The Core Venue in Sha Tin will be converted from the Hong Kong Sports Institute and Penfold Park. [File photo: equestrian2008.org]

 Hong Kong has more than 100 years' history of horse racing. So it's quite natural for the city to host the Olympic Equestrian competitions in 2008. The games will be held from August 9 to 20.

Hong Kong consists of 262 islands and is located in the South China Sea. It's an important trade and financial centre, with the greatest concentration of corporate headquarters in the Asia-Pacific region.

Though this cosmopolitan city has the reputation of being intensely populated and urbanized, you will be surprised to find that it features much greenery. Most of its buildings are "thin" and "tall"; roads are mostly two-lane.

The roads are very narrow, making it a challenging job to drive in some places. But Hong Kong bus drivers are among the world's best. So, when a Hong Kong bus driver is doing a swift U-turn on a narrow and steep slope, the only thing you need to do is close your eyes!