Travel Hong Kong Like a Local

Non-Touristy Things to Do in Asia's Most International City

Jul 17, 2009

Hong Kong is more than just the skyscrapers and the nightlife. Find out what locals do for fun in this international city.

Famous tourist attractions Hong Kong has aplenty, but after travelers have taken the Peak Tram, climbed the steps to the Big Buddha, and admired Hong Kong’s spectacular skyline by night, they may wish to relax, look around, and find out how the local Hong Kong people spend their time. Fortunately, an authentic local experience is at every traveler’s fingertips.

These local Hong Kong eateries, known locally as cha chan teng (literally “tea meal room”) rarely have English menus or staff who can speak more than a few phrases of English, but they are pretty much as local as you can get. Hong Kong locals have adapted the British custom of having a light meal at 4 or 5 o’clock in the afternoon, and many great deals can be had at this time. Order a lemon tea (ling cha) or a mug of strong Hong Kong style milk tea (nai cha), and munch on chicken wings or a Macanese specialty, a pork chop in a bun (ju pai bao).

The Golden Compute Arcade, a three-story enclosed electronics market, sells all the well-known brands of consumer electronics and cameras. The deals are in the accessories – pick up cheap laptop bags, iPod covers, cables, USB drives, hard-drives, keyboards, and browse for your fill of flashlights, used mobile phones, and more along Ap Liu Street at the Sham Shui Bo MTR station. While the experience may be less than relaxing, it certainly is local.

Cheung Chau is a small but popular island, and is a great place to spend an afternoon exploring the narrow car-free streets and having a dip at the beach. By dinnertime, however, the waterfront starts getting busy as crowds of tourists, expats and locals crowd the seafood restaurants. Hungry locals pick out their choice of fresh shrimp, lobsters, and fish, still swimming in their Styrofoam containers after being brought in fresh from the sea. There are menus, of course, but true locals handpick their seafood for the restaurant to cook, and pay by weight. Try the “peeing shrimp” (lai liu ha), which are not truly shrimp, but small crayfish that squirt juice as diners crack open their shells – hence the name.

The Ladies’ Market, while touted in most guidebooks, has become little more than a tourist trap selling kitsch and low quality clothing. For true and cheap Hong Kong style, shoppers should head to Fa Yuen Street, just a little north of the Ladies’ Market. Here, shoppers will find trendy clothing at bargain-basement prices. Fitting is not permitted, and sizes run small, so buy at your own risk. To get there, get off at the Prince Edward MTR stop, walk east a few blocks, and then turn on Fa Yuen Street to the south. The elevated walkway has signs to direct you to the market.

The words “population density” take on a whole new meaning in the crowded shopping areas of Wan Chai and Causeway Bay. The entire street areas around Times Square and Sogo are perpetually packed with locals shopping, having their lunch break, or just passing the time. Travelers haven’t experienced Hong Kong until they’ve tried to cross the street in Wan Chai and braved the wall of people charging to the opposite side. It’s almost as bad as rush hour on the MTR.

Many Hong Kong locals like to spend their precious few off-work hours playing in the park with their kids, visiting their elderly relatives, relishing the air-conditioning inside the myriad malls, and eating copious amounts of Cantonese food. To absorb the local culture, travelers would do well to take a break from the sightseeing, and do as the locals do.

The copyright of the article Travel Hong Kong Like a Local in Hong Kong Travel is owned by Camilla Cheung. Permission to republish Travel Hong Kong Like a Local in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.