Follow Hong Kong immigration and listen to Hong Kong stories: Before the Opium War, Hong Kong did not have a fixed name; it was merely a small island in Xin'an County, Guangdong Province. There are five theories regarding the origin of the name "Hong Kong."
1. "Fragrant River" came before "Hong Kong"
Legend has it that in the past, in the waterfall park at Wah Fu, Pok Fu Lam (located in the southeastern waters of present-day Hong Kong), there was a stream created by a waterfall, known as the "Sweet Waterfall of Ao Yang," one of the "Eight Sights of Xin'an." Because the stream water was sweet and fragrant, it was given the beautiful name "Fragrant River" (Xiangjiang), and the harbor where this stream flowed into the sea was called "Hong Kong" (Fragrant Harbor).
2. Originating from the "Red Incense Burner" in front of the Tin Hau Temple
In front of the Tin Hau Temple in Causeway Bay, there was an ancient red incense burner. Legend says it drifted from the open sea and ran aground in front of the temple. The public placed the incense burner in front of the temple to worship, and the mountain behind the Tin Hau Temple was called "Red Incense Burner Mountain," while the harbor in front of the temple was called "Red Incense Burner Harbor," which was later simplified to "Hong Kong."
3. A port for transshipping incense products
Because the coastal areas of Guangdong and northern Vietnam were suitable for growing incense trees, with many found in counties like Dongguan and Xin'an, incense trees were also planted in Sha Tin and Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The sap extracted from these trees could be made into "incense." Consequently, incense products produced in Hong Kong were shipped from present-day Tsim Sha Tsui to Shek Pai Wan (present-day Aberdeen) and then transshipped to Guangzhou, thus giving rise to the name "Hong Kong."
4. Colloquial term used by local residents
When the British military first arrived in Hong Kong, they asked a local resident to lead the way. When passing through the Pok Fu Lam and Hong Kong Village areas, the British asked the local for the name of the place, and the resident replied "Hong Kong." The British then directly transliterated it as "HONG KONG." Later, the British requested the Qing government to open "Hong Kong" as a transit station for ship repairs, and from then on, the name "Hong Kong" was recorded on Chinese maps.
5. The hideout of the female pirate "Xiang Gu"
Legend has it that during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, there was a female pirate named "Xiang Gu" who fled to Hong Kong Island to occupy it after being pursued by the Qing army. Later, this place was called "Xiang Gu Island," abbreviated to "Xiang Island," and then transformed into "Hong Kong."
HONG KONG is the Cantonese pronunciation of "香港," and the English name was written based on this sound.
Hong Kong is not very large, and tourism mainly consists of sightseeing and shopping in the urban area. Golden Bauhinia Square, Ocean Park, and Disneyland are places frequently visited by tourists.