deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.)

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China – Hong Kong. Located on the Eastern Pearl River Delta of the South China Sea.

It is one of the most densely populated places in the world. It has the second highest number of billionaires of any city in the world, but there is severe income inequality with the majority of the population very poor.

It was a colony of the British Empire after the Qing Dynasty ceded Hong Kong Island at the end of the First Opium War in 1842. Britain ‘obtained’ a 99 year ‘lease’ to ‘own’ (or rent) the island from China. It ‘transferred’ the island back to China in 1997. Beijing gave the people of Hong Kong 25 years to have a separate system before becoming completely a part of The People’s Republic of China. As the time grows closer, the tensions are high and unrest is occurring daily.

The name Hong Kong was first translated as “He-one-Kong”. This came from the Cantonese “he ung gong” translated into English as ‘Fragrant Harbour.’ By 1910 it was commonly referred to as Hong Kong.

After the colonial days a new flag was designed. It is a stylized five petal Hong Kong Orchid Tree Flower on a red field. It was adopted in 1996. Red is ‘the’ festive color for the people of China. The white flower specifically represents the island of Hong Kong. It’s design is intensely political stating that of utmost importance is the motherland (Red) and overall it is one country and two systems (the white flower being Hong Kong that is part of China.)

7 years ago we spent time in mainland China and had the opportunity to visit Hong Kong. Our ‘daughter’, Fanying’s husband speaks Cantonese so he took us on a tour of this amazing place.