors of the earth

There is Hong Kong's coastline

In the gap between the mountains and the sea

Urban forests grow wildly, reaching into the sky

That is the bright lights of Hong Kong

(Busy Hong Kong, photographer @泓Sam)

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The magnificent creations of nature and the pinnacle of human wisdom

In the same picture

Perfect fusion yet each with its own unique features

Who said this contrast, this fusion

Not beautiful, not moving?

(Fei'e Mountain, the mountains and sea are steep, please pay attention to safety when viewing, photographer @Hong Kong Landscape Photographer Kelvin Yuen)

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This article was created by

Written by : Xiang Bu Xiang

Image : Long Shijie Design : Wang Shenwen

Map : Song Nan Review : Ding Ding & Li Chuyang & Chen Jingyi

Cover Photographer : Wang He & Li Hanqing

【References】You can scroll up and down to view

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