Hong Kong's Evolution: A City Finds Its Own Path Hong Kong's transformation from a Western playground to an integral part of China is not a recent phenomenon but rather the culmination of changes that have been unfolding since 1997.
The city has undergone significant economic and cultural shifts, driven in large part by its proximity to the rapidly growing Pearl River Delta region.
Shenzhen, located just across the border from Hong Kong, was virtually nonexistent as an economic entity until the late 1970s.