Hong Kong has supported human life since at least the Stone Age. Until the British claimed it, the area was a neglected corner of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) empire inhabited by farmers, fishermen and pirates. The British took control of Hong Kong in 1841 following the Opium Wars. European trade with China had been taking place since the 16th century, but as European demand for tea and silk grew, the balance of trade became more and more unfavourable to Europeans, who were expected to pay in silver. In 1773, the British unloaded 70,000kg (155,000lb) of Bengal opium, and the Chinese taste for the 'foreign mud' grew exponentially. Alarmed at the drain of silver from the country and the increasing number of addicts, the emperor banned the drug trade. The Europeans, with the help of corrupt Chinese officials, managed to keep the trade in opium going until 1839 when the emperor again issued orders to stamp it out. British traders were forced to hand over their supplies of raw opium, which was then publicly burned. The British sent an expeditionary force to China to exact reprisals, secure favourable trade arrangements and obtain use of some islands as a British base. The force blockaded Canton (now called Guangzhou) and a number of other ports, ultimately threatening Beijing. The British pressured the Chinese into ceding Hong Kong Island to them in perpetuity. Both sides ultimately repudiated the agreement, but Commodore Gordon Bremmer led a contingent of naval men ashore on 26 January 1841 and claimed the island for Britain. A series of conflicts followed, with the British backed by French, Russian and American interests. A combined British and French force invaded China in 1859, forcing the Chinese to agree to the Convention of Peking, which ceded the Kowloon Peninsula and nearby Stonecutters Island to the British. In 1898, the British also gained a 99-year lease on the New Territories, which they felt essential to protect their interests on Hong Kong Island.

In the early 20th century Hong Kong began a gradual shift away from trade to manufacturing. This move was hastened by the civil war in China during the 1920s and by the Japanese invasion in the 1930s, when Chinese capitalists fled to the safer confines of the colony. When the US embargo on Chinese goods during the Korean War threatened to strangle the colony, it was forced to increase its manufacturing capacity and develop service industries, such as banking and insurance. Hong Kong's existence was threatened again when the Communists came to power in China in 1949 and during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. Although the Chinese could have re-taken Hong Kong with ease, a precarious peace prevailed. In December 1984, the British agreed to hand over the entire colony when the lease on the New Territories ran out in 1997, rather than hang on to a truncated colony consisting of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The agreement theoretically allows Hong Kong to retain its pre-1997 social, economic and legal systems for at least 50 years after 1997. As the handover approached, controversies raged over the building of Hong Kong's expensive new airport and the amount of democracy the Chinese were willing to accept.

Hong Kong suffered fallout from Asia's economic crises in the late 90s. In the years since, it has picked up fast and one of the world's great cities is booming once again. China's official policy with regard to Hong Kong is 'one country, two systems', and the common view is that as long as Hong Kong continues to make money (and little noise) its autonomy is assured. But a number of crucial interventions by Chinese authorities in Hong Kong's affairs have made it evident that there is not quite as much autonomy going on as the slogan suggests. Nevertheless, the European Commission has described Hong Kong as one of the freest societies in Asia.In 2007 Sir Donald Tsang stood again for election as chief executive, and was elected with ease - the first not to stand unopposed. His contestant, prodemocracy activist Alan Leong, came a distant second, but at least there was a vote.

Hong Kong is extremely safe for visitors, both male and female. As you go further north in Kowloon and into the New Territories, the crime rate increases, but criminals would still rather target locals than visitors. However, it's unwise to flash valuables and you should remain alert at all times.Despite the 1991 removal of criminal penalties for homosexual acts between those over 18 years of age, people remain fairly conservative about homosexuality, and circumspection on the street is advisable.

You'll need to be cashed up to play on one of Hong Kong's five golf courses - if you're not, try cycling, hiking or swimming. If you like fishing, there are plenty of people who'll take you out on a boat, or you can dip your rod in one of the city's reservoirs.

Cantonese and other Chinese opera are performed here throughout the year. Performances generally run for about a week, and are usually held five days a week in the evening at 19:30, with occasional matinees at 13:00 or 13:30. The theatre is directly above the North Point MTR station (exit A4), on the north side of King's Rd, near the intersection with Shu Kuk St.

Kiu Fai Mansion

North Point

423 King's Rd

telephone or fax: 

Tacky or classy? You decide, after a couple of speciality martinis - there are over a dozen to challenge you, including wasabi and garlic. The generous nightly happy hours will give you a chance to try these eclectic cocktails. There's also live music nightly.

Tsim Sha Tsui

Mezzanine

Holiday Inn Golden Mile

50 Nathan Rd

telephone or fax: 

open hours:17:30-02:00

Staunton's, at the corner with Shelley St, is swish, cool and on the ball with decent wine, a central escalator-cruising scene and a lovely terrace. If you're hungry, there's light fare downstairs and the fabulously remodelled Scirocco restaurant above.

Soho

10-12 Staunton St

telephone or fax: 

This sleepy walled village in the hills south of Sheung Shui is seldom visited by outsiders. Like other walled villages still inhabited in Hong Kong, it is a mix of old and new, and has a lovely little Tin Hau temple in the centre. You can also go exploring around the farming area behind the village compound.

Sheng Shui

New Territories

For a whistlestop overview of the territory's archaeology, natural history, ethnography and local history, this museum is well worth a visit, not only to learn more about the subject but to understand how Hong Kong presents its history to itself and the world.

Tsim Sha Tsui

100 Chatham Rd South

Kowloon

telephone or fax: 

Web: http://www.hk.history.museum

To the southeast of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, The Museum of Art does a good job with classical Chinese art, showcase paintings and lithographs of old Hong Kong, and a Xubaizhi collection of painting and calligraphy. Another hall shows creditable international exhibitions, but the gallery falls down in contemporary art - visit the smaller galleries around for recent Chinese art.

10 Salisbury Rd

Tsim Sha Tsui

telephone or fax: 

Web: http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/hkma

prices:

No other place does Chinese food in such a fun way. Entering the restaurant through the stone staircase feels like travelling back to the time of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. After an exotic cocktail garnished with dry seahorses or lizards, your appetite should be whetted for goose liver soaked in dark soy sauce and sliced duck fillet wrapped in tofu paper. For veggie, why not a whole roasted bamboo shoot served in the bark?

43-45 Wyndham Street

Basement

Yu Yuet Lai Bldg

Central

telephone or fax: 

Clichéd as it may sound, it's all location, location, location. The service is rather lax, but with the sounds of the waves and the sea breezes, the dishes such as bouillabaisse and Spanish duck confit with olives go down well.

Beach Bldg

Island Rd

Deep Water Bay

2nd fl

Southern Hong Kong Island

telephone or fax: 

This palace of creative gastronomy is one of the best restaurants in Hong Kong so it's no surprise that no one seems to have a bad thing to say about Michelle's. The menu changes constantly and everything is excellent, be it lobster soufflé or slow-baked salted lamb. Save room for dessert, if you have that kind of self-restraint. Reservations are a must.

Dairy Farm Bldg

Central

Fringe Club

1st Fl, South Block

2 Lower Albert Rd

telephone or fax: 

Web: http://www.m-restaurantgroup.com

open hours:12:00-14:30

The Hong Kong film industry is the world's third largest, after Hollywood and Bollywood (do we want 'Hong Kollywood'?). Stars and directors of Hong Kong movies include Bruce Lee, John Woo, Chow Yun Fat, Wong Kar-Wai and, of course, Jackie Chan.

In just 23min the Airport Express train connects Hong Kong International Airport with Hong Kong station in Central, stopping in Kowloon along the way. It's possibly the most convenient airport transport on earth, with the train leaving from inside the arrivals hall. On the way back you can check your bags in at the train stations in Central and Kowloon many hours before heading out to the airport, and go sightseeing with just your hand luggage. There's also a 35min Cityflyer airbus, and cheaper public buses: A21, best for Kowloon, and A11, for Hong Kong Island. Hotel shuttle buses and taxis are another more expensive option. Hong Kong's public transport system is a tourist attraction in its own right: there are old harbour ferries and narrow trams, ultra modern trains and the world's longest escalator. If you can't get from A to B with style in Hong Kong, you're not trying.