No. 12 of my 2018 world series challenge is Hong Kong Island.
Hong Kong island became a colony of the British Empire when their forces defeated the Chinese in the First Opium War (1839-1842). The island was populated by only a few thousand people when British empire colonized it, and was thus described as being almost uninhabited. With the exception of the Second World War, during which the colony was occupied by Japan, Hong Kong remained under British control until 1997, when it was returned to China. As a special administrative region, Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system apart from the mainland. Hong Kong is now the fourth-most densely populated region in the world.
This illustration tries to capture a small selection of the many shining skyscrapers that populate Hong Kong Island. Passing in the foreground is a Junk, a type of ancient Chinese sailing ship, decorated with iconic red sails. It’s a vivid contrast to the deep blue waters of Victoria harbour.
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