Hong Kong - Chek Lap International Airport

HONG KONG

Chek Lap International Airport

Sent by Bryan from Hong Kong.

Hong Kong International Airport (IATA: HKG, ICAO: VHHH) is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is located on the island of Chek Lap Kok, which largely comprises land reclaimed for the construction of the airport itself. The airport is also colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport (赤鱲角機場), to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.

The airport has been commercially operational since 1998, replacing the former Kai Tak Airport, and is an important regional trans-shipment centre, passenger hub and gateway for destinations in Mainland China (with 44 destinations) and the rest of Asia. The airport is currently the world's busiest cargo gateway and one of the world's busiest passenger airports.

The Hong Kong International Airport is also home to one of the world's largest passenger terminal buildings (the largest when opened in 1998). Hong Kong International Airport is one of the busiest airports in Asia. It is operated by the Airport Authority Hong Kong, 24 hours a day, and is the primary hub for Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Hong Kong Airlines, Hong Kong Express Airways and Air Hong Kong (cargo). The airport is one of the hubs of Oneworld alliance, and it is also one of the Asian-Pacific cargo hubs for UPS Airlines. It is a focus city for many airlines, including China Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. Singapore Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Air India use Hong Kong as a stopover point for the flights respectively.

HKIA is an important contributor to Hong Kong's economy, with approximately 60,000 employees. More than 100 airlines operate flights from the airport to over 180 cities across the globe. In 2012 HKIA handled 56,557,751 passengers, making it the 12th busiest airport worldwide by passenger traffic. It also surpassed Memphis International Airport to become the world's busiest airport by cargo traffic.(read further)

Hong Kong - Night View From Kowloon

HONG KONG

Night view from KLN.

Sent by Jenny, a postcrosser from Hong Kong.

Kowloon (/ˌkaʊˈluːn/; traditional Chinese: 九龍; jyutping: gau²lung⁴) is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, the mountain range including Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had apopulation of 2,019,533 and a population density of 43,033/km² in 2006. Kowloon is located north of Hong Kong Island and south of the mainland part of the New Territories. The peninsula's area is approximately 47 km² or 18.1 mi². Together with Hong Kong Island, it contains 48 percent of Hong Kong's total population.

The systematic transcription Kau Lung or Kau-lung was often used in derived place names before World War II, for example Kau-lung Bay instead of Kowloon Bay. Other spellings include Kauloong and Kawloong.

Hong Kong - HK Island Waterfront

A day view of Hong Kong Island waterfront.

Sent by Sky, a postcrosser from Hong Kong.

This is from Wikipedia : The Waterfront (Chinese: 漾日居) is a private housing estate in Phase I of Union Square, located right above Kowloon Station, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was developed by the consortium led by Wing Tai Asia, including Temasek Holdings, Singapore Land, Keppel Land, Lai Sun Development, World-wide Investment and USI Holdings. It consists of 1,288 apartments in 6 residential towers. It was completed in 2000, together with Dickson Cyber Express, a 70,000 square feet (6,500 m2) cyber shopping mall of Dickson Concepts. But Dickson Cyber Express was closed after Internet bubble burst.

Hong Kong - Panda at Ocean Park

Panda at Ocean Park, Aberdeen, Hong Kong.

Sent by Chen Jie, a postcrosser from China.

This is from Wikipedia : Ocean Park Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港海洋公園), commonly known as Ocean Park, is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, and animal theme park, situated in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern District of Hong Kong. Founded in 1977 by the then Governor of Hong Kong Sir Murray MacLehose, Ocean Park has now grown to about 35 attractions and rides. The park has won several awards, including The World's Seventh Most Popular Amusement Park and 33rd Most Visited Tourist Attractions in the World by Forbes.

In fiscal year 2007/2008, Ocean Park received 5.03 million visitors awarding it the position of the world's number 15 theme park by annual attendance, ahead of rival Hong Kong Disneyland's 4.5 million visitors. Covering an area of 870,000 square metres of land, the park is separated by a large mountain into two areas, The Summit (Headland) and The Waterfront (Lowland) respectively. The areas can be reached by a 1.5 km long cable car system, a shuttle bus, or the Ocean Express (train). As the Headland comprises several hills, visitors can also opt to take the world's second longest outdoor escalator.

The theme park currently has 19 rides, including two rollercoasters, but also houses 11 animal exhibits, such as a Giant panda habitat, a jelly fish and Chinese sturgeon aquarium, as well as a four-story aquarium displaying more than 2,000 fish.

Besides being an amusement park, Ocean Park Hong Kong also operates observatories, well developed laboratories, an education department and a Whales and Dolphins Fund.

Ocean Park Hong Kong was the first institution in the world to have success in artificial insemination of bottlenose dolphins, and developed numerous new breeds of goldfish.

In September 2007, Ocean Park Hong Kong increased its ticket prices by 12% and 14% to take advantage of the Golden Week Holidays.

In July 2009, Ocean Park Hong Kong announced that they would increase their ticket prices by 20% and 25% to pay a loan.

Hong Kong Disneyland

Visit Mickey and his friends at Hong Kong Disneyland!

Sent by Jassi, a postcrosser from Shenzen in China.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Island. Skyline from Tsim Sha Tsui.
This dramatic view on a clear July night takes in the Convention & Exhibition Center on the left and the Center on the right.

This is the first ever postcard from Hong Kong. Sent by Christine, a Facebook friend who lives there.