Whether it be for business or pleasure, Hong Kong has more than its fair share of private clubs catering for the big end of town down to cricket-fight fans in Mongkok. Topping the exclusive list are the Hong Kong Club and the China Club, must-have memberships for anyone serious about being a major player in the city. Established 160 years ago, the Hong Kong Club, the former colonial bastion of power, is the watering hole of choice for the city's business elite and ambitious new money. But pots of money doesn't guarantee you'll be added to the elite membership of just over 1,300. Even Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp chairman Vincent Cheng Hoi-chuen and PCCW chairman Richard Li Tzar-kai were on the waiting list for two years. One insider said he paid about $100,000 to join and monthly subscriptions are about $1,500 - a pittance - but it's all about the status. 'I have even received unsolicited flyers offering to buy my membership for a seven-figure sum,' he said. But that's no guarantee - the purchaser could still be blackballed. The China Club is more welcoming to newcomers and is even offering a $30,000 food and beverage credit to entice new members. Corporate and individual joining fees are both $150,000. Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and Rafael Hui Si-yan and members of the chief executive's campaign team celebrated Mr Tsang's election victory there. M1NT is most likely to face direct competition from the Kee Club in Wellington Street, the place to be seen for celebrities. It costs $20,000 (non-transferable) or $35,000 (transferable) to join the beautiful people rubbing shoulders at the Wellington Street club, with monthly subscription fees of $600. Membership is by invitation and referrals, and the club's mission statement is to offer a 'certain lifestyle that embraces the ultimate in art, music, food, wine and people'.'Kee has a good base of lifetime members so we don't see another club opening having a significant impact on our patronage,' said the club's Maggie Chu. 'Additional entities can be a good thing as it keeps the market buzzing'. If that all sounds a bit rich, you could try the humbler Far East Friends of Crickets Social Club which operated out of a first-floor unit in Fife Street, Mongkok. But it does have its risks - they were raided twice by police in 2004 over illegal gambling on cricket fights. In all, 158 men were arrested and 310 crickets seized. The cricket-fighting season runs from July to September, so you may need to get in early.
