1000 Reasons to Love Hong Kong: So HK

1. Our obsession with hand sanitizer
    
2. Going to the shops in our pajamas
   Totally acceptable, especially when you’re hungover.
    
3. Cigarette/toothpick multitasking
   Let not the fact that you’re smoking or cleaning your teeth ever hinder you from any other tasks you need to complete, such as driving a motorcycle, sellin

   

   g fruit, unloading a truck or cutting someone’s hair in a park.
    
4. (Unlucky number, skipped)
    
5. Our love of protesting
   Whether or not you agree with the million and one causes that people march for in this city, you have to admire the fact that we don’t take our right to do so for granted.
    
6. Our ability to fall asleep just about anywhere
    
7. Lucky number seven
   The number of years visitors have to live here to get permanent residency. Have you made it yet?
    
8. Soaking dishes and cups in a bowl of tea before dim sum
   As if that sanitizes them.
    
9. Creative English names
   Once a Hong Kong quirk giggled at by foreigners, creatively named Hongkongers now pick their monikers for a reason: “Cactus Lau” has waaay better SEO than “Vivian Chan.”
    
10. Our ability to bounce back after any financial or health crisis
     
11. Giving Face
     
12. Saving the best of everything for our children

    

    
     
13. Squeezing all the fruit in the market before you buy it
     
14. Our tenacious, pioneer spirit
    The reason for Hong Kong’s awesome energy is that Hongkongers—many of whom fled China with nothing in the 1960s and made something of themselves here—understand the value of hard work. At least, so say our grandads.
     
15. How we constantly annoy China
    God, the Politburo must hate us.
     
16. Our Hong Kong pride!
    Polls consistently show that we identify as Hongkongers, in keeping with our “annoy China” philosophy.
     
17. Our Hello Kitty obsession

    

    
    Yes, the cute cat is a Japanese import, but we’ve adopted the mascot as our very own.
     
18. Speaking of obsessions, what’s up with massage chairs?
    Seriously, how can our city sustain so many massage chair stores?
     
19. The Ting Hai Effect
    A self-fulfilling superstition that dictates that every time TVB actor Adam Cheng releases a new movie or TV show, the Hang Seng Index crashes. Read more about this curious phenomenon here: tiny.cc/tinghai.
     
20. Our ability to really take advantage of a single-trip salad bar...
    Cantilevered lettuce leaves provide a much broader platform for croutons.
     
21. ...and starving ourselves for a buffet
     
22. Our uncanny ability to strip a chicken wing
    Bonus points if you can put the whole thing in your mouth. It’s the “cherry-stem” test of China.
    
     
23. “Flashing the “victory” sign while taking photos
    Half-Asians: just use one index finger.
     
24. Collectormania
    Whether it’s “Around the World” Snoopy toys, limited-edition Octopus cards or life-size Chrissie Chau pillows: if you create it, Hongkongers will queue for it.
     
25. Hong Kong’s health neuroses
    Call it a SARS hangover, but for the most part we are hella hygenic.
    
    
    

    SPOOKY HONG KONG

    Hong Kong’s awash with ghost stories.
     
26. Tiu Keng Leng
    Once “Diu Geng Leng,” “Hanging Ridge”—after the legend of a man who once hung himself in the area. The name was changed to the nicer “Pleasant View Ridge” instead.
     
27. The Girl With No Head at CUHK
    One of City U’s best known haunted figures, the girl with no head is a haunted spirit who was decapitated by a train after throwing herself at it.
     
28. Nam Koo Terrace
    The Grade I-listed building is located on Ship Street—allegedly the most haunted street in Hong Kong. A group of ghost-busting students had to be hospitalized after an adventure inside, so enter at your peril. 55 Ship St., Wan Chai.
     
29. King’s College
    Sai Ying Pun’s King’s College is fondly known as one of the most haunted schools on the island. Legend has it that it’s a site where war prisoners and innocent victims were tortured.
     
30. Ba Kung Temple
    This temple on Star Street was built after many perished in a bomb shelter during a WWII air raid. Residents complained of being haunted by vengeful spirits.
    
    

    

31. Being beaten with feather dusters
    Ah, the bittersweet memories of childhood.
     
32. How easy it is to travel regionally
     
33. Toothpicks
     
34. Inauspicious property
    Want to get a great deal on a flat? Simply find one where there was a grisly death—although you might have trouble getting a mortgage…
     
35. “Creative” cha chaan teng menus
    We’ll have the double-boiled pig hand with concubine ear fungus. Thanks.
     
36. Triad/police “protected” areas
     
37. Super-elaborate wedding photo shoots
    “Yes, we got married on a yacht… and up a tree… and in Prague…”
     
38. Scheme 6000
    Not only did we get $6,000 free cash from the government, there was a protest demanding $9,000.
     
39. Showing visitors around Hong Kong
    And the nonchalant pride we do it with.

    

    
     
40. Urban basketball courts
     
41. It’s the perfect whistleblower destination
    Well, it was, according to former CIA employee Edward Snowden. Kind of.
     
42. The Jockey Club’s dedication to bringing one percent activities to the masses
    We fully appreciate the HKJC’s civic-minded efforts—where else in the world do you get public horse riding?
     
43. Flowers in front of store openings

    

    
     
44. (Unlucky number, skipped)
     
45. Dining trend bubbles
    When Hong Kong does a trend, we really peddle the shit out of it. See: cupcakes, bubble tea, froyo.
     
46. Weird smuggling
    Forget drugs and humans: Hong Kong’s snakeheads these days deal in shellfish, milk powder and Buddhist Pines. Luckily we have…
     
47. The Marine Police
     
48. Hong Kong license plates
    Providing hours of comedy. Our faves: TAXI (on a taxi), POTATO, ENCRUST, and DONALD PK (belonging to Long Hair, of course)
     
49. We don’t take ourselves too seriously
    Unless you claim that Singapore is better. In which case, bring it.
    
    
    

    SO PRAGMATIC

    Convenient, practical, unsentimental: Hong Kong’s pragmatism defines us.
     
50. Automatically opening taxi doors

    

    
    Something we all take for granted… until we visit a country where you have to open your own damn door.
     
51. Unlimited Cathay Pacific cup noodles
    Cathay knows how to keep Hongkongers happy: free-flow instant noodles.
     
52. Air conditioning. Everywhere.
     
53. It’s the easiest place in the world to set up your own business Hong Kong is an entrepreneur’s paradise. All you need to do is pay a couple hundred bucks, fill out a form, and bam! You’re in business.
     
54. Reserving your seat with a newspaper
    The honor code of convenient queuing. Works as long as everyone respects the rule.
     
55. Hovering over a table of diners so you can be next to sit down
     
56. Paying our bills at 7-Eleven
     
57. Hong Kong ID Cards
    In and out of airport immigration in five seconds flat.
     
58. Renting umbrellas or raincoats from McDonalds or Park N Shop
     
59. Shawls and blankets at cinemas and restaurants
    The aircon’s blasting at 17 degrees, but it’s OK! The staff have an attractive selection of pashminas on hand.
     
60. The Golden Toilet
    In true Hong Kong style, Hang Fung Gold Technology melted down half of its solid gold bathroom once the precious metal reached $1,000 per ounce.
     
61. Wearing face masks when we have the slightest hint of a cold
     
62. Hanging our washing from the 20th floor
    Live in a 250-square-foot flat with no balcony? Hope you’ve got sturdy clothespins.

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