Hong Kong (HK)
Hong Kong is one of the world's most dynamic cities — a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China operating under the 'One Country, Two Systems' framework that preserves its common law legal system, independent judiciary, free port status, and separate currency.
Daily Life
Practical day-to-day information for living in Hong Kong.
🛒 Supermarkets
Operated by Hutchison. Largest supermarket chain in HK. Wide range of local and imported goods. Outlets everywhere including basement of most large shopping malls. Moderate pricing.
Operated by Dairy Farm (also owns Mannings, 7-Eleven). Second largest chain. Good convenience — often open until 10–11pm. Competitive on staples.
Upscale version of Wellcome in premium locations. Better imported range, organic produce, Western brands. Found in Pacific Place, IFC, Times Square.
Japanese-influenced premium supermarket. Exceptional fresh seafood, Japanese and Korean products, artisan cheeses, organic produce. Very popular with expats. IFC Mall, Times Square, Festival Walk.
Premium chain focused on imported Western goods. Popular with expat families. Good selection of British, Australian and US products. Kowloon Tong, Wan Chai.
Japanese supermarket chain. Excellent Japanese and Asian product range. Multiple NT and Kowloon locations. Popular for fresh sashimi, Japanese snacks and household items.
Good balance of local and imported. Reliable for fresh produce and baked goods. Multiple locations across HK Island.
Government-run wet markets (街市, FEHD-managed) in every district. Fresh meat, seafood, vegetables and tofu sold daily by individual stallholders. Significantly cheaper than supermarkets for fresh produce. Open from 6am–2pm typically, some until evening.
Opening Hours
Supermarkets: typically 7am–11pm daily (some 24 hours). Wet markets: 6am–2pm (some open until evening). Shops in shopping malls: 11am–9pm or 10pm daily, including Sundays and most public holidays. Pharmacies (Watsons, Mannings, Sa Sa): 9am–10pm daily. Banks: Mon–Fri 9am–4:30pm; Sat 9am–1pm. Government offices: Mon–Fri 8:45am–12:30pm, 1:30pm–5:30pm; Sat 9am–12:30pm. Many restaurants and cha chaan tengs open 7am–11pm or later. 7-Eleven and Circle K: 24 hours.
Sunday Rules
Hong Kong shops are generally OPEN on Sundays and public holidays — the opposite of Germany. Shopping malls, supermarkets, restaurants and most shops maintain normal hours. Only government offices and many banks are closed. Sunday is the busiest shopping day of the week. MTR and buses run normal schedules (slightly reduced early morning).
Recycling
Hong Kong operates a 3-colour bin recycling scheme in most housing estates, public spaces, and MTR stations. Blue bins: paper and cardboard only. Yellow bins: metal cans, plastic bottles, and glass bottles (all together). Brown bins: food waste (Project LOOP food waste recycling in participating estates). Reverse vending machines (RVMs) for plastic bottles at some MTR stations and shopping malls. Plastic bag levy: HK$1 per shopping bag since 2015, extended to all retail outlets in 2023. Bring your own reusable bag. No Pfand (deposit) system for bottles.
Dining Out
Hong Kong is a world-class food city with one of the highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world. Budget options: cha chaan teng set lunch HK$35–70, noodle shops HK$40–80, fast food (McDonald's, Café de Coral, Fairwood) HK$40–60. Mid-range: HK$100–300/person at a proper Cantonese restaurant. Upscale: HK$500–2,000+/person. Dim sum (yum cha): weekend mornings HK$150–300/person at traditional Cantonese restaurants (Maxim's, Fook Lam Moon, Dynasty). Book popular dim sum restaurants well in advance for weekend brunch — queues of 1–2 hours are normal without booking.
Utilities & Internet
Electricity: CLP Power (NT and Kowloon) or HK Electric (HK Island and Lamma). Set up on move-in. Average monthly bill for a 1BR apartment: HK$300–600 (AC in summer can double this). Gas: Towngas (HK and Kowloon Gas Company) for cooking gas — set up account at Towngas office. Bottled gas also available. Water: included in government rates (rates bill typically paid by landlord). Most leases include building management fees.
Cultural Tips for Expats
- → Cantonese is the language of daily life. While English is an official language and widely used in business, learning even basic Cantonese phrases is deeply appreciated and will open doors.
- → Face (面子) is important in Hong Kong business culture. Avoid publicly criticising or embarrassing someone — address concerns privately.
- → Hong Kong people are generally direct and efficient in business but more reserved in personal interactions until trust is established.
- → Gift-giving etiquette: avoid clocks, pears, shoes and green hats. Bring fruit or premium pastries when visiting someone's home for the first time.
- → The city never sleeps — restaurants serving until 2am, 24-hour 7-Elevens on every street, and vibrant nightlife in Lan Kwai Fong (Central) and Wan Chai.
- → The MTR is the great equaliser — everyone uses it, from tycoons to construction workers. Queue at the yellow lines. Let passengers exit before boarding.
- → Hong Kong has extremely low crime rates. Feel free to walk around at night — even in Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po. Property crime is the main concern, not street crime.
Quiet Hours
Hong Kong has no statutory quiet hours law at the city level (unlike Germany's Ruhezeiten). Noise nuisance is handled under the Noise Control Ordinance (Cap. 400) for construction and industrial noise. For residential buildings, quiet hours are set by the Building Management Office (BMO) or Owners Corporation (OC) of each estate. Most private residential estates have informal quiet hours from 11pm–7am. Expect significant noise from neighbours, air conditioning units, and road traffic — this is normal in Hong Kong dense living.
Construction noise is regulated under the Noise Control Ordinance — percussive piling banned in general quiet hours areas during evening/early morning. Neighbours may work or have AC units running at any time.
Most building management rules request residents to keep noise to a minimum. Parties, loud music and shouting are frowned upon. Unlike Germany, enforcement is social rather than legal in residential buildings.
- •Assuming it is as quiet as Europe — walls in Hong Kong apartments are thin and neighbours may have different schedules.
- •Running window AC units on maximum at night — they are often loud and disturb light sleepers.
- •Hosting loud gatherings in small apartments without informing neighbours first.
Serious noise complaints can be reported to the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) Noise Control hotline: 2838 3111. For construction noise violations, the EPD can issue warnings and stop notices. For persistent neighbour disputes, the Housing Department or building management can mediate.
Postal Services
Hongkong Post (香港郵政) operates the postal system with green post boxes across the city. Reliable for domestic and international mail. Unlike Germany, official government correspondence (IRD, Immigration) is almost always delivered by ordinary post — not registered mail — but important items should be tracked. Courier services (SF Express, DHL, FedEx, UPS) are also widely used.
SF Express (順豐) operates an extensive network of SF Stations (self-collect lockers) at 7-Eleven, Esso petrol stations, and convenience stores across HK. Register online at sf-express.com. Parcels held for 5–7 days before return. SF is the dominant domestic parcel carrier for e-commerce (HKTVmall, Taobao). Amazon uses Amazon Locker at selected 7-Eleven outlets.
HKID card serves as the primary identity verification document. Required for opening a bank account (in person), applying for government services, and most age-verification purposes. iAM Smart (iAM Smart+) provides digital identity verification for government online services — link your HKID during setup.
Registered mail (掛號郵件) provides proof of posting and delivery tracking. Used for important legal documents. Some official correspondence from IRD and Immigration Department arrives by ordinary mail — important to check your mailbox regularly. Missed deliveries leave a notification card for collection at your nearest post office within 7–10 days.
Hongkong Post offers a mail redirection service for up to 12 months when changing address. Apply at any post office or at hongkongpost.hk. Update your address directly with IRD (eTax portal), Immigration Department (HKID address update), and your bank simultaneously — do not rely solely on mail redirection for official correspondence.
- →The PO Box (郵政信箱) at Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office and General Post Office (Edinburgh Place, Central) are the two main HQ branches.
- →SF Express next-day delivery within HK is extremely reliable and cheap (HK$20–40). Use it for important documents.
- →Hongkong Post's Speedpost for international mail is competitive with DHL/FedEx for lighter parcels.
- →If you order from Taobao or mainland China shops, SF Express cross-border service is the most reliable option with good tracking.