Victoria Harbor is located between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). It is the largest in Asia and the third largest seaport in the world, behind San Francisco, USA and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Because it is natural harbor that has deep water port and wide area, hence it is called the "Pearl of the Orient". It has worldwide reputation for it beautiful night view. The name of the harbor derived from the British Queen Victoria. Visitors can get free access to the island all year round. Victoria Harbor has affected Hong Kong's history and culture. It leads the economic and tourism development of Hong Kong and become one of the key facts which make Hong Kong an international metropolis.
Victoria Harbor has wide water. The scenery here is quite charming. In the northwest, there is the largest container shipping centers in the world, "Kwai Chung Container Terminal". Standing aside the island, visitors can see busy ferries shuttling between the north and south sides. Fishing boats, cruise ships, sightseeing boats, and giant ships cut out a wonderful bustling sea views.
History
Victoria Harbor has always been a major waterway since the ancient time. There were armies stationed there at the time. But before 1840 it was just a small fishing village of 5,000 people in Hong Kong, and there are few written records about the ancient harbor. According to the history books, there were armies stationed there since the Song dynasty to protect merchants and salt maritime trafficking.
In Qing Dynasty, the British expected Victoria Harbor to be the largest port in East Asia have become an excellent potential to win at the Opium War and its excellent port of Hong Kong to develop its maritime trade in the Far East, but also in order to prevent other powers to possess this place at the time, which is the strategic excellent deep-water port. It opened the British colony's history of Hong Kong. After the British occupation of Victoria Harbor, they gradually built beautiful buildings and streets on the South Bank (Hong Kong Island). In 1861, the harbor was officially named as Victoria Harbor, named after the queen at the time.