Country Overview
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is home to 6.6 million people. They are packed into an area of 423 square miles, roughly six times the size of Washington D.C. The majority live in the crowded 45 square miles of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon peninsula, which is five-times denser in population than Manhattan. Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, and is comprised of Hong Kong Island, the New Territories, Kowloon peninsula and outlying islands. Kowloon Peninsula shares a 12-mile border with China.

Most citizens of Hong Kong are bilingual. The official business language is English, with the Cantonese dialect of Chinese used for daily communication purposes. The population is 98% Chinese and 1.5% European. While the population is predominantly Chinese, Hong Kong has a culture that is very distinct from China.

The chief unit of currency is the Hong Kong Dollar.

Hong Kong is classified as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, with its own mini-constitution called the Basic Law.

Permanent residents living in Hong Kong for the past 7 years can vote at age 18.

Hong Kong's modern history began with the Opium Wars in the 1830's. The British began importing Bengal opium into China in 1773. As addiction grew, China banned the opium trade. However, the British continued to smuggle opium into China for fifty years. In 1839, the Chinese emperor again issued orders to stop the smuggling. In the ensuing conflict, the British pressured the Chinese into ceding Hong Kong Island to them. In 1898, the British signed a 99-year lease on Hong Kong.

Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on July 1, 1997. In this agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be practiced in Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.

Once enjoying economic growth due to its strong business in manufacturing, Hong Kong has evolved into an important player on the international trade scene. Hong Kong's principal trading partners include China, the United States, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Singapore, and South Korea. Hong Kong is a world leader in shipping and financial services. It has some of the world's most sophisticated telecommunications and information technology.

Hong Kong is perhaps the best place in the world to sample the dazzling variety of Chinese cuisine. However, Cantonese cooking from the neighboring Chinese province of Guangdong is the most popular style in Hong Kong. The basic methods of cooking are steaming, roasting, smoking, and fermentation processes that date back hundreds of years.

Traditional breakfast in Hong Kong consists of tea and dim sum, which features a variety of dumplings, rice rolls, beef balls and buns. High school students will often have bread, cornflakes, ham and eggs, noodles or congee (rice porridge).

Rice is served with all meals in Hong Kong. Dishes are comprised of meats, fishes and vegetables, and soup. Steaming, pan-frying, stir-frying and stewing are typical methods of preparation. Fruit and pastries serve as desserts or snacks. Tea is drunk throughout the day, and tends to be milder than English black tea that is drunk in the US.

Hotpots, casseroles and "steam boats" are dishes that reflect Northern-style Chinese cuisine. A steamboat is an earthen pot of bubbling seasoned stock in which diners cook a variety of meat and vegetables.

Many foods are imbued with cultural or religious importance in Hong Kong, particularly during festivals. During spring Lunar New Year festivities white turnip cakes have a special significance. Rich flavored cakes called nin go symbolize success. Lotus seeds in sweet soup are offered to young couples because their name, lin chi, is the same as the Chinese for "every year a son."

School
All children are required by law to attend school full- time between the ages of 6 and 15. Preschool education for most children begins at age 3. Students attend primary school from the age of 6 until 12. At about age 12, children progress to a 3-year course of junior secondary education.

Students attend school from 8am until 4pm, with an hour for lunch. They are encouraged to participate in after school clubs or sports. They are also assigned a great deal of homework.

Education is rigorous in Hong Kong. Students must study hard and prepare for important tests that determine whether or not they will continue their education. At the end of high school, they take an exam called the HKCE. Students who score high enough then complete two more years of school called Forms 6 and 7. They then take the HKAL exam to determine eligibility to continue at the university level.

Schools are very strict about student's punctuality and behavior. Most require that school uniforms be worn. Courses include English, Chinese, math, history, economics, science, art and music. Many high schools also offer course in logistics and commerce, as those are the primary industries in Hong Kong.
Teenagers Computers and the Internet are very popular among teens in Hong Kong. Most have access to the Internet, either at home or at school.

Boys play sports more often than do girls. Soccer and basketball are most common. Girls tend to read, go shopping with friends or listen to music in their leisure time. Many students play the piano as well.

The legal driving age is 18. However, driver's licenses, cars and gas are prohibitively expensive. Few teens can afford to drive or own a car.

The legal age for drinking and smoking is 18. It is considered unacceptable to drink or smoke before age 18, and most teens will be disciplined by their parents if found doing so.

Community
Hong Kong is small and crowded, which makes public transportation the most practical way to get around. Public transportation is inexpensive and generally efficient.

With the British convention, Hong Kong has the right- hand drive system, unlike the Chinese system.

Much of Hong Kong follows a six-day workweek. Hours are generally 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, the workday often lasts from 9am to 1pm. Longer hours, however, are common.

Offices may close from 1pm to 2pm, and many take a longer lunch. In China, many people nap during this period, although this is not commonly practiced in Hong Kong.

Many Hong Kong residents go on vacation during the summer and the weeks surrounding Christmas, Easter, and the Chinese New Year. Some Chinese businesses will close for the entire week of Chinese New Year. Retail shops specializing in the foods and decorations essential to the holiday thrive at this time.

The Family Families in Hong Kong average about two children each. A married Chinese woman usually retains her maiden name; she will not use her husband's name at all.

Mothers tend to stay home to manage the house and children. However, the numbers of working mothers are rising. It is not uncommon to hire a housekeeper if both parents are working.
The most popular pets in Hong Kong are dogs and cats.

Chinese names appear in a different order than Western names. In order, each person writes the family name, then a name signifying their generation, and finally an individual name. The individual name is the equivalent of a first name. The given first name and the generation are often written as one word.

Age is revered in Hong Kong families. Respect and deference are directed from the young to the old. It is common for extended family to live together, and for adult children to care for their elderly parents.

Students will often remain at home until they have finished school and are established in a job or get married. Many live in dormitories when they go to college.

Customs
The traditional Chinese greeting is a bow. A nod is sometimes substituted for a bow, and handshakes are popular when doing business. A deep bow is a way of showing respect to a superior or elder, and it is common to wait for the superior to rise to their feet before bowing.

Chinese will recognize and greet the most senior or elderly person in a group first, and politely inquire about his or her health.
While physical contact between men and women in public is discouraged, they often shake hands when doing business together.

Many traditional Chinese greetings refer to food. "Have you eaten," "Have you eaten rice yet?' and other variations are common greetings. These are rhetorical questions that are generally answered with a 'yes.'

Chinese eat with chopsticks, and there are specific rules of etiquette concerning the use and placement of them. For instance, sticking chopsticks straight up in the rice bowl is bad form, as it makes them look similar to the joss sticks used in religious ceremonies.

While Chinese generally stand closer to each other when talking than Americans do, it is rude to initiate physical contact with a stranger or superior.

Emotional restraint is held in high esteem; when dealing with people, one must maintain harmony within the group and avoid overt conflict. A person's actions reflect on his or her family, plus any other groups of which he or she is a member. To an American, Chinese may seem not to smile much, but this is simply a reflection of their emphasis on emotional restraint.

Chinese will often give an ambivalent answer such as 'I'll think about it' when they mean 'no,' as direct answers are rude. A 'yes' may simply be an acknowledgement of what was said, not an agreement. Criticisms are always given in private, as appearances are important.

Compliments are always appreciated, but denying them is the Chinese way of acceptance, as it would be poor manners to agree. Apologies are highly valued, and often profuse.

The giving of gifts is an intricate and important practice in Hong Kong. If one receives a gift, he or she tries to give a gift in return. Gifts are accepted and given with both hands, and rarely opened in front of the giver.

At Chinese New Year, it is customary to present a gift of money in a red envelope to children and local shopkeepers. The gift is called a "lei see.' Employers give their employees a 'lei see' of $20, $50, $100 or more, depending on the generosity of the employer.

As they often deal with English speakers on a regular basis, some Hong Kong Chinese adopt an English first name or nickname to make it easier for North Americans and other Westerners to address them.

Approximately 43% of Hong Kong Chinese participate in some form of religious practice. Approximately 8% are Christian, and ancestor worship is common due to the strong Confucian influence. Fengshui (fung shway) a belief system centering on harmonious arrangement and decoration of the home, is popular in Hong Kong.

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