International Harbors

china

° Hong Kong (and Chinese New Year) ° Macau
° UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Hong Kong
Chinese New Year in 2009 is on January 26. It is the year of the Ox. In Hong Kong, of course, the event is huge. Shops and small restaurants close for three days and some for the week. Visiting Hong Kong around this time is well worth it as you can view Victorial Harbor from many waterfront hotels for a direct view of one of the largest fireworks displays in the country.

PyroSpectacular is one of the finest pyro companies in the world. They stage many of the largest exhibitions around the country, including San Francisco's Fourth of July (which used to be sponsored by The San Francisco Chronicle when the paper was owned by the deYoung-Thieriot family and shot from three different locations over the bay).

I will eventually upload additional images and more information about travelling to Hong Kong for Chinese New Year . . . or any time of year for that matter. It is safe, wonderful, a shopper's paradise -- I still have Ralph Lauren knock-off Cashmere sweaters bought in Kowloon for about $15 each when they were selling in the United States for $100++.

Macau

Chinese records of Macau date back to the establishment in 1152 of Xiangshan County under which Macau was administered, By 1277, members of the South Sung (Song) Dynasty and some 50,000 followers were the first recorded inhabitants of the area, seeking refuge in Macau from invading Mongols in 1277 where they established themselves. The Hoklo Boat people from Hong Kong initiated commercial interest in Macau as a trading center for the southern provinces. Macau did not develop as a major settlement until the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century when traders used Macau as a staging port as early as 1516, making it the oldest European settlement in the Far East.

In 1557, the Chinese agreed to a Portuguese settlement in Macau but did not recognize Portuguese sovereignty. Although a Portuguese municipal government was established, the sovereignty question remained unresolved.

Initially, the Portuguese developed Macau's port as a trading post for China-Japan trade and as a staging port on the long voyage from Lisbon to Nagasaki. When Chinese officials banned direct trade with Japan in 1547, Macau's Portuguese traders carried goods between the two countries.

On March 26, 1887, the Manchu government acknowledged the Portuguese right of "perpetual occupation." Macau enjoyed a brief period of economic prosperity during World War II as the only neutral port in South China, after the Japanese occupied Guangzhou (Canton) and Hong Kong. In 1943, Japan created a virtual protectorate over Macau. Japanese domination ended in August 1945.

When the Chinese communists came to power in 1949, they declared the Protocol of Lisbon to be invalid as an "unequal treaty" imposed by foreigners on China. However, Beijing was not ready to settle the treaty question, requesting maintenance of "the status quo" until a more appropriate time. Beijing took a similar position on treaties relating to the Hong Kong territories.

Riots broke out in 1966 when pro-communist Chinese elements and the Macau police clashed. The Portuguese Government reached an agreement with China to end the flow of refugees from China and to prohibit all communist demonstrations. This move ended the conflict, and relations between the government and the leftist organizations have remained peaceful.

China's World Heritage Sites

Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang (1987, 2004)
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (1987) Mogao Caves (1987)
Mount Taishan (1987)
Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian (1987)
The Great Wall (1987)
Mount Huangshan (1990)
Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (1992)
Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains (1994)
Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa (1994, 2000, 2001)
Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde (1994)
Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu (1994)
Lushan National Park (1996)
Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area (1996)
Ancient City of Ping Yao (1997)
Classical Gardens of Suzhou (1997, 2000)
Old Town of Lijiang (1997)
Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing (1998)
Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing (1998)
Dazu Rock Carvings (1999)
Mount Wuyi (1999)
Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun (2000)
Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (2000, 2003, 2004)
Longmen Grottoes (2000)
Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System (2000)
Yungang Grottoes (2001)
Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas (2003)
Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom (2004)
Historic Centre of Macao (2005)
Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries - Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains (2006)
Yin Xu (2006)
Kaiping Diaolou and Villages (2007)
South China Karst (2007)
Fujian Tulou (2008)
Mount Sanqingshan National Park (2008)