Life in HK

Useful Tips

1. Hong Kong uses traditional Chinese characters (traditional Chinese), but for reasons of computer systems, parts are actually Japanese fonts used, and Taiwan use traditional characters is not the same.
2. Hong Kong traffic rules with the Mainland and other countries are different: cars drive on the right.
3. Taking the escalator in Hong Kong have “Left-Right State” rule, remember to stand on the right, pedestrians left to cater for those who are in a hurry.
4. Please remember always to bring the temporary identity cards or identity document in Hong Kong, police may verify the identity, though seldom, but bring your ID will be removed from a lot of trouble.
5. Electrical socket is different from the Mainland and other countries with Hong Kong, the use of electrical appliances need to be prepared the right plug.
6. The prices for computers, cell phones and other electronic appliances available in Hong Kong are usually lower than those in the Mainland, as the RMB currency continues to appreciate significantly, this advantage tourists for purchasing. Many telecommunication providers will offer promotion discount for new customers, however they often need a longer binding contract, so it is suggested that you can compare different telecommunication providers before getting into a contract.
7. It is convenient to have an Octopus card, as it can ride most transport, and many restaurants and stores accept Octopus payment (e.g. KFC, and McDonald’s, and Café’de Carol, Park’ N Shop, Welcome, 7-11, and OK Store). Besides, they almost have Automatic Add Value Service “AAVS” for Octopus card. The AAVS system locates in MTR stations (except KCR light rail) and you can add value for most of the stores with Octopus card reader.
8. If you are child, students or senior citizens, using personalised Octopus card can even enjoy good discount price for riding in the MTR.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board : http://www.discoverhongkong.com/en/index.jsp
Hiking in Hong Kong : http://www.oasistrek.com/

Shopping

Hong Kong is a free port, known as “shopping paradise”, a place where people like to go shopping, the vast majority of goods without customs duties, they are shipped all over the world for selection. Hong Kong and Kowloon district have large shopping malls, such as Harbour City in Tsimshatsui, is well known for shopping. Apart from large department stores, there are variety of shops and restaurants, some of them have well equipped entertainment facility, they are good for both shopping and leisure. As the advantage of industry centralized management, customers can have more choices, for example, computers and related products, Sham Shui Po MTR station adjacent to the Golden Arcade and the Golden Arcade are in greatest concentration. More household appliances and cameras in Mong Kok and Causeway Bay, but appropriate to a reputable store (such as red junk affixed with the Hong Kong Tourist Association) or large department store. Hardware mechanical shop focused on Canton Road, Mong Kok MTR station of three street segment. Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok Road, Prince Edward Road, is a paradise for fruit, fashion and commodity vendors. Period after Tung Choi Street, Argyle Street, is known for its “women’s Street”, and similar to the Tin Hau Temple in Yau Ma Tei on both sides of the temple, Temple in the evening and have cooked food and fortune-telling stall mixed, more operatic singing near the temple, like a bazaar by the general public.

Shopping malls and department stores in Hong Kong :
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/shop/where-to-shop/index.jsp
Harbour City, Hong Kong : 
http://www.harbourcity.com.hk/

Gourmet

Hong Kong brings together variety of foods from all over the world, various flavors of restaurants, guesthouses, lively places such as Mong Kok and Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui East and Kowloon City. There are full of Asian cuisine restaurants all over here, spicy Thailand soup, spicy India Curry, plump Korea BBQ, fresh Viet Nam Salad Rolls, delicious Japan sushi specialties and much more. Hong Kong’s Chinese food restaurant, cuisine offers all over China, especially Cantonese cuisine restaurant, and other authentic cuisine including Chaozhou cuisine, Hunan cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Beijing cuisine and Shanghai cuisine, there are exquisite and refined vegetables. With traditional Cantonese Dim sum for breakfast tea is also a good choice. Traditional local cuisine in Hong Kong with Cantonese cuisine, Dim Sum is especially popular for foreigner, Chaozhou and Hakka cuisine, traditional dishes at the Festival of indigenous residents in the new territories is a casserole. Seafood is also a common dish here, and a dishes called “Typhoon Shelter Crab” is with special taste.

With the influence of western food culture, you can easily find bars & coffee shop in Central, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui. For fast food, American-style fast food e.g. McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken can also be found easily everywhere, besides, Hong Kong has also developed its own style of fast food restaurants, including Cafe de Coral, Fairwood and Maxim’s, and etc.

Hong Kong attracts people and food from world around, and we have been able to keep our traditional foods and snacks, traditional foods like rice cakes, dumplings, lotus seeks cake, almond cake, peanut cake and sesame cake; and snacks like spicy fish-ball, egg tart and pancake are also popular.

Hong Kong Restaurant Guide :  http://www.openrice.com/

Transport

1. Mass transit railway “MTR” is the main transportation network in Hong Kong, they have been merged to form one of the most efficient and far-reaching railway networks in Asia.  MTR operates ten main commuter lines serving Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Among them, the East Rail Line connects to the boundary at Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau stations for travel between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
2. A Light Rail network serves the local communities in the North West New Territories, while a fleet of buses provides convenient feeder services.
3. Bus: The New Bus, mainly serves for Hong Kong Island route; The Kowloon Motor Bus Co, “KMB”, mainly serves for Kowloon and the New Territories; both of them cover the route services between HK side to Kowloon side and airport route; The New Lantao Bus “NLB”, The major service area of NLB is Lantau Island, and they also operate a cross-border bus route B2, which runs from Yuen Long MTR station to the border checkpoint at Shenzhen Bay.; The Long Win Bus Company Limited “LWB”, is the subordinates company of the KMB, operating route between New Territories.
4. Minibus: Public Light Buses “PLBs” are minibuses with not more than 19 seats. Some PLBs are used on scheduled services (green minibuses) and others on non-scheduled services (red minibuses).
5. Tram: The Hong Kong Tramways operates 6 main routes running between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan (only in North side of Hong Kong Island), it is good for sight-seeing and ride for a short distance.
6. Taxi: In Hong Kong, different taxis have designated operating areas:
   http://www.td.gov.hk/filemanager/en/content_449/taxi%20boundary%20map%20(a3)%2006%20(01_07_07)%20e.pdf
   1. Urban taxis (red taxis) are available for hire throughout Hong Kong (except Tung Chung Road and roads in South Lantau).
   2. New Territories taxis (green taxis) are available for hire in-
      Tuen Mun District / Yuen Long District / Tai Po District / North District / Ma On Shan District / Most areas of Sai Kung District (except Tseung Kwan O New Town / Lok Ma Chau Control Point (from 11:00 pm to 06:30 am on the following day) / Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Public Transport Interchange / Shenzhen Bay Port Hong Kong Port Area, they are also permitted to carry passengers along specified routes to/from the following locations: Passenger Terminals and the Ground Transportation Centre of the Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok / Tsing Yi Station of Airport Railway / Tsuen Wan MTR Station / Prince of Wales Hospital / Tseung Kwan O Hospital / Sha Tin Racecourse / Shun Lee Estate in Kwun Tong / Hong Kong Disneyland / Hang Hau MTR Station
   3. Lantau taxis (blue taxis) are available for hire on Lantau Island and in Chek Lap Kok
7. Ferries: most of the ferry services are provided by licensed ferry operators. There are now 11 ferry operators providing 18 licensed passenger ferry services to outlying islands and across the Harbour as at 1 July 2014. Still, there remains two franchised ferry services operated by “Star” Ferry plying between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui as well as between Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui.
   

   Transport Department: http://www.td.gov.hk/en/transport_in_hong_kong/public_transport/index.html
   Hong Kong eTransport: http://hketransport.gov.hk/index.php?golang=EN
   MTR：http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/main/index.html?notice=read
   Light Rail：http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/services/routemap_index.html

   Bus：
   
KMB: http://www.kmb.com.hk/en/

   New Bus: http://www.nwstbus.com.hk/home/default.aspx?intLangID=1

   NLB: http://www.newlantaobus.com/

   LWB: http://www.lwb.hk/en/
   
Minibus: http://www.16seats.net/eng/rmb/rmb.html

   Tram：http://www.hktramways.com/en/
   Ferry : http://www.td.gov.hk/en/transport_in_hong_kong/public_transport/ferries/service_details/index.html

Welfare

Child benefits and service
For any Hong Kong residents, if you have 3 or more children can be applied to register with the Department of kindergarten, you can apply for the Hong Kong Department of education voucher scheme, which is for fee remission.

Youth welfare and service
For primary and secondary schools students, they can apply funding schemes under the student financial assistance agency of the Government. The funding scheme subsidy is divided into student fees, student travel subsidy fee allowance, allowance for student internet, grant was issued to the students themselves, through bank accounts credited to their parents or guardians.

Senior citizens welfare and service
The Government provides Social Security Allowance Scheme and Senior Citizen Card Scheme for Hong Kong residents who are ages 65 or above. The schemes including Old Age Living Allowance (aged 65 or above and with assets not exceeding a prescribed limits), Old Age Allowances (aged 70 or above) and Guangdong Scheme. The Hong Kong Housing Authority and the Hong Kong Housing Society are also offer different types of public housing subsidies to the elderly to address their housing needs, and several housing schemes that grant priority to elderly public rental housing applicants.

Family service
Family service center work are: family and interpersonal relationship counselling services help them resolve difficulties such as schooling, housing, employment and home help services and so on. Health care service is sponsored by government investment, visit fee and hospital fee is simply charge less to Hong Kong residents. Apart from hospital and clinics, the Government also provides health care services to the whole community. Family health service consists of three elements: the reproductive-aged women with antenatal and postnatal guidance and services, vaccine immunization of children, provide health care, education and counselling for pregnant women, or troubleshooting over the phone, or through the family planning Association of marriage and other aspects of service delivery.

The Social Welfare Department of Hong Kong: http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/

Useful Links

1. the Hong Kong Tourism Board: http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/index.jsp
2. The Hong Kong Government News: http://www.news.gov.hk/eng/index.html