Keys to the City

Facts & Fundamentals

The population of Hong Kong is about seven million. Comprised of the main island of Hong Kong, a small portion of the Chinese mainland (called the New Territories), and about 250 smaller islands, the total land area of Hong Kong is roughly 1092 square kilometers (400 square miles).

Hong Kong has no sales tax. In addition, it is a duty free port – although rare, there are some shops that claim to sell "duty-free goods," but since all of Hong Kong is duty-free you will not be getting any sort of a bargain. Many shops do not accept refunds, even for defective merchandise, so carefully inspect what you plan to purchase.

The general consensus of opinion is to avoid buying electronics in Hong Kong. Brand name electronics are not appreciably cheaper, and off-brands (or unbranded merchandise) usually do not come with a warranty and will probably not be returnable if defective.

Weather

Hong Kong has a tropical climate – hot and humid in the summer, warm and humid in the winter. The coolest months are November through March, but even then the low temperature rarely dips below 15°C (59°F). Daytime relative humidity during these months ranges from about 73% to 85%.

May through October temperatures range from about 27°C to 32°C (80°F-90°F), although it's not uncommon for temperatures to be significantly higher. Daytime relative humidity during the summer months ranges from about 75% to 87%, higher after it rains.

Hong Kong's rainiest months are May through September; average rainfall during these months is 292mm-394mm (11.5-15.5 inches), with 12-18 rainy days per month.

Holidays & Business Hours

Most restaurants and shops are open seven days a week. Hong Kongers also have a strong work ethic, and most people work five and a half to six days every week. For this reason, shopping on Sundays is crowded, to say the least.

Chinese New Year is the single most important holiday in Hong Kong, and virtually everything is closed for two to four days during the celebration. The actual date varies from year to year according to the lunar calendar (between late January and mid-February).

The government sets public holidays every year, but exact dates vary somewhat due to many holidays being dependent on the lunar calendar. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is considered a public holiday. The list is published annually at http://www.info.gov.hk/.

Coming & Going

The Hong Kong International Airport is located on Chek Lap Kok island on what is primarily reclaimed land. It is served by about 70 airlines, including both passenger and cargo carriers. The airport has an amazing array of facilities and services, including showers, extensive shopping and dining options, a children's play area, and lounges. Public transportation to and from the airport is simple to use and reliable. For information, call 852 2181 8888; or visit the airport's website, which covers virtually every topic you might be interested in, and features maps of the entire airport layout. http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/index.html.

Getting from the airport to downtown Hong Kong is a breeze. Once you disembark, head for the Ground Transportation Centre, right between Terminal One and Terminal Two. From there you can board the Airport Express Train which gets you downtown in about 24 minutes (trains leave about every 12 minutes and run daily 5:50am-1:15am). Alternatively, you can catch a bus, taxi or hotel shuttle at the Ground Transportation Centre as well.

Making Your Way

As soon as you arrive in Hong Kong, get an Octopus Card, an electronic stored value card. They are available at the Airport Express Customer Service Counters on Level 5 of the Hong Kong International Airport, and at most public transportation customer service centers. The card is accepted for all forms of public transportation (which all require exact change, otherwise), and it's the only form of payment accepted by parking meters. You can use your Octopus card at most car parks too.

Hong Kong has extensive public transportation: trains, light rail, ferries, buses, minibuses and trams.

Rail - MTR (Mass Transit Railway) operates all rail lines within urban Hong Kong; KCR (Kowloon-Canton Railway) connects the more remote areas of the New Territories with urban Hong Kong.

Ferries – There are more than 20 licensed ferry companies that serve all the islands. The Star Ferry is probably the most prominent and has routes between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui; Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai; Central and Hung Hom; and Wan Chai and Hung Hom. They also operate a harbour tour. New World First ferries cover the more urban routes that the Star Ferry doesn't.

Buses – Hong Kong has five franchised bus companies, plus a slew of smaller operations that run routes exclusively for residents of specific neighborhood estates and rail passengers. Bus service is comprehensive, inexpensive and reliable.

Minibuses – There are two types. Green minibuses are officially regulated and have standardized fares and schedules. Red minibuses are not regulated, but are popular (and essential) in areas where green buses do not go.

Tramways – Hong Kong has double decker trams that run on tracks. The main one is north Hong Kong Island, and there's a funicular that connects Victoria Peak with the rest of the CBD.

Taxis – Taxis are color coded. Green taxis serve the New Territories only. Red ones serve all of Hong Kong except Lantau Island. Blue taxis are restricted to Lantau Island. All taxis may go to the airport and Hong Kong Disneyland. Meters track the fare, but additional fees may be added for things like tolls and baggage.

Escalators - Due to the hilly and often steep terrain, the Central and Western districts have numerous escalators and moving sidewalks (free).

Cars – Renting a car in Hong Kong is not necessary, and in fact is often more of a hindrance than a convenience. Parking is always a problem, and there is virtually no free parking. Hong Kong is also one of only a handful of places on the planet where you must drive on the left. The territory registers only right-hand drive vehicles, although you may see some left-hand drives that hail from the mainland. Only 64% of the registered cars in Hong Kong belong to private individuals.

Quirks & Curiosities

It is customary in China, including Hong Kong, to tap two bent fingers on the table as an expression of thanks when someone serves you tea.

Getting Your Bearings

The Hong Kong Tourism Board maintains a 24-hour information line and staffs three visitor centres.
24 hour info-line: 852 2508 1234
Visitor Centres:
- Hong Kong International Airport, Daily 7am-11pm; literature and a link to http://www.discoverhongkong.com/ available Daily 24 hours
- Kowloon, Star Ferry Concourse, Daily 8am - 6pm; literature and a link to http://www.discoverhongkong.com/ available Daily 24 hours
- Causeway Bay MTR station, Daily 8am-8pm

Necessities - Post Offices

The main post office is at 2 Connaught Place in Central (Mon-Sat 8am-6pm, Sun 9am-2pm). There are additional branches all over town, including one in Lan Kwai Fong at 69 Wyndham Street (Mon-Fri 9:30am-6pm, Sat 9:30am-1pm) and in Causeway Bay at 250-254 Gloucester Road (Mon-Fri 9:30am-6pm, Sat 9:30am-1pm).

Common Courtesies

A 10% service charge is added to most restaurant bills. If service is particularly good, you may add an additional tip. Conversely, if service is notably bad, you may refuse to pay the service charge at all.

Taxi drivers generally round up to the nearest dollar and count that as a tip.

It is customary to tip bellhops HKD5-10 for each bag.

Need to Know – Safety

Hong Kong finds itself in the path of tropical cyclones on a regular basis, and uses a series of warning signals to alert residents of impending intense weather. The Hong Kong Observatory issues warnings whenever a tropical cyclone comes within 800km (about 500 miles); detailed descriptions are available at www.hko.gov.hk/informtc/tcsignal.htm
Most tropical cyclone activity is from May to November, peaking in September.

In addition, Hong Kong experiences numerous strong thunderstorms, and the Hong Kong Observatory also issues warnings for these. Amber (exceeding 30 mm of rainfall per hour) indicates that a heavy storm is imminent. Red (exceeding 50 mm per hour) indicates that a significant amount of flooding is possible. Black (exceeding 70 mm per hour) indicates that significant flooding is likely.

A Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No.3 or above, and a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal pretty much shuts the city down. Remain indoors if at all possible.

For a city as densely populated as Hong Kong, violent crime is quite rare. As in most major cities, however, pickpockets are fairly common, so take the usual precautions and don't put your wallet in your back pocket.

Health-wise, since Hong Kong is tropical, mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue fever are not uncommon. Mosquitoes are generally not a problem in urban Hong Kong, but if you spend any time in the countryside, wear insect repellant, long sleeves and long pants.

While H5 avian influenza is a growing concern in Hong Kong and has been detected in the bird population, the virus has not been reported in humans. Nevertheless, it is against the law to keep backyard poultry or to bring birds into Hong Kong. The best advice is to avoid feeding birds of any kind, and wash your hands frequently.

Hong Kong has been free of new SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) cases since 2003.