Portal:Hong Kong/Selected article/2007
These articles have appeared on the Portal:Hong Kong page in 2007 since the creation of the portal. They are (or were at the time of listing) Featured Articles or from the list of selected articles.
January
The Regional flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China features a stylised, white, five-petal Bauhinia blakeana in the centre of a red field. The red colour on this flag coincides with the flag of the People's Republic of China.
The flag of Hong Kong was adopted on 16 February 1990, and received formal approval from the Preparatory Committee on 10 August 1996. The flag was first officially hoisted on 1 July 1997, in a historical ceremony marking the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the PRC. The precise use of the flag is regulated through laws passed by the 58th executive meeting of the State Council held in Beijing.
The former colonial flag was used from 27 July 1959, to 30 June 1997, when Hong Kong was under British rule. It was a blue Union Jack ensign with the Emblem of Hong Kong on a white disk centred on the outer half of the flag. The 1876 design featured a colonial badge, showing a "local scene" instead of the Hong Kong coat of arms.
February
Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, was the first over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. Founded on November 19, 1967 with a staff of about 200, it is now one of two free-to-air television broadcasters in Hong Kong, the other being its arch-rival in business, ATV.
TVB is the first free-to-air (FTA) television broadcaster in Hong Kong. at the time TVB starts to broadcast, to distinguish it from the only cable television broadcaster, Rediffusion Television, it was commonly known as "Wireless Television" (無線電視) in Chinese. Although there is more than one wireless television station now (the other is Asia Television, the succeeder of Rediffusion Television), TVB is still known as "Wireless Television" today.
TVB is now the largest commercial Chinese program producer in the world, with a staff of about 4,500, including contract artists and staff in overseas subsidiary companies. The company's current chairman is Sir Run Run Shaw.
It owns two free-to-air channels in Hong Kong, namely TVB Jade (Cantonese) and TVB Pearl (English and foreign languages). TVB Jade enjoys the largest audience share in Hong Kong, and is often referred to simply as TVB. TVB is also involved in Hong Kong's pay-TV market, providing twelve channels for its associated company, TVB Pay Vision Limited. TVB have also decided to launch a free-to-air HDTV channel in 2007 Q1, offering general entertainment programing with more than 14 hours of high definition programs per day.
March
1970s in Hong Kong underwent many changes that shaped its future. Economically, it reinvented itself from a manufacturing base into a financial centre. The market also began leaning toward corporations and franchises.
Political talks about the Second Convention of Peking resurfaced in the early 70s. The New Territories land lease agreement would end within 27 years in 1997. Murray MacLehose began visiting Beijing to talk about the future of Hong Kong with PRC leaders.
The British government envisioned the possibility of extending the land lease agreement for many more years, thus shelving the problem for a long time. The fact was far from the vision, as the British and the PRC were engaged in a long and uncompromising negotiation eventually involving Margaret Thatcher. What was supposed to be a negotiation on extending the lease deal became a post-colonial framework timeline.
April
Agriculture and aquaculture in Hong Kong is a sunset industry. Most agricultural produce is directly imported from the neighbouring mainland China. Geographically Hong Kong consists largely of steep, unproductive hillside. Only 64 square kilometres of land are actively farmed. Farms are generally small in size and they produce mainly leafy vegetables, pigs or poultry. The policy of Hong Kong Government changed from helping to discouraging during the transition to tertiary industry. Strengthening of health and environmental rules suffocates the small business of poultry and pigs.
In round figures, the daily fresh food consumption by Hong Kong’s population of more than six million is 890 tonnes of rice, 1,700 tonnes of vegetables, 5,910 head of pigs, 120 head of cattle and 170 tonnes of poultry. Much of this is imported, but Hong Kong’s primary producers help to satisfy some of the demand.
The gross value of local agricultural production totalled $1,052 million in 2003. Five per cent of the vegetables Hong Kong people consumed, together with 31 % of the live poultry and 23 % of the live pigs, come from local farms. Local production is geared to complement rather than compete with other major market suppliers. Production efforts are aimed mainly at high-value fresh foods.
May
MTR, or Mass Transit Railway (地下鐵路, literally "underground railway"; usually abbreviated to 地鐵 or 地下鐵), is the main rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong and the first in south-east Asia. Since the MTR service first opened in 1979, the network has expanded to encompass seven lines and 53 stations along 91.0 kilometres (56.5 miles). The MTR system was constructed and is operated by MTR Corporation Limited. Due to its efficiency and affordability, the MTR system is a common transportation mode of public transport in Hong Kong, with an average of 2.557 million journeys recorded each day as of January 2007. The integration of the Octopus smart card fare-payment technology into the MTR system in September 1997 has further enhanced the ease of commuting with the MTR.
In 1967, construction of the MTR was prompted by a government-commissioned study. The Hong Kong Government had previously commissioned a study in the 1960s to find solutions to the growing traffic problem caused by the expansion of the city's economy. Construction started soon after the release of the study, and the first line was opened in 1979. The MTR was immediately popular with residents of Hong Kong; as a result, subsequent lines have been built to cover more territory. There are continual debates regarding how and where to expand the MTR network, including new lines and a possible merger with Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation.
June
Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. It combines elements from the action movie, as codified by Hollywood, with Chinese storytelling and aesthetic traditions, to create a culturally distinctive form that nevertheless has a wide transcultural appeal. In recent years, the flow has reversed somewhat, with American and European action films being heavily influenced by Hong Kong genre conventions.
The first Hong Kong action films favoured the wuxia style, emphasizing mysticism and swordplay, but this trend was politically suppressed in the 1930s and replaced by styles in which films depicted more down-to-earth unarmed kung fu, often featuring folk hero Wong Fei Hung. Post-war cultural upheavals led to a second wave of wuxia films with highly acrobatic violence, followed by the emergence of the grittier kung fu films for which the Shaw Brothers studio became best known. The 1970s saw the rise and sudden death of international superstar Bruce Lee. He was succeeded in the 1980s by Jackie Chan—who popularised the use of comedy, dangerous stunts, and modern urban settings in action films—and Jet Li, whose authentic wushu skills appealed to both eastern and western audiences. The innovative work of directors and producers like Tsui Hark and John Woo introduced further variety (for example, gunplay, triads and the supernatural). An exodus by many leading figures to Hollywood in the 1990s coincided with a downturn in the industry.
July
Kung Fu Hustle is a 2004 Hong Kong martial arts film directed and co-written by Stephen Chow. The film is a humorous parody and a homage to the wuxia genre, and contains most of the characteristics of a typical wuxia movie with exaggerations, serious situations and comic plots. Set in 1930s Shanghai, it is a tale of redemption for the central character, portrayed by Chow, a petty criminal who is trying to join the city's most-powerful gang.
The use of visual effects have been widely acclaimed and the cartoon style of the movie accompanied by traditional Chinese music is its most striking feature. Although the film features the return of a number of retired 1970s actors of Hong Kong action cinema, it is in stark contrast to recent martial arts films that have made an impact in the West, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero.
The film was released on 23 December 2004 after two years of production and received positive reviews from critics. It went on to become the highest grossing film in the history of Hong Kong, and the highest grossing foreign language film in the United States in 2005.
August
The Scout Association of Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港童軍總會) is the overall Scouting organisation in Hong Kong. After the first Scouting initiatives in 1909, the Hong Kong branch of The Boy Scout Association of the United Kingdom started in 1914 by registering the St. Joseph's College Scout Group, and was formally established in July 1915. The Hong Kong branch became an autonomous association and the 111th member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in 1977.
In 2005, the association had 78,523 uniformed members, with approximately 2700 Scout groups in the sections Grasshopper, Cubs, Scouts, Venture and Rover Scouts, making it the largest uniformed youth organisation in Hong Kong. The headquarters at the Hong Kong Scout Centre (香港童軍中心) in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, host the administration, headed by the Hong Kong Chief Commissioner (香港總監).
The association runs campsites, including Gilwell Campsite (基維爾營地), Tai Tam Scout Centre (大潭童軍中心) and Tung Tsz Scout Centre (洞梓童軍中心), as well as hostels and Scout Activity Centres. It annually organises the traditional Scout Rally, providing Scout competitions and activities. For specific anniversaries, themed Scout Jamborees have been organised.
September
Jackie Chan (born April 7, 1954 in Victoria Peak, Hong Kong) is a Chinese actor, director, martial artist, film producer, screenwriter, singer and stunt performer.
Chan is one of the best-known names in kung fu and action films worldwide for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons and innovative stunts. He has appeared in over 100 films and has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A Cantopop star, he has released 20 albums since 1984 and sung many of the theme songs for the films in which he has starred.
Chan started training in martial arts and acrobatics in 1960 at the Chinese Drama Academy, a Peking Opera School under the tutelage of Master Yu Jim Yuen. He started his movie career at the age of 17 as a stunt performer for Bruce Lee in the films Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon.
Chan created his screen persona as a response to Bruce Lee, and the numerous imitators who appeared before and after Lee's death. In contrast to Lee's characters, who were typically stern, morally upright heroes, Chan plays well-meaning, slightly foolish regular guys (often at the mercy of their friends, girlfriends or families) who always triumph in the end despite the odds.
October
Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited (BOCHK, 中國銀行(香港)有限公司) is the second-largest commercial banking group in Hong Kong in terms of assets and customer deposits, with more than 300 branches in Hong Kong. It was established on October 1, 2001 from a merger of 12 subsidiaries and associates of the Bank of China in Hong Kong, and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in October 2002. As of the end of 2003, the bank had HK$763 billion in assets and earned net profit of HK$8 billion in 2003.
BOCHK is one of the three banks which issue banknotes for Hong Kong, the biggest member and a founder of the JETCO ATM and payment system, and the designated clearing bank in Hong Kong for transactions involving the renminbi, Mainland China's currency. It is legally separate from its parent, Bank of China (BOC), although they maintain close relations in management and administration and cooperate in several areas including reselling BOC's insurance and securities services. It also shares its Hong Kong headquarters, the Bank of China Tower, with its parent; completed in 1988, this was the first building outside of North America to exceed 1,000 feet (300 m).
November
The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong. Originally launched in September 1997 to collect fares for the city's mass transit system, the Octopus card system has since grown into a widely used payment system for virtually all public transport in Hong Kong. It is also used for payment at convenience stores, supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, on-street parking meters, car parks, and other point-of-sale applications such as service stations and vending machines. The Octopus card has been internationally recognised, winning the Chairman's Award of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance's 2006 Global IT Excellence Award for being the world's leading complex automatic fare collection and contactless smartcard payment system, and for its innovative use of technologies. According to Octopus Cards Limited, operator of the Octopus card system, there are more than 14 million cards in circulation, twice the population of Hong Kong. The cards are used by 95 percent of the population of Hong Kong aged 16 to 65, generating over 10 million daily transactions worth a total of about HK$29 billion (US$3.7 billion) a year.
December
Ocean Park Hong Kong is a theme park in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island. The marine-themed amusement park covers the area of Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan, and is located in Hong Kong. Public can go to Ocean Park by taxi or Citybus. The park, ranked seven in 'The World’s Most Popular Amusement Parks’ by Forbes in June 2006, had 4.38 million visitors in the fiscal year 2005/2006. It covers an area of 870,000 square metres. The different parts of the park are connected by a gondola lift system (or cable car system), as well as the world's second longest outdoor escalator.
The theme park currently has over 14 rides and other attractions such as aquariums. Besides housing two roller coasters, Ocean Park also features a Giant panda exhibit, a jelly fish and shark aquarium, as well as a four-story aquarium displaying more than 2000 fishes. The official mascot of Ocean Park is "Whiskers"—a waving sealion. 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 bottle nose dolphins, and developed numerous new breeds of goldfish.