Pictures of hong kong by Ho Fan

Although the source of the romanised name is unknown, it is generally believed to be an early phonetic rendering of the Cantonese pronunciation hēung góng. The name translates as “fragrant harbour” or “incense harbour”. “Fragrant” may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour’s freshwater influx from the Pearl River or to the odor from incense factories lining the coast of northern Kowloon.