Hong Kong is a place with multiple personalities, as a result of being both Cantonese Chinese and under a long-time British influence. Today, the former British colony is a major tourism destination for China's increasingly affluent population. It is also an important hub in East Asia with global connections to many of the world's cities. It is a unique destination that has absorbed people and cultural influences from places as diverse as Vietnam and Vancouver and proudly proclaims itself to be Asia's World City.