Hong Kong III Trivia Quiz

Answer: Star

The earliest report of a ferry service appeared in a local newspaper dated 28 December 1888: "Steam launch 'Morning Star' runs daily as a ferry boat between Pedders Wharf and Tsim Sha Tsui at the following hours (a 40 minutes to one hour service during all hours of the day).

There will be no launch on Monday and Friday, on account of coaling." The ferry service was originally founded by a prominent Parsee, Dorabjee Nowrojee, under the name of the Kowloon Ferry Company. Some reports say it was about ten years later, upon acquiring the total assets from Nowrojee, that the Star Ferry Company as we know it today came into existence.

Despite the lack of detailed documentation, it would seem appropriate that the new company took its name from the vessels it acquired, which all bore the name "Star".

Some of the original names like "Morning Star" and "Night Star" have indeed remained to the present day. (Information taken from www.starferry.com.hk)

Answer: Causeway Bay

The story goes that in the 19th century a Jardine opium boat was greeted with a 21 gun salute as it entered the harbour and that since then, it has become a tradition for a gun to be fired at noon to commemorate that event. It has fired almost every day since 1860. The gun, a Hotchkiss 3 pounder, was immortalised in Noel Coward's song, "Mad Dogs And Englishmen".

Answer: Happy Valley

Happy Valley is the site of the original horse racing course in Hong Kong. Also located in Happy Valley are the Hong Kong Stadium (venue of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens), the Hong Kong Football Club, the Craigengower Cricket Club and the Hong Kong Cemetery, which still has grave stones from the earliest British colonial days. Happy Valley was a mosquito-infested marsh land in pre-colonial times but is now a thriving residential and recreational area on Hong Kong Island. The Jockey Club also has a newer race course at Sha Tin in the New Territories.

In 2005 it proudly boasted the world's largest outdoor video screen.

Answer: Lions

The HSBC headquarters, designed by Sir Norman Foster, is situated at one end of Statue Square in Central. At the time of construction (1985) it was the most expensive building in the World at HK$5.2 billion. It is an unusual modular design (supposedly portable) and can be seen printed on the back of certain HSBC bank notes.
A pair of lion statues is outside the entranceway; these bring good fortune through Feng Shui.
Filipina maids do sit in the covered area of the building's ground floor podium on their Sunday off work. This is the only day the maids have as holiday and many of them congregate there to gossip, picnic and meet friends.

Answer: Tsim Sha Tsui

The Old Clock Tower is opposite the Star Ferry terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon Peninsula. The 44 metre tower was built in 1915 and is all that is left of the Kowloon Canton Railway southern terminus.

Answer: The Peak

The Peak is the highest point on Hong Kong Island where you can get wonderful views of Central and Kowloon. Originally The Peak was exclusively for expatriate residents' homes, however, now it is open to anyone although few but the wealthiest can afford to live there.

At one time the only public transport to the top was by rickshaw until the Peak Tram (a funicular railway) opened in 1888. Madame Tussaud's is also on The Peak. Robert Ripley was an American who had a passion for travel. Born in 1890, he had visited over 200 countries before 1940 and had travelled extensively in China.

He collected unusual artifacts on his travels and displayed these in his 'Odditoriums'. He opened the first of these at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair where he attracted over 2 million visitors. By 2005 there were 24 "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" museums in 8 countries and an associated TV show.

Answer: Sogo

Sogo is the huge department store on Hennessey Road which is very popular with locals and tourists.
Mitsukoshi is a smaller Japanese department store on the opposite side of Hennessey Road from Sogo.
G.O.D. is a Japanese store on Leighton Road specialising in trendy furniture and household goods.
Genki is a chain of Japanese sushi bars.

Answer: Fast food noodle shops

Dai Pai Dongs are everywhere and very inexpensive. Typically a bowl of noodles is around HK$20 and tea is free. Dai Pai Dong means 'big signage stall' which refers to the brash advertising signs used to attract customers (apparently).
Chau Mau ('grass hat') are the traditional 'coolie' hats made of straw. They are rarely worn but can occasionally be seen on farmers or the ladies who pick litter off the beaches. They can also be purchased in most of the tourist markets.
Dim Sum ('small treats that touch the heart') are the rice dumpling delicacies normally eaten at lunch.
Cheong Sam ('long dress') is the traditional high collar, sleeveless dress with a side split skirt. Occasionally these are seen on waitresses and of course available for sale to tourists at most of the markets and clothes shops.

Answer: Fragrant Harbour

In Hong Kong's early history wood from an incense plantation in Sha Tin was transported to Tsim Sha Tsui before being shipped to other parts of the region. The incense gave the area a pleasant smell and Tsim Sha Tsui at one time was called Heung Po Tau or 'fragrant wharf'.

The large island to the south of Tsim Sha Tsui was (and still is) called Heung Gong (Hong Kong) or 'fragrant harbour'.

Answer: Bauhinia

The symbol on the flag is a white Bauhinia orchid on a red background. The 'Bauhinia Blakeana' was named after the British Governor of Hong Kong (1898-1903), Sir Henry Blake, who was a keen botanist and discovered it near Pokfulam on Hong Kong Island in 1880.

The flower is actually bright pinkish purple and is a member of the class leguminosae (pea). The genus is named after the 16th century Swiss botanists, the Bauhin brothers.