Living in Hong Kong 2016 - What to Shop

Chapter 3

What to Shop There are so many shopping opportunities in Hong Kong, and it is a good idea to plan what you are looking to buy before heading out. Knowing what to look for and going to the right places will save time and bring about the best experience.

WHAT TO SHOP

3 Hong Kong’s proximity to the manufacturing center of China means there is no shortage of “made in China” goods and products you can buy. At the same time, with world-class logistics and a dynamic transportation system, imported items from all over the world make their way to the shops and supermarkets throughout the city. Because of the huge variety from which to choose, it may be a good idea to decide at home what category you are shopping for and then try not to get too distracted.

Cosmetics The size of the cosmetics industry in Hong Kong can be seen in any walk along a street with shops. From the humble boutique store to the larger brand name shops and also in department stores.

Bonjour This chain has many stores throughout the territory. It has also expanded to Macau and Guangzhou in China. www.bonjourhk.com

Colourmix This small brand has a few retails stores in Hong Kong and also has a good online shop. www.colourmix-cosmetics.com

Sasa This leading cosmetic retailer has numerous outlets throughout Hong Kong and Asia.

Sasa is a one-stop shop offering a wide range of products from its own-brands to those of prestigious international branded lines of skincare, fragrances, health and beauty products. The retailer has been in operation for many years and is traded on the Hong Kong stock exchange as a public company. www.sasa.com

Fashion Haute couture, high fashion knock-offs or something easy and casual? There is plenty

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of choice when it comes to fashion. All major fashion brands have retail stores in Hong Kong. Prices range from stratospheric to bargain basement. So shop around and be on the lookout for seasonal sales.

Abercrombie & Fitch The iconic American retailer Abercrombie & Fitch opened their flagship store in Hong Kong in the historic Pedder Building in the heart of Central. Their casual all American styled luxury clothing is available for men and women. www.abercrombie.com.hk

Club Monaco Club Monaco was founded in Toronto as a Canadian brand offering classic style and timeless fashion. It has now become an international retailer and lifestyle brand. Club Monaco has several stores in Hong Kong.

They provide affordable modern fashion and accessories for men and women. www.clubmonaco.com

in Mong Kok across the road from Langham Place. www.gapinc.com

Giordano Giordano is a local fashion brand that has expanded beyond Hong Kong and now has stores all over the world. Giordano offers basic men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories. They have many shops in all parts of Hong Kong and in Macau. www.giordano.com.hk

H&M International fashion store H&M has a growing presence, currently with outlets on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. A new flagship store recently opened in Causeway Bay. H&M offers reasonably priced clothing and accessories for the whole family. www.hm.com/hk

Topshop Coach Well-known for its iconic handbags, the international label Coach has several stores in Hong Kong and Kowloon and in many of the large shopping malls, including New Town Plaza, Langham Place and at the Hong Kong Airport. http://hongkong.coach.com

New to Hong Kong is UK retailer Topshop, which has a flagship store in Central.

Offering a range of products similar to Forever 21 and H&M, it sells clothing and accessories with a quirky twist aimed at the young and chic crowd. www.topshop.com

UNIQLO Forever 21 This fashion, shoe, accessories and beauty retailer offers trendy and stylish products for young shoppers. Forever 21 provides a constantly changing selection of fun and creative clothing designs and accessories. www.forever21.com

GAP

Also very popular is the Japanese chain store UNIQLO, which sells a good range of basics including cotton t-shirts, jeans and knitwear for both adults and children. www.uniqlo.com/hk

ZARA Spanish fashion store ZARA offers their latest in stores all over the territory. Trendy and up to date, their clothing for women, men and children is moderately priced and very good quality. www.zara.com

GAP has a first flagship store in Hong Kong.

The well-known American retailer offers affordable high quality fashion, accessories and personal care products for men, women, children and babies on four floors in Central. Electronics Several major chains offer home appliances, On the Kowloon side, GAP also has a store

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3 entertainment centers, photographic equipment and other electronic products.

You can also find these kinds of products, including used appliances, at small streetside shops and in some department stores. Prices are generally reasonable, but it’s good to shop around to compare prices among the major chains, as well as among smaller retailers.

Mong Kok For camera equipment and small electronics, go to the areas around Sai Yeung Choi Street and Tung Chung Street.

This is where the locals come to buy cameras at the best prices. Unless you know the shops well, avoid shops in the touristy areas around Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui.

There are several shops in Mong Kok that specialize in cameras. Man Shing Camera has been around for a long time and has all brand name cameras and accessories.

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Stanley Street Go to Stanley Street in Central where quality service, recommendations and premium equipment are provided. The shops located on the south side of the street, running from D’Aguilar Street (near Lan Kwai Fong) to Graham Street, are trusted by professionals, who go for equipment and to process their film and slides. Some of the shops provide free film processing on certain days of the week. It’s a bargain and very much worth visiting.

Computers There are many retailers in Hong Kong selling computers. Large multi-appliance stores Fortress and Broadway sell laptops and desktop computers, but they do not specialize in computers. Many small shops around Hong Kong sell both branded and no name brands at all price ranges.

Apple Aside from the flagship store at the IFC mall in Central, electronics giant Apple has two other locations in Causeway Bay and Festival Walk. www.apple.com/hk

a more upscale center of retailers offering a wide range of computer products and accessories as well as electronic gadgets.

All the latest and trendiest products are sold here. Located at 49-69 Fa Yuen Street and at 8 & 8A Nelson Street. www.mongkokcc.com

Universal Audio This American audiovisual store has two Hong Kong locations: Pacific Place in Admiralty and The Landmark in Central. www.universal-av.com

Wan Chai In Wan Chai, there are two main shopping malls whose shops specialize in computers, electronic gadgets, printers, scanners and mobile phone accessories.

Wan Chai Computer Center Wan Chai Computer Center sells all computer related products, including hardware, software, gadgets and games, as well as repair services. It is right next to the MTR exit next to Southorn Playground, 130 Hennessy Road.

298 Computer Zone 298 Computer Zone is the other center in Wan Chai that offers computer related products, hardware, software, gadgets and games. They also offer repair services.

It is next to the C.C. Wu Building at 298 Hennessy Road.

Mong Kok Computer Center The Mong Kok Computer Center provides

Causeway Bay / Windsor House Windsor House in the heart of Causeway Bay has floors of shops and restaurants. A computer center is in the building, offering a wide variety of computer products and gadgets. It is just off the Causeway Bay MTR exit at 311 Gloucester Road.

Sham Shui Po Golden Computer Arcade and Golden Computer Center in Sham Shui Po are the must-go places for computer geeks in Hong Kong. These two centers are situated one on top of the other in the same building.

A labyrinth of shops offering computers, electronic gadgets, printers, scanners and mobile phone accessories are sold in both Golden Computer Arcade and Golden Computer Center, and in shops on the streets surrounding the building. The best and quickest computer repair shops are here.

Whatever computer equipment you have that needs repair, a shop there can do it. There are also many mobile phone repair and hard disk recovery shops to be found.

The entrance to the top floors gets you into the Golden Computer Arcade. The entrance to the Golden Computer Center is on the side street a few doors down from the entrance to Golden Computer Arcade. The two are not internally connected, so you have to enter each from their separate entrances.

Home Appliances Appliances for the home can be purchased at many small and large retailers. There are many Japan Home Stores that sell electric

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3 kettles and electric frying pans. Wing On sells everything from electric toothbrushes and gourmet kitchen gadgets to washing machines and air conditioners.

The major appliance chains in Hong Kong are Fortress, Broadway and Suning. All three chains have stores in every part of Hong Kong, primarily in shopping malls. They carry international brand products and provide delivery and set up services.

Broadway Broadway is another leading electronics and electrical appliance retailer in Hong Kong. In many of the big malls, Broadway and Fortress shops, as well as other electronics goods providers, are often side by side or across the hall from each other. This makes comparison shopping easy. www.broadway.com.hk

Fortress Fortress is one of the largest electronics and household appliance stores in Hong Kong.

They sell everything from TVs and mobile phones, to kettles and other electronics, including digital cameras. There are branch stores throughout Hong Kong. www.fortress.com.hk

Suning Suning is China’s second largest electronics chain after Gome, and it is also expanding quickly in Hong Kong. www.cnsuning.com.hk

Premium Kitchen Appliances Many luxury and premium branded kitchen appliance retailers are available in Hong Kong. Among the many available, Gaggenau, German Pool and Miele have set up shops providing service and sales.

German Pool A leading player in Hong Kong’s water heater and electrical appliances industry, German

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Pool works in partnership with a German company and has a history of producing well-designed products. The company has showrooms in Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island as well as an e-store. www.germanpool.com.hk

Kitchen Infinity (KIH) This company sells various brands of kitchen appliances including Gaggenau, Aber, Poggen Pohl, Smeg and Strato. They have 3 stores in Hong Kong. www.kih.com.hk

Miele Miele is another German brand of high quality domestic appliances. They have a showroom, the Miele Boutique, in Causeway Bay, which provides retail sales of their appliances. www.miele.hk

Many companies provide mobile telephone and service plans. All have retail stores with service people ready to assist. Some of the more established companies include: China Mobile www.hk.chinamobile.com CSL www.1010.csl.com Smartone www.smartone.com 3 (Three) www.three.com.hk

Books and Magazines Hong Kong is a vibrant place for literature.

The annual book fair held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is always a huge opportunity to see the latest titles and buy books and publications from all over the world. The rest of the year, Hong Kong’s booksellers do brisk sales of the latest top selling books. Some specialize in arts, culture and humanities. Others provide a general range of titles for adults and children.

Telecommunications & Mobile Phone Services

Specialized Bookstores

Fixed line telephone services are now often bundled with broadband connection and cable TV. Most of these companies also provide mobile phone service packages.

It is best to check out prices and service packages from several companies before signing up for one.

Bloomsbury specializes in law and business titles. They supply major law firms, universities and schools, government departments, various libraries and companies big and small in Hong Kong and China. www.bloomsbury.com.hk

Bloomsbury Books

Eslite Some companies bundle mobile telephone purchases with a service plan. Plans may differ vastly from company to company, so it is wise to ask questions and be clear about the contracts. Most companies lock you into a long fixed-term package and will charge penalties for breaking these contracts prior to their end date.

Eslite, a specialized bookstore from Taiwan, now has a flagship store in Hysan Place in Causeway Bay. This popular three-level store specializes in books on arts and humanities but also has a large children’s selection, as well as fiction titles and a good range of international magazines. Within the store there is also a Taiwanese tea shop for thirsty readers, as well as a cafe. Other locations

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3 include Tsim Sha Tsui and Tai Koo Shing. www.eslite.com

Page One Page One specializes in translated works and international publications focusing on cultural content, contemporary publications and cultural merchandise. Page One has several retail shops in Hong Kong in large malls. www.pageonegroup.com

General Bookstores Bookazine Bookazine is one of Hong Kong’s most established bookstores. Bookazine sells books, magazines and stationery, and has retail locations throughout Hong Kong. They also hold book launches, readings and book signing events. www.bookazine.com.hk

Hong Kong Book Centre / Kelly & Walsh / Swindon The Swindon group of bookstores owns and operates the Hong Kong Book Centre, Kelly & Walsh and Swindon. They provide quality books of special interest ranging from art and design to business and travel. They also offer popular bestsellers as well as children’s titles. www.swindonbooks.com

Music and CDs Despite being able to download music and videos from online sites, going to the music store is still an enjoyable shopping experience. Music stores not only sell music CDs; they are more “media entertainment” retailers offering DVDs, Bluray discs and games, as well as magazines and accessories. All will have sampling stations where you can try out the latest entertainment before you decide on a purchase.

HMV HMV is the largest chain of music stores

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in Hong Kong, with stores throughout the city. Their Central store is on two floors of the Entertainment Building at 30 Queen’s Road Central. A new flagship store recently opened in Pearl City in Causeway Bay, bringing the total number of retail outlets to five. This new store includes a bar and restaurant. They provide all the latest releases of international and Asian music and movies. They also list the top selling titles of music, Asian albums, DVDs, Blu-rays and games. Although its parent company in the UK has closed, HMV Hong Kong has been taken over by new investors and continues to operate. www.hmv.com.hk

Hong Kong Records Hong Kong Records has several shops selling a huge collection of audio and video products. Their shops are inside shopping malls and are fitted with state-of-the-art audio-visual facilities and a dedicated room for Classical & Jazz music lovers. DJ hours are arranged during weekends to introduce new release albums, movies and musical videos. From local to international artists and from classical to mainstream pop, Hong Kong Records also offers video games, accessories, books and magazines. www.hongkongrecords.hk

Pharmacies Pharmacies or drug stores in Hong Kong, just like their Western counterparts, sell a lot more. Like mini convenience stores, they also sell sweets and snacks, along with a range of beauty, hair care and personal care products.

Local Pharmacies Local pharmacies are easy to find, and one or several are typically set up in commercial retail districts to supply drugs and first aid supplies. They are easy to recognize, as all of them will have a large red cross as part

of their signage. Many local pharmacies also sell brand name and generic drugs without prescriptions. You do need to know what you want, so go with the brand name of the drug and ask the counter staff to recommend the equivalent.

Watsons and Mannings are the largest chains of pharmacies in Hong Kong. They offer a range of over the counter drugs, drugs with prescriptions and beauty, hair care and personal hygiene products.

They also have professional registered pharmacists on staff most hours of the day to provide prescribed medicines. They are also helpful for recommending over the counter generic medicines for minor ailments, insect bites and first aid.

Furnishings If your flat in Hong Kong is not already furnished, you’ll need to decide on how to furnish it based on several concerns. Do you want an interior decorator to come do everything for you? Do you want to do it all by yourself? Are you expected to use your home to entertain your own or your spouse’s clients? What kind of budget do you have?

Franc Franc Franc Franc is a Japanese furniture retailer which sells beautifully designed housewares with a “casual stylish” brand concept. The store has many locations, including HomeSquare in Sha Tin, Festival Walk and Causeway Bay. www.francfranc.com.hk

Mannings The pharmacists at Mannings provide customers with consultations and medication tracking with their Electronic Medication Management System. Mannings provides free health consultations for blood pressure and drug interactions, and they hold activities to promote public awareness of health.

Mannings also staffs registered dietitians to offer services in disease management, diet planning and sports nutrition. www.mannings.com.hk

Watsons Watsons has many shops all over Hong Kong. At some of their stores, the pharmacy team can provide health assessment services. Some services such as the Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure monitoring and bone density assessments are free. Other services, such as blood glucose monitoring, require a small fee. No advance booking is necessary. www.watsons.com.hk

G.O.D. G.O.D. (Goods of Desire) is a local brand that offers well-designed products by local and international product designers. G.O.D. offers home furnishings, housewares, furniture, fashion and gifts. Some of their products are Hong Kong-themed and are uniquely Chinese in their construction and design. Although they have closed some of their stores, the company still has branches in various locations, including popular tourist destinations such as Hollywood Road in Central, Causeway Bay, Sai Kung, Stanley and The Peak. www.god.com.hk

IKEA IKEA offers a wide range of well-designed home furnishings and office equipment at value-for-money prices. Their stores in Causeway Bay, Kowloon Bay and Sha Tin also have a snack shop and cafeteria. Their prices are so low that they are the cheapest place in Hong Kong to buy some items.

A trendy and well-designed glass serving bowl or a roll of biscuits for under HK$ 20 is

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3 a common find at IKEA. Their vast range of affordable products has made shopping at IKEA a must-go for anyone furnishing their home in Hong Kong. www.ikea.com

Muji The Japanese brand was launched in 1980 and is a kind of small Japanese version of IKEA but with a difference. Along with furniture, stationery and housewares it also has its own branded apparel. www.muji.com

Happy Valley In Happy Valley, especially on the streets surrounding the racecourse, there are numerous premium shops selling furniture and lighting products by both well-known and lesser-known international brands and designers. Starting from Leighton Road, and along Wong Nai Chung Road up to Blue Pool Road and Sing Wood Road, there are many shops that sell all types of home furnishings, from curtains to kitchen appliances. Many of these stores are smaller retailers at ground level. The best way to shop around Happy Valley is to find a sunny day, put on your good walking shoes and walk around the neighborhood, browsing the stores.

HomeSquare HomeSquare, located in Sha Tin, is the largest complex of home furnishing retailers. Well-known brand IKEA as well as many others such as Ulferts, Franc Franc and Indigo, have stores in HomeSquare.

The complex provides a one-stop mart for interior design, furniture, bedding and curtains, lighting, kitchen and bathroom accessories and electrical appliances. It is accessible by bus and taxi and via the Sha Tin MTR station. www.homesquare.com.hk

Interiors Horizon Plaza Horizon Plaza is a warehouse building

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in Ap Lei Chau, near Aberdeen, with 28 floors of retail and outlet shops that sell furniture, interiors, fashion and other miscellaneous products. There are also cafes and supermarkets to serve visitors.

The warehouse is very rustic, and you will sometimes take to the stairs, since there can be a long wait for the industrial sized elevators, casual wear is suggested. The easiest way to go to Horizon Plaza is by car or taxi. Most taxi drivers will know where it is. Bus M590 from Exchange Square will also take you there. Horizon Plaza, No. 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau.

Landmark Prince’s Landmark Prince’s houses top international luxury jewelry and fashion brands. It also hosts a selection of upmarket retailers, offering a wide range of clothing and household goods. Here you can find bed and bath linens, furniture, appliances, bookshops and kitchenware. You will also find shops that offer antiques, art, carpets, books and stationery, as well as an Oliver’s grocery store.

Queen’s Road East On both sides of Queen’s Road East, from Admiralty to Causeway Bay, is a boulevard of local stores selling moderately priced Chinese styled rosewood and rattan furniture, curtains, drapes and custom-fitted upholstery.

Bamboo and Rattan Bamboo and rattan offer a stylish and inexpensive alternative to traditional Western furniture. You can find them in many stores in Hong Kong, especially along Queen’s Road East in Wan Chai. In most of these shops, you can choose the style, size and color you want, and they will produce the furniture to those specifications. Many also offer upholstery fabrics for you to choose from to make cushions and pillows to go with your furniture.

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Bedding & Mattresses A good place to buy bedding at reasonable prices is at Chinese department stores, including Wing On and Sincere, which offer cotton or silk sheets, pillowcases, bed covers, quilts and duvets in all bed sizes.

Many other retailers offer bedding at every price level.

You can get all types and sizes of mattresses here, including local and overseas brands.

Most department stores sell mattresses and allow you to test them in the shop.

Alternative bed types are also available, including futons and sofa beds.

Curtains, Blinds, Fabrics & Linens Window sizes and shapes vary so widely in Hong Kong that you may find it difficult to find ready-made drapes in shops. Some popular household goods stores like IKEA and G.O.D sell ready-made blinds and draperies in a variety of sizes.

Many shops make custom-fitted draperies.

They all have a selection of fabrics, or you

can bring fabrics from other shops. Custom fitted blinds and shades are also available - from Venetian and vertical blinds to woven or tied bamboo and rattan blinds to Roman shades.

It’s advisable to line all drapes, as the intense sun in Hong Kong will quickly fade the fabric otherwise.

Several companies specialize in blackout curtains that eliminate light coming from outside. In a “light-polluted” place like Hong Kong, those with light sensitive eyes may find blackout curtains essential to a good night’s rest.

Carpets You can have the wooden floors in your flat professionally covered in wall-to-wall carpets, widely available in all grades and price levels.

Or you can opt for oriental carpets (Persian).

These wool and/or silk carpets are worldrenowned works of art from China, India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. They can

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last a lifetime but are very expensive, so choose carefully.

Carpets of all types are available in Chinese department stores and from many shops and dealers in the territory. These shops can also recommend cleaners and repair specialists for your oriental carpets.

Most shops that sell curtain material and blinds also deal in carpets, including indooroutdoor carpet squares that you can use on verandas, balconies, roof areas and in kitchens.

Lighting & Lamps From traditional table lamps with silk shades to modern spotlights and chrome ceiling lights – from cut-glass chandeliers to porcelain and bronze lamps – you can find them all in Hong Kong lighting shops.

Imported fixtures are expensive, but locally made lamps and lampshades are a bargain, and they are very well made. The best places

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to shop are along Queen’s Road East and Morrison Hill Road in Wan Chai and in Mong Kok. You can bring your lamps to Hong Kong, but do not bring 110-volt bulbs, which will explode with Hong Kong’s higher voltage. All you need to convert lamps is a three-pronged plug and 220-volt bulbs. Three-way bulbs are difficult to find here but they do exist, as do full-spectrum light bulbs.

Wallpaper and Ceramic Tiles Wallpaper is very popular in Hong Kong.

There are several shops that specialize in wall coverings. Ceramic tiles are also widely used by decorators. Lockhart Road in Wan Chai and Portland Street in Mong Kok are where furnishing materials stores are clustered.

Art & Antiques Antique shops in Hong Kong have always provided some of the best and most sought

after Chinese cultural relics outside of China. In the last half decade, arts, and in particular the sale and exhibition of contemporary Chinese art, has boomed in Hong Kong. Nearly a hundred commercial galleries now have a presence in the city.

Many are located next to decades-old antique shops on Hollywood Road.

Cat Street On Upper Lascar Row, a short walk from Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road is Cat Street. Cat Street is unique in that it sells antique knick-knacks, curios, flea-market items and collectibles. Some shops simply sell old stuff, including record players, old black and white family photographs, and pots and pans. Much of it may look like junk, but there may be treasures and gems hidden in the dusty old shelves. On the street are stalls selling old coins, stone carvings and Chinese trinkets. You’ll find Chairman Mao clocks, posters and many old vintage copies of the Little Red Book for sale. Many items are recently produced but still quintessentially Chinese. Children’s embroidered cloth shoes, hand puppets and brightly colored bowls are cheap and affordable souvenirs and memorabilia from your trip to Cat Street.

Taking a walk along Hollywood Road is a shopping and cultural adventure. It can be a long hike, but in cool weather it is well worth the excursion.

Art Auctions In addition to gallery shows there are also art auctions, which usually take place biannually. These are conducted by auction houses that auction off antiques and other valuable items. Some of these auction houses also have their own galleries. One Pacific Place, a shopping and office complex located in Admiralty, is home to three of the major art auction houses, Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Poly Gallery.

Christie’s One of the world’s leading auctioneers with offices all over the world, Christie’s has established itself as one of Asia’s most important auction houses. Their Hong Kong office is located in Alexandra House, and their sales and viewing room is at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. Some of its auction items include ancient Chinese art and jadeite as well as contemporary art and watches. www.christies.com

Sotheby’s Hollywood Road The best antique shops and many art galleries selling and exhibiting contemporary arts are situated along Hollywood Road. From the start of Hollywood Road in Sheung Wan to the end in Central at the junction of Wyndham Street, shops selling antiques, curios, art and carpets populate both sides of the street. Antique shops sell ancient sculptures, porcelain, jade, paintings and furniture. Art galleries exhibit paintings, installations and sculptures. Carpet stores sell hand-knotted Indian and Persian rugs.

Established in Hong Kong in 1973, Sotheby’s is the first international auction house in Asia. It conducts bi-annual sales in April and October of wine, art and jewels. Its space in One Pacific Place hosts lectures as well as auctions and exhibitions. www.sothebys.com

Poly Gallery Also located in One Pacific Place is Poly Gallery. Spacious and well-lit, the gallery hosts exhibitions of primarily Chinese art ranging from ancient artifacts to contemporary masters. www.polyauction.com.hk

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3 Galleries Art Galleries are found in every area and district in Hong Kong. Central and Sheung Wan are have many. Galleries are finding space in larger, less expensive retail spaces in Wan Chai, Ap Lei Chau, Chai Wan and throughout Kowloon and in the New Territories. In Central, there are many on the upper floors of buildings around Lyndhurst Terrace and Gough Street.

the largest art galleries, Gagosian and Pearl Lam, are housed on entire floors of the Pedder Building, along with some small galleries. Abercrombie and Fitch recently set up its Hong Kong flagship store in the Pedder Building basement, and it occupies several floors in addition. The iconic building is huge. It was built in 1924 and has vintage staircases and high ceilings. The classic architecture is one reason to visit.

The eclectic mix of shops and retailers is certainly the other.

In the New Territories, there is a similar center called the Fotanian located in Fo Tan (near Sha Tin) where there are studios and gallery shows of local artists as well as workshops. www.fotanian.org

Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre On the Kowloon side, there is the JCCAC (Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre). Located in Shek Kip Mei, the center is home to a wide variety of art and craft related activities with studio and gallery spaces showcasing young local talent. The center also hosts a popular handicrafts fair, which takes place seasonally. www.jccac.org.hk

Pedder Building Pedder Building, across the street from the Landmark, used to be home to fashion outlets. Although some fashion retailers still reside in the building, the Pedder Building is slowly changing its tenant mix. Two of

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The Hong Kong Commercial Art Galleries Association (HKCAGA) represents the interests of Hong Kong’s commercial art galleries. The HKCAGA organizes ArtWalk – an annual charity showcase event held early in the year involving galleries and local restaurants. The event benefits charity and also gives visitors an opportunity to visit numerous galleries throughout Hong Kong on one night, while enjoying refreshments provided by local restaurants. The ArtWalk website lists the names and contact details of all of their participating galleries. www.hongkongartwalk.com

Art Supplies With the boom in the arts in Hong Kong, many look forward to learning about painting, sculpture and other creative pursuits. Many places offer various types of art classes.

Supplies for amateurs can be found at many shops. Nearly all stationery stores sell the basics such as paper, paint, ink and colored pencils and pastels. For professionals, one of the leading art suppliers in Hong Kong is Artland, located in Wan Chai.

WHAT TO SHOP

3 Artland Artland offers painting accessories, canvases, easels, paper and boards, as well as items needed by painters, sculptures, graphic artists and print-makers. Their range of products is extensive, and their store is large enough to accommodate a vast inventory of materials. The Artland Gallery has an extensive schedule of exhibitions of artistic works by local artists. www.artland.com.hk

CN Square Also known as Chung Nam Stationery, CN Square is a five-story store that sells school and office supplies, including calculators and electronic dictionaries, as well as specialist art supplies such as sketchbooks and canvases. Additionally, the store sells a wide range of artistic media including pastels, oils, gouache and acrylic paints. http://yp.com.hk/chungnamhk

International Art Supplies International Art Supplies offers fine art supplies such as pens, paints, dyes, canvases and accessories for woodcrafts and clay work. They also offer a range of portfolio cases and light boxes. They have an extensive range of boards, tools and products for exhibition set-ups. www.ias-hk.com

Pets and their Care Hong Kong does have numerous pet shops that supply a menagerie of animals that can be purchased as pets. Cats and dogs are commonplace, but if you fancy a tortoise, a chinchilla or a lizard, they are available too. However, the pet industry is not well regulated in Hong Kong, and it is not possible to confirm if animals are humanely bred, transported or kept before you buy and take them home. Some pets have been known to “expire” soon after

they are purchased in Hong Kong. It may be best not to buy a pet if you plan on staying a short time, because Hong Kong doesn’t have facilities for unwanted pets.

Vets in Hong Kong There are a multitude of veterinary practices all over Hong Kong, but for the new pet owner it may be an overwhelming task to find a reputable vet for your animal’s needs.

Here is a list of veterinary clinics that have been well-established in the city and have built a good reputation with highly qualified and well-trained staff of local and expat veterinarians. Additionally, you can often find user reviews and discussions of pets and pet services on expat forums such as GeoExpat or AsiaExpat.

East Island Animal Hospital Located in Shau Kei Wan, the East Island Animal Hospital was founded in 2005 by an Australian couple. The price of consultation is HK$ 200, which is low for vet practices, while the staff still provide quality care and possess qualifications from some of the world’s top universities.

In addition to hospitalization and surgery, the hospital has an in-house laboratory, oxygen therapy, digital imaging and a dedicated cat ward. www.eastislandvets.com.hk

Home Vet Home Vet is a convenient 24-hour pet house-call service with bilingual doctors.

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3 Founded by Dr Matthew Murdoch, a Britishtrained veterinary doctor with over 15 years of experience working with animals internationally, Home Vet’s services include home hospice care, acupuncture and special care for senior pets. www.homevet.com.hk

Pets Central In addition to its main clinic in Mong Kok, Pets Central has locations in Tseung Kwan O, Tung Chung, North Point and Sai Kung. In addition to veterinary services, it also has in-store adoption services and collaborates with animal welfare agencies for a variety of pet-related causes. www.pets-central.com

SPCA The SPCA provides shelter for unwanted pets which are abandoned or found on the streets. The society welcomes people who

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would like to adopt a pet and have several Adoption Centers including the Hong Kong headquarters in Wan Chai. www.spca.org.hk

The Ark Established over 20 years ago, The Ark Veterinary Hospital is a fully serviced veterinary practice that provides 24-hour emergency care. Among the services it provides are oncology, dentistry, ultrasound and radiology as well as dermatology and acupuncture. www.thearkvets.com

Aquariums Keeping fish may be an easier option for some. Tropical and cold-water fish, along with related supplies and equipment for keeping them, are available in specialist stores and stalls throughout Hong Kong.

Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok (“Gold Fish Street”) is a good place to start.