Hong Kong - The cityscape at night

Here are some photos I took while visiting Hong Kong in September. Hong Kong, a British colony since 1842, was handed over to China in 1997. Under a joint agreement that set the conditions for the former British colony’s return to China in 1997, Hong Kong was promised significant autonomy for 50 years under a formula called "one country, two systems.” It was designated as a "special administrative region", which made Hong Kong very different from mainland China in the way in which it is governed. Recent decisions by the government in Beijing have threatened this autonomy. As we have seen, the people have spoken, and the protests in October 2014 have demonstrated that many people want to keep their individuality as a former British colony with a strong desire for pro-democracy. Hong Kong is certainly a beautiful place.

A view of downtown Hong Kong and Kowloon (on the other side of Victoria Harbour) from Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island. The tall bright white building in the back is the new 118-story International Commerce Center that was completed in 2012.  The view was especially good from the peak that night as a typhoon that passed through the day before cleared the air of haze and smog, a normal occurrence for Hong Kong.