Hong Kong Hotels

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Latest Hong Kong hotel reviews

Dorsett Seaview Hotel: 248 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 14, 2013
YMCA International House Hong Kong: 553 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 24, 2013
Ibis Century Hotel (Hongkong North Point): 677 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 24, 2013
Hotel Jen Hong Kong: 488 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 24, 2013
B P International: 501 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 22, 2013
Dorsett Far East Hotel: 107 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 23, 2013
Metropark Hotel Mongkok: 145 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 4, 2013
Ice House Serviced Apartments: 83 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 24, 2013
Ashley Apartments Hong Kong: 97 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 17, 2013
Wing Sing Hotel: 24 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 22, 2013
Langham Place Hotel: 2429 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 24, 2013
Rambler Garden: 63 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 18, 2013
home2home - Abeo: 18 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Mar 9, 2013
Ah Shan Hostel: 127 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 6, 2013
Harbour Plaza Metropolis: 508 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 23, 2013

Hong Kong Local Customs

by cjg1

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Local Customs
by cjg1
Local Customs
by cjg1
Cantonese Opera
by swissfondue
Local Customs
by swissfondue
Local Customs
by swissfondue

Most Viewed Local Customs in Hong Kong

Do/Do Not! Hong Kong

16 Reviews When buying stuffs in supermarkets, you must bring your own bag or you’ll be asked to purchase a plastic bag for the items you just bought! The plastic bag costs less than HK$1 and the locals are not...

Eating and Drinking Hong Kong

24 Reviews With such a huge population it is no surprise that polluted Hong Kong in parts can be a bit dirty and/or smelly. However no-one ever eats or drinks on the MTR. The station concourses and trains are so...

Dress Code Hong Kong

5 Reviews Hong Kong is fairly fashion conscious especially for business. Hong Kong people are also very modest in their dress and you will attract some unwanted stares if you wear anything too...

Festivals Hong Kong

33 Reviews One of my favourite Chinese Festivals is Mid Autumn Festival or lantern festival. It is celebrated at the end of September or beginning of October on the night of a full moon. People go out at night...

Language Hong Kong

17 Reviews Cantonese:The franca lingua in HK. Though it's said that everyone here can speak English and Mandarin , the language of familiarity is still Cantonese. It's different in Singapore where all of us are...

Business Cards Hong Kong

4 Reviews In Singapore as in Hong Kong, don't ever toss your business card nonchalently to your would-be client/customer/acquaintance. Hand over business cards with both hands, as though you are handing over...

Climate Hong Kong

7 Reviews I hate dealing with umbrellas- mainly because I never know what to do with them once I get inside somewhere. Well, in Hong Kong it's a pleasure. When you get inside a building, there's a little stand...

Multicultural City Hong Kong

12 Reviews As HK is a fairly westernised city, there aren't many unfamiliar Asian gestures that you need to avoid (i.e. in Greece your palms shouldn't face others with your fingers spread out like showing a...

Markets Hong Kong

9 Reviews In the night market, when you’re the first customer & you touch the item or ask for the price, be aware that they’ll never let you go until you buy the product. They believe it’s bad luck to touch an...

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Chinese zodiac/Feng Shui and more Hong Kong

10 Reviews Sometimes even a traveller is exhausted or the weather is bad and so staying in hotel and looking regional TV- and so sometime we found suddenly the TV Series of the Chinese "White Snake Legend". Very...

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Temples Hong Kong

10 Reviews The Chinese use of burning incense in the temples, filling them with smoke that pushes Fernanda quickly out, is done in Man Mo temple in a special way, with dozens of spirals hanging over your head,...

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Cantonese Opera Hong Kong

4 Reviews A great way to see and appreciate Chinese culture is to watch Cantonese Opera being performed but due to a declining audience there is not much opportunity to do so anymore. The Sunbeam Theatre in...

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Hong Kong's Rubber Duckie

by IreneMcKay

A giant inflatable rubber duck sculpture floated into Hong Kong Harbour last Thursday, May 2nd. Designed by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman,the 16,9m high sculpture has already been in Osaka, Sydney, Sao Paolo and Amsterdam. It will be in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour until June 9. It is located just outside ocean terminal in TST. The duck brings back memories of childhood f to people from all over the world, but it is also about environmental awareness. It floats across the seas from continent to cntinent showing our oceans as a giant interconnected bathtub and above all it is just so cute.After Hong Kong next stop is the USA.

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Own a goldfish and prosper

by swissfondue

The humble goldfish plays an important role in Chinese culture as it is a symbol of good fortune, peace and friendship. I found out this information inside the Goldfish Treasures exhibit at Ocean Park. Its a good place to see hundreds of goldfish including some rare varieties, but if you like tropical fish there is also another great location in Mongkok where the locals go to 'goldfish shop'.If you would like to buy a goldfish (though I am unsure of how you would actually take one home in your suitcase LOL) any of the common varieties and some rare ones can be bought along "Goldfish Street" which is actually the northern end of Tung Choi Street (where the Ladies Market is located).There are literally thousands of fish on display in aquariums or hanging in rows in their own personal aquarium which is just a bag of water but its a facinating sight to see all the bags stretching up to the...

Escalator Etiquette

by swissfondue

As you shuffle onto the escalator as part of the frantic activity at any MTR station or shopping mall, just remember your escalator etiquette and move to the RIGHT HAND SIDE. That is unless you are in somewhat of a hurry and want to save a few seconds by climbing up the left hand side.Right for relax for a few seconds or left for leaving in a hurry! Also be mindful that Hong Kong escalators move fairly quickly in comparison to other cities so take note of the announcements and...PLEASE HOLD THE HANDRAIL.

Domestic Helpers - "Freedom" day.

by swissfondue

There are almost three hundred thousand housemaids working and living with Hong Kong families. If you happen to be in the vicinity of the IFC covered walkways in Central or Statue Square on a Sunday you cant help but notice the thousands of mainly Filipino and Indonesian Maids spending their one day off per week outside. Maids turn the parks and footpaths into open air coffee shops spending the day eating, chatting and playing cards with their colleagues. Temporary hair and beauty salons are sometimes set up. Repulse Bay on the southern side of Hong Kong Island is also a popular meeting place. Domestic helpers set up picnics on the sand or cook barbeque lunches for their friends. Its a quirky sight that always puts a smile on my face, but it also reminds me of the affluent lifestyle enjoyed by the wealthy that so many people can afford to employ maids. Its my understanding that many of...

Bonsai

by IreneMcKay

Yes, I do realise bonsai are Japanese, but these miniature trees are also very popular in Hong Kong, too. You can buy them pretty cheaply at Hong Kong Flower Market, Mong Kok. I used to own several but was not very successful with them, so sadly they are no more. There is also always a wonderful display of them at the Hong Kong Garden Festival. I love the ones that are used to create an entire mini-landscape as in my photo here.

Bamboo Scaffolding

by swissfondue

Bamboo Scaffolding is a common sight in Hong Kong. The first time I saw it I was amazed at how such a simple material could in fact be so strong and effective. Take a walk along any Hong Kong Street and I guarantee you will see a building swathed in bamboo "sticks". Considering the enormous height of Hong Kong skyscrapers I suppose its makes good economic sense to use bamboo which is both strong and lightweight but the sight still amazes and confounds me.Check out the gentleman erecting scaffolding horizontally over the street on Hong Kong Island.

MTR FARE SAVER MACHINE.

by swissfondue

I wandered why locals were queueing briefly to scan their Octopus cards at a machine at the start of the Mid Levels Escalator so wanting to be a pretend local I joined the queue. When I got closer I found out it is an MTR Fare Saver Machine. Yay!!!MTR Fare Saver machines have been placed at various locations to reward people who choose to walk to certain designated MTR stations rather than take buses or taxis. The machines are located a few hundred metres from the designated station (in my case Sheung Wan, Central or Hong Kong) and allow Adult Octopus Card holders a discount of HK$2 on their next journey from the listed station provided the journey is made on the same day. The machine automatically adjusts the balance on the Octopus Card once you enter the designated station.The majority of these machines are not in tourist areas but I have also seen one at Harbour City Shopping Centre -...

Currency

by cjg1

In the SAR, the Hong Kong Dollar is used. This runs about 7.75 to 1 US dollar. Bills go down to $10 each and coins will go up to $10. The other unique thing about Hong Kong Dollars is the design is different depending upon which bank issued them for the same amount. IE, a $20 from HSBC will have one pattern and a $20 from Bank of China, another.

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Food Offerings

by traveldave

Food offerings are one of the most prominent and important rituals in Buddhism. Making the offerings to the gods and hungry ghosts is a meritorious act that reminds practitioners not to be greedy or selfish, and connects them with the spiritual world. The types of food offered vary, but most consist of items such as fruit, rice, or even flowers.Hungry ghosts represent greed, thirst, and neediness which bind people to their sorrows and disappointments. By giving away something they crave, practitioners release themselves from their own sorrows and disappointments.The rituals involved in making offerings of food vary. They can be as simple as silently leaving food on the altar accompanied by a bow, or involve chanting and full prostrations. At most Buddhist temples, the altars are piled with fruit and other food items, such as pictured here. The food is put to good use, as the temple's...

Incense Cones

by traveldave

These large spirals hanging from the ceiling of the Man Mo Temple are incense cones. Buddhist and Taoist belief holds that the smoke purifies the surroundings, attracts the attention of the gods, and carries prayers to heaven. It is also believed that the smoke is food for the spirits of ancestors who had previously died. After an incense cone is ignited at the end, it burns for weeks, carrying the worshipper's prayers and wishes up to the gods in heaven and ensuring good fortune and prosperity.Temples benefit financially from the sale of incense cones, each of which has a red tag with the name of the worshipper who made a donation to the temple.Those who cannot afford a large incense cone can light individual incense sticks, which they wave over their heads during prayer to attract the attention of the gods. Once the prayers are completed, the incense sticks are stuck into an urn placed...