In the last couple of years, the number of teenagers turning full-, or 'almost-' vegetarians has increased.
Surveys carried out by the Hong Kong Vegetarian Society show that 1.7 per cent of Hongkongers, or about one in 80 people, are vegetarian.
'These figures are only for reference - there are actually more vegetarians in Hong Kong,' says Dr Simon Chau Sui-cheong, a spokesman for the society.
'It's quite hard to define a vegetarian. Vegans say no meat is allowed. But ovo- and lacto-vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products respectively.
'There are even some vegetarians who consider chicken and fish acceptable. These people may not have counted themselves as vegetarians [in the survey].
'But many people, especially teenagers, are turning into 'half' or 'almost' vegetarians. Some of them may be against animal cruelty, but a lot of them are doing it simply for beauty or health reasons,' Dr Chau says.
King George V School students Akash Sureka and Sunny Bhimsaria have been vegetarian since birth. Hinduism, the boys' religion, teaches that animals have souls, so many Hindus refrain from eating their flesh.