George Liu
Gangpiaoquan is Hong Kong’s largest online community for mainlanders living in the city. Co-founder George Liu talks to Yannie Chan about the dating scene, being a “drifter” and anti-mainlander sentiments.
HK Magazine: What does the name “Gangpiaoquan” mean?
George Liu: Gang is the pinyin of the “Kong” in Hong Kong, while Piao means to float or drift. Quan refers to a community. Together they refer to this online community we set up in 2012 to support and strengthen the bonds among mainland people living in Hong Kong.
HK: What does Gangpiaoquan do?
GL: We actually started as a Weibo account where many people tweeted us, asking questions about living in Hong Kong. You’d be surprised by how many people have trouble coping with basic stuff like applying for visas and setting up an internet connection. But slowly, we realized that many people are very lonely, and I felt a mission to connect this community. We now put together one or two gatherings a week.
HK: What else do most mainlanders use Gangpiaoquan for?
GL: We have a very active second-hand market and rental forum. People sell all kinds of stuff, be it clothing, electric fans, iPads, blow dryers or furniture. Someone once sold a car on our site—that was insane, since it involved a large amount of money. We also talk about unique Hong Kong cultural phenomena and where to find good food, of course. I feel like everyone becomes a foodie when they live here.
HK: What’s a unique Hong Kong cultural phenomenon?
GL: A classic case would be the rude cha chaan teng staff. I felt like I had to apologize for ordering too slowly the first time I visited a cha chaan teng. If something similar happened in the mainland, we would be demanding to see the manager. So we published a series of cha chaan teng guides, that cover things such as how iced lemon tea is called iced “Zero T” in Cantonese.
HK: Are there any unusual enquires?
GL: We get asked about the weather every day. People just send us messages saying, “What’s the weather like in Hong Kong today?” We’re also sent many selfies. Some ask us to predict their fortunes as well, addressing us as “Gangpiaoquan Gods.”
HK: Is there a “Little Mainland” in Hong Kong?
GL: A lot of people from the mainland live in Hung Hom. There are at least 50 in my building. I’m sure it would add up to at least several thousand in the whole district. Some other popular areas are Sai Wan and North Point, because they’re close to business districts. Wherever I go out eating near my home, I will always, always bump into fellow mainlanders.
