Settling-in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Destination Guide

The Basics

Let’s Talk About Culture

Settling in Tips

Let’s Have Fun

Need Help?

The Basics

About Hong Kong

Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, is a special administrative region. With over 7.4 million people of various nationalities in a 1,104 km2 territory, Hong Kong is the world’s fourth-most-densely-populated region.

Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after Qing China ceded Hong Kong Island at the end of the First Opium War in 1842. The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 after the Second Opium War and was further extended when Britain obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. The territory was returned to China when the lease expired in 1997. As a special administrative region, Hong Kong’s system of government is separated from that of mainland China.

Formerly a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, Hong Kong has become one of the world’s most significant financial centers and commercial ports. It is the world’s seventh-largest trading entity, and its legal tender (the Hong Kong dollar) is the world’s 13th-most-traded currency. Although the city has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, it has severe income inequality.

The territory has the largest number of skyscrapers in the world, most surrounding Victoria Harbour. Hong Kong ranks seventh on the UN Human Development Index and has the seventh-longest life expectancy in the world. Although over 90 percent of its population uses public transportation, air pollution from neighboring industrial areas of mainland China has resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates.

Hong Kong is located just south of the Tropic of Cancer, about the same latitude as Mexico City or Casablanca. The climate is subtropical because of the southwest monsoon, a moist, warm, equatorial airflow that provides a rainy season from May to August. Temperatures typically rise to 30 degree Celsius or the middle 90’s Fahrenheit.

The winters are cool and dry as the monsoon abates. The weather tends to develop over Mainland China and flow down to Hong Kong. This brings cool, dry temperatures that seldom get below 5 degrees Celsius.

The average annual rainfall in Hong Kong is about 88 inches. Typhoons are a common occurrence in Hong Kong from around July to as late as October. These are violent storms that can virtually shut down Hong Kong for up to 24 hours – sometimes even longer.

Hong Kong's Facts & Figures

Official Name	:	Special Administrative region of the People’s Republic of China
Land Area	:	1,074 sq. km/ 414.6 sq. mi
Population	:	7.4 million
Density	:	6,732 people per square kilometer
Time Zone	:	UTC+8 (Hong Kong Time)
Currency	:	Hong Kong Dollar (HKD)
Language	:	Cantonese and English
Official scripts	:	Traditional Chinese and English alphabet
Weather	:	Humid subtropical climate. Summer is hot and humid, with occasional showers and thunderstorms. Winters are mild.
Weights and Measures	:	Metric System

Let’s Talk About Culture

Local Culture

What makes Hong Kong so unique is its people. A diversified mix of southern Cantonese Chinese combines with large communities from European, North American, and other Asian nations to produce a dynamic, hardworking and vibrant population. Although the vast majority of the population is ethnically Chinese, Hong Kong has developed a distinct identity. The territory diverged from the mainland due to its long period of colonial administration and a different pace of economic, social, and cultural development. Mainstream culture is derived from immigrants originating from various parts of China. This was influenced by British-style education, a separate political system, and the territory’s rapid development during the late 20th century.

Hong Kong’s culture is rich and robust. It draws heavily on its diverse population to offer the residents a wide variety of religious, holidays, festivals, food, languages and customs. Freedom of religion, guaranteed in the Basic Law, allows many different faiths to co-exist peacefully, side by side.

Hong Kong celebrates both Asian and Western festivals. There are a great number of holidays but the Chinese New Year merits special mention. Usually in late January or early February (it’s a lunar event, so the exact dates change each year). It’s a weeklong celebration, time to rekindle old friendships and spend time with close family members. People can experience a Chinese New Year like no other, with a fabulous parade of floats, international and local performers, stunning fireworks show over the harbor, heart-pounding action at the race track, and so much more.

Cultural Do’s & Don’ts

Do’s

When greeting people that you are not very intimately acquainted with, ensure that you acknowledge people who are more important first. When greeting a family, acknowledge according to age, oldest to youngest.

If you are giving a toast, make sure that you fill everyone’s glass before you fill yours.

If you are invited to someone’s house, you should prepare a gift.

Bring business cards with English on one side and Chinese on the other side. It is best that the Chinese side uses traditional characters, instead of the simplified Chinese, which is used in the People’s Republic of China.

Be sure to look at a business card upon receiving it. Study the card as that conveys a sense of importance which Hong Kong people (and most Chinese) value highly. Do not write on a business card in front of the person who gave it to you as that is seen as disrespectful.

Don’t be surprised if Hongkongers ask you questions that may seem personal in nature.

Don’ts

Hongkongers are used to doing things fast, fast, fast! If you’re walking in a crowded place, using public transport, or paying at a 7-11 with a queue behind you, try not to move too slowly or block anyone’s way.

Smoking is not allowed in restaurants, bars, public parks, or beaches as Hong Kong law is quite strict in this regard.

Hong Kong Chinese may stand close when talking. However, they are reserved and uncomfortable with casual body contact. Do not hug, kiss or pat people on the back.

Always avoid loud and obtrusive public behavior. It’s better to blend in with Hong Kong culture.

Lay your chopsticks on your chopstick rest or neatly on the table when you are finished eating. Never stick them in a bowl of rice.

Two essentials for everyday life

Once you arrive in Hong Kong, you will need to apply for a Hong Kong Identity card. This is a very important document that you will use – and be asked to show – often. Once you have your HKID, you should always carry it with you.

Hong Kong is moving quickly towards a cashless society. Spearheading that movement is the Octopus card. This is a stored value card that you can use to pay for almost everything. In some cases, it is the only payment method accepted so once you arrive, get an Octopus card, and make sure you always have a credit balance. Octopus cards are “bearer” meaning if you lose it, the person that finds it can use it so treat it the same as cash.

In addition to Octopus cards, most vendors accept Visa, Mastercard, Amex, ApplePay and other major cards.

Settling in Tips

Getting Around

Private Car

If you are living in Hong Kong with a young family, their activities have the potential to take you all over the territory. Your life will be more convenient if you have a car, and many expatriates become quickly accustomed to the driving conditions. If you expect your routine life to be confined mostly to central areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, you can manage without a car, particularly if you live close to essential amenities. Driving laws are strictly enforced, and driving is on the left. The rules of the road are British.

A valid U.S., British, or international driving license is valid for one year if you are not a resident of Hong Kong. If you are in Hong Kong for more than 6 months, you must apply for a Hong Kong driving license immediately upon arrival you may use your overseas license for only a maximum of 30 days. If an approved country issued your overseas license (the U.S and the U.K are included, other nationalities should check with the Transport Department), a Hong Kong license will be issued without a test, provided specific requirements are met.

MTR

The Mass Transit Railway (referred to as the MTR, the local subway / underground system) is a world class public transport network serving Hong Kong. Operated by the MTR Corporation Limited, it consists of rail, light rail, and feeder bus service centered on an 11-line rapid transit network serving the urbanized areas of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Passengers pay the fare by means of Octopus (stored value) card or single journey tickets.

Bus Services

The five MTR bus companies provide extensive bus service across Hong Kong by operating more than 700 routes with 5,800 buses. Hong Kong is one of the few cities in the world where bus services are not operated or owned by the Government. The five franchised bus companies are Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited, Citybus Limited, Long Win Bus Company Limited, New World First Bus Services Limited, and New Lantau Bus Company (1973) Limited. Hong Kong franchised bus routes have a fixed path, fare, service hours as well as schedule. Urban routes mostly operate with double-decker buses, which is a distinguishing feature of Hong Kong. Passengers must pay their bus fare when they board the bus, and all the buses accept payment by either Octopus card or cash.

Minibus

Minibuses run through areas where the standard bus lines cannot – or do not – reach as frequently, quickly, or directly. Minibuses carry a maximum of 16 (19 for some routes since 2017) passengers. Standing is not permitted. There are two types of minibus. Green and red. Red minibuses have fixed route numbers and regular stops. Green minibuses do not have standard routes or route number and stop on demand.

Taxi

Taxis in Hong Kong operate in three distinct (but slightly overlapping) geographical areas and are distinguished by their color. Red taxis are urban taxis and serve Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Green taxis serve the New Territories. Blue taxis serve Lantau island. Taxi fares are charged according to the taximeter; however, additional charges on the fare table may apply, such as road tolls and luggage fees.

Tramways

The Hong Kong Tramways is the tram system run exclusively with double-decker cars, providing service to the length of Hong Kong Island. It runs together with other vehicles on the street

Food

Due to Hong Kong’s past as a British colony and a long history of being an international port of commerce, Hong Kong cuisine is influenced by Cantonese, European (especially British) and non-Cantonese Chinese (e.g., Hakka, Teochew, Hokkien and Shanghainese.) In addition, Japanese, Korean and Southeast Asian are also highly influential. Hong Kong provides an unlimited variety of food and dining in every class, with the well-earned labels of “Gourmet Paradise” and “World’s Fair of Food.

Local Food

As Hong Kong is Cantonese in origin and most Hong Kong Chinese are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from Cantonese-speaking regions of China, the food is often some variant of Cantonese cuisine. Almost all home-cooking and much of the dine-out fares, from restaurant to bakery, are Cantonese or heavily Cantonese-influenced. Most of the celebrated food in Hong Kong such as the roast duck, dim sum, and abalone dishes, poached chicken, and mooncakes, originated in nearby Guangzhou. The constant contact Hong Kong has had with the West has made it more susceptible to Western influences and has produced famous local food such as egg tarts and Hong Kong-style milk tea.

International Food

If Chinese food is not to your taste, do not worry. Almost every other style of cuisines can be found. Italian, French, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Singaporean cuisine can be easily found in Hong Kong. You can find whatever you want to eat in Hong Kong.

Medical Care

Hong Kong has many world-class hospitals and medical facilities. Doctors, dentists, and other medical professionals are often trained overseas, and they brought back with them the latest techniques and treatments.

Hong Kong offers both private as well as public healthcare. Public healthcare is very high quality and inexpensive. It can take longer and there may be more bureaucracy with public healthcare. A thriving private healthcare industry exists side by side with public healthcare, so you have choices.

Chinese medicine (acupuncture and herbal medicine) is also available so this may be a good opportunity for the more adventurous and open-minded to explore these alternatives. Prescription medicines are relatively inexpensive and easy to find in one of the many pharmacies in Hong Kong.

Government Hospitals

Hong Kong West Cluster

Grantham Hospital
MacLehose Medical Rehabilitation Centre
Queen Mary Hospital
The Duchess of Kent Children’s
Hospital at Sandy Bay
Tsan Yuk Hospital
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
Fung Yiu King Hospital
Tung Wah Hospital

Hong Kong East Cluster

Cheshire Home, Chung Hom Kok
Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital
Ruttonjee Hospital
St. John Hospital
Tang Shiu Kin Hospital
Tung Wah Eastern Hospital
Wong Chuk Hang Hospital

Kowloon Central Cluster

Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital
Hong Kong Children’s Hospital
Hong Kong Eye Hospital
Kowloon Hospital
Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Kowloon West Cluster

Caritas Medical Centre
Kwai Chung Hospital
Kwong Wah Hospital
North Lantau Hospital
Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital
Princess Margaret Hospital
TWGHs Wong Tai Sin Hospital
Yan Chai Hospital

Kowloon East Cluster

Haven of Hope Hospital
Tseung Kwan O Hospital
United Christian Hospital

New Territories East Cluster

Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital
Bradbury Hospice
Cheshire Home, Shatin
North District Hospital
Prince of Wales Hospital
Shatin Hospital
Tai Po Hospital

New Territories West Cluster

Castle Peak Hospital
Pok Oi Hospital
Siu Lam Hospital
Tin Shui Wai Hospital
Tuen Mun Hospital

Private Hospitals

Canossa Hospital
Evangel Hospital
Gleneagles Hong Kong Hospital
Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Stubbs Road
Hong Kong Baptist Hospital
Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital
Matilda International Hospital

Precious Blood Hospital
St. Paul’s Hospital
St. Teresa’s Hospital
Hong Kong Adventist Hospital – Tsuen Wan
Union Hospital
People’s Liberation Army Garrison Hospital
CUHK Medical Centre

International Schools

Private schools often have waiting lists, so it is advisable to plan ahead. Some schools offer debentures that assure a place for children of debenture holders. In any case, this is one area where it is important to plan ahead to make the proper arrangement before you arrive in Hong Kong.

Below is a brief overview of some international schools in Hong Kong.

American School Hong Kong
6 Ma Chung Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong
+852 3919 4100

Canadian International School of Hong Kong
36 Nam Long Shan Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong
+852 2525 7088

Chinese International School
1 Hau Yuen Path, Braemar Hill, Hong Kong
+852 2510 7288

Singapore International School (Hong Kong)
2 Police School Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong
+852 2919 6966

Kellett School (Kowloon Bay Prep and Senior)
7 Lam Hing Street, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong
+852 3120 0700

French International School of Hong Kong
165 Blue Pool Rd, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
+852 2577 6217

Malvern College Hong Kong
3 Fo Chun Road, Pak Shek Kok, New Territories, Hong
Kong
+852 3898 4699

Daily Needs

Housing

Expatriate housing in Hong Kong generally falls into one of two categories: High-rise apartment blocks and low-rise townhouses. Single-family, detached housing that is common in the US and Western Europe is scarce. Generally, expat apartments (flats is the word most commonly used in Hong Kong) range from 900 to 2,800 square feet.

Furnished apartments exist but are rare. Many international property agencies in Hong Kong can help you find suitable housing. Be advised that closet space, and storage space in general, is limited.

Residential leases are typically two years duration, but this, and most other clauses is very much negotiable on a case-by-case basis. Knowledge of the local norms and customs makes it important to work with a real estate professional. Asian Tigers Realty is experienced and can help you in this regard.

Despite recent economic difficulties, rentals have not declined a great deal, and Hong Kong remains one of the most expensive rental markets in the world.

Appliances & Electronics

Hong Kong’s electricity is 220V, 50 cycle. Transformers and adapters are readily available locally. Hong Kong uses three different types of plugs. The most common is the British three rectangular blade types; others are the “Europlug” or Continental plug and the China plug. Fortunately, multi-system and multi-current electrical appliances are becoming the norm, so this is becoming less and less of an issue.

Hong Kong’s television system is PAL. TVs and VCRs from European countries including the U.K. are compatible with Hong Kong’s system, while those from America are generally not.

There are no specific restrictions on the importation of domestic appliances. If you are relocating from a country whose electrical system is compatible with Hong Kong‘s, you should certainly include small domestic appliances in your shipment.

Utilities

Natural gas for cooking and heating is available in most areas in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong China Gas Company is the sole supplier and it is commonly known as Towngas. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is used in areas without Towngas supplies, especially in the New Territories. The estimated gas cost of a 1,000 sq. ft residence is around HK$ 500.

Water is supplied by the HK Government Water Supplies Department. It is reliable and safe to drink, although most people will opt for bottled water. Bottled water is available from several local suppliers and home delivery can be easily arranged. Water bills are sent quarterly, and for a 1,000 sq. ft. residence, the water cost is roughly HK$ 500 per month.

Phone & Internet

The telecommunication standard in Hong Kong is excellent. It is modern, reliable, and inexpensive. There are many suppliers for the services and a wide variety of services at competitive pricing. It will take a few days for the phone and internet service to be organized but this will be one of the easier tasks you face.

Domestic Help

In Hong Kong it is relatively easy to employ live-in or part-time domestic helpers to help with your daily chores. Foreign domestic helpers mainly come from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. Many can speak in English to varying degrees of fluency. They are mainly live-in helpers so the employers provide them with accommodation and basic meals. There are many companies in Hong Kong that can help you find domestic helpers. For contracts made on or after 1 October, 2022, the minimum allowable wage is HK$ 4,730. In addition, domestic helpers are entitled to a food allowance of HK$ 1,196 per month or the employer must provide food. Domestic helpers are under the protection of the Employment Ordinance in Hong Kong. There are three types of holidays must be provided: Rest day (1 rest day on every period of 7 days), annual leave (depends on the numbers of year the domestic helper has served; 7 days a year for the first two years and 1 extra day added afterward), and statutory holidays (12 public holidays through the year in Hong Kong).

Let’s Have Fun

Networking

Expatriate social life often revolves around private clubs and organizations. There are many business, recreation, social and athletic clubs to choose from. Some are expensive and have long waiting lists; others are more affordable and readily accessible. While there are hundreds of such clubs and associations, our favourites are:

American Women’s Association
American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
The Helena May
The Hong Kong Football Club
The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
Hong Kong Gardening Society
The American Club Hong Kong

Need Help?

Emergency Contacts

Emergency

Emergency services (police, fire, ambulance)

999

Other useful hotlines

Telephone directory enquiries (English)	:	1081
Hong Kong Observatory (weather)	:	1878 200
Consumer Council	:	2929 2222
Hong Kong Immigration Department	:	2824 6111

We make every effort to ensure the information contained in these destination guide is accurate and up-to-date. However, do keep in mind that the rules, regulations and other material in these guides change from time to time, so we cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. We suggest that you contact the appropriate Asian Tigers office if you have any questions. They will be glad to help you.