On 1 July 1997, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of China in an arrangement that will last for 50 years. Operating under a ‘one country, two systems policy’, Hong Kong maintains its own political, social and economic systems. English remains an official language and Hong Kong’s border with China still exists.

Now reunited with the mainland, visually stunning Hong Kong offers a warp-speed ‘shop till you drop’ lifestyle combined with enclaves of tradition.

Hong Kong was part of the Chinese empire before coming under British administration as a direct result of the 19th-century Opium Wars. When peace terms were drawn up in 1841, the Emperor of China agreed that Hong Kong Island should be ceded to Britain and five other ports licensed for foreign trade. The British controlled Hong Kong from then – apart from a four-year period during World War II when the territory was occupied by the Japanese – until 1997, when it was returned to China. The terms were settled and signed in 1984 and contained guarantees that the territory would enjoy a high degree of autonomy, especially in the economic field.

Hong Kong is a popular tourist destination as well as being one of the world’s major business centres. It has over 260 outlying islands but only a few are inhabited. This means that Hong Kong offers a great range of contrasts, with numerous islands that provide a tranquil alternative to its frenetic energy elsewhere. Hong Kong Island is an eclectic mix of modern skyscrapers, colonial buildings and traditional temples.

Much has changed since 1841 when Lord Palmerston - who was then foreign secretary - wrote that Hong Kong was ‘nothing but a barren island without a house upon it’.