It is currently my 2nd week in Hong Kong, and I am quickly adjusting to life here. Hong Kong is such a fast-paced and vibrant city, and there’s something to do no matter what day or time it is. As a result, in this blog, I will explore the five things that made my relationship with Hong Kong a love at first sight situation.
- Convenient Transportation
- Hong Kong’s public transportation system is considered one of the best in the world, and I definitely understand how it got the title. The public transportation – which includes big buses, little buses, trains, and ferries – are so easy and convenient to use and takes you almost everywhere in the city. There’s this card called the Octopus Card which is a prepaid card where you can use to pay for all the public transportation with just a tap of the card on the reading machine. On top of that, the subway trains come every 3 to 5 minutes which is a huge difference from what I am used to in the bay area where trains come every 15 minutes.
- There’s a Place for Everyone
- Most people think Hong Kong is just a cosmopolitan city with loads of skyscrapers and bustling lifestyle. However, that is not the case. In fact, about 40% of Hong Kong’s territory is natural parks. From the central area of Hong Kong, you can reach a mountainous trail in less than a 20-minute drive or tram ride. There are beaches, hiking trails, lush mountains, and many more natural spots contained in this small city. With the convenient public transportation system, I am excited to explore all the natural spots that Hong Kong has to offer in the upcoming year.
- Markets Everywhere
- Think of a noun and Hong Kong will give you a market for it. No but really, Hong Kong has a market for everything – bird market, sneaker market, ladies market, goldfish market, and flower market. However, before I start my shopping journey in these markets, I need to take “Bargaining 101” because everyone bargains here.
- It is so Clean
- I went to the toilet stall, and for the first time in my life, I saw a seat sanitizer dispenser. Everywhere I go, I see automated sanitizer dispenser which is crazy. Furthermore, there are signs by the escalators and elevators that tell users how much the handrails and buttons are sanitized. Furthermore, there are so many people here who wear face mask which shows how Hong Kong people take cleanliness and health seriously. I read that if you sneeze on a public train without a face mask, you are in for some judging looks from passengers which I hope I won’t have to witness anytime soon.
- DIM SUM GALORE
- I have never seen so many dim sum restaurants in my life. There is a dim sum place every corner that I turn, and it is SO DELICIOUS AND CHEAP. A single dish ranges from $15HKD to $30 HKD ($2-4 USD). Furthermore, the designs are so freaking cute that it’s hard to eat sometimes. My goal by the end of this system is to try every single dim sum restaurant because I’m becoming a dim sum addict here. Wish me luck!
And that concludes this blog post. Hong Kong has treated me extremely well so far, and I cannot wait to see what the this year has in store for me. I hope y’all enjoy this blog post, and stay tuned for more adventures!