Exhibition - Beyond the Portrait

Anyone who will be in Hong Kong from now to 26 November, 2012 and is interested in seeing some facets of HK - should go to see <Beyond the Portrait>, a photography exhibition showcasing old and new and iconic and artistic photos of/about HK in The Heritage Museum.

You will also be amazed how cheap it is to visit a museum in HK! 10HKD for one! Half price for students!

Along Shing Mun River is where The Heritage Museum is situated.

Coming to see Hong Kong

I've been travelling around with my girlfriend in HK. She's been amazed how HK looks like a movie set. Yea right, there are not many ways other than movie to get to see how HK really is.

Makes me wonder if I should start doing a 365 project of "Real Hong Kong that you don't see in your travel guidebook"...

Here's one slice of Hong Kong-ness.

Impression of Hong Kong by a German photographer

If you haven't seen Michael Wolf's work <Architecture of Density>, see it now! The photos are just dizzying and weirdly exciting (and very exotic if you don't live in Hong Kong or Tokyo!). 

But just one thing, this is not all of HK - HK has some better sceneries than this!

Photo by Michael Wolf

Survival kit in Hong Kong summer (Man, this could save your life.)

For the last few days, it's been crazy hot, humid, stuffy here as there's a typhoon nearby. People got heat stroke. A dog died in the heat. 

Hong Kong is crazy hot and humid in summer (June to August). The temperature is often over 30 degree Celsius and the humidity over 85% - which makes your body think it's about 40 degree Celsius!* No one, not even local HK people can bear this... 

To save yourself from getting a heat stroke - bring the followings:

1. A hand fan - you can buy a Chinese-styled hand fan (great souvenir by the way) easily in HK for $20HKD 
2. An umbrella - for the summer rain and the punishing sun
3. A lot of water and some isotonic drinks - keeps you hydrated and keeps your body temperature low
4. A water sprinkler - cools you down and when your skin is covered with sticky sweat, you'd die for this! If you think it's weird to take this around, get a water gun.
5. A handkerchief - Sweating is useless in 85% humidity, sweat won't evaporate to take away your heat. It just makes you sticky and soaks your underpants.

A few more practical suggestions.

1. Stay indoors. Shopping malls, restaurants, subway, buses, anything that has air-conditioning. It is indoors where you find HK's winter! And it is when you get back out, that you feel how hot it really is in HK. (Hell I hate that moment...)
2. Wear less and don't wear black. But you should take an extra piece of clothes - you can get sick from the crazy indoors/outdoors temperature difference.
3. Be extra careful when you do sports.
4. When typhoons come, it's extra hot and stuffy. Be extra careful. 

Reference:

* http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/heat/index.shtml#heatindex

Essential information for travelling in Hong Kong

Here are the essential hard facts about Hong Kong.

Bound to be boring… but hey, you should learn the basics and this piece helps you save hours and hours on the boring stuff.

A few things about using the table below:

1.      Inside those brackets [ ] are my personal comments. Pretty damn biased, take it reasonably.

2.      I’ve included a lot of links down there, they are useful extra information - and they are not mine, the credits should go to the creators. 
3.   If you like reading a hard copy better, get it here.

4.      I spent many hours gathering all the information, and many hours proofreading to ensure accuracy. But still, something may be wrong or missing. So if you can spot a mistake or anything, let me know in the comments! So this information sheet can improve. Your contribution will be very much appreciated and to reward your wonderful effort, I will teach you one good useful Cantonese swear words/phrases. One swear word for one mistake. Isn’t that sweet huh :D? So find something!

Six major part:
-The basics
-Demographics, geography and climate
-Tourism in Hong Kong
-Spending
-Health and safety
-Extra information

The basics
Government	Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China (HKSAR) (Since 1997; HK was under British rule before 1997)
Languages	Official: Cantonese (one of the many Chinese languages – not a dialect; hear how it sounds here) , English (most people speak English, with HK accent of course) Also speak: Mandarin [most people can speak it, usually quite badly; and by the way, Mandarin is also one of the many Chinese languages.]
Money	Hong Kong dollar (HKD / HK$) Octopus Card - rechargeable contactless stored value smart card For transport (convenience stores and some restaurants), you can use Octopus Card so you don’t have to carry change and it gives you some discount for subway rides. [Definitely get one if you’re staying for more than a few days, it saves you time and money!] Most shops accept credit cards. [And everyone takes cash too!]
Currency exchange	USD:HKD = 1:7.8 (Fixed exchange rate) Convert your currency to HKD with this currency converter.
Visa requirement	For E.U./ U.S./Australia/Japan/South Korea and 160+ other countries residents - you can stay for 90 days without a visa! Check if you need one here. (But going to China requires a visa!)
Time Zone	UTC/GMT +8 hours
Dialing code	+852
Mobile phone system	GSM 900, PCS 1800, CDMA and WCDMA
Internet TLD Internet access	.hk You can get free wifi in most cafes, McDonald’s and shopping plazas. And HK government provides free wifi in some spots.
Socket and plug type	Type G (British system) 220V / 50Hz
Traffic system	Traffic signs same as in the UK; Left-hand traffic Overseas driving license holders can apply for HK driving license Learn some HK Driving rules and regulations, if you want to drive.
Common transport means	Subway system (“MTR” - very extensive, can take you to most places; its map); bus; minibus; taxi; ferry (cross Victoria Harbour by ferry!); tram (the only running double-decker in the world) [Definitely try the tram, great way to see Hong Kong Island!]
Transport to China and Macau	Intercity Through Train to and from China Train to Guangzhou (~2.5hrs, $190), Shanghai (~19hrs, ~$550), Beijing (~23hrs, ~$600) Bus to Shenzhen (~45mins, ~$50) Great guide on getting to Shenzhen here. Ferry to Macau (~1hr, ~$150)
Flying to China and other Asian countries (Round-trips, as of September, 2012)	Taipei, Taiwan (~1.5hrs, ~$1500up) Tokyo, Japan (~4.5hrs, ~$3000up) Seoul, Korea (~6-8hrs, ~$3000up) Bangkok, Thailand (~2.5hrs, ~$2000up) Malaysia (~4.0hrs, ~$2000up) Beijing (~4.0hrs, ~$2000up) Shanghai (~2.5hrs, ~$1500up) (*I can only offer a very rough estimation on the price here, it varies a great deal, depending on season! Try Momondo.com for quick air-ticket search.)
Demographics, geography and climate
Population	7,071,576 (as of 2011) 93.6% is Chinese, the 5 other biggest ethnicities are Indonesian, Filipino, White, Indian, Pakistani [They call “White” an ethnicity, pretty wrong I know.]
Density	6,544/km2 (4th in the world) [This is excluding the tourists, so it’s in fact even more crowded than this number suggests!] According to Guinness World Records, HK also has the most crowded place in the world – Mong Kok with 130,000 people per km2.
Religion	~60-80% don't believe in any religion. Most common relgions are Buddism, Taoism, Christianity and Catholicism. [Most HK people don’t really care what religion you have.]
Geography	Size: 1,104 km2 (425 sq mi) Highest point: 958m (Tai Mo Shan) Green area: Almost 70% of the total area Discover the country parks/ Geopark/ hiking trails/ beaches. [Not just concrete buildings here in HK!] Districts and Islands: 3 major parts (Hong Kong Island; Kowloon; New Territories) consisting of 18 districts and 263 outlying islands (Most notable are Cheng Chau and Lamma Island)
Climate	Humid Subtropical Climate (Humid all year; very hot, humid and rainy in summer), no major natural disasters. Typhoon-prone in Summer (~5-10 typhoons; on average ~10 typhoon-affected days each year) [Typhoons can be crazy.] Get weather information here.
Tourism in Hong Kong
Travel peak season	It’s peak season all year round! (There are the most tourists in July - 3.8millions, equals half the population of HK.)
Business hours	Normal office hours: 9am - 5pm (weekdays); 9am – 1pm (Saturdays) Bank openings: 9am – 4:30pm (weekdays); 9am – 12:30pm (Saturdays) Retail shop openings: 10am – 7:00pm (everyday; shops are open till later in busy districts like Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Causeway Bay) Restaurant openings: 9am – 11pm or later (everyday) Some convenience stores (7/11, OK, Vingo) and McDonald’s are open 24/7.
Eating out	All kinds of food in HK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Indian, European style, American – fast food chains) [There are not many things you can’t eat here… Really.] Tipping? Not obligatory (most restaurant charge a 10% service charge already, of course loose change is always welcome)
Spending
Big Mac Index	$16.5HKD (The second most affordable in the world, following Ukraine)
Price of a beer at a bar	~$40–80HKD
Subway fares	Range from $3.00-47.50HKD depending on how many stops you travel
Taxi ride	First 2km: $20HKD (A 15-minute ride is ~$70-80HKD)
A standard double-bed hotel room	$500-800HKD (This is about the cheapest you can get; hotel rooms in HK are not cheap; try hostels, Couchsurfing, Airbnb, Wimdu, etc)
Taxing	No sales tax (Except alcohol and tobacco), No VAT (This is why things are cheaply priced in HK: cameras, electronics, clothes, etc)
Cultural
Celebrities	Actor: Chow Yun Fat, Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung Singer: Jacky Cheung, Eason Chan Director: Wong Kar Wai, John Woo, Johnnie To [In no way comprehensive, but these are the ones who have got some international recognition]
Gambling in HK	Horse-racing, Mark Six, Football betting, Mahjong [Or there are casinos in Macau]
Museums	See the list of museums here [Do not miss Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Museum; apart from the revolution history, you get to see the glamorous Kom Tong Hall, an early 20th century rich family’s mansion and a declared monument]
Festivals	The biggest festival in HK is Chinese New Year. (Around late January to Early February) 4 of the many Chinese festivals in HK belong to Hong Kong’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO): Cheung Chau Jiao Festival Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance Yu Lan Ghost Festival of the Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community
Popular movies	[If you want to learn about a place’s culture, movies are a quick and fun way to do it. So watch some HK movies – endure the slightly (hm…) crappy English subtitles] You can’t really go wrong with anything from here. [For a start, see Infernal Affairs (2002), A Better Tomorrow (1986), Echoes of the Rainbow (2010), Life without Principle (2011), A Simple Life (2011), Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996) You can sure learn something about HK from these great movies.] [If you want to do something different and do a movie tour in HK, take a look at this]
Brands of Hong Kong	More famous brands include Esprit, Shanghai Tang, G.O.D., Giordano. There are some less-known brands like Mcdull (cartoon character), Panda (cartoon character), Chicks (clothing), Chocolate (clothing), Two Girls (nostalgic beauty products), Ying Kee Tea (Chines tea), Holga (Lomo camera brand) and 9gag.com. (the world-famous 9gag!) (You can find some more here. There are still a lot more unmentioned.) [But I am embarrassed to find that there’s not one HK brand that is happily consumed around the world.]
English Media	Two free English TV channels: TVB Pearl, ATV World Two major English newspapers: South China Morning Post, The Standard
Health and safety (Just in case)
Safety in HK	Safe. One of the lowest crime rates in the world. [But if you still insecure, take a look at this]
Hygiene in HK	Clean and hygienic. [In my opinion, overly hygienic - everything from door knobs to elevator buttons are sterilized ten times a day.] [When it gets dark in the hot summer time, you might see cockroaches or their bodies in the streets. Don’t panic – they are no match for you, look at how big you are… *This is a personal reminder for my girlfriend…]
Hospital	Fee: $570HKD (Accident & Emergency); $215HKD (General clinic) Here is A map of hospitals and clinics, just in case.
Tap water	Drinking-water quality (as recommended by the WHO)
Some good-to-know laws	No littering and spitting. ($1500HKD fine) No smoking indoors. ($1500HKD fine) Drinking allowed on street. [Yay!] No alcohol sale ban time. [Woohoo!]
Facility for disabled people	Most subway stations come with elevator, special facilities and on-demand assistance for the disabled. Some buses are equipped with special facilities for the disabled. Most entrances, streets and parks have ramp access. Learn more about the accessibility in HK here. And here is a comprehensive access guide.
Extra information
Some useful mobile apps that help you enjoy HK	1.          For a good map, use Google map (IOS/Android) (but GPS sometimes doesn’t work the best under the forest of tall buildings in HK) 2.          Here is the official travel guide (IOS/Android) by Hong Kong Tourism Board. Here are more apps by them. [you don’t need that many from them though] 3.          Here is a know-all app (IOS/Android) for public transport in HK – it has everything you’d want to know. 4.          And then, there is this funny app for you to get off minibuses (you need to tell the driver where to get off) - it could be hard if you don’t speak Cantonese. 5.          And if you want to speak some basic Cantonese so you can have fun speaking with the locals or simply want a phrasebook at hand, here is a free Android app; or this paid app (IOS/Android). [It’s a shame we don’t have anything better though…] 6.          Openrice (IOS/Android) is a very popular app in HK for people to look for information and reviews of restaurants. You get to see what the locals like.
Useful numbers	-999 (Emergency – Police, Fire, Ambulance – Call this if anything bad happens) -2527-7177 (Police hotline - call this if you lose your passport.) -Find your consulate’s number here. -If you want more phone numbers to calm your panicky self, here you go.

Additional information:

HK General holidays for 2013

http://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/holiday/

Guinness records that HK owns:

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/Search.aspx?q=hong+kong

Rates for International Mail from HK

http://www.hongkongpost.com/eng/postage/overseas/air/index.htm

Here is a print-friendly version of this – this is easier to carry when you’re travelling. (Print double-sides with landscape mode, then you will have a booklet.)

As a traveler myself, I think this is all you need to know for planning your trip to HK. (anyway, I am a minimalist on travel planning!) And then you might want to spend the time learning the language, the history, the cultural scene, and try to get to make a few local friends. These are the things that really make your trip enjoyable.

If you have questions for me, just ask in the comments! And one last thing - if you find this useful, share this with your friends who are planning to get to Hong Kong!

Star Ferry (crosses Victoria Harbour) docking at the Central pier.

Why this blog?

Hi, this is Ben Wong. I am a local Hong Kong dude.

Let me say this upfront so you guys won't romanticize my selflessness in introducing Hong Kong to the world that don't speak Cantonese: I do this blog for a very selfish reason: I am writing this for my Estonian girlfriend who is coming to Hong Kong in a month! (So then she knows what to expect - and what not to... I'm trying to save a relationship here! And to celebrate her birthday <3 )

In this blog, I will try to speak some truth about Hong Kong, so people will stop picturing Hong Kong only as a crowded city of tall buildings and of people who speak an absurdly noisy language. Man, there is more to this city than that - we have snake soup, swine flu and typhoons.

And of course there are cats!

A cat lazing around on a hot summer day on a post box.