Expats Living in Hong Kong
There is a lot of information that expats need to know before moving to Hong Kong. Learning the language and customs are just the tip of the ice berg.
Hong Kong, officially known as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, had long been a popular destination for expats, even before 1997 when the United Kingdom returned Hong Kong to China. Hong Kong is often described as a place where “east meets west” due to its English colony past and its Chinese root. As expat Hong Kong, you should find out more about Hong Kong before you and your family move to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong, as shown by its official name, is one of the 2 special administrative regions. In the People’s Republic of China (China). China practiced “one country, two systems” with Hong Kong, therefore, Hong Kong has a very different political system from China. However, China controlled Hong Kong’s foreign dealings and military defense. Hong Kong is located on the southern coast of China, surrounded by the Sea in South China and the Pearl River Delta.
The total land area of Hong Kong is 1,104 km, and it is the 4th most local populated area worldwide at 6,480 persons per km2 (16,576 persons per sqm). Hong Kong has a population of 7,061,200 according to a 2010 census, with 95% of them ethnic Chinese. Hong Kong’s climate is one of humid subtropical with 4 different seasons in a year. Summer is hot and humid with the occasional typhoons while winters are mild with no snow. Autumn is usually sunny and dry. Its lowest average temperature is 14.5 ?C, and highest average temperature is 31.4 ?C.
Most Hong Kongers can speak English and English is used by Hong Kong’s government as it is listed as one of Hong Kong’s official languages, so expat Hong Kong need not worry about communication. The other official language is Chinese. All Hong Kongers speak Cantonese (one of the Chinese dialect) and their Mandarin are greatly improved after they became part of China again (after 1997 when the British return the territory to the Chinese).
Car is expensive in Hong Kong, therefore, the most common mode of travelling is via public transport. Hong Kong has a highly developed and reliable public transport system, and it is the most widely travelled public transport worldwide. 90% of all travelling in Hong Kong is done using public transport. Their public transport includes MTR (rapid trains), busses and taxis. The most widely travelled public transport is the MTR, with 10 rapid transit lines, 12 light rail lines, 84 rapid transit stations and 68 light rail stations.
As Hong Kong has a vibrant international community, it has a variety of international and local cuisines. Apart from the local Cantonese food like dim sum and other Chinese food, there are a wide range of restaurants selling cuisines from other countries. As Hong Kong is a densely populated territory, most Hong Kongers stay in high rise buildings, only the very rich lives in landed property. The apartment in high rise buildings is usually small due to the limited space available for a very large population.
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