HONG KONG (day 61)

HONG KONG is divided into three specific areas. We docked in KOWLOON  the shopping peninsula, HONG KONG ISLAND the rich financial center, and NEW TERRITORIES where they did farming.
HONG KONG has no natural resources only people. There are seven million people in 410 square miles. Almost everything is imported from mainland china.

In 1997 HONG KONG went from being a BRITISH protectorate to belonging to mainland CHINA. This was after the lease that Britain had from the Chinese expired. At that time the Chinese govt. agreed to allow HONG KONG to continue to fly its own flag along with the flag of CHINA and to maintain the same rule as they had under the BRITISH.

Today HONG KONG governs itself. They kept the British style of governing. Roads and public transportation are set up to be efficient. Although there still remains to be a great deal of traffic even though there is only one car per 20 people and people are expected to and do use public transportation.

5% of the people practice Christianity, 2% are Buddhist, and the rest of the people worship different Gods. Some people worship their ancestors, some go to Tao temples and worship the God of Literature and/or the Warrior God, others worship anything beneficial i.e.. the moon, the stars, etc...

Today we visited the NEW TERRITORIES.
In addition to being populated by 5 distinct Clans, TANG, MAN, PANG, LIU, AND HAU, the NEW TERRITORIES also consists of LO Wai Village which is inhabited by many families of different faiths, and markets.  THE CLANS live in family villages and everyone that lives in the village has the last name of the clan. Although they are all independent, the village consists of a central meeting house where they all go to burn incense, make offerings & pray to their Ancestors. Each village has its own rules and they cannot inter marry. When they marry the female fro the other Clan will go to live in the village of her husbands Clan. Should one decide he does not want to live like his ancestors he is free to leave the clan.

ANCESTRAL TEMPLE OD THE MAN CLAN 

GODS INSIDE THE TEMPLE DOORS

More of the NEW TERRITORIES tomorrow...to be continued.