Explore Hong Kong Island

What to know before visiting Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. The island, known originally and on road signs simply as "Hong Kong", had a population of 1,289,500 and a population density of 16,390 per square kilometre (42,400/sq mi), as of 2023. It is the second largest island in Hong Kong, with the largest being Lantau Island. Hong Kong Island forms one of the three areas of Hong Kong, with the other two being Kowloon and the New Territories. In 1842, following the Qing dynasty's defeat at the First Opium War (1839–1842), Hong Kong Island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom under the Treaty of Nanking. The City of Victoria was then established on the island by British forces in honour of Queen Victoria. At the time, the island had a population of about 3,000 inhabitants scattered in a dozen fishing villages. The northern-east part of the island, being known as the Central area is the historical, political, and economic centre of Hong Kong, with many government buildings being in the area, namely the Government House, Central Government Complex, Legislative Council Complex, Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal and High Court of Hong Kong. Many financial institutes and banks such as the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, HSBC and Bank of China are also based in the area. The northern coast of the island forms the southern shore of the Victoria Harbour, which is largely responsible for the development of Hong Kong due to its deep waters favoured by large trade ships. The island is home to many famous tourists sights, such as "The Peak", Ocean Park, Former Central Police Station Compound, Murray House, and many other historical sites and various large shopping centres. The mountain ranges across the island are also famous for hiking. The northern part of Hong Kong Island, together with Kowloon and Tsuen Wan New Town, forms the core urban area of Hong Kong. Their combined area is approximately 88.3 square kilometres (34.1 square miles) and their combined population is approximately 3,156,500, reflecting a population density of 35,700 people/km2 (92,000 people/sq mi). The island is often referred to locally as "Hong Kong side" or "Island side". The suffix "-side" is also applied to other locations in Hong Kong (e.g. China-side and Kowloon Walled City-side), the sole remnant of which being the "Kowloon side" when referring to the two sides of the Victoria Harbour. -Wikipedia