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People envision Hong Kong as a land filled with skyscrapers and crowds everywhere. This is true, but there’s a lot more to Hong Kong than this. This post focuses on Hong Kong fun facts that people might not know.
Let’s get started!
Hong Kong Fun Facts – Culture
1) People often ask, ‘Is Hong Kong a part of China?’
The answer is yes. Hong Kong was returned to China on July 1, 1997. The city is now a Special Administrative Region of China (SAR), which means it’s governed under the One Country, Two Systems framework. This means that Hong Kong has different government rules and regulations than Mainland China.
2) Hong Kong is known for working hard and playing hard. Although the standard work hours here are from 9 am to 6 pm, it’s common for employees to work until after 6 pm. The city is known for their long work hours, and there is no mandatory law about overtime pay.
3) Okay, let’s talk about something positive now that we know the previous fact. Hong Kong has about 15 general public holidays each year. It’s more than in other regions because the city celebrates both Chinese and Western holidays. There’s pretty much a holiday every month except in August and November. Depending on the employer, some companies also allow employees to leave early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
4) Hong Kong is divided into three territories: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Tourists usually spend more time on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon, but there are tourist attractions like Tai O, Big Buddha, and Hong Kong Disneyland that are in the New Territories.
5) Did you know that more than 70% of Hong Kong is nature? It’s why Hong Kong is consistently ranked among the most expensive cities in the world. Accommodation is limited, despite the city’s population of 7 million.
6) Hong Kongers love the low-tax system here, whether it’s personal income tax, zero sales/VAT tax, or the non-existent capital gains tax for most people.
Tourists don’t worry about capital gains tax or income tax because they are not residents. The rule on sales tax, however, benefits both residents and tourists. Hong Kong is a great place to shop because there is no sales tax. This means it’s cheaper than in other Asian cities to buy the same items, especially for imported goods. As a result, Mainlanders often flock to Hong Kong to stock up on electronics, skincare, and other products.
7) Since Hong Kong was a former British colony for over a century, the city has adopted the UK system, like driving on the left side of the road, the same power plug voltages, and floor numbering formats (for example, G/F is ground floor or street level; then it’s 1/F, which is first floor).
8) On average, Hong Kong residents are well-educated in three languages: English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Although our northern neighbours gently joke about Hong Kongers speaking Mandarin with an accent, it’s still impressive that locals can understand and communicate in multiple languages.
9) Each city has an area code that represents the city. For Hong Kong, it’s +852.
10) Unlike many global cities, Hong Kong has no official zip codes. Whenever you need an address, it’s the building name, flat number, street name, and the Hong Kong neighbourhood. There are no postal codes here, which may seem odd to people, but it works.
11) This will be good for tourists to know, but Hong Kongers love their AC. Since the city is hot and humid about 9-10 months of the year, the solution is to blast AC. Indoor public air-conditioned areas like shopping malls and public transportation will feel nice and cool during the long summer season. Still, it’s gotten to the point where some people might carry around a thin sweater because they can’t stand the intentionally low temperature.
Hong Kong Fun Facts – Tourist Attractions
12. I have dedicated a full blog post to Hong Kong museums, but it’s too good not to share that Hong Kong museums often have free admission on Wednesdays. This thoughtful arrangement works well because it eases weekend crowd issues, allows schools to organize student field trips, and encourages low-income groups who might struggle to afford museum visits.
13. The Mid-Levels escalator in Central is the longest outdoor escalator in the world. The government made a good choice in placing an escalator there because the area is known for being hilly. Taking the escalator to rest one’s legs is a quick reprieve, especially when you’ve been on your feet all day or for those who can’t walk as much, like older people or toddlers.
14. Hong Kong Disneyland is officially the smallest Disney theme park in the world. With other locations in the USA like California and Florida, as well as Paris, Tokyo, and Shanghai, HK Disney loses out on space, but it wins because Disneyland feels manageable. If you want to learn more about this theme park in Hong Kong, check out my Hong Kong Disneyland guide.
15. Mong Kok is the most densely populated neighbourhood in the world. Visit during peak times like weekend afternoons to experience the chaos firsthand.
Hong Kong Fun Facts – Public Transportation
16) Hong Kong has an excellent public transportation system. One of those transportation forms is minibuses. Locals might be used to the custom of calling out to the bus driver to get off at the next stop. If you don’t, the driver will keep going until someone does wave to get off or someone waves to get on the bus. As a result, many tourists aren’t comfortable with this because they don’t know the city as well. It could make it a fun local experience though.
17) One of the best things about Hong Kong (and there are many) is its airport. It is consistently ranked as one of the best airports in the world. It’s extremely clean, easy to navigate with clear signs, and security lines are efficient. Passengers often have an overwhelmingly positive impression of the Hong Kong International Airport.
18) Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific also has an excellent reputation. Cathay has repeatedly entered global ranking lists as one of the best airlines, and it looks like the company will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.
19) I’m going to start by saying I love Hong Kong taxis. Maybe I like them a little too much, because of the convenience. It rarely takes an effort to get a cab. Hong Kong cabs might have hidden fees that drivers tack on at the end of the ride, such as tunnel fees and baggage fees. For example, each piece of luggage is an extra $6. Some drivers might forego this amount if you can fit the luggage inside the passenger seats, but expect to pay more because they can rightfully charge customers.
20) One reason our public transportation is so clean is its strict no-eating rule. The staff is very strict about this. I once saw someone get called out for eating with a megaphone when they had a pack of gummies in their hands and eating from it on the MTR platform. Don’t let the staff name and shame you. You’ll get everyone’s attention nearby, and it’s not the type of attention you want.
21) There is some crazy percentage where about 99% of Hong Kong residents have an Octopus card. This works like a debit card: you add money and tap to pay. With a maximum limit of $3000 HKD at a time, locals use this on public transportation, at convenience stores, in HK cafes, in parking lots, and at street food stalls. It’s an incredibly convenient way to pay for smaller transactions.
Hong Kong Fun Facts – Food
22) Yum cha is a synonym for dim sum. Families usually reserve a Saturday or (mostly) Sunday to gather together with multiple generations for lunch. Most Hong Kong families have a common ritual of regularly visiting the same restaurant.
23) There are dozens of Chinese restaurants with Michelin stars now, but did you know that Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons Hotel was the first Cantonese restaurant to get three Michelin stars? That’s the highest culinary level you can receive in the culinary world if you can afford it; book a table and splurge at this fine dining Cantonese restaurant.
24) A Hong Kong signature dish is their pineapple bun. It’s called ‘bolo bao’ in Cantonese. This sweet Cantonese pastry is often eaten at afternoon tea at a cha chaan teng. The warm bread melts the cold slab of butter in the middle. Despite the name, there is no pineapple. The name comes from the golden crust on top, which resembles a pineapple’s texture.
25) Speaking of signature dishes, another famous pastry is Hong Kong egg tarts. There are two crusts: cookie crust or puff pastry crust. My personal favourite is the puff pastry crust, provided it’s made fresh that day. If not, I’d go with the cookie crust option. It’s what I recommend to others too.
Final Thoughts
I hope you learned about the city after reading these 25 facts about Hong Kong. Since my niche focuses on Hong Kong tourism, most of my blog posts focus on how to spend time in the city, but I want to do something different for this post.
The next time you wander around the streets of Hong Kong, keep an eye out for these trivia facts. Maybe you’ll see the city with fresh eyes or realize what you didn’t observe before.
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Xoxo,
Nicole
