Hong Kong has a largely mountainous terrain, very little flat land, no major rivers, no great forests, and a paucity of mineral wealth. The relative poverty of the place led the British Foreign Secretary to remark, in 1841, that Hong Kong was a “barren rock with hardly a house upon it”. Prior to that date, the rugged landscape of Hong Kong had evolved, with little human interference, over about 400 million years. Subsequently, large influxes of people and their farming, building, reclamation, and economic activities have markedly transformed that original landscape. This book explains, in simple terms and with numerous photographs and figures, the origins of these varied landscapes, examining the contributions of different rocks, geological structures, and modern processes, as well as the profound impact of people.

Bernie Owen studied geology at Sheffield and London. He taught geology and physical geography at the University of Malawi before moving to Hong Kong Baptist University in 1991. He has carried out geological research in many parts of the world including: Hong Kong, Kenya, Malawi, British Columbia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Iceland. Raynor Shaw studied geography and geology at London and Edinburgh, going on to lecture in geomorphology at McMaster University, Canada. He has prospected for diamonds in West Africa and Venezuela. In 1983, he moved to Hong Kong, where he has been producing geology maps and reports. Recently, he has contributed to several Asian travel books.