I have been in Hong Kong for almost a week now waiting for our China visas to process. Thankfully we received them today and can press on to China!
Hong Kong is an interesting place because it is full of Chinese culture but also speaks a lot of english. England own Hong Kong for a 100 years up until 1997 and since then it has been apart of China. There is a lot of western influence but still very much Chinese too. Creates a perfect environment to ease into China.
Here are some interesting things I noticed while in Hong Kong:
1) Hong Kong LOVES to shop! This has to be retail capital of the world. Every street down town is lined with stores! Then if you happen to go into one of the hundreds of skyscrapers, you are bound to find a mall….a huge mall. I had to go find a DHL office one day and we turned into what appeared to be a single car door alley that opened up into a huge 8 story mall, without any signs or anything on the outside.
2) 7-Eleven…..if you thought 7-Eleven was going out of business, think again, it is everywhere here! Every train station has multiple and every city block. No matter where you turn downtown, the convenience of a 7-Eleven is bound to be in eyesight.
3) Circle K? Yup, the Circle K gas station you occasionally find in the USA has a solid presence in Hong Kong. I was shocked too when I saw them pop up so frequently….more often than Starbucks.
4) McDonalds!!!! McDonalds has taken over Hong Kong as they are the second most common store behind 7-Eleven. These are huge nice modern fancy trendy McDonalds, and put the standard American McDonalds to shame. The McCafe here is a totally separate counter area and they even sell delicious cheesecake!
5) Samsung. I have read they dominate the world market in smartphones but I had no idea to this extent. One crazy thing I witnessed was going into an electronic store mall that was 5 stories tall with about 20 stores per floor and they ALL sold 95% Samsung products. I have never seen a product/company dominate so many independent retailers. Everywhere you turn in downtown Hong Kong you can easily find the newest Samsung product.
6) Hong Kong is a very clean city especially considering it’s size! Everything appeared to be very clean and well kept.
7) Super easy to get around. Their train system (MTR) runs smooth as a whistle and definitely designed to move the masses effortlessly. I don’t ever recall having to wait in line to buy train tickets, or to get on the train, or anywhere really. Everything is laid out very efficient and to scale to manage the population of the city.
Overall I loved Hong Kong and would come back in a heart beat if the opportunity presented itself. After a week here I barely scratched the surface of all this city has to offer. Here are some highlight pictures from Hong Kong!
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