1. Don’t Tell Them that They Speak Good English and Expect It to Be Taken As A Compliment

Because it is not.

I’m not even a Hong Konger and this offends me. More than once I’ve even had older foreigners purposefully slow down their speech and exaggerate the enunciation of their words when speaking to me because, I suppose when you think someone does not understand your native language, repeating what you say slower and louder is what will do the trick.

tldr: everyone in Hong Kong speaks English, and the majority of them speak it well. Even when it’s unintentional, saying stuff like this can come across as patronizing or even condescending because while you think you might be complimenting someone’s language proficiency, you’re actually just making known your stereotype about an entire country or ethnicity – and I’ll be honest, it’s a lil unpretty.

We know you don’t mean it, but it is unpretty.

2. Don’t Walk Slowly

Alongside Singaporeans, Hong Kongers are some of the fastest walkers in the world, so a surefire way to piss them off would be to disrupt the rhythm of their finely tuned orchestra by meandering leisurely through crowded sidewalks and dawdling where human traffic is surging with relentless energy.

It’s not that you have to give in to the whirlwind of motion; but you do have to be aware of your surroundings at all times. Things bustle along so quickly here that causing movement to stall- in any way or form and especially at peak hours- is enough to crown you a public nuisance (as perfectly exemplifed above).

Speaking of things obstructing the world from spinning…

3. Make Sure Your Travel Card Has Sufficient Balance Before Getting In Line

Hong Kong is one of those places you want to take on only if you are a seasoned traveller with some degree of civic responsibility. You almost have to navigate your way as if you have been living there for years. This includes, for instance, always preparing your Octopus card before getting to the barriers. (Conversely, if you like being public enemy, then simply do the opposite by fumbling around for your card only when you reach the gate.)

Making sure you have a sufficient balance also helps ensure you don’t stall the line.

4. Be Observant At All Times About How the the Locals Behave

Hong Kong is a well-oiled machine, and well-oiled machines hate it when unwitting nuts such as ourselves throw a spanner in the works, disrupting the seamless flow of their bustle as a result.

In addition to the above, also be mindful of which side to stand on the escalator (it’s the right. The left is kept clear for people in a rush); take the lift if you have bulky luggage (otherwise you’ll be blocking everyone on the escalator), and always let people alight before going into trains.

It’s a laundry list but it’s not a hard one to follow: you just have to learn to be really thoughtful and aware of other people other than yourself. As a general rule of thumb, just make sure that your presence is not inadvertently encroaching someone else’s space or slowing them down, and you’ll be fine.

5. Do Not Expect to Engage In Small Talk

Hong Kong’s reputation for being one of the most curt and unfriendly nations in the world stems, perhaps, from their general aversion to casual banter – even if they are on the service front.

It’s not that they are unfriendly; they just don’t have the patience for inefficient conversations*. You won’t get pleasantries at checkout, or be asked how’s your day by the average service member. Superficial exchanges are kept to a minimum here; and to be perfectly honest, as a person who dreads small talk, culture or not, I can really relate.

* You will be surprised how many Hong Kongers actually make for really great conversationalists when you are able to engage them in meaningful conversations.

6. Be Very Mindful of Superstitions When Gifting

On the off chance that you’re being hosted by someone in Hong Kong and want to arrive/depart with a gift, a deep dive into Chinese superstitions is mandatory. You do not want to end up gifting something that is seemingly meaningful, only to learn that it actually symbolizes something terrible, like death.

For instance, timepieces like clocks and watches are a major no-no, because 送钟/sòng zhōng (to give a timepiece) is pronounced the exact same way as 送终/sòng zhōng (to pay one’s last respects); which, even as they know you did not mean or even know it, would still come across as an inauspicious sign.

Similarly, where fashion is concerned, steer away from green headwear, as to 戴绿帽 (wear a green hat) is a metaphor that the wife is cheating on the husband. Giving them to kids is an even huger faux pas because it implies that you think they are not the biological children of their father.

To be honest, the world of Chinese superstitions is a five-thousand year old labyrinth of beliefs and traditions and customs, simmered and slow-cooked over centuries into the intricate complexity that it is today. To be safer than sorry, stop trying to figure out what you can’t gift (because it’s an endless black hole that you will sink and die in) and find out what you can gift instead. It’s alot more painless this way; and more critically, you will never go wrong.

7. Know Your Chopstick Etiquette

In addition to gift giving, you should also know that there exists an entire world of etiquette structured around two slender, remarkably non-descript tapered sticks that, on their own, look about as interesting as, well, sticks; but together, wield the power to grievously offend.

One, never cross your chopsticks (as if to form an ‘X’); for at best, it signifies that you no longer want any more food, which can be rude if the meal is still running its course. At worst, this is a harbinger of death.

Also related to death is the act of sticking your chopsticks in your bowl upright when it’s filled with rice- or leaving them in slanted when the bowl is empty. These placements make it look like an offering to the deceased, and will be taken as a bad omen.

Other dishonourable mentions include rubbing your chopsticks together (it implies that you think the chopsticks to be of inferior quality); using your personal chopsticks to lift food off sharing plates (for hygiene reasons that actually make sense); and pointing at someone with your chopsticks (a show of threat/disrespect).