Memes have long been a joyously irreverent and acerbically insightful offshoot of internet culture. And since laughter transcends language, it’s no surprise that memes have reached deep, criss-crossing communities in multicultural Hong Kong. Here are some of our favourite memes from the 852, and a look at how Hong Kong’s memes have evolved from a nerdy niche to exploding across the internet, even busting viewing records along the way. Nathan Road through the years: from beach and barracks to neon-lit ‘Golden Mile’ Hong Kong memes existed before the term was widely used Don’t believe us? An old classic is “Bus Uncle”, or “巴士阿叔”. Dating back to 2006, this widely shared quarrel between two agitated men was uploaded to several platforms, and even reportedly became the city’s most viewed YouTube video of May 2006 after attracting more than three million views. You can still check it out on YouTube today – but be warned it contains some pretty spicy language. Typhoon season in Hong Kong has always been a topic that people can’t avoid, so much so that it’s almost inevitable to find your socials flooded with memes when it’s that time of year again. Videos of news reporters out on the field braving storms have also long been widely circulated in Hong Kong’s internet world – such as this clip from back in 2009. Another video we loved that did the rounds showed this lady caught playing a game at one of the many stalls at Hong Kong’s Food Expo, in which she was given 30 seconds to grab as many seafood items as she could with the gripping tool. “Your tool’s broken!” she exclaimed as she was blatantly seen grabbing items with her hands, perhaps less sneakily than she expected. With the explosion in popularity of Instagram in the early 2010s, the most common memes were no longer clickbait videos, but pictures and graphics laying bare commonly held beliefs with witty insights, frequently riffing on popular culture. And rather than just sharing the same old memes, Hongkongers took existing formats and modified them to make them relatable to the local audience. Check out some of the best memes about Hong Kong below ... 7 top restaurants in Sham Shui Po to visit now “Weather” you like it or not, Hong Kong’s weather gets the better of us View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hong Kong Memes 🇭🇰 (@hkmehmeh) Throughout the long, hot Hong Kong summer, the sun isn’t what people are looking forward to the most, but rather work or school being called off by typhoon and heavy rain warnings. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 🇭🇰 Hong Kong Memes 香港廢佬 (@memes.hk) So despite how heavy rainstorms can get during the summer, try to think of them as a free car wash! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hong Kong Memes 🇭🇰 (@hkmehmeh) Humidity is the part of a Hong Kong summer that people don’t look forward to. Particularly those of us who wear make-up , since it never lasts throughout the day – as this internet user smartly clocked. Hong Kong’s public transport is on a whole other level View this post on Instagram A post shared by 🇭🇰 Hong Kong Memes 香港廢佬 (@memes.hk) Hong Kong’s minibuses were notorious for requiring passengers to call out where they’d like to stop. (Nowadays they have handy buttons you can press, which light up an indicator next to the driver for when you want to get off... but that wasn’t always the case.) For those of us who aren’t as loud, choosing the best seat so the driver can hear you call is a common dilemma. So here’s a handy guide for your next commute. View this post on Instagram A post shared by MTR Sleepers (@mtrsleepers) Hong Kong’s public transport is so convenient, even wild animals can be found catching the MTR! This boar was spotted hopping on at Quarry Bay station and managed to stay aboard, even changing stations before being safely caught and released into the wild. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hong Kong Memes 🇭🇰 (@hkmehmeh) If you’ve ever been caught at Admiralty station during rush hour, then you know just how much of an apocalyptically tight squeeze it can be. Sik fan lah – eat up and eat your heart out! View this post on Instagram A post shared by 🇭🇰 Hong Kong Memes 香港廢佬 (@memes.hk) If you’re not getting your mixian order spicy at all, are you really even eating TamJai ? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hong Kong Memes 🇭🇰 (@hkmehmeh) From curry fish balls to soup noodles, many of Hong Kong’s iconic dishes are just as likely to cause nasty stains on your clothes as they are taste delicious. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hong Kong Memes 🇭🇰 (@hkmehmeh) Hong Kong has plenty of local delicacies on offer, but sometimes we just can’t resist the good old classics. Which of these 5 classic cinemas of old Hong Kong have you visited? Let’s get lit (responsibly) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hong Kong Allies Club (@hkalliesclub) Even though we’re spoiled for nightlife choices , on an LKF night out most true Hongkongers end up flocking to 7-Eleven – aka “Club 7-Eleven” – for a cheap and easy drink. View this post on Instagram A post shared by lkfmeltdown (@lkfmeltdown) Taking inspiration from meme pages around the world, Hongkongers also enjoy sharing the cautionary tales of those left worse for wear at the end of a rough night out. View this post on Instagram A post shared by lkfmeltdown (@lkfmeltdown) It definitely isn’t hard to spot any of these items on a night out in Lan Kwai Fong! Shantay, you stay! Why Hong Kong’s drag queens are finally in the spotlight From the digital world to real life Memes have not only dominated Hong Kong’s internet world, but they’re also officially crossing over into the physical realm. Most notably, K11 Art Mall and Hong Kong-based online platform 9GAG recently joined forces to present what they claim is the world’s first meme museum. Yes, you read that right: a museum solely dedicated to memes. Running from July 16 until September 5 in the Tsim Sha Tsui mall’s Chi K11 Art Space, the pop-up attraction showcases classic memes dating all the way back to the 60s until present day, from both Hong Kong and all around the world. There are multiple zones inside the museum to check out, from meme-generating photo booths to a 4D interactive exhibit where you can see 2D memes come to life. It’s clear that memes are here to stay in Hong Kong, and as they continue to only grow in popularity, expect to see more memes invading our every day lives. 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