colourful hong kong Your guide to one of the most exciting cities in the world.
australian international school hong kong
“WELCOME to
koNG
”
discover what hong kong Welcome to Hong Kong, where East meets West and cosmopolitan vibrancy blends with natural beauty. It may be has to offer overwhelming at times, but if you give Hong Kong a chance, you will grow to love this amazing city.
Living in Hong Kong offers an opportunity to experience a vibrant cultural scene shaped by the diverse backgrounds of many locals and expats who call Hong Kong their home. Right now is all about the excitement and prospect of a new adventure - and AISHK is here to help.
Let’s get to know Hong Kong!
FACTS AT A GLANCE
MAIN LANGUAGES
CLIMATE
Cantonese and English are the official languages of Hong Kong. All public signage feature both languages, as are government documents. Cantonese is the most widely spoken dialect, however Mandarin is becoming more widespread.
Hong Kong has a subtropical climate, with temperate conditions for nearly half the year. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons, with plenty of sunshine, occasional showers, and pleasantly cool evenings. Summers are very hot, and the rainy season runs from June to August. Winters are mild and dry, with the temperature rarely dipping below 10°C. Hong Kong does experience occasional typhoons and tropical storms from April through October. Visit the Hong Kong Observatory website for more information
Salary and Tax
Hong Kong salaries are competitive with other global cities. Income tax is not deducted at source. The standard tax rate is approximately 15% and allowances for single parents, married couples, and dependent children reduce taxable salary. Up to 33% of income can be claimed as housing reimbursement, which is deductible for income tax purposes. The Inland Revenue Department website provides up-to-date information of Hong Kong's income tax policy.
For further information on Hong Kong please see: • • •
Time
GMT + 8, International Dialling Code: +852
www.gov.hk/en/residents/ www.asiaxpat.com www.geoexpat.com
Geography New Territories The New Territories make up most of the land in Hong Kong, consisting of a much wider range of prices and affordable accommodation and is growing in popularity.
Kowloon % of aishk families living in each region 35%
32%
Lantau
Lantau is a large island which is close to the HK International Airport and has a number of upscale housing areas including Discovery Bay and the HK Gold Coast.
Prices grow more affordable as you move away from Hong Kong Island and Kowloon is more mid-range for renting prices. AISHK is located in Kowloon Tong on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Island 3%
30%
This is the most most international region of Hong Kong, making housing popular with expats, as well as more expensive.
Get Around Hong Kong’s public transportation system is ranked as one of the safest, most efficient and frequent in the world.
mtr
Hong Kong’s MTR (Mass Transit Railway) is one of the easiest public transport systems in the world; it is clean, efficient and affordable. Virtually all forms of public transport use an Octopus card which is available initially for $150 HKD ($100 gets transferred as your first account balance). Octopus cards allow you to board any bus, minibus or subway with just a simple beep of the machine. They can be used at many supermarkets to buy everyday products and increasingly in taxis. The transport system consists of the very extensive MTR, buses, mini buses, trams, ferries and taxis.
buses
There is an extensive and far-reaching bus network in Hong Kong, with very affordable fares also payable by Octopus cards. A large number of mini-bus routes can navigate even the steepest or narrowest Hong Kong streets. Various mobile apps are available to assist with bus transport, including timetabling and arrival tracking.
taxis
Taxis are plentiful, cheap and clean and often seem to outnumber private cars . When flagging down a cab remember that red cabs are for Hong Kong Island and Kowloon while green cabs are for the New Territories and blue taxis are on Lantau. There are an increasing number of Apps for translating taxi destinations in case your driver only speaks Cantonese.
Driving
In Hong Kong we drive on the right hand side of the road as in Australia. To drive here you must have a valid overseas, international or Hong Kong licence. For information on the licence requirements please see: www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/licences_and_permits/ driving_licences/index.html
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EXPLORE Thanks to its small size, Hong Kong is excellent for day outings. www.DiscoverHongKong.com is a great place to find organised events in the city.
BEACHES
Hong Kong has some really beautiful beaches that are mostly very calm, patrolled in summer, boast shark nets, swim platforms, bbq pits and shops . There are also a few with waves for a bit of surfing such as Big Wave and its neighbour Shek O. There is a great app called Swimming HK that provides information on all the local beaches and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
HIKING
Perhaps surprisingly, Hong Kong is an excellent hiking city. Hong Kong trails are well developed and maintained with a vast number of easily accessible Country Parks easily accessible. The difficulty levels of hikes range from beginner to expert, and there are various social hiking groups to join. But please do your research, some of the hikes are very difficult as the trails tend to take the most direct path to the destination.
Concerts
A sneaky good place to find quality music is at Museums. They often have drinks and music events to attract interest and those events are often very fun.
junk boats
Rent a boat, pick a destination, have a party; it is that simple. When the weather is warm you will certainly hear whispers of junk boat parties. The best part is they are often private boats, so if you want to have a junk boat party that is child friendly, just ask.
markets
There are loads of markets in Hong Kong and they are all worth a visit. The Ladies Market, Temple Street Market, Jade Market and the amazing Flower Market are just to name a few, There are then whole streets dedicated to runners, electronics, goldfish, kitchenware and birds! Virtually anything you want is available in Hong Kong.
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MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese calendar.
Chinese new year
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Chinese New Year celebrations start on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month of the Chinese calendar.
DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL Takes place on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month of the Chinese calendar.
ART BASEL Will take place on 15 to 17 March, 2015.
GET CULTURAL
L
FESTIVALS & ACTIVITIES
iving in Hong Kong offers an opportunity to experience a vibrant cultural scene shaped by the city’s colonial history, Chinese influence and diverse backgrounds of many locals and expats who call Hong Kong their home.
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CHINESE NEW YEAR
One of the most important festivals of the lunar calendar, with 15 days of ancient traditions, festivities and celebrations. If you’re looking for a unique family-friendly activity during the holiday, visit Lam Tsuen’s Wishing Tree and take part in the age-old tradition of writing your wishes and goals on joss paper and throwing them into the tree’s branches.
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MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL
Also known as the Lantern Festival and Mooncake Festival, the MidAutumn Festival is a colourful festival celebrated by gathering with family and lighting lanterns, watching dragon and lion dances, and sharing mooncakes with friends and family. Get your lanterns from one of the old shops in Sham Shui Po or Wan Chai and go to Repulse Bay, Clearwater Bay Beach or Victoria Park.
DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL This festival dates back to the third century and commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a Chinese national hero. The highlights of this festival are the
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energetic and colourful dragon boat races, where teams of paddlers race long narrow boats accompanied by the beat of the drum down to the finish line. Most popular sites for dragon boat races include Stanley, Aberdeen, Sai Kung, Cheung Chau and Tai O.
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ART BASEL
Founded by gallerists in 1970 and held annually in Basel, Miami and Hong Kong, Art Basel (Hong Kong) provides an essential gateway to emerging local and international artists, with half of the participating galleries coming from Asia and Asia-Pacific.
POPULAR EVENTS in hong kong VISIT DISCOVERHONGKONG.COM FOR AN UPDATED LISTING OF HONG KONG’S HOTTEST EVENTS
HONG KONG SEVENS
HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
March/April, Annually Expect tons of fast and furious rugby action combined with the carnival atmosphere at the Hong Kong Sevens, firmly established as one of the most popular annual team sporting events in Southeast Asia. The tournament spans three days and is organised each year by the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU). www.hksevens.com
HORSE RACING AT HAPPY VALLEY AND SHATIN
Races. racing.hkjc.com
September to July, Annually A trip to one of the city’s world-class tracks Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island or Shatin in the New Territories - will confirm that horse racing is a permanent fixture in Hong Kong. To experience the glamour and spectacle of the sport, try to see the Hong Kong Derby, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup or the Hong Kong International
HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
www.hkijf.com/en
A celebration and a true tribute to Jazz, the Hong Kong International Jazz Festival brings renowned artists each year. Last year’s festival featured a total of 13 performances with wellknown jazz musicians from more than 12 countries including the US, Australia, Japan Italy, Brazil and more, bringing soulful music performances to local jazz lovers in Hong Kong.
March/April, Annually One of Asia’s most reputable platforms for filmmakers, film professionals and filmgoers from around the world to launch creative works and experience outstanding films. Over 280 titles from more than 50 countries in 11 major cultural venues across the territory are screened, reaching an audience of over 600,000. www.hkiff.org.hk
HONG KONG YOUTH ARTS FESTIVAL
The Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation is known for providing access to high quality, non-competitive free-of-charge arts experiences for young individuals aged 5 to 25. Their past events include Oliver!, HKYAF’s 2014 flagship musical and appearances at music festival, Clockenflap. www.hkyaf.com
BEERTOPIA
October Started in 2012 and now named Hong Kong’s largest international craft beer festival, last year’s Beertopia featured over 11,000 attendees and over 450 different craft beers from around the world. Beertopia 2015 will take place at the Central Harbourfront and will be a great opportunity to taste and learn about quality craft beers while meeting new people. www.beertopiahk.com
Health & Wellbeing Staying healthy in Hong Kong, as in any city, involves getting to know your local doctors, practitioners, physios, naturopaths, specialists, optometrists, and dentists, to mention a few.
medical
Hong Kong offers a great public health system available for all HKID card holders. The service is very cheap but often involves long waiting times so some expats use private health care providers including: Quality Healthcare | www.qhms.com BUPA | www.bupahealth.com.hk/en Vio and Partners | www.drvio.com.hk (AISHK provider) OT&P | www.otandp.com International Doctors Limited | www.internationaldoctorslimited.com
For more details about health care in Hong Kong, take a look at: Department of Health | www.dh.gov.hk/eindex.html Department of Health – Travel Health Service
www.travelhealth.gov.hk/eindex.html Hong Kong | 2961 8840 Kowloon | 2150 7235 Talk to other expats and locals to find out about the health care provider they use and can recommend.
fitness
The list of sports and leisure activities available in Hong Kong is huge. You’ll find activities from cricket to Zumba and everything in between. For more information, Google is always a good place to find a variety of health and fitness options depending on your needs, from gyms around your area to exclusive fitness groups in Hong Kong.
sports clubs
There are many sports and social clubs that you and your family can join either as a paying or sporting member, including: Hong Kong Island | HK Cricket Club, Aberdeen Boat Club, Ladies Recreation Club, HK Yacht Club, Aberdeen
Marina Club, American Club, HK Football Club
Kowloon and New Territories | Clear Water Bay Country Club, United Services Recreation Club, Hebe Haven
Yacht Club, HK Yacht Club, Kowloon Cricket Club
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food glorious FOOD O
ne day, there needs to be a “best food city” competition because while Paris, New York and Milan all boast about their food, Hong Kong would be a dark horse candidate for best food city in the World. Think about it, it’s an Asian city so you know the Asian food is great but it also has a massive Western influence. You can find French, Italian and even Aussie steakhouses that can compete with the best restaurants from around the world. One of the great joys of Hong Kong is exploring the diverse food the city has to offer. And of course, there is an app for that. OpenRice is a very popular app for finding the best restaurant that fits your budget, location and craving. For groceries, you also have diverse options. The wet markets are fun and affordable, but expats often worry about their cleanliness. For more standard options here is a list:
WELLCOME
is another large supermarket brand in Hong Kong. They also operate Jason’s Marketplace stores. There is no loyalty card but you can earn cashback for your Octopus card.
OLIVER’S AND THREE-SIXTY
Oliver’s in Prince’s Building and Three-sixty focus on western products that can be harder to find elsewhere.
PARKNSHOP, INTERNATIONAL AND GREAT
HONG KONG
All run by the same company. There is a loyalty card available that can be used at each of these stores, which allows you to earn points for purchases and then redeem these points for coupons and/or special products.
TASTE
CITYSUPER
Very popular and similar to Oliver’s or Three-sixty.
Online grocery stores and food delivery services have fit a nice niche in Hong Kong , with a number of apps you can use to ensure you satisfy any craving, including imported products that are impossible to find at normal supermarkets.
Taste in Festival Walk (right next to AISHK!) has a fabulous salad bar, so enjoy your lunch and get that grocery shopping done at the same time.