Aberdeen & Stanley

 Aberdeen

Located in the south of the Hong Kong Island, Aberdeen was a fishing village hundreds of years ago. Although it has been developed on a large scale, it retains the features of a typical fishing village where many fishermen live.

Tourists can bargain to rent a sampan in Aberdeen Harbor to see sailboats, other sampans, and water taxis, the 'Kaito' ferry, yachts, and the renowned Jumbo Floating Restaurant.

How to get to Aberdeen
1. Public bus nos. 7, 37A, 37B, 37X, 38, 40P, 41A, 42, 42C, 47P, 48, 70, 70M, 70P, 71, 71P, 72, 73, 73P, 77, 78, 90B, 91, 91A, 93, 93A, 93C, 94, 94A, 94X, 95C, 95P, 98, 107, 107P, 170, 595, 970X, 971, 973, 973P, A10, N72, N170
2. Green minibuses nos. 4A, 4B, 4C, 4S, 5, 35M, 39C, 39S, 51, 51S, 52, 58, 58A, 59, 59A, 59B, 63, 63A, 69, 69A, and 69X.

 Stanley

At the south edge of Hong Kong Island, 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from Hong Kong Central, is the famous Hong Kong tourist attraction, Stanley. Neighboring the South China Sea, Stanley features some elegant beaches suitable for windsurfing.

Stanley is not only a famous tourist attraction, but hosts the dwellings of foreign people and merchant princes who love the verdant mountain and clear blue sea here. Stanley Market sells goods meeting the requirement of both foreign residents and tourists.

Famous for years, Stanley Market is where tourists visit first. The market features primarily tourist souvenirs, such as postcards, T-shirts, antiques and ornaments. Besides stores and shops, a number of important buildings with a long history deserve a visit. Among them are the oldest, Tin Hau Temple of the Southern District, the Old Stanley Police Station, and the Murray House on Stanley Square.

In addition, restaurants and bars in Stanley slow the tourist pace. Western restaurants with elegant decorations serve both Chinese and Western dishes. Half-open-air pubs provide beers and stunning vistas of Stanley Bay.

Other sights such as Stanley Main Beach, Stanley Square and Stanley Military Cemetery are also worth visiting.

How to get to Stanley
1. Take public bus No. 6, 6A or 260 at the Exchange Square Bus Terminus in Central to Stanley.
2. Take bus No. 973 at Tsim Sha Tsui of Kowloon to the center of Stanley City.

 Hong Kong History
According to historical records, since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), people inhabiting small villages lived on the production of incense sticks, which were then shipped from a nearby port (called 'gang'). Hence the village gained its name Xianggang, which became Hong Kong in English. In ancient time, the area belonged to Guangdong Province. After the Opium War in 1842, it was handed over to Great Britain as a colony. Upon Hong Kong's return back to China in 1997, it was made a Special Administrative Region. Thus, the policy of 'one country, two systems' has been successfully implemented from then on.