In Riley and the Dancing Lion, our little aviator heads off around the islands of Hong Kong. Here are some interesting facts about all the sights and sites featured in the book:
Hong Kong and Macau are special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China (SARs) which means they have their own laws, independent of China. Hong Kong is actually an archipelago, made up of 260 territorial islands and peninsulas. The name Hong Kong means 'fragrant harbour' because of the fragrant wood and incense that was once traded at port. Mandarin is spoken on mainland China but Cantonese is spoken in Hong Kong.
Victoria Harbour was named after Queen Victoria when the city was under British rule (1841 to 1997, 156 years). It is one of the deepest natural harbours in the world. Traditional Chinese boats like sampans and junks are becoming more and more rare on Hong Kong waters. The word ‘junk’ is a Westernised word from the Malayan ‘djong’, meaning 'boat'.
Kowloon is a popular part of the Hong Kong peninsula and was named after nine dragons and a Chinese emperor. It is located at the southern end of the mainland peninsula.
Victoria Peak is the highest point on Hong Kong Island, offering wonderful views over the city and Hong Kong archipelago of islands. Who do you think the peak was named after?
Situated on the south-eastern side of Hong Kong island, Stanley has cafés and restaurants overlooking a beautiful beach, and a very famous market. Visitors can reach Stanley by double decker bus!
Aberdeen on the south-west side of Hong Kong Island features a floating village of around 600 junks, but the population is diminishing and most fishermen now only use the boats during the day for fishing. Aberdeen was one of the first places in Hong Kong to begin dragon boat racing, which is now a famous tradition. The boats are very long and each carries 48 paddlers.
Ocean Park is one of the best-rated amusement parks in the world and features a cable car system and a series of outdoor escalators which includes the second-longest in the world. The park also houses 10 animal exhibits and a four-storey aquarium.
Lantau Buddha is also known as ‘Tian Tan’ and ‘Big Buddha’. It is one of the five largest Buddha statues in China and sits on top of an altar modelled on the Altar of Heaven (at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing). It is 34 metres tall and weighs 250 tonnes. This is the only Buddha to face north (all others face south). What does the Buddha represent? (Wisdom and truth.)
Macau sits on the Chinese mainland, around 60 kms south-west of Hong Kong. It was originally a Portuguese colony and is famous for its casinos and tourism. It was once an island but is now connected to the mainland by a sandbar.
Hong Kong Night Market (or Temple Street market) is the busiest night market in the territory. The site of the market was built during the Qing Dynasty (the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912). The market is also called Men's Street because of the men's fashion on sale.
