The Hong Kong lifestyle is fast and busy, which can be difficult for many people at first, but you’ll fall into the rhythm before you realise it. It’s a city that stays up late but gets up early.
Where is it?
Hong Kong is located in the Guangzhou region of China, at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta. Officially, it is called Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) and is governed by China. It has its own economic and political system. There is a border between Hong Kong and the mainland, so when you are in Hong Kong you are not, strictly speaking, in China.
Key Facts
Languages: Cantonese/English/Putonghua (Mandarin)
Population: Approximately 7.3 Million
Currency: Hong Kong Dollars (HKD)
Time Zone: GMT+8:00
Telephone Area Code: +852
Here is a link to a fact sheet, as provided by the Hong Kong government.
Weather
Climate wise, Hong Kong really only has three seasons. Summer, which is hot and humid, (29-34C, 95% Humidity) lasts for most of the year, fortunately most places are air-conditioned, unfortunately many of these places threaten to freeze you to death so it’s always handy to carry an extra layer like a cardigan or coat. Winter is fairly dry and mild with some surprisingly cold bursts with the temperature dropping down to 4-8C. Autumn is quite a pleasant time in Hong Kong and is usually the busiest time for tourists.
Because it is a tropical environment, it is also prone to extremely heavy rain sometimes. You’ll need to carry an umbrella around during Typhoon season!
