HONG KONG – Hong Kong on Sunday celebrated the 15th anniversary of its return to China from the colonial rule of Britain. The following is a snapshot of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in figures:
1 — Hong Kong’s worldwide ranking in terms of IPO funds raised in 2011, with a total amount of 36.1 billion U.S. dollars.
3 — The worldwide ranking of Hong Kong in terms of passenger volume handled by Hong Kong International Airport in 2011, which was 53.9 million people.
13.44 (in tonne) — The per capita amount of carbon dioxide emissions generated in Hong Kong, according to WWF Ecological Footprint Report 2010. The local government has set a target to reduce carbon intensity by 50 to 60 percent of the 2005 levels by 2020.
24 — The percentage of Hong Kong’s 1,104 square kilometers of land, on which 7.1 million people live and work. Over 500 sq km of the remaining land are designated as “protected area” such as country parks and conservation zones.
70 — The number of banks, among the world’s top 100, which run business in Hong Kong, an international financial hub. At the end of 2010, 136 of the 146 licensed banks in Hong Kong are foreign- owned.
76.3 — The percentage of Hong Kong citizens aged 15 and older, who have received education higher than middle school.
85.9 — The life expectancy of female citizens in Hong Kong, compared with 80 years of the male. The figures are expected to rise to 90.1 and 83.7 respectively by 2039.
90 — The percentage of Hong Kong’s 7.1 million residents who use public transportation daily, the highest rate in the world. The MTR (Mass Transit Railway) is one of the world’s busiest light rail systems, receiving 3.91 million passengers every day.
93 — The percentage of Hong Kong’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011 generated by the service industry.
108 — The years Hong Kong’s tramways has been in operation, the world’s largest tram system of more than 160 double-deck cars which serve 226,800 passengers daily.
170 — The number of countries and regions whose residents enjoy visa-free access to the city for a stay of between seven and 180 days.
490 (in meter) — The height of Hong Kong’s tallest building, International Commerce Centre, in West Kowloon. ICC is currently the world’s fourth tallest building by height. It was completed in May 2011, dwarfing the 412-meter-high International Finance Center 2. Among the 20 tallest buildings of Hong Kong, 18 were erected after Hong Kong’s return to China on July 1, 1997.
800 (in meter) — The total length of covered escalators in Central District on Hong Kong Island, the longest outdoor escalator system in the world.
1,076 — The number of criminal cases, among every 100,000 people, reported in 2010, compared with 1,108 in 2009 and 1,137 in 2005. Hong Kong remains one of the safest big cities in the world.
6,000 — The number of weekly scheduled flights between Hong Kong and more than 150 cities worldwide, making Hong Kong a major international and regional aviation center.
34,000 — The number of Hong Kong’s per-capita GDP calculated in U.S. dollars in 2011.
10,512 — The number of Wi-Fi hotspots available throughout Hong Kong, as of May 2012, most of which can be found on MTR platforms, chain coffee shops, convenience stores, government buildings and the airport.
44,700 — The number of residents per square kilometer in Kowloon of Hong Kong, which is one of the most densely populated urban regions on the earth.
41.9 million — The number of visitors to Hong Kong in 2011, increasing 16.4 percent year on year. Among them, 28.1 million were from the mainland, rising nearly 24 percent from 2010.
The glittering financial city of Hong Kong was handed back to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, in a mix of nostalgia, fear, and excitement. The handover ended 156 years of British colonial rule and the British empire in Asia.
A shop assistant for luxury jeweler Tiffany’s displays two porcelain souvenir boxes for sale, one featuring the new Bauhinia flower emblem of Hong Kong, the other the five stars of the Chinese flag.
Perfomers in Beijing form the new Hong Kong flag at a rehearsal for a gala performance in honor of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule. President Jiang Zemin was due to attend the performance on the evening of July 1 after returning from the handover ceremony in Hong Kong.
Two Royal Navy sailors remove a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in HMS Tamar, the British Forces’ Hong Kong headquarters, clearing the facilities for China’s People’s Liberation Army.
British police troops perform in a “Beating the Retreat” ceremony on June 28, 1997, at Government House, the residence of outgoing Governor Chris Patten. The ceremony was also attended by Prince Charles.
Chris Patten, the 28th and last governor of British colonial Hong Kong, receives the Union Jack flag after it was lowered for the last time at Government House on June 30, 1997.
British solders participate in the British Military Farewell Ceremony at the HMS Tamar military base on June 30, 1997.
Hong Kong Garrison People’s Liberation Army soldiers applaud during a farewell ceremony attended by the Chinese Central Military Commission in Shenzhen, China, on June 30, 1997. The soldiers entered Hong Kong before the change of sovereignty became effective at midnight.
Fireworks light up Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on the night of June 30, 1997, to mark the British withdrawal from the territory.
The official handover ceremony was held in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on July 1, 1997. The Chinese flag flies after the Union Jack was lowered.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin (2nd L) shakes hands with Britain’s Prince Charles (2nd R) following Hong Kong’s transfer of sovereignty from British to Chinese rule.
Tung Chee-hwa is sworn in as the first chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on July 1, 1997 after the territory reverted to Chinese rule.
The new Hong Kong Special Administrative Region flag featuring a Bauhinia flower flies over the city from a ferry boat on July 2, 1997.