We believe it always helps to know something about the history of the place you are about to call home… so, here goes: Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire in 1842 after the First Opium War. The land area was originally confined to Hong Kong Island but the boundaries were extended in stages, first in 1860 to include the Kowloon Peninsula, and then in 1898 to take in the New Territories. Over 150 years later China resumed sovereignty in 1997 allowing Hong Kong to become a special administrative region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Hong Kong is a vibrant, exciting city—a stark contrast between Asian and Western cultures, yet both cultures also combine to make the city the dynamic place it is. The city is frequently described as a place where “East meets West”, reflecting the local culture’s mix of Chinese roots with influences from its time managed by the British. Somehow, Hong Kong manages to balance traditional Chinese practices with a fast paced, modern lifestyle.
Hong Kong is ranked as the 3rd most expensive city in Asia after Tokyo and Seoul with the costs of accommodation, food and schooling (if you have children) being the three primary items of expenditure
Accommodation costs are likely to be the largest outgoing; imported foods are also relatively expensive, then there is schooling. Many people prefer to do without a car as the public transport system is so efficient and effective yet, if you do decide to buy a car, the costs of parking alone (both at home and in the office), may be as much as car repayments in some other countries.
As one of the world’s leading international financial centres, most of the world’s largest or most well known (and some not so well known) banks (Citibank, Barclays, Deutsche Bank) have a presence in the city. Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade, and the Hong Kong dollar is in the top 10 of the world’s most traded currencies.
Hong Kong is a recognised global centre of trade, and has one of the largest, busiest container ports in the world.
The per capita income is one of the highest in the world and the public transport travelling rate exceeds 90 percent, the highest in the world. In various other aspects of life in the city, such as its economic freedom, financial and economic competitiveness, quality of life, corruption prevention etc the city state is ranked highly. According to both the UN and WHO estimates, Hong Kong has the longest life expectancy of any country in the world.
Some other facts and figures
Hong Kong has an area of some 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and this is growing every year due to on-going land reclamation; the official population is just over 7 million and the city is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Hong Kong’s population is 95 percent ethnic Chinese and 5 percent from other groups (mainly Filipinos and Indonesians at around 100,000 each group respectively, but also nationalities from many other walks of life such as from the US, UK, Europe and Australia).
Actually working in Hong Kong
Most business people speak good English, and government signs are posted in Chinese and English; , Cantonese is the spoken dialect of choice, compared with the more widely known Mandarin (Putonghua) used on the Chinese mainland. In fact, some Hong Kong people can’t communicate with people from the Mainland owing to the vast differences in dialect and tone between Cantonese and the more formal Mandarin. However, the local populace’s use of Mandarin has been growing rapidly over the last 10 years or so.
Chinese concepts like feng shui are taken very seriously and compliance or otherwise with its principles are often believed to make or break a business. Other objects like Ba Gua mirrors are still regularly used to deflect evil spirits and a number of buildings lack a 4th floor as the number when spoken is similar to “die” in Cantonese.
Hong Kong has a subtropical climate and summer is hot and humid with occasional showers and thunderstorms. Typhoons usually originating to the south east frequently threaten the city during the summer months and usually one or two cause precautions to be put in place, with schools, government and other offices closing early; the typhoon warning system is well established though with several tiers to the warnings.
Typhoon Warnings are graded on a numeric scale and Rainstorm warnings are graded on a colour scale. When a Typhoon Number 8 signal warning goes out, businesses, public transport and schools close. Schools close when a Red Rainstorm warning is announced and everyone has to stay inside during a Black Rainstorm.
Winters are usually mild although the occasional cold front can bring strong, cool winds from the north. Hong Kong averages 1,948 hours of sunshine per year, with the highest and lowest ever recorded temperatures being 36.1C and 0.0C, respectively.
There are 13 private hospitals such as The Adventist Hospital and more than 50 public hospitals administered by the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong in Hong Kong. Amongst the widest range of healthcare services throughout the globe are on offer, and some of the SAR’s private hospitals are considered to be among the very best of their type in the world.
After obtaining your ID card, you are eligible for cheap state healthcare but, if you are with a large international or even a major local company, it is not unreasonable to expect yourself and family to receive dental cover and either BUPA Hong Kong or BUPA International health cover.
If your company insures you with BUPA HK you may have a lower level of cover and may need to pay your medical bills yourself, yet reclaiming up to pre-set limits.
Clubs and club memberships
Belonging to a sports club, which usually have extensive dining, social and recreational facilities for many people in Hong Kong is both a necessity (partly to enjoy the outstanding facilities on offer, but also to escape from the pressures of work and the close, intense feeling which Hong Kong’s crowded streets sometimes give) but also a status issue!
Yet, be warned, unless you are an outstanding sports person or your company has a debenture of two, the waiting lists to join are seriously long (some are 10-15 years or more), and the joining fees are well into the hundreds of thousands of HK$; oh…, and there are monthly dues on top. Some of the most desirable clubs, include the following:
One of the many ‘perks’ of living in Hong Kong is that domestic help is relatively cheap and many people end up having a maid working for them; most maids are from The Philippines or Indonesia and their terms of employment are governed by the Immigration Department which has issued a standard contract for their engagement.
With over 200,000 such workers in the city, and Sunday being their day off, places like Causeway Bay around Victoria Park and Tsim Sha Tsui around Kowloon Park become congested and feel like “mini-Manila” or “mini-Jakarta”, swarming with such domestic helpers keen to enjoy their one day of ‘’freedom’’.
Apart from the HK$ coin itself, the currency also comprises a variety of other coins such as the 5 dollar and 2 dollar pieces, or the 10c, 20c or 50c; then there are the 10, 20, 50 and 100 notes with 500 and 1000 notes also available.
For many years the HK$ has been linked at 7.8 or thereabout to the US$ and, whilst most people seem to feel that it is undervalued at this rate, there are few, if any, signs that the peg will be changed in the near future. Unfortunately, as the US$ seems to be relatively weak against most major currencies Hong Kong tends to suffer from “imported inflation” owing to the said currency link.
Suggested Reading, Web sites and Blogs
There are numerous books and guides to living in Hong Kong available on line or at most major books shops—some suggestions include:
Community Advice Bureau – Settling into Hong Kong
Living and Working in Hong Kong
Some Hong Kong related Websites & Forums
Similar to books, have a look through some of these web sites for some more snippets of information to help you know what’s in store:
Blogs: there are a multitude of blogs out there are and judicious searching should bring up more than several of interest
A number of locations and places in Hong Kong have permanently stationed cameras and it’s possibly to peruse and enjoy different aspects of the city without ever leaving your computer: