Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2004 10:20 am Post subject: Hong Kong Do's and Don'ts
Clothing
Hong Kong is a very fashion conscious city. Still, Hong Kong is cosmopolitan - they've seen it all, so you can get away with wearing almost anything. Revealing clothing is OK - shorts, miniskirts and bikinis (at the beach only) are common; nude bathing is a definite no-no.
There is one exception to this tolerance - thongs (flip flops). Thongs are OK to wear in hotel rooms, but most definitely not in its lobby or outdoors (except around a swimming pool or beach).
Some restaurants and hotels will not let you in the door wearing thongs. Many westerners ignore this unwritten rule and, although the police won't arrest you for wearing thongs in public, you will be looked upon with contempt.
Oddly, sandals are perfectly acceptable. The difference between sandals and thongs is the strap across the back of the ankle. As long as the strap is there, it's OK. No strap, and you're dressed indecently.
Handy Hints
Always hand a piece of paper to somebody using both hands. This shows respect. This especially rings true if the receiver is somebody important, like apublic official, your landlord or a business associate. You will notice that Hong Kong Chinese always hand business cards with two hands (coupled with a slight lowering of the head). If you use one hand, you will be considered rude.
Colour & Custom
There's more to a colour than meets the eye, at least for the Chinese. White is the colour of death, and moumers at traditional Chinese funerals will often wear white cloaks, some times with a black ribbon. Black on white is traditionally associated with funerals, and if you ever see a large circular flower board in black and white, it denotes someone's passing. It used to be that sending a white sheet of paper with black writing on it was a bad omen, but in these days of word processors and laser-jet printers, that belief has gone by the wayside.
Red is a far happier colour, symbolising prosperity. In traditional Chinese weddings the bride would wear red, though today the red gown is usually reserved for the wedding reception; tuxedos and white wedding dresses are the norm in Hong Kong. Restaurants, temples and other places where people congregate are often decked out in red. However, it is not considered good form to write notes, letters or sign one's name in red ink. Hong Kongers don't seem too clear on why this is, but Taiwanese say that it implies the writer lacks intelligence.
Yellow , which was always the colour of the emperor, was believed to repel evil spirits, which is why temple fortune papers are printed on yellow paper. Slack also supposedly stands for treachery, but this idea wilted under the forces of fashion - black clothing was all the rage among stylish young women in Hong Kong during the 1990s.
Killer Chopsticks
Leaving chopsticks sticking vertically into the bowl is a bad omen. This resembles incense sticks in a bowl of ashes, a sure death sign.
Gift Giving
It's good manners when visit- ing people to bring some sort of gift, such as flowers or chocolates, especially if you've been invited for a meal. Money is generally not appropriate (and indeed would be an insult), but there are tiines when you are supposed to give money - weddings, funerals and (for children) the Chinese Lunar New Year. The money should be given in a red envelope (sold in stationery shops all over Hong Kong). The equivalent of the hongbao, or red package containing money given at the time of the Chinese spring festival, is called laisee in Hong Kong.
To complicate matters further, a Chinese person with good manners is supposed to refuse (at least once, maybe twice) any gift you offer. You are supposed to insist. They will then 'reluctantly' accept. To accept a gift too readily is considered greedy and will cause the recipient to lose face. This makes it really hard to know if the person is trying to refuse the gift because they don't want it. _________________ Asia Expats Forum Expat Friends Dating
True Hong Kong'ers are used to both Chinese and western culture, so generally when they see a foreigner, they interact with him/her just as in the West (for the most part) ... at least, that's been my experience so far.
True Hong Kong'ers are used to both Chinese and western culture, so generally when they see a foreigner, they interact with him/her just as in the West (for the most part) ... at least, that's been my experience so far.
True Hong Kong'ers are used to both Chinese and western culture, so generally when they see a foreigner, they interact with him/her just as in the West (for the most part) ... at least, that's been my experience so far.
I love HK!
Sounds kind of like how it is in Singapore.
I wonder how different Singaporeans are from HKers. I realise that the atmosphere of both cities is affected by prevailing laws and climate, but in terms of their characters and personalities, are there any notable differences? I know that in HK, the most widely spoken language is Cantonese and in Singapore, it's more of a mixed bag in terms of the Chinese languages that are spoken.
_________________ Wer tanzen will, muss die Musik bezahlen
True Hong Kong'ers are used to both Chinese and western culture, so generally when they see a foreigner, they interact with him/her just as in the West (for the most part) ... at least, that's been my experience so far.
I love HK!
Sounds kind of like how it is in Singapore.
I wonder how different Singaporeans are from HKers. I realise that the atmosphere of both cities is affected by prevailing laws and climate, but in terms of their characters and personalities, are there any notable differences? I know that in HK, the most widely spoken language is Cantonese and in Singapore, it's more of a mixed bag in terms of the Chinese languages that are spoken.
When it comes right down to it, probably the same - both groups are comprised mainly of educated Chinese that have been exposed to the Western world for a long time ... _________________ Dongguan Expat - Your online Community!
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