Hong Kong's Economy
FoundationBacked by the mainland and facing the world, with a deep natural harbour, Hong Kong has built four key industries — financial services, trading and logistics, tourism, and professional services — plus rising trades such as innovation and technology.
- Hong Kong is backed by the mainland and faces the world — a gifted location.
- Victoria Harbour is broad and deep, a natural harbour.
- Free-port policy makes trade easy and prosperous.
文體小知識：說明文把經濟知識講得簡單明白。這一篇介紹香港的地理位置如何造就經濟，以及香港的主要產業和新興行業。
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1Hong Kong lies on the south-east coast of China, east of the Pearl River estuary, backed by the mainland and facing South-East Asia, near the centre of the Asia-Pacific. From Hong Kong, most major Asian cities are within five hours' flight. This gifted location is a key foundation of Hong Kong's economic development.
2Hong Kong also enjoys a natural harbour — Victoria Harbour. Broad and deep, ice-free all year, it lets huge ships moor safely. As a free port where most goods enter and leave without tariffs, ships from many countries load, unload and transship here, making Hong Kong an important international shipping and entrepot trading centre.
3Hong Kong's four key industries are financial services; trading and logistics; tourism; and professional and producer services. Banks, securities and insurance make up financial services and turn Hong Kong into an international financial centre; container terminals, the airport and courier networks support trading and logistics; theme parks, shopping and food attract visitors from around the world; lawyers, accountants and surveyors provide professional services.
4In recent years new industries have grown: innovation and technology, such as mobile apps, artificial intelligence and biotechnology; and cultural and creative industries, such as film, animation, design and pop music. These trades add new drive to the economy and open many chances for young people who love science and the arts.
5Every industry touches our daily life: parents working in banks, firms or factories bring home income; goods shipped from around the world fill our shops; visitors spending here give restaurants and stores their business. Study hard, and whichever trade you join one day, you can play your part in Hong Kong's economy.
1Summary 重點摘要
Backed by the mainland and facing the world, with a deep natural harbour, Hong Kong has built four key industries — financial services, trading and logistics, tourism, and professional services — plus rising trades such as innovation and technology.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
All the producing, buying, selling and service activities of a place.
Where a place sits on the Earth, which shapes how it develops.
A naturally deep bay where ships can moor safely.
A port where most goods enter and leave without tariffs; Hong Kong is a famous one.
Industries handling money, such as banks, securities and insurance.
The arrangements and services that move goods from place to place.
The industry of welcoming visitors to sightsee, shop and spend.
Specialised services by lawyers, accountants, surveyors and the like.
The industry of inventing new products and technologies, such as AI.
Industries creating value through ideas, such as film, animation, design and music.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Find Hong Kong's locationOpen a world map, find China, then locate Hong Kong on its south-eastern coast. Hong Kong sits east of the Pearl River estuary, backed by Guangdong and facing the South China Sea — one of the important gateways to the mainland. Within about five hours' flight from Hong Kong lie most major Asian cities, such as Tokyo, Singapore and Bangkok. Backed by the mainland and facing the world, Hong Kong is a bridge joining East and West.
- Step 2: See the strength of a deep natural harbourVictoria Harbour, between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, is broad and deep, never freezes, and offers shelter in typhoons — a rare natural harbour. Huge container ships can enter and moor, and the gantry cranes at Kwai Chung container terminals lift containers day and night. With shipping so convenient, traders naturally choose Hong Kong to buy, sell and transship — one secret of the city's trading prosperity.
- Step 3: Understand the free port and the mainland linkHong Kong is a free port: most imports and exports pay no tariffs, procedures are simple, goods flow freely and costs stay low, so merchants of many lands like trading here. Next to the mainland, Hong Kong also sends goods made in Pearl River Delta factories on to the world, and brings foreign goods into the mainland. Backed by the nation and linked to the world, this unique role has kept Hong Kong a major trading centre for over a century.
- Step 4: Know the four key industriesHong Kong's four key industries: first, financial services — banks, the stock market and insurers crowd here, making the city an international financial centre of Asia; second, trading and logistics — the airport, container terminals and courier networks send goods worldwide; third, tourism — theme parks, food and shopping draw visitors from every corner; fourth, professional and producer services — lawyers, accountants and surveyors serve local and overseas firms.
- Step 5: Know the rising industriesBeyond the four key industries, Hong Kong has been developing new trades. In innovation and technology, companies build mobile apps, artificial intelligence, robotics and biotechnology, with many tech firms gathered in the Science Park and Cyberport. In culture and creativity, Hong Kong's films, animation, design and pop music carry great influence in Asia. These lively trades open a broad stage for pupils who love science, art and design.
- Step 6: See how industries touch daily lifeThe economy is all around us: the banks, offices, factories and shops where parents work are parts of these industries; container lorries on the road carry goods citizens use daily; when visitors come, restaurants, hotels and stores do well, and workers' incomes stay steady. The buses we ride and the bookshops we visit all run on economic activity. Knowing this, we treasure every working person's contribution.
- Step 7: Think about your own contributionHong Kong's economy was built by generations of effort, and today's pupils will carry it on. Those who love mathematics may join finance or technology; those who love languages may work in trade, tourism or media; those who love art may grow in design and creative industries. Whatever the trade, learning knowledge and skills and keeping integrity and responsibility will let each of us find a place in this city and help its prosperity and stability.
5Worked example Example
Example: Riding the ferry across Victoria Harbour, Ming sees giant ships crowding the Kwai Chung container terminals while cranes load and unload non-stop. Why can Hong Kong be a major trading and shipping centre?
- Look at location: Hong Kong sits near the centre of the Asia-Pacific, backed by the mainland and facing South-East Asia — a bridge of East-West trade.
- Look at the harbour: Victoria Harbour is broad, deep and ice-free, letting huge ships moor safely and goods load easily.
- Look at policy: as a free port, most goods pay no tariffs and procedures are simple, drawing merchants from many countries.
- Look at industries: trading and logistics, one of the four key industries, together with the airport, terminals and logistics networks, sends goods worldwide.
- Answer: Three conditions make Hong Kong a great trading and shipping centre: an excellent location backed by the mainland and facing the world; the broad, deep natural harbour of Victoria Harbour; and free-port policy with tariff-free, simple procedures. Together with advanced logistics and airport and terminal facilities, goods from every land naturally gather in Hong Kong.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1On which estuary's eastern side does Hong Kong lie?
Q2What is the harbour between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon called?
Q3What are Hong Kong's four key industries?
Q4What is a free port?
Q5Name one rising industry in Hong Kong.
8Recap Recap
- Hong Kong is backed by the mainland and faces the world — a gifted location.
- Victoria Harbour is broad and deep, a natural harbour.
- Free-port policy makes trade easy and prosperous.
- Four key industries: finance, trading and logistics, tourism, professional services.
- Innovation and technology plus creative industries are rising trades full of chances.